Flowers for the Soul

This is a picture of the carnations I like to have in my house. One of the reasons I choose carnations is because they last so long as cut flowers. This little bouquet cost me $5.98 and will give my spirits a boost every time I look at it for the next 3 weeks. Pretty cheap mood lift, isn't it?

I used to have over 40 house plants but had to give them up when my husband retired and we were able to spend our winters in Florida. Let's face it, relatives left behind in our cold Canadian winters wouldn't be too thrilled about having to water my 40 plants every week. I now have 3 house plants that winter at my daughter's house where they seem to thrive...they barely hang on at my house during the summer because I tend to forget they're here. 40 house plants remind you of their presence quite easily but 3 lone plants usually become visible only when they wilt and turn brown.

One of the nice things about spending the winter in Florida is to fill the planters at the trailer with colorful flowers at the end of October and watch them flourish through the winter months. Just before I leave Canada, I clean out my gardens and choose a bunch of suitable plants to take south with me. Geraniums are at the top of the list and are allowed across the border as long as all soil has been removed from the roots. I cut them down severely and wrap the roots in wet paper towels and then bag them in baggies or plastic grocery bags so they'll survive the 2 day trip. It's an economical way of adding to my Florida garden.

When I leave for home in April, I gather all the planters and put them together behind my sunroom. They get no direct sunlight but all the rainfall and manage to survive the wicked summer heat...a bit straggly but easily pruned back up.

Just a note: I actually had 4 house plants last October and only remembered to take 3 of them to my daughter. The 4th, a small jade plant, sat forlorn and unwatered for 6 months until I got home in the spring. It's still alive! Isn't nature wonderful?