Wakened this morning to a cloudless sky and brilliant sunshine. It must be spring.
Calm yourself, Helen, it’s not spring, but it does look hopeful, doesn’t it?
Not a sign of bulbs yet in the pots on the balcony, and I should probably cut off the geraniums that look so unhappy. I don’t want to pull them out as that would disturb the bulbs planted around them and if I cut them off at about two inches maybe they will continue to grow.
There are leaves down around the base of the stems and I think it’s worth a try. It may look strange if they do grow amongst the crocus and scilla planted with them, but I don’t mind. Everything that blooms is welcome, even if they don’t match.
Nature has a way of blending things, and we all love colours, even when they are all mixed up. Well, maybe not all of us.
Some beautiful gardens are planted with a series of varying shades of one colour and that looks splendid, too. Blah, blah, blah … what am I going on about? It’s living in a condo with only a balcony that will do it every time.
Maybe we could talk about house plants? I was given an amaryllis for Christmas. It is now blooming, thank you, Ingrid. The flowers are huge. I also received a delightful bouquet from Annie’s nephews (I’ll wager she paid for the flowers) comprised of gerbera with one large yellow chrysanthemum in the centre, the whole collection surrounded with fluffy yellow-white heads of something I don’t recognize.
For some reason the gerbera, which always before have within hours hung their heads as though ashamed, are remaining upright. Maybe it’s because they are almost up to their necks in water. I can understand that, can’t you?
Helen Lang has been the Peninsula News Review’s garden columnist for more than 30 years.