Monday, February 7, 2011

Blooming Out of Season

About eleven years ago, I gave my mama a gorgeous dark pink blooming Christmas cactus in a hanging basket for Christmas. She enjoyed it until the following spring, then gave it back to me to hang on my screened porch. I've kept it ever since, wintering it in my kitchen bay window. It has grown huge, with woody stems. I've rooted several other plants from it, and repotted it this past summer.

The plant always has loads of beautiful dark pink blooms at Christmas, but then something different began to happen. It started one Thanksgiving with pale pink flowers. Maybe it was tied to when it was brought into the house, or when it was last fertilized. I'm not sure why, but it has blossomed at Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter for the past eight years.

Yesterday when I watered my plants, I was amazed to see that the cactus had several buds and two bright pink flowers...it should be in full bloom for Valentine's Day. What a delightful surprise! Whatever the reason, this hardy plant has decided to celebrate another holiday.

This could be a sign of an early spring, along with the robins hopping around my yard. Maybe I'll follow their lead and bloom out of season myself!

Useful Notion: Many plants can be rooted in water on a windowsill. Try ivy, coleus, pothos, christmas cactus, wandering jew, spider plant or vine-like varieties. Use jelly jars or other glass containers, and change the water when it becomes cloudy.

Spring is sooner recognized by plants than by men. ~Chinese Proverb

----------------------

Labels

1930's 1942 1969 accountability Accuquilt adapt adjust adventure advice affirmations amazing anniversary antiques Art Deco attitude Australia autumn baby quilt balance batik beach beauty birthday blessing bliss BlockBase Blue Wren Bogie bonus breathe brightness candy cat challenge change chevrons chocolate choice Christmas closet clothes clutter coffee color contentment cooking cottage cotton crafts Craftsman crazy creativity crochet decorating design designs distraction DIY downsizing drama dreams drunkard's path Elna energy EQ8 excitement expectations fabric fall family Featherweight feed sack Fifty flexibility flour sack flowers flying geese Flynn Quilt Frame focus fool free motion free spirit freedom friends fun furniture garden Granny Hill Granny Rose Grasshopper grateful gratitude Halloween happiness hexagon imagination independence insight inspiration intuition inventory Janome joy karma laughter lessons letting go life lists little things love magic mama Memorial Day memories milestones modern Mother's Day motivation Mustang nature opportunity organizing paint paradise passion patience peace perception perspective positive energy productivity purple quilt quilting quotes rainy days reflection refresh relaxation remnant renew resolutions responsibility restoration retro rhythm Rocketeer routines ruler quilting satisfaction scraps sewing sewing machine simplicity simplify Singer Singer 99 Slant-O-Matic 500 snow solitude Southern traditions spring stitching strawberries stress sugar sack summer sunshine thankful Thanksgiving Thoughts tiger oak traditions triangle tropical prints Universal useful valentine vintage violet waiting weather winter wisdom wishes yard sales