Author: Flower Roberts

Fear and Me

| Flower Roberts

I wish this battle would finally be over,
but that’s not how things played out…again.
The fear is here with me, uninvited as usual.
My mantra is:
If you don’t move, you won’t break.
I am alone until tomorrow.
I will keep my phone with me,
in case I break again.
I am bruised from the last reduction.
Will it be the last?
If I am still, it will.
A revision may fix what keeps separating.
Everyone is afraid. I am afraid.
Is fear my friend or my foe?
Maybe both.
We are here together, alone
Fear and me



Still FLOW

Third time

Balls of Flames on Wild Azalea

| Flower Roberts

This azalea was just down the road from the lovely picnic area that I posted earlier.

Flame azalea

I have never seen round balls of blooms like these.

I slow down every time I drive by.
Amazingly beautiful.

Wowza!

FLOWER

I Did Not Dig Up My Dahlias

| Flower Roberts

I could not dig up my dahlias last fall. I was too busy falling down and going to the Emergency Room.

Here they are.

Firepot dahlia
Snow Country dahlia

They survived without my digging them, drying them, cleaning them and then storing them in shoeboxes with vermiculite.

What else have I been doing the hard way?


Sigh.


Do not answer that.

FLAW. I mean FLOW.

Tall, Dark and Easy

| Flower Roberts

This is the best calla I have ever known.
It is tall, dark and easy.

Hot Chocolate calla lily

Its dark blooms contrast
its bright clear-spotted leaves.

Spathe of calla lily


It needs sun, drainage and moisture.
‘Hot Chocolate’ calla is delicious.

FLOW

My Independent Plants

| Flower Roberts

If you pick the right type and the right location. A plant will thrive if planted correctly. This means you can enjoy it with very little work.


These giant yellow asiatic lilies are an example of this.

Yellow asiatic lilies


I may feed once per year. I water when I happen to be down there. They grow and bloom without much help from me.

Easy Asiatics in a fence.


That is the goal with all babies. The mother’s job is to give them a great start and early support. Then a few checks and an occassional bit of help.

Voila!

Independence.

Mama FLOW

Picnic in Heaven

| Flower Roberts

There is a beautiful and peaceful spot near our house. It is close to the Blue Ridge Parkway and the Moses Cone Manor. It is shaded by tall oaks and carpeted with green moss.


There are lovely flame azaleas scattered amongst the tables adding bright color in the shade. I have driven by and visited this tranquil spot my entire life.

Flame azaleas

I even spent the night here once on a roadtrip from college. I stayed up to keep our fire going and melted the tips of my new running shoes.

Picnic in heaven

This place could not be more picturesque. I stopped to thank the caretakers. It is obvious that they care about this haven…or is it heaven?

Blooms on the moss carpet

FLOW

Oakleaf Hydrangea Ignored by Deer

| Flower Roberts

I have many hydrangeas that must be wrapped in deer fence, but not this giant. The deer herd walks right by it.

Oakleaf Hydrangea

Its blooms are a creamy white with a hint of pink.

Blooms about ten inches long.

The aroma is floral mixed with hints of citrus and vanilla.

Gorgeous every May.  Zero maintenance.

Win, win and win again!

FLOW

Under the Magnolia

| Flower Roberts

I love to stand under this Magnolia macrophylla. It has the largest single leaf and largest single bloom of all the North American native trees.

Magnolia macrophylla

This tree is naturally found in only certain spots of North Carolina. I admit to moving this one out of a friend’s yard, near Charlotte, several decades ago. It has thrived in its new location.

Its common names are Bigleaf Magnolia, big-leafed cucumber tree and umbrella tree. It is a native of the southerneastern United States.

Its leaves splay out from central branches like opened umbrellas. It has an interesting form even in winter as these braches reach up like arms of candelbras.

I am lucky to be able to see its big white blooms from up on our deck. These flowers are so high that they are hard to see and impossible to smell from the ground.

Magnolia macrophylla blooms in April in NC

This tree is a treasure.

FLOWER