(I wrote the following a few days ago, before the temperature dropped and the rains started. )
I’m enjoying spring (feels more like summer, but who’s quibbling?) very, very much this year. I’m thrilled about every new shoot that is suddenly four inches tall when it was nowhere in sight the day before. Nothing like a long, tortuous winter and a late spring to make you appreciate the joy of wearing fewer clothes and puttering in the garden. My slight complaint is the weather is so warm that the tulips are fading really quickly. They much prefer a cool spring.
I am rediscovering the wonders of plants that are easily multiplied, not to be confused with the self-sowers and underground-runners. Oxalis and geranium are the two I’m thinking of. Today I took my large, overgrown oxalis triangularis (triangular purple leaves with delicate pink flowers) out of its container and divided up the bulbs and started three other containers. I’ve never done this before, but it doesn’t seem like rocket science. I divided the bulbs, (which resemble ugly little grubs, to be honest) stuck them in potting soil, covered them up and watered them well. We’ll see how things go and I’ll report back. I even stuck a few here and there in the garden. These are not hardy in our zone so I’ll have to dig them up and bring them in if I want them to survive the winter.
About two years ago I bought a lovely geranium cultivar with variegated flowers in reddish-pink. I brought it indoors in the fall and it did well so I put it outside on the deck once again last summer. Then I got the bright idea to cut off a couple of branches and stick them in water. Sure enough, they rooted, and now I have three of these wonderful geraniums. I’m wondering why I never did this before. Maybe I won’t have to buy any plants for my deck planters this year; I’ll just have an oxalis-geranium theme going. (Oh, who am I kidding?? I’ll be at Jasmin spending hundreds before the month is out!)
Both of these plant propagation techniques were taught to me by my mother, who passed away three years ago last month. With Mother’s Day (just passed) I’m pleased to be doing something that reminds me of her. She was a wonderful indoor gardener all her life (as well as outdoor, while her health allowed) and oxalis and geraniums were almost always in her collection.
In her honour, I’m posting a delightful cartoon based on the song, “The Frozen Logger”, which was my mother’s party tune.
I love to hear from you!