Blooms here—and there

After seeing fields of flowers in Carlsbad, California (above), the bright bougainvillea of Old Town and the wildflowers of Torrey Pines, it might seem like a letdown to come home to snowdrops and the last of the indoor bulbs.


But I’ve never suffered too much from zone envy. As it happens, there was one day during our vacation when the temperature of San Diego and the temperature of Buffalo differed by only 2 degrees. Whatever. Gardeners are of necessity guided by the weather; we need certain conditions in order to be out there planting, tending, and so on. I must not be that dedicated a gardener, because warm weather makes me think more about what it might be like at the beach than what it might be like to get out there and dig.


The double snowdrops were blooming when we got home, and I picked a few so they could be enjoyed comfortably, inside. They’re joined by the eternal bloom cycle of the amaryllis—4 of these are still in bud, while another is on its third blooming stalk. There is also a pot of tulips and some final tazettas. It really looks like the indoor flowers will overlap with the outside ones this year.


Buffalo does not have much of an early spring. It will be chilly and rainy for a while and then all of a sudden I’ll walk outside to see the craftspeople setting up their booths for our outdoor art festival. In between there somewhere are tulips, daffodils and tree peonies, all of which have their brilliant and beautiful—if brief—seasons.


One thing I do envy about California is its reputation for wildflowers (bush sunflowers and poppies shown here). I know we have them in Western New York—trillium, bloodroot, even lady's slippers—but I have never ventured out to find them—they aren’t quite as well publicized. This year, I’ll try to figure out where they hide out and venture forth to find them. There’s a spring resolution for you. And this is by way of being a GBBD post.