Plant a Garden

We had a particularly cold winter.  Several nights in a row were below freezing.  This would not be unusual except that several of those nights in a row were, more or less, around 15 degrees (F) which is much too cold for ornamental cacti, succulents, and other plants which are not indigenous.  Even some of the southwest desert native flora suffered at 15 degrees and below.  Some of them died.  They passed on, kicked the bucket, went to plant heaven, took a dirt nap... Those nights were in the record-setting cold category.

All of this is great for the nurseries and other businesses that sell plants.  But after a period of mourning for the dearly departed, I decided not to invest large in flora this year.  One reason is that I keep hoping some of the trees and bushes will rise from the dead.  I'm giving them until Easter.  That's the deadline.  A couple of citrus have put out suckers.  Others are stiff and breakable, indicative of dead wood.  Due to its high water content most of the aloes froze despite being covered.  Yes, we cover our frost sensitive plants and young trees on cold nights.  A few hearty, well located aloes survived and are flowering.  However, most aloes were post-frost heavy, sad, sacks of liquid that left their root systems and underground runners to provide a next generation for me. 

Desert folk are weird.  On cold nights they not only cover plants with an assortment of old sheets, quilts, blankets, towels, cardboard cartons, and whatever else is available, including frost cloth that can be purchased for the purpose of covering plants, but they go without heat in their homes while heating their greenhouses.  I used to be a member of the local Cactus and Succulent Society.  Not heating one's home, but heating the greenhouse so that exotic, frost sensitive cacti and succulents would survive was one of the old timers' interesting quirks.  They were an strange crew, but then the yuppies moved in and took over.  Well, that's another story for another time.  Back to the garden for now.

I bought one small succulent at the 99 cent store.  It was rather like buying a lottery ticket in a 3 inch pot.  I wondered what quality a 99 cent plant would have.  Would this investment pay off?  I  re-potted it and it is blooming nicely -- best 99 cents I have spent in a while.  Next I purchased some wheat berries and planted a 6 inch diameter terra cotta pot of wheat grass for the dog to munch on.  I found an old packet of basil seeds and planted them.  They are crowded little sprouts that I've been thinning and adding to pasta and salad.  I had a dried pomegranate in a bowl.  It was harvested last year.  I cut it open, and planted some of the seeds.  To my surprise, those pomegranate seeds were still moist.  I went to town and bought a packet of chive seeds -- a wild impulse purchase.  They are fine, thin sprouts that I hope tolerate the heat.  They will be kept in the shade. 

I expect there will be more clearing of dead wood along with joy at late signs of life from the frost damaged plants.  For now, the seeds sprouting and 99 cent plant blossoming before the hard burn of summer heat is a delight.