It bloomed!

Years ago now a friend gave me a lovely little clivia plant. In fact, she gave one to each of my Bee (quilting, knitting, reading, art talk, arguing) and everyone has had tremendous success with this beauty. Except me. Of course, except me, or there wouldn't be any point in writing about it, would there?

I have tried three spots that were recommended and the thing just died a little bit each year, had a small spurt of life and hung on. For two years, our son was in charge of watering and all the plants had a bit of a tough go of it. The other day I realized that the clivia was as dusty as the dickens and needed a wipe down.

I discovered this... Today the flowers are a little taller and a little more coral in colour, but the camera is on vacation.

At this time of year, a lot of the blogs I visit are showing garden pictures. I find this a bit of a yawner. We all have the same flowers and shrubs it seems. However, I will show you one photo.

You might think it is an average forsythia, but this beast flowers once a decade. Whatever combination there was this spring, it worked. The forsythia bloomed, the ornamental crap apple to the right of the photo leafed out and is currently in bloom just as the yellow is disappearing and it was a lovely sequence. I deliberately call it a crap apple. After it's ruby purple blooms, it does its best to look like the inside of a sodden cigarette dish. It is the ugliest tree ever, ever, ever.

The bees, the Jay and the beekeeper continue to battle it out. Netting is keeping the Jay from the hive entrance, but he has figured out that there are other spots the bees congregate. On the other hand, the bees are flying in straight lines unlike last week, when they were circling. I suspect that means the Queen has mated and is busy ruling the roost, so to speak. Did I tell you that the Queen has a name? Queen Amalia. The bees are of Russian stock and Amalijia is a Russian royal name and the current heir in waiting to the Dutch throne is Catherina Amalia. I suggested the name to the beekeeper, who luckily liked it. Nice conjunction.

As I watch the bees out the dining room window, I am noticing that for all the space the net allows for entry and exit, there seems to still be a traffic jam on the North-east corner of the contraption. There is a lovely purple stake holding the net in place and it seems to be on the direct take-off and landing strip of the bees. A little bit ditzy on that detail.