Category: Flowers

Esperanza = Hope

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The vibrant yellow blooms of esperanzas always delight me when I see them.  Tecoma stans are a hardy, drought tolerant shrub that is also known as yellow bells.

It’s easy to see how they got their Spanish nickname. Esperanza means “hope” in English and the color yellow is associated with friendship.  And, they truly are very uplifting to see!

Amaryllis Profusion

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All I have done is water these amaryllis bulbs and cover the plants during the worst of our winter weather.  In turn I have been rewarded with an explosion of blooms – 12 stalks with 4 blooms each to be exact.  I will not complain about cold weather from now on as I truly think it is the cause of this showy display!

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Linger just a little longer

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All good things do eventually come to an end and so it was time to trim the nandinas. Before this last spell of wet, cold weather I pruned them back, but decided to save this cluster just to prolong the winter season.  I always look forward to the nandinas’ red berries around Thanksgiving. I just want to enjoy them a little longer. But no worries as they will soon start to bloom and reassure me that there will be berries to enjoy again!

The first hint

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With temperatures in the upper 40’s, slightly gusty wind and a grey sky the February afternoon wasn’t exactly the ideal time to work in the yard, or maybe it was.  It was time, I felt, to clean up and trim up a little as well as continue to dispose of the remains of plants that I knew would not be reappearing in the spring.

When finished I rolled the organics bin to the curb for pick up the next day and walked up the driveway with my mind far away. But this iris called out and said, “look, look at me”! There it was, all by itself, in it’s purple splendor.  Maybe spring is closer than we think!