Over the last few years, my obesity sapped my energy and I chose not to garden. Now I find my energy is returning with the return of warmer weather. My daily walks have morphed into gardening tasks. Yesterday I planted the roses from Jackson & Perkins. They are the test roses for 2010, newly designed and without a trade name as yet. I, like other rose growers throughout the nation plant them, tend them and report back out findings. They have no trade names yet, just grower's code numbers. This is a little too sterile I think and I name them after family members. Now Sue, Bruce, Debi and Nate are potted and set in the rose garden next to Betsy (Black Magic) and Mom (John F. Kennedy). Their green canes show promise for the coming season.
The hard January freeze in Tampa was devastating. All the hibiscus plants are dead. These lovely bushes are from the far East. They have abundant foliage and flowers that open each morning and close at night. They grow in semi-tropical and tropical climates. Traditionally young and old wear the hibiscus flower in their hair. The position of the flower indicating desire for liaisons or no. They are also strung on wire to from garlands to be used as temple offerings. I created a rainbow hedge bordering the west of my property. The bushes ranged from deep scarlet to silver. Under the maple tree, another grouping merged soft yellow with deep fuschia. Now all are gone. The bushes that withstood several hurricanes toppled, without leaf, sear and twisted. I ruthlessly cut back years of growth and send healing encouraging thoughts to the roots.
Now I note invasive thistle. Opportunistic this is; growing in my drainage ditch. Spring is here I warn it, and you are edible.
I go the the back yard. The carnage from the freeze is obvious. Two of my trees are gone, the key lime and the jacaranda. My beautiful key lime. I planted this when we moved into the house. I took such pride in this tree, growing outside it's zone. It produced abundant fruit and grew to a height of about 12 feet. In the past I had pruned the branches and harvested the limes. I neglected it in the last few years, not fertilizing or watering it during the dry months. The jacaranda, a tree native to Argentina, produces lovely purple flowers in the Spring. I was always a little suspicious of my jacaranda. I bought it from a failing nursery, and suspected that the owner, knowing I was a novice gardener, said: "sure it's a jacaranda".. to get rid of some more of his stock. Even if I had been hoodwinked, it didn't matter. The tree flourished. I buried my beloved cats under its shade. I contemplate becoming a lumberjack and removing both trees. Common sense returns, but the challenge is still there.
I laugh at my folly. I have assigned myself days of gardening tasks, enough to cover the time through the next two growing seasons. And spent many 'virtual' dollars in nurseries not yet visited. I hope I can find the funds to replace what is lost. Maybe this year a bona fide jacaranda, a honeybee tangelo, or a star apple will be added. I need to add 2 more 'family' members to the rose garden
Time to go inside. I sit typing this and huff and puff.
The navel orange is thick with fruit and blossoms
The baby oaks prevail.
Her vorpal blade went snicker snack
to drop
