In terms of heat units and plant development, we are about one to two weeks behind the past few years to date. Still, the cool — but not too cool — weather and sun (when it arrives) are quite pleasant and have made this a wonderful spring for flowers, from forsythia to fothergilla. One tree that is about to flower in the Akron area is white fringe tree (Chionanthus virgincus).

White fringe trees were blooming in Lexington, Ky., three weeks ago and in Delaware in central Ohio last week, and are already starting to bloom in Wooster. I remember decades ago, when vegetable grower par excellence John Graf of Graf Growers in Copley called up to talk of this ''wonderful tree next to his farm that he could smell a half-mile away.'' It was fringe tree and I will always recall John when inhaling its fragrance. John Graf, himself a true force of nature, died this month, and we should all remember him each spring as the crops develop here in Northeast Ohio and fringe trees come into redolent bloom.

White fringe tree is a small native tree (12-18 feet) with outstanding fleecy, white flowers. It has an open tree form, lustrous green leaves and attractive egg-shaped blue fruits on female plants. Lacy, white flowers are eye-openers in overall effect and very fragrant. Plant males with females for fruit effect. The tree is air pollution and soil pH adaptable. Chinese fringe tree (C. retusus) also had very attractive flowers. Check out fringe trees soon along the path at Seiberling Nature Realm on Smith Road in Akron.

About those planters

Also about to burst into bloom are the unique set of planters due to be planted today in downtown Akron. These solid textured concrete planters are designed by ceramic artist Dave Thomas of R.G. Thomas Landscape and Design Inc. and planted by the Downtown Akron Partnership.

The origin of these sturdy 300-pound planters with a range of local themes was a Lock 3 Summer Arts Program in 2003. Students helped design those original planters with Thomas and now there are more than three dozen planters throughout downtown Akron, some featuring floral and foliage motifs, others more whimsical, such as a pattern of a shirt and tie, and some of local landmarks, including a replica of the colorful Angie's House in bright blues and pink-purples. When Cascade Locks had to take the house down, Thomas designed a planter to remember it by.

Thomas has merged his careers of ceramic and horticultural arts working in the 34-year-old company that his brother Rick founded with the Thomas family, including Rick's wife, Pam, who started Pam's Perennial Plant Farm in Norton. Dave Thomas has a degree from the prestigious ceramics program at Alfred University and his graduate degree from Indiana State University.

The planters are real standouts for the Akron cityscape and designed with scale and perspective to be viewed as you drive by and in the solid style of Akron's workingman heritage. Thomas continues to experiment with designs and shapes and is making some custom planters in smaller sizes.

Rare opportunity

If you are up for a drive farther afield in the near future, coming up in two weeks is a public tour of some lovely private gardens about 90 minutes to the south of Akron. Schnormeier Gardens near Mount Vernon and Gambier in Knox County will have its once-a-year sharing of the gardens on June 14-15.

Schnormeier Gardens, started in 1996, provide world-class vistas on the 50 acres that include the Waterfall Garden, Stream Garden, Chinese Garden, Meadow Garden, Serenity Garden and Woodland Garden. You'll find a beautiful and peaceful Japanese tea house, a Chinese pavilion, numerous sculptures, many rare plants and a beautiful Frank Lloyd Wright-inspired home built in 1994.

Ten lakes, wide swaths of emerald turfgrass swards, boulders, stone walls, and what Ted Schnormeier termed the ''stairway to heaven'' — rows of ornamental crab apples and pagoda dogwoods — a remarkable opportunity. Check out the Web for further information and directions: http://schnormeiergardens.org.

For now, the ants are on the peony buds, the leaves of copper beech are softly unfolding, and beauty bush glistens in the sun. Go forth this weekend and do some planting yourself and enjoy Ohio's woodlands and gardens.