Repeat Performance

I spent a chilly but enjoyable afternoon in the garden today. Not much to do apart from sweep and tidy but its encouraging to see that bulbs are emerging from the frozen ground, a reminder that everything has its season.
This renewal of life makes me think about all the Christmas houseplants that fill the shops in December. I imagine most of them given as gifts or used to decorate homes are dead and disposed of by now. Sometimes they are so neglected in the shops that they never even find a home though I've been known to rescue sick specimens from the bargain bucket and try to revive them. I can't treat plants as short term purchases and make every effort to keep them going with a bit of attention and some organic feed. The displays I achieve may not match the first flush of chemically induced growth but I still get flowers from houseplants I've had for years.

I have about seven amaryllis, only one is flowering at the moment but I don't give up hope. They are such beautiful blooms its worth the effort, this one currently sits at the side of the kitchen sink, I love it. I was quite surprised that last year's azaleas are flowering again, they've been on the floor of the greenhouse all summer and have repaid me by producing several flowers with quite a few buds yet to open.

And this Christmas cactus never fails, it sits in the front room all year and always flowers well. It must be at least 20 years old, I know I brought it from England when we moved here.House plants should carry a warning that like pets they aren't just for Christmas.