Florida Weather

May 17, 2006
This has been a couple days full of Florida weather. I tell people that we have that wonderful spring like weather for months and months... there is just a bit of too cold thrown in to keep things interesting, but from November until April is absolutely wonderful.

We had gentle rain all day yesterday. The 4 o'clocks grew about 3" !! I noticed this morning that the crepe myrtle at the front of the house has one or two blooms opened. It blooms over such a nice long period of time.. a few blooms to start and then just wild abandon. This year I want to cut them back severely so that they will be thicker with flowers next year. I've read conflicting suggestions on when to prune. Since they form their new flowers on new wood, I think they ought to be cut back right after the main bloom period. The one out back has huge scoops of delicious raspberry colored flowers.. The one out front is just a little paler in color.

I've had no luck getting the bromeliads to bloom. Someone suggested cut pieces of apples in the 'cups'... and in two weeks they said you would begin to see color. The plants have thrived and multiplied, but the color is very shy. Perhaps a totally different location would help.

Went down past the lake again today.. I absolutely love those clumsy blue gallinules. When they run, they make me think of the road runner cartoons.. and then their white petticoats show under their tail feathers. When the sun shines on them they look unreal.. Incredibly beautiful blue! It almost looks like they have someone else's huge feet. God does delight our hearts!