Secrets Along The Garden Paths

   Some of the best kept secrets can be found in the garden. Each morning offers a new surprise whether in the form of baby birds, caterpillars transforming to butterflies or blooms that are there only for those who search.  My gardens are pretty much left to wild abandon as plants seem to outgrow their gardens or pots.  This "rainforest" look offers plenty of hiding spots for the critters.  Each leaf is alive with lizards, skinks and frogs, not to mention, myriads of bugs.  Turtles, snakes and toads are often found hiding in the shadiness of the winding paths of the Small Gardens.  These are friends that are welcome to reside here but its those hidden blooms that intrigue.  

  Yesterday, the turmeric plants did not disappoint.  The lush (five feet tall) leaves had to be pushed aside to see the blooms.  These appear down in the midst of the stalks and bear a great resemblance to a fleshy pinecone of bright colors.  Most in the garden are white with bright pink and yellow flowers in the bracts.  While some of the flowers are edible, there are a few that are not.  Those are strictly ornamental.  (It is best to know just what type you are growing before foraging any parts!)  Edible or not, the turmeric blooms offer a bit of whimsy along the garden path.  Most folks walk right past without ever seeing this beauty.

  Another "almost" hidden bloom was found after the turmeric bracts.  A waterlily had opened a gorgeous pink bloom but it was half hidden beneath the pads.  Usually, the blooms are on stalks that are above the floating pads (leaves) but this time that was reversed.  The pads were stalked and curled upwards while the bloom floated on the water's surface.  As a bit of added interest, all parts of the waterlily are edible, although, I have not had a whim to try them...maybe some day soon.

  Folks, there is something highly tranquil about taking a stroll down a garden path at the break of dawn and finding hidden secrets of either flora or fauna.  We all need that in the craziness of the world around us.  In the gardens...there is peace.