May 22, 2018
Results of the Rains
In late Florida Spring, we get rain. Who am I kidding? We get flooded. Our meteorologists have a very easy job. They can say, “we have a 100% chance of rain at some point today with clouds and a chance of thundershowers.” We do get a few slivers of sunlight, just enough to remind us that the sun is still battling for dominance.
A result of this rainy season is a slight change to the adage “April showers bring May flowers;” in Florida it’s “A string of showers bring beautiful flowers.”
Aren’t they gorgeous?
We had only a few small bulbs in neglected clusters when we moved in last year. We dug them up, separated them, replanted and fertilized the soil at least monthly with organic non-toxic high-nitrogen fertilizer. They reward us with amazing blooms after the showers!
Our fiery orange and yellow blooms are Kimberly’s favorite. (We had just three bulbs last year!) These are our front yard background flowers with their huge oval leaves and tall stalks.
Our bright white and fuchsia lilies make the bulk of the garden blooms.
These little buggers were in four clusters all dejected. A total of 34 bulbs – now they cover in a checkerboard pattern the front, center, side, one beautiful cluster, and lines between the cedar trees along the driveway. There are easily 100 bulbs now and we’ll have more in January when we replant.
Then there are my awesome tiny purple blooms with straight stalks called “Mexican Petunias.” Grandma Jeanette had a yard full of those! These are actually great-grand flowers off of some cuttings Grandma Jeanette gave me about ten years ago. So they are our “heirloom flowers.” (Yes, that’s a collard on the right.)
I love the results of the rain!
Thanks for reading!
Type at you next time…
~Nancy Tart