Hot & Cool

Last weekend, we got up early to beat the heat and take my coupons to the local greenhouse; the garden had a couple of open spaces that needed filling. My intent was to buy some of their small, brilliantly colored pots but someone else apparently had the same idea first so I looked once again to the flowers and foliage for color. I found something I had never seen before, a fringed, magenta/orange (together as though pooled in watercolor) coneflower! It looks like a Gerbera Daisy but the petals bend down in coneflower style. It was so cool, I couldn’t pass up the Hot Papaya Echinacea! Today, I repotted it to give it room to grow; as a perennial it should be around for a long time. The colors and shape go perfectly with my purple Angel Face Angelonia, red, orange and yellow-green Tropicana Cana and purple-leaved Persian Shield. As for the plain terra cotta pots? I may just pull out my paint brushes and paint them myself. The more color, the merrier.

Deeper Color

The fertilizer seems to be doing its work with the Angelonias; both are producing more buds and the flowers that have recently opened seem to be deeper purple though nothing else seems to have responded yet.

A Good Start

Spring is burgeoning in my garden too! Fooled by the extra-warm days the plants are growing like it’s early summer! A couple Sweet William flowers are blooming and the Creeping Jenny is eagerly running but I haven’t yet seen any purple Victoria Blue Salvia buds.

I’m very pleased that I won’t have to purchase any new plants in these varieties. Nor pentas or Angelonias. Nor Tropicana Cannas. Of course, the red hibiscus will go out too. I’ll have quite a garden already as soon as I can be sure it won’t get cold at night any more (it has been known to snow here in the spring); then I can fill in the color gaps.

Parade

The light is already changing in the east windows as the white pear blossoms are replaced with spring green leaves. Sunlight still feeds the pentas, Angelonias and prayer plants from another angle though since the maples and oaks haven’t leafed out yet.

Since the air conditioner is finally on, we won’t need the fan any more for awhile so it’s back in its corner but the bougainvillea that surrounded it is still outdoors. The calendar says it’s the first day of spring but it could still get cold—but probably not that cold. More plants may go out soon.

Over the weekend, we saw lots of red-violet redbuds, yellow forsythias, and added to the colorful parade were the yellow-green beginnings of dogwood bracts, purple wisteria and the palest of pink cherry blossoms. A few pink or orange tulips joined in as well. Spring is definitely here! And though I’m sneezing through it, I love it!

Pentas A-Plenty

The deep pink penta is in full bloom, probably more than it bloomed outdoors. They do, as it turns out make good indoor plants; I wouldn’t have expected it.

I’ll take them back out to the balcony garden though when the weather warms for more than a day or two. It has worked out really well to have the various plants indoors since we have such good window space but I’ve never had this many indoors before and I’m eager to get some of the them out into fresh air.

This morning I trimmed some straggly branches off the Angelonias and look forward to more fresh new growth.

Just One

For days, maybe even weeks, this single Angel Face Angelonia has bloomed, just one—alone. It doesn’t make as much of a show as would several spires of purple blossoms, but it’s there, blooming indoors—in the winter.

Loneliness is often the lot of one who is determined to stand for what is right. Often it seems that just one can’t make a difference but history is full of contradictions to that notion. And so what if the difference isn’t huge? It’s right to do the right thing, regardless. So what if no one else is doing the right thing? That doesn’t get me—or you, off the hook since we all have to give an account to God one day for our actions—and inaction.

Morning Had Broken

It’s another rainy morning stirred by a cool breeze yet the first sunlight slides through a crack in the clouds. The growing light shimmers golden on rain puddles. The forecast says it will rain all day but the sun doesn’t seem to agree.

Alas, the clouds have won—for now, but the birds are still singing.

As I’ve chosen this morning to focus on the true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy (Philippians 4:8)—rather than the radio’s bad news, I’m feeling better and singing. Like the sun vs. clouds struggle, it takes perseverance.

Indoors where it’s dry with plenty of light, the deep pink pentas are still in full bloom as are the Angelonias.

Outdoors, not only are the ‘Million Bells’ still blooming as I mentioned yesterday, but the UGO (unidentified growing object)—“the bronze-leafed plant”, is full of rosy new growth. Even the purple sweet potato vine sprouts miniature purple leaves. The purple sweet potato vine has held up to the cold better than the yellow green one; my guess is that the yellow green vine’s larger, softer leaves—perhaps even its lighter color make it more vulnerable. Darker colors absorb light and heat and don’t reflect it (as much), which is why we wear dark-colored clothing in the winter.

