Old Man Winter, meet Lady Spring!

  While most of the country is being bombarded with yet another bout of frigid weather complete with ice and snow, here on the Bayou, we are experiencing a different type of weather.  One day will be warm and foggy, then comes the almost hot and rainy followed by more cold. Today was that drippy, warm day.  Although the rain held off until nighttime, it was still humid enough to feel downright muggy at times. A strong south wind warded off any idea that it was summer since any wind coming across cold water can chill to the bone.  So, we know winter is still capable of pulling a fast one on us and freezing any plants that have dared to poke out buds.

  The cold hardy camellias are in full bloom.  These blooms seem to thrive in thirty degree weather.  Anything below that will mar the gorgeous five inch blossoms but they do, indeed, love cool weather. Old Man Winter holds the lovely pinks, reds and whites of camellias. Old Man Winter, meet Lady Spring!  She gently caresses the sunny daffodils...those harbingers of springtime!  A few brave souls have dared to show the pretty, bright blooms around the hillside.  The buttercup-yellow heads nod gently in the winds and bring a smile to all who chance upon them.  Sadly, they will surely perish in the coming cold.  

  It  bothers me a bit to see so many springtime flowers already popping out.  Our peach trees have decided that it is warm enough to burst forth with their pink blossoms.  Two nights from now, we are due for some more harsh cold and that will put a damper on any peach crops for this year.  Daffodils and peach blossoms should wait for a bit!  Lady Spring, I hate to tell you this but Old Man Winter may still have a few more tricks up his sleeve!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Yes, Valentine's Day..the day that we are supposed to show our love to those special to us! Personally, I think this should be done on a daily basis and that we should not need a day set aside to remind us but another holiday is always nice! An added plus to this holiday is the timing! Christmas and New Year's Day is over..long gone and forgotten..and any other holiday is still far out of reach. (Unless! Unless you live down South! Here we have Mardi Gras! Other's might try to celebrate Mardi Gras but, sorry, it just can't be done right if you are not in the South!) With my husband up on a river somewhere working on the tug boat, I did not celebrate today. Then late this afternoon, a lovely plant arrangement came from the florist! That sweet man remembered that I do not care for cut flowers as they do not last long..the plant was perfect! Now if I can just determine what type plants are all in this basket and how to care for them, I will be entirely happy. A call to the florist should take care of that! (I do know how to care for the Bromeliad!)

My sweet Daughter-in-law and Son sent me a package in the mail! I suppose the timing made it seem like a Valentine's present although she said it was just a little something. It was not a "little something"! It was more a "huge something!" A twelve pound box of the most beautiful daffodil bulbs I have ever seen! Can you even wrap your mind around the idea of a twelve pound box of bulbs? I was like a kid in the candy shop! The bulbs were nicely packed so all arrived in great condition! Now I just had to decide where to plant them. My youngest Son looked at the box and mumbled something on the order of.."Gee, thanks." I wonder if that meant he knew that he would be digging a new flower bed!

Plant..we did! The garden was dug up and a sack of manure was turned into the loose soil. I stood looking at the big box of bulbs..umm..that sure looked like a lot of holes to dig. Then I got the bright idea of taking off the entire top three inches of soil of the garden. I could simply lay the bulbs in the dirt with the little sprout facing upwards and then cover with the bucketed soil! That would be much easier! I looked at the big box of bulbs..that sure was a lot of bulbs! I set to work on one side of the flower bed and Son was on the other. We poked bulbs in rows of fourteen as that fit perfectly with the dimensions of the garden. I poked and poked..he poked and poked. "How many bulbs was there supposed to be in this box?" he asked. "Umm..she said there was probably about one hundred!" I beamed! We poked and poked. Row after row, the bulbs were carefully placed. "Uh, Mom, I think there are more than a hundred." Being the mathematician he is, Son had already figured out that there were many more than a hundred bulbs. To be exact..there were two hundred and fourteen bulbs in that box! That is a dandy bunch of daffodil bulbs!

After setting all the bulbs we covered them with the bucketed soil and then dusted them with a light coat of fine sawdust mulch. That should give them just enough warmth to carry them through any cool nights. If a heavy frost or hard freeze warning is issued we will mulch them heavier to protect them even more. I realize we probably planted them a bit too close together. Space being short we planted them about three inches apart. Next year we can separate them and make another garden! This flower garden will be absolutely gorgeous when these all begin to bloom! I am so excited about my yellow, sunshine garden!