Memories

May 29, 2006
Memorial Day brings back such memories of growing up in a small New England town. We always had a parade through the center of town.. There were only about 380 residents, but so much history packed into that little town in the Barkshires. We always ended up at the cemetary in the center of town and had speeches on the town "green" Everyone brought flowers and most people had planted geraniums or such on the graves. It was a big day for everyone. The day this year made me think of my grandmothers gardens: delphiniums, morning glories (my grandfather helped me learn to count each morning with the open flowers) peonies everywhere, 3 kinds of lilacs, climbing roses, daffodils, narcissus, crocus... and assorted small flowers everywhere. There was a huge old maple up above the yard on the hill, carpeted with lily of the valley. If you ventured into the woord where we played around some huge rocks, there were pink lady slippers in the spring. There were always trillium along a very small stream that ran down behind the garage where the chickens were fenced. My flowers here are so different. Hardly any of those flowers are happy with the summer heat in Florida.

Yesterday I tried to identify a really pretty white flower on a plant I've had for two years. Its been bone dry, overwatered, in sun and in shade and yet it looks healthy. I posted a picture on the garden web and found out its an Amazon Lily. I like the other name.. Eucharist Lily.

The flower is such a clear bright white and the fragrance is wonderful. It is certainly needing a larger pot, but think I'll wait till this stalk is done blooming. They say that if you withhold water for a period after blooming it will bloom again and again.

Hans brought home some more bromeliads last week. I've been reading to see what their requirements are and find that you need to know the cultivar to know whether it needs sun or shade. Someone said to put apples into the centers to help them 'bloom'. I noticed there are now red inflorescenses (? smile) on two of them as they lay there awaiting planting. Most all that I read talked about them being in pots even though I see them planted in the ground around trees.

This morning when I went out to water I noticed that there are droppings on the 4 o'clocks and holes chewed in all the leaves. Time for some garlic and onion water sprayed onto them. I assume that the droppings are from some sort of catepillar.

My grandfather used to grow sunflowers that were about 12 feet high... We loved to have our pictures taken with them and loved it when they were taken down to harvest the seed for the birds in the fall. I also remember the metal box with seeds in it hidden in one of the sheds. 30 years after he had died we found that box and planted some of those seeds. The tomato seeds were still viable. Memories are something that never get old.