Silver Glow

Here it is nearly Thanksgiving and the temperatures are in the 70’s again—eventually. The morning air is chilly but fresh, almost like spring but without allergies.

The pear tree’s branches know it’s autumn though with only a few leaves dangling, yet many new buds emerging (I used to think that trees went dormant once their leaves dropped but close observation told me the truth despite the analogies teachers like to make). It could even, like some cherry trees I saw, bloom in the mild weather. I used to be alarmed when I saw such a bonus, worrying about the trees’ spring display but they were fine.

The bougainvillea, though it has dropped a lot of leaves, is producing tiny new ones. To my amazement, the angelonias and pentas continue to bloom indoors; though the heliotrope is still opening a few flowers they’re no longer heliotrope but white.

All, including the two red hibiscus blossoms are enjoying the silver glow of the morning light. Fewer pear leaves means more sunlight that beams into and through the next room! It’s a balm to me as well. I’m beginning to produce more new leaves and flowers too—after dropping some old ones.

It’s a Jungle in Here!

Saturday evening prior to freezing temperatures, I made “The Great Plant Haul.”
In an hour or so of clearing spaces, cleaning saucers, and heaving plants, I brought in all the plants that would still be too cold-- even under the covers. Though the freeze was too cold too soon (as was the snow on the upper east coast) I decided it was time to bring them in for wintering-over. For the most part, once they’re in—they’re in for the duration since it takes so much time and effort to haul them back and forth.

This year, I’ve brought in more plants than usual, wanting to “protect my investment”; maybe I won’t have to buy new ones next spring. As it turns out, some of the new to me plants do well as houseplants. For example, one houseplant book says that pentas bloom in December and January; what a treat to have them bloom all spring and summer then indoors in winter too (maybe they actually will)!

The plants are definitely too crowded so I’ll have to continue to discover better configurations to spread out “the jungle.”

Warm & Cozy

It’s a cool blustery day! I didn’t cover the garden against last night’s 43 degrees and most seemed no worse for the wear since it had rained most of the day yesterday. However, since the Angel Face Angelonia tends to droop in the cold (the other variety has no trouble), I made a place for it last night in front of a window. I had to move a couple other plants around but it worked out fine. The Angel Face seems to be happy in its sunny spot that will get brighter as the pear tree outside drops its leaves. I'm happier in the sunlight too.

I don’t think the new neighbors will be gardeners, but you never know.

When Life Breaks Things

When life gives you broken stems—make a flower arrangement! Two of the Angel Face Angelonia stems were hanging at an angle, broken by the weight of the sheet that kept them warm.

I snipped the flowerful branches and put them in a vase with a tall, narrow neck. I added the smallest branch of Persian Shield and the straightest Parrot Leaf I could find. When I take cuttings, I always try to leave at least one set of nodes (growth joints) behind so the remaining stem will branch out (grow again or “revive”).

I needed a third flower to complete the arrangement since design, whether floral or art calls for an uneven number. The deep pink Penta’s color seems to be made for the Parrot Leaf’s beautifully “painted” leaves (a member of the Joseph’s Coat family), so I gave the star clusters the starring role. I stripped the Penta’s leaves before adding it to the arrangement, or they would have hidden the more colorful ones.

Much of art these days is made of things not often thought of as art, broken things, cast aside things. But this isn’t just modern art; in past centuries--even millennia as they are today, many artists’ pigments are made from soil/dirt. Pigments such as burnt sienna and burnt umber are made from baked dirt. We artists use what’s around us--granted, we have to pay a lot for art materials companies to process them, but we make something beautiful out of the ordinary, even the broken. God, the ultimate Artist does the same with people giving us—when we turn to him through Jesus, the most wondrous beauty, a reflection of his glory.

Through the Window

This morning, I cleaned the garden window and enjoyed the garden from my indoor rattan chair with a cup of hot herb tea—it’s still too cold to go out. Okay it was in the 50’s and I’ll soon get acclimated to the cooler weather but not just yet.

Our last several nights have been unseasonably cold—in the 30’s, so I’ve taken all the hanging pots down and covered all the plants (except for the really tall ones) with old sheets. I’ve read quite a few organizing and simpler life books that would have me get rid of those old sheets but without them, the plants would have been very cold. After the first night the plants were bowed down by the weight of the sheets; the next nights I first draped the sheets over the balcony rail before spreading them over the “carpet” of plants (there’s no room to walk when they’re huddled). That took some of the load off but required a third sheet. The Angelonia usually does fine even after a frost or two (covered) but the Angel Face variety is looking rather limp so I think I need to go ahead make a place for it indoors. I rarely carry plants back and forth anymore. After a certain point, they come in to stay until spring or they take their chances outdoors.

