European explorers didn’t call Canada the “land of ice and snow” for nothing!
It’s usually cold now. So why are the plants outside blooming and reblooming in late September?
Take this miniature rose. A gift from my husband in late June (after the ankle-break), it’s flourishing outside. Again.
And this cyclamen, also a gift — from our neighbour.
Now, you may recall that I consider myself an expert on getting amaryllis to rebloom.
People ask: “Cynthia, how do I store my amaryllis bulbs during the fall so they’ll rebloom at Christmas?”
I immediately get puffed up with self-importance! You see, I’m famously bad at the domestic arts, but I’m good at this. I know about reblooming amaryllis.
“Stop all watering in mid-August,” I say with great authority. “Come September, pluck off the dried-up leaves, shake off the dried-up soil, and store the bulb in the cold cellar. It’s had months outside, feeding on water, soil and sun, and now it’s time for beddy-bye, aka hibernation, until late November. It will be ready to rebloom at Christmas.”
So I took my own advice. Stopped watering this amaryllis on schedule, the leaves turned a dying yellow and….
The darned thing bloomed!
It’s a delightful but humbling moment. Seems I don’t know amaryllis.
It’s like the goddess of amaryllis punctured my pride with her hatpin.
More worrisome things are happening in the world, I know. But I’ve now decided to see the reblooming as a miracle. If there’s a botanical explanation, don’t tell me.
It’s a bloomin’ miracle, and that’s that.
Cynthia Reyes 