Clivia

Fire Lily Bloom is Just a Little Spark

| Flower Roberts

Bummer. I have done too much hovering again. My ‘Fire Lily’ orange Clivia has squealed on my overzealous mothering by putting up a short stalk with only two flowers.

CLIVIA after too much mothering.

I brought it to the mountain because it is a favorite. I wanted to keep an eye on it. It needed to go to the cool basement and kept dry. Instead I kept it upstairs and watered it with the other plants. It’s a baby, it needed to grow!

I will not make the same mistake next fall. I will be able to carry it down the stairs and check on it without watering it. I have avoided steps and hills for over two years.

I walked two miles for the first time since hip surgery with my friend Libby yesterday. That was my post surgery goal. Hooray. I plan to soon return to the trails with my trusty walking stick which turns into a seat.

Let’s hope my more mature Clivia ‘Good Hope’ won’t end up with a short stem, too. It is usually a show stopper when it’s giant yellow bloom opens.

I need to quit this smothering!

FLOW

Roots Bustin’ Loose

| Flower Roberts

This has happened before.

The roots of Clivia miniata ‘Good Hope’ busting out of the pot.

Last time this happened I thought
I had brought in a stowaway toad.
The roots raised up in a bulge and dumped soil on the floor.

This time the roots cracked the pot to make more space.

These hefty, hairy roots will not be restrained nor contained. I appreciate a plant that knows what it needs.

Now, it has room to grow and to bloom.

‘Good Hope’ puts out several pups each year.

This bush lily is worth all the work.

Its giant cluster of butter-yellow blooms will be like sunshine in late winter.

Clivia miniata ‘Good Hope’

I also have an orange one named ‘Fire Lily.’

FLOWER

My Schlumbergera collection is still in a bag. We will see how that worked next week.