Rain and Resurrection...........

Some of you have had so much cold and snow. We have had more than enough cold (for this area) and more than usual cloudy, rainy days. This should be our dry season. When it is all said and done, the extra rain is not a bad thing but I am ready for the sunshine and some resurrection. Or maybe I should use the word restart. I need to spend many days outside restoring a cleaner, neater look. Some areas are in much need of being rearranged and redone. I am raring to get going on it - forgetting all the stuff that needs to be done inside!

There has been a resurrection of one kind already, with all the rain. The resurrection fern has sprung to life again and is nice and green. This is at the base of a palm tree. 

If a few weeks go by with no rain the fern is brown and very dead looking. Not so, lately. I like the gray/green lichen you can see on the tree bark.

I went out in the rain a little before starting this post and took a picture of the resurrection fern-covered, leaning palm tree. It looks a lot better like this - green instead of brown. I can't say the same for my front yard grass! Or lack thereof.

I do still have nice spots of color here and there in the winter garden.

I was going to show only the first picture of this plant until I noticed the little guy sitting here in the lower left. I had no idea he was there when I was taking the picture.

I am so proud of this Gerber daisy. I think I have mentioned to you before that it is the first one that I could keep alive for any length of time. It is growing and growing and usually has one or two big blossoms.

This is not a particularly good picture except I love the raindrops, like fairy whispers.

The very same thing could be said of this one.

I always love to see the milk-weed budding up to bloom again. A few plants are scattered throughout

my garden. I just let it grow wherever they decide to pop up. This plant helps a lot in sustaining the butterflies.

Now, I do think this is a good picture. Although the flower probably had a better shape the day before the picture was made. I have had this same plant in a pot for at least fifteen years - maybe more. It has a few blossoms almost year round.  I have started a new habit of drinking a cup of hibiscus tea each day.  It is really believed to reduce high blood pressure. Mine is not high but at my age I'm thinking it might serve as a good way to keep it low. It has a kind of berry/herbal taste. I am using about a teaspoon of honey per cup. I bought tea bags but after some research want to try using my plant blossoms. Hibiscus is a standard beverage in Jamaica.

The ground orchid has just started up some new blooming.

This is my favorite picture that I have taken of this little rock garden area. I do wish I had pulled a few weeds before taking it. This is an area that I want to do some work on soon. I know it could be added to and made to look better.

I moved this tub of hens and chicks to the rock garden area.  I filled in some empty spots within the pot.  The chicken seems to enjoy being outside awhile.

 This little container of paperwhites was started about a week after New Years. This was the first picture I took. I know my Facebook friends have seen this but can't remember if I have included in a blog post before or not.

This was about a week ago. 

I brought it inside this week just to get a different picture. I cannot stand smelling these in the house. It is back outside on the screen porch. All you need to do is anchor the bulbs in some stone or soil (don't bury) and keep them moist up to the bottom root area.

The blossoms are pretty, up close. I think more than how they look, I love growing these just to watch the progression. It is always a fun thing to do at the first of a new year. They won't last long, however.  Now, I want to get some rye seed and get it started in a container. There are so many simple, things that can easily be done to put some extra sweetness into life.

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