Bloom and Bust
First, the bust. Progress of the side yard project, What Would Eve Do?, would thus far indicate that Eve wouldn't do a damn thing, at least not this week. Except perhaps obsess over the budget, or and whether or not her home was worth putting more money into, in which case I'm definitely channeling her energy.
Now the bloom. I only noticed this first one yesterday when I took out the short-tine rubber rake (my favorite tool) and started scraping off winter's brick-thick layer of leaves. Many of you will recognize this flower immediately, but let's give the more easily amused among us a chance to guess.
The plant in question have dozens of such wonderful dangling double flowers on long fleshy stems. One thing it ain't (hint hint): a bore.
photo credit: Ketzel Levine, NPRThis lovely plant's complete invisibility in my garden, hiding as it does behind a variegated yellow phormium, is proof enough that it's time to get out the drainage spade and rearrange the perennials. Remind me, somebody, when I replace that beloved, misplaced spade...
And for delicacy #2, I've been watching this upright flower cluster burst open over the last few days. If you love the straight species in this genus as I do, you could i.d. this big-leaved girl from across the block. But that doesn't mean she isn't still a revelation when it comes to flowering shrubs.
I wish I could say I stood outside and waited for just the right raindrops and just the right overcast light, but today everyone's a winner -- particularly if you're a frog or a plant.
photo credit: Ketzel Levine, NPR4:32 PM ET | 03-13-2008 | permalink
