In the bud, there is a flower

In the bulb there is a flower, in the seed, an apple tree, in cocoons, a hidden promise: butterflies will soon be free! In the cold and snow of winter there’s a spring that waits to be, unrevealed until its season, something God alone can see. (Natalie Sleeth)

When winter arrived in South Texas it came with a force that left us reeling in many ways.  The foliage was especially hard hit, giving the landscape a true winter look.  Expert gardeners told us to water and wait and see, but there was also the expectation that we might not see what we wanted.

I had covered my plants on Saturday, following my usual covering process.  The forecast at that time was for 15 degrees on Sunday night and a high of 27 on Monday, Presidents Day. On Sunday, as the forecast deteriorated and the minus zero wind chills became evident, I did not take any action. I was out of sheets, towels, and throw rugs and most plants were secure under the overhang of the house.  I decided to let it happen as it happened.

The amaryllis were under a blanket that had quickly been soaked and then froze into a layer of ice.  When I pulled it off I found a lot of yellow leaves and a few green and uncertainty in my mind as to how they would recover.  I had had no buds yet and now this set back.  So, I trimmed and watered and adopted the wait and see attitude with strong wishes for flowers this year as the amaryllis really are my favorites.

Just a little shy of a month later, after daily checking and hovering on my part, a bud stalk appeared.  Miraculous and yet another sign of the resilience and stability of God’s creation.  This morning I was gifted another bud stalk.