Winter Blooms

My green thumb at work. I am so impressed with these little plants everytime they bloom. They surprise me. Some of them are so persnickety when it comes to blooming, but they must really like me. And my home has such wonderful eastern/southern exposure. And let's not forget that I talk to them and speak words of affection to their little leaves, admiring their loveliness. This is a lovely begonia given to me by a deceased patient's wife. The same one who gave me my pink kitchen aid mixer. I look at this lovely plant in all its glory and remember him. Kind of depressing for some of you, but it actually brings me joy to see the orange blossoms and their uniquely shaped leaves and think of Loren.
Kathryn got me hooked on paper whites during Christmas. I brought one of the bulbs to work and let it sprout there. My coworkers were all so impressed. But really, they are like little weeds that shoot up with glorious bundles of white blossoms that are fragrant. Perfect for a bathroom--fresh, clean and lovely.
Another begonia...this time yellow. This one is in memory of Audrey's birth.
And I save the best for last...the orchids!
I don't know how I do it, but these amazing tropical plants keep blooming in my midwestern dining room. I have 3 orchids all about to bloom. I must confess, I did kill one of LoAnn's recently. Forgot to water it and it was hiding behind the couch during the holiday's because I had no room for it. Forgive me little plant. I feel like Elsbeth when she looks at her "hardly ever played" characters onWOW and ends up deleting them because she can't stand the guilt.

I have a bay leaf tree that another deceased patient gave to me last summer. Dear Anne. She gave me all sorts of perennial transplants, herbs, flowers, hastas, a flowering bush and this little bay tree. I have been tending to it keeping it in the gallon size plastic bag her mom suggested I use so that it has humidity. It looks like it is alive. In the summer I will put it outside and have my very own bay leaves at my disposal for soups and cooking. Kind of fun. If you need bay leaves, let me know this summer.

Lastly, I found a note on my desk at work on Wednesday (after I had been off for almost 3 weeks on vacation). It was from Anne's mother (aforementioned) offering to give me all her gardening books that she has collected over the years. What a treasure! I feel so spoiled sometimes.

Buy yourself some flowers this week or a blooming plant at Jewel. Cheer your home up with some color. It is so drab out there and we have a long way to go till Spring.