the Flower Count in Victoria

the crocuses are looking very good in the front garden strip along the street.  This is the area I call my crocus field.  These photos are from merely a week ago.  Since then there has been many more added to the crocus field.  It was glorious today when the sun was shining.  As soon as the sun is gone they all close up.  More photos soon, before they disappear.  I have an outside boarder of grape hyacinths that I planted last Fall.  They are up but not blooming yet.  The crocuses are multiplying throughout the front garden area in front of the cedar hedge.  The dark purple ones are along the top of the front garden, by the grass path.  I fed them bone meal last Fall and the flowers are spectacular, this year.

This is a photo of the cyclamen on the back garden by the old garage.  The flowers and leaves just glow in the Spring light.  These leaves are popping up all over the garden.  I will watch them to see if they are cyclamen.  I wonder if ants carry the seeds around.  This plant is a bulb, so I do not know how it might otherwise spread to different areas, except by insect transport.  I sure hope all the leaves I see growing produce equally lovely bunches of cyclamen as this original one.

the camillia trees are in flower.  This is a shot of the one by the back stairs up to the deck.    All of the above photos are from a week ago.  In just one short week, there are many more blooms out.  I did not count them for our Victoria Flower Count, that is happening over this past week end.  It has been a very warm winter.  I am sure we will have record breaking counts of blooms. 

On Saturday I was to the Orchid show and sale.   I have brought home 5 new little treasures, and lightened my bank account by $85.   I will have to wait a few years for most of them to bloom, too.  I got a couple of little cattalayas, another lady slipper,   I shall need to list them in my garden journal... or at least in the plant lists.  I do not seem to have time to start and keep up a garden journal... unless I change a few of my priorities of the use of my time.   

Today, I was out for a few minutes looking at the garden.  I think the bulbs are going to be fantastic this year.  Many of them are up and in buds so it won't be long until the Daffodils and early tulips are in bloom.  Some of the hellebores are blooming, the winter jasmine, and a few primulas are open. 

Inside, I repotted the orange trees.on the 22nd of Feb... almost 2 weeks ago.  I am watching them closely, to see if they survive.  They get misted heavily in the morning.   I have 4 big pots and  3 small ones.  One of the small ones contains a double tree... which should be a good candidate for producing fruit.   I should get it into a larger pot.  In the light garden the 2 ladyslippers... Andean Fire and the yellow Concolor  are in bloom, as well as a couple of the phalenopsis, and the African violets.  I have an air plant that will be blooming... a rarity.  I will need to repot the orchids soon. 

We are making good progress on the renovation of the suite.  Pictures later, perhaps.  The place smells so much better with the old stinking carpet gone and the walls with fresh paint.  Finished my income tax return, too.  So, I feel like the pressing matters have been  lightened to ease  my too busy schedule.  I should like to get some stuff done on my old web page, too.