IN FLORIDA WE HAVE CAMELLIAS

DON'T NEED A PENNSYLVANIA GROUNDHOG

All things bright and beautiful,
All creatures great and small,
All things wise and wonderful,
The Lord God made them all.

Each little flower that opens,
Each little bird that sings,
He made their glowing colours,
He made their tiny wings.

The cold wind in the winter,
The pleasant summer sun,
The ripe fruits in the garden,
He made them every one;

All things bright and beautiful ...

It’s in-between-time. Camellias have been lovely, red, white, pink, mottled, my favorite is a bright red with single petal flowers, one grafted plant has white blossoms on some branches pink blossoms on others. Most special: a white-blossomed plant just beside the front steps. For years it languished with various problems including white fly infestation. At Bill Lee’s recommendation Linda applied to all the camellias a cygon treatment that she sprayed on each leaf and poured on the ground around each plant. Worked a miracle. This winter the white camellia was loaded with healthy blossoms for the first time in years. The treatment worked well on all the camellias, most noticeably on the white one. Linda said it’s a White Empress.

We don’t need any Pennsylvania groundhog to proclaim winter is over. When the camellia blossoms wilt, turn brown and drop to the ground, spring is at hand. It’s in-between-time.

The narcissus are standing erect proud fragrant and white, crowded together and peering round like a family of meerkats.

In a pot, the calamondin orange tree has stayed loaded with fruit all winter. One tall grapefruit tree has three fruit, too high to reach with a pole. Maybe they’ll drop, they did last year, they're pink. The ruby red grapefruit trees are showing buds.

I’m no fan of bridal wreath but it will soon explode with growth and cover with tiny white blooms. The English dogwood also, but the blossoms are larger and beautiful.

Linda has several large gardenia bushes, sprouting buds to cover with blooms: nothing smells better than a gardenia blossom. The Japanese Magnolia is loaded with buds already opening for spring.

Azaleas are shooting out and getting a hint of buds. There are a few year-round bloomers but most are springtime beauties. The yard is magnificent when they are all in full bloom, including antique pale pink ones that have a light but heavenly fragrance. Bill Lee helped Linda root cuttings from those wonderful old plants. The only other ones I remember were in the front garden of Trinity Episcopal Church, Apalachicola. I hope they’re still there.

Only problem with the azaleas is the impossibility of keeping the rapidly growing potato vine out. Can't do it.

The lavender wisteria vines think everything within tentacle reach is theirs to strangle. With clippers I am their avowed enemy whack whack whack. Better behaved is a beautiful red wisteria Malinda gave Linda, growing up the west side of the front screen porches.

Also from Malinda to her mom, the little magnolia tree gives a few magnificent, fragrant blossoms. Smaller tree than grandiflora but the bloom is equal. We planted a grandiflora in the front yard of the rectory in Apalachicola. Last time we were there it was flourishing.

All my growing up years my Pensacola grandparents’ carport was covered with red bugle vine -- or trumpet vine -- I loved. A few Christmases ago TJC1C2 gave me several in pots and I planted them here and there. Climbing palm trees. Climbing the carport. Healthy and beautiful. Someone said they attract hummingbirds. In early summer morning sunshine, trumpet vine blossoms bursting out of the tiptop of a tall tree look like the tree’s aflame.

With incredibly long sharp thorns the bougainvillea will cover the arbor in the side yard, climb the screen porch, and bloom elegantly red all summer. Our entryway in San Diego was covered with yellow bougainvillea that Linda planted. This one brings back the memory. Flowers do that.

So also mandevilla, lush pink blossoms on a vine, a gift of our Patty some years ago.

All things bright and beautiful.

In-between-time.

TW+

Myself? At my first follow-up visit the cardiologist was as delighted with my condition and progress as I am, and the home health agency discharged me as no longer qualifying for home physical therapy care. We expect to be at church this coming Sunday morning.