FINALLY. I can enjoy my garden again.
I never, ever could have predicted I would be the type of person who liked plants. Forced to water boring planters full of impatiens and pansies growing up, I thought that’s all there was. Then I went to England, and discovered peonies, bluebells, lily of the valley, primroses, delphinium, larkspur, hollyhocks, and so on. Most of these things don’t do well in Texas, so I make do with those that will and find substitutes for others. These are from one of my daily walks around the garden while the weather is still pleasant enough to do it.
These look like lily of the valley, but they’re not. I’ve never been able to get those to grow here. These are leucojum, which are not fragrant but have a similar look. I love them.
This is one of my many hellebores, also known as a Lenten rose. Their flowers look like they’re made of wax, something from a Victorian funeral parlor. They bloomed all through the winter but are looking particularly nice now.
Spanish lavender grows much better in Texas than French. This, I hardly have to water at all and it does perfectly well.
And, finally, the peach tree is loaded with blooms. I know we need to thin out the branches to prevent all of these flowers from turning into fruit—the tree will break under the weight—but for now I’m just enjoying them.
