While pear and cherry trees were flowering in Vienna already in late march and april they only just start now in Mühlviertel at about 650/700 metres above sea level (and higher), and apple trees still might need another week to open their buds. The landscape up there really isn't nearly as green as it is in and around Vienna, or even in lower lying regions of Mühlviertel itself. [Please note that the photos shows cherry and a damson tree flowers - for aesthethic reasons, it's as simple as that.]
So concerning pear and cherry flowers nature is more than a month back in the region where I grew up, concerning dandelions only about two or three weeks. This is quite a lot and does not happen every year; however, this year there were several snow showers in april, and while in lower lying regions the snow melted rapidly it needed a few days more at about 650/700 metres above sea level: this seems to be what made all the difference.
Strangely therefore we have an 'early' year in Vienna but a rather late one (not extremely so) in the lands of my childhood.
