Monday, March 30, 2009

Cyclamen coum: we all grow hederifolia and the fanatics grow who knows what but my Mother grows coum


Almost half an inch of rain fell in Florida Saturday. I haven't given up my "rain in Florida" log; it just hasn't rained since Groundhog Day! It doesn't rain much in the winter; thats why we have all the Florida Scrub endemics. I'm going down this Saturday. I won't take the Agave geminiflora or the Michelia champaca. I will wait for summer because the rains don't come until summer, and since no one is there to water.....I have learned that even (newly planted) Agaves suffer when the temperatures are in the 80s and 90s and there is no rain for month upon month.

In my neighborhood I am accorded the respect traditionally bestowed upon the benignly mad....I'm not crazy though. It just looks that way from the outside. I walked through the garden at least every 15 minutes yesterday just looking. More than 20 times I'm sure. I wonder what the neighbors think. Our neighborhood has become entry level housing for recent Latino immigrants. I'm all for it. I like the music and the beer and the families in the house next door to us cook meat, or fish, or poultry that I can smell at least three times a day. I'd die if I ate that much but I do enjoy their frying and grilling.

I try to vary my routes (through the garden) on the theory that I am more likely to notice different things from different trajectories. I think it works. I wonder if they think I buried money and can't remember where it is? Sometimes, a good part of the way through my tour, I'll remember that I'd meant to look at some special thing so I have to quickly retrace my steps to check on it. My curiosity satisfied, I hurry back to where I'd left off and continue on my way, staring at the ground. I don't talk to myself and I don't think I give the appearance of agitation or anger. I'm usually very happy. Still....I have to wonder what they think. I'm big enough to be dangerous.....of course I'm not.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Chris, I've also wondered what my neighbors must think of my trips through the garden which are too numerous to count this time of the year. Even more so, I wonder what they think when I just stand somewhere staring. Often, I am trying to decide if I should move a plant or get a new plant for a spot or how the garden view at that particular angle can be changed etc. Somtimes I am actually looking for a lost tool but usually it's because there is something I want to change or just appreciate.

Amy said...

I bet you do talk to yourself...
:-)