I was amazed to discover in botany class that it’s not the “frost” or coldness, itself that causes damage to tender plants but dehydration. I don’t remember all the intricacies but the cold dries out the plants and soil so they’ll endure low temperatures far better if they’re well-watered. Though there is a freeze-protection method of spraying water on orange trees to ice them over, most plants don’t have such thick or tough leaves so it’s best to keep your watering to the soil.

It looks empty downstairs without our neighbor or her plants. I’ll miss her. New neighbors are coming soon. I’m praying for quiet, friendly gardeners.

I guess I’d better “bundle up” soon and water those thirsty plants.

Mystery Fragrance

This morning as I rearranged a couple of my plants to their better advantage—and mine, a lovely fragrance attracted me. Where was it coming from? Not the scant honeysuckle on the back fence; I know that scent. It was right there in front of me, under my nose—literally; the Angelonia Angel Face exuded a new dimension of beauty. I don’t know why I haven’t noticed it before; were the purple flowers making this perfume before now? Or did I have to get down on my knees for it to reach me?

The hummingbird flitted in mid-morning to sip from the orange Million Bells. Two Red Hibiscus are blooming today as are hyacinth bean vines, Angelonia, the Victoria Blue’s, pentas, and earlier—a few four O’clocks.

Though the temperatures have been in the upper 80’s and low to mid-90’s, the drier air makes being outdoors delightful, especially when there’s a warm gentle breeze. I could have stayed…

New Clothes

A sign that it’s getting (slightly) cooler is that I had no trouble staying out in the garden for hours. My other work sometimes gets jealous but it’s good and healthy to get outdoors for awhile. After all, the first work that God assigned to people was gardening. The Garden of Eden was also the first home for them. Sometime, I’d like to explore the possibilities of what the garden needed from them.

Today, in my garden, I found the tall, spindly Mexican Petunia (Ruella) toppling over so I knew it was time to give it a bigger pot. My sister, who lives in a hotter climate talks about her purple-flowered ones all the time; they’ve been the trendy new thing in our garden centers the last couple of years, so I decided to try one. When I bought it, it had flowers on it. They were shriveled from the heat by the time we got it home. I haven’t seen a flower on it since (2 months!). Nothing seems to have helped. It gets plenty sun and water; I even fertilized it. “Don’t fertilize it,” she exhorted, “it’s a weed!” Maybe it needs a bigger pot or “new clothes”… Definitely. As you can see in the picture, a large root ball had grown outside the pot. I gingerly cut the plastic pot away (recyclable)—had it been a clay pot I would have carefully worked as many of the roots (without soil) as I could back through the hole and lost the rest.

An orchid cactus cutting I was given and hurriedly stuck in the “corner” of a pot of airplane plants also got its own pot. It will likely stay in the indoor part of my garden since it prefers indirect sun. Angel Face Angelonia also has its own pot now to encourage as much growth as possible before it winters indoors.

Staying Power

A couple of years ago I took a chance on a new plant at the locally owned garden center since I’m always looking for purple flowers for my garden. It was a little more expensive but I hadn’t seen it anywhere else. Angelonia turned out to be a great “investment” with its spires of small lavender flowers blooming right through the first frost! Though it was sold as an annual, I had nothing to lose to bring it in for the winter. The first one didn’t survive indoor dryness but the one I bought last year not only survived but it’s blooming now in my garden.

However, last spring my carryover flowerless Angelonia looked a little ragged so I set out to the garden center to get another. But instead of getting a replica of the one I already had, the larger Angel Face Angelonia caught my eye. Angel Face has the look and feel of larkspur but is easier to grow (though both Angelonias tend to spiral as they grow).

I had hurriedly planted it in a large pot with many other plants when I traveled but I may transplant it to a larger pot to give it room to grow and mobility to bring it indoors in winter.

Angelonia also does fairly well as cut flowers in small vases.

Always a Gardener

I’ve always been a gardener—from the first paper-cup-of-dirt-with-a-seed-in-it school project to being surrounded by my grandmother’s flower gardens to my own first garden made by my dad in halves of an oil drum to my garden on the go in my many homes. I love the color of a garden, the shapes. Tending it and watching it grow. I love the surprise of discovery when something new pops up—whether expected or unexpected.

This is one corner of my current “tree house garden” on our balcony.