Author: Flower Roberts

My Amazing Camellias

| Flower Roberts

The blooms always stop me. I have to pause by each shrub. I must touch a flower.

White By the Gate is blooming for the third time since February.

Professor Sargent’s blooms are too heavy for its limbs.

Each looks like it belongs on a lapel, perfectly round and tight with petals. Just add a pin.

Professor Sargent Camellia

Perfectly formed. Too pretty to pick.

White by the Gate Camellia

I will take some to my mama if the freeze does not burn them brown.

How could something so beautiful just appear here? All I did was plant a twig.

If you are a gardener, you understand my amazement.

Miracles appear each day in spring.

Bringing me back to life.

Hold on folks. Spring is sneaking your way. HOORAY!

Flow

My Chime Chorus

| Flower Roberts

When the wind blows, I hear their voices.

Calling me back to the me before.

The strong me, the young me, the whole me.

The chime from my friend Mary Lynne sings of smiles and giggles.

Mrs. Robbie’s chime sings high notes of spring.

Each spring we gave each other a gift to celebrate Easter. (This chime was one.)

My cousin Mark’s chime sings of our precious grandparents and our sibling mothers.

All three sing together. Reminding me of love I had and hope I have.

Even in rain they sing. Even in darkness they harmonize.

In the worst storm they sing the loudest. Calling me through my past.

Singing me home to myself.

FLOW

Spotlight’s Spots

| Flower Roberts

There is something about spots on flowers that intrigues me.

Spotlight Amaryllis

That’s why I love my spotted Amaryllis, Foxgloves, Tiger lilies and Stargazer lilies so much.

Spots on petals are not like dots of paint. Pigmented cells are in groups.

This gives the spots depth.

Spotlight’s spots under a microscope

This Spotlight Amaryllis has very well-defined spots due to the contrast of red on white.

All four of my new varieties are gorgeous this year. I hope they thrive in the garden.

FLOWER

Amaryllis All-Call

| Flower Roberts

Here are this year’s amaryllis plants blooming together.

It is the first blooming for the two pinks in the middle.

The second blooming for the two red and whites on the ends.

From left to right are Santiago, Pink Surprise, Pink Pizzazz and Spotlight.

Amaryllis plants Santiago, Pink Surprise, Pink Pizzazz and Spotlight

My next post will feature Spotlight again. My first post did not do it justice.

This is how I survive winters. These beauties will go out in the garden.

They need a flat spot in full sun and a lava rock nest to thrive.

Flower surviving February

Ice Under Glass

| Flower Roberts

I ventured out into the cold this morning because I saw this straight line of crystals across the top of this glass table. I feared a crack had formed.

When I touched the line, I discovered the crystals were not on the top of the glass. They were underneath.

There was no crack, maybe just an invisible scratch.

I am puzzled by the lovely patterns formed by the crystals.

Every day brings a new mystery!

Floe

Pink Pizzazz Sparkles

| Flower Roberts

This may be a new favorite amaryllis. It sparkles in the sunshine.

Its pink has some heat to it. It seems very happy next to my desk.

The test will be how it performs in the garden.

This may be the first time I have ever used the word PIZZAZZ.

Pink Pizzazz

It is true for this gorgeous bloom.

FLOWER

(I took four sets of photos, none do this bloom justice.)

Pink Surprise

| Flower Roberts

I gave this amaryllis to friends as Christmas gifts.

Pink Surprise Amaryllis

It was the star of the garden last May.

Most amaryllis flowers are big and showy, but this one stood out.

Its blooms are bigger than an outstretched hand. The stalks are around fourteen inches tall. The color is a watery, deep pink.

Okay I confess…it reminds me of watermelon.

Here I am on a dreary day in February, being reminded of yummy watermelon.

Surprise!

Flower

Cat and Coyote

| Flower Roberts

I sat down to delete pictures from my phone today. As I was scrolling and clicking, a picture caused a pause.

We had taken snow pictures at the farm. The picture I thought was of the tracks made by the neighbors’ roaming dogs and cats triggered some memories.

cat on left, coyote on right

“Two-toe triangle.” and “Four forward.” These are my terms for coyote tracks. I had not even considered coyote tracks, because I wasn’t looking for them.

We do have bobcats and coyotes here, so I should have looked more closely. I was busy thinking of other things as we checked for damage in the snow.

coyote track, see the two-toe triangle?
dog track

I am not surprised by the presence of coyotes at the farm. I am, however, surprised that I did not remember my track tips. Maybe I am no longer alert, now that my bunnies are gone.

FLOW slipping in the snow (mentally)