The sun is shining, snow is melting, and water is running, but as I look out my front window, it’s apparent that winter is still very much here. I’m so anxious for Spring that I have been trying to cheat a couple of extra weeks into the coming season…albeit indoors.
I’ve been going to flower shops, bringing home as much Spring as I can. Last week I picked up Camellia branches…just for the bright green leaves. The branches were loaded with flower buds, but I wasn’t too hopeful that they would actually open.
I asked the florist what the best way to care for the branches was. She suggested they may bloom if I put them in warm water and placed the vase in a warm, sunny spot. Much to my delight, the buds have started to open, and surprisingly the flowers are pinky-red on some branches, cream with a pink stripe on others and it looks like there may be pale pink or white (hasn’t opened yet) on yet another. I had no idea that camellias came in so many colours…I’d assumed the flowers would be white! I’m thrilled at the possibility of many more buds opening. It’s a wonderful display.
I often have roses in the house and have extended the life of tired roses by cutting the stems just above where the necks start to droop and/or wilt. I do re-cut them first underwater first to see if that refreshes them, but floating them in a shallow bowl adds another week of visual pleasure if that isn’t effective.
Nothing says Spring like hyacinth and tulips, not to mention the heavenly scent!
I’m sure most of you can’t wait for this winter to be over. Every day I watch garden videos and read garden related blogs, looking for new ideas and inspiration. Hopefully, this warm weather isn’t just a tease…another foot of snow in the forecast would be devastating!
With this little vignette, I can daydream about sitting at a window table at “Le Train Bleu” in Paris overlooking a beautiful garden surrounded by spring flowers.
Spring is just weeks away…
xox Judy
P.S. This photo (left) sits on my kitchen counter. I bought it after spending an amazing afternoon at “Le Train Bleu” many years ago. We did have a window seat, but I think we overlooked the train station, not a beautiful garden. Regardless, it’s an unexpectedly elegant restaurant inside the train station, Gare de Lyon.
(Travelling today just isn’t as glamourous as it was in bygone years!)
