My Azaleas Are Confused

The weather has been crazy, and I think that's true in most parts of the country, not just here. While we haven't experienced any super-cold days, we've had a lot of back and forth. Last week it was chilly; this week it's hot; by Saturday the high will be in the low 70s and the lows in the 40s. (I realize that if you don't live in Florida, that doesn't sound extreme. Temperatures in the 40s at night in mid-March is pretty chilly here.) I don't have a lot of flowering plants, but I have several lovely azaleas -- two out front and one in the back, all of them the same gorgeous fuschia -- and they keep trying to bloom. This week they are beautiful. They are in various stages of bloom, and I'm hoping our low temperatures this weekend don't discourage them from bursting forth.

My little lemon tree -- which I've had for at least three years and has yet to produce fruit -- is also covered in blossom about to open up. Maybe this year, I'll actually get some lemons. I'm not sure how cold is too cold for citrus, but at the end of last summer I put the plant into a big pot and put the pot on a cart with wheels (I know there's a name for that, but it's escaping me at the moment). Now I can keep the plant close to my house where it is protected from both the weather and the squirrels. You may not have known that squirrels like burgeoning lemons, but I can tell you that they do.

My other big flowering plant -- and my favorite -- is my bougainvillea, and it hasn't started to bloom yet. I'm glad about that because I really need to cut it back. It's amazing when it's blooming, but the flowers make it harder to see the ridiculously long and sharp thorns on the branches. Every time I cut the grass on that side of the yard, I end up with scratches all over one arm. Even worse, if I prune it and don't collect all the clippings, one of those thorns can go right through a flip-flop. Needless to say, I try to be thorough in cleaning up after trimming.

I like the heat but I'm glad we'll have at least one more weekend of cool temperatures. I haven't had much of a chance to get out and work in the yard, and temps in the low 70s sound perfect for that activity. Next week is my spring break, and I think the cooler weather is carrying into at least the first few days. Once I get my yard spruced up, I'm going to buy more plants. Their color makes even the dreariest day a little brighter.