The Beginning of Winter Red

I found these little brave faces peaking at the sun in the 30 degree temperature from a pot on the deck and wanted to share.


I unpacked from the black garbage bags about a third of my amaryllis and re-potted them in pots of new soil and after soaking them in water as hot as my hands could tolerate, I placed them in the sun in my kitchen corner. Already one or two are sending up lime green shoots. I was worried because I no longer have a cold basement...these were stored in a cool but heated corner of the storage room. I worry that the last group I bring up will have mold or fungus. I will see.

Calamondin Cake Here I come

As you can see from the lower middle part of the picture I have already picked at least one of these orange limes...so delicious in tea or on fish! The blossoms are erupting with complete abandon and my corner of the kitchen smells like a citrus orchard. I have a lovely recipe from one of Nigella Lawson's cookbooks as soon as I have a dozen calamondins!

My Corner

The room without walls is graying rapidly. All of the trees are left with bare fingers pointing to the gray sky. Much is now dying or going into the long sleep. In the corner of my house facing the southwest winter sun, my tiny new calamondin tree has redeemed the gray passage for us with tiny tangy orange citrus for our drinks and is now filling the tips of its tiny branches with lovely white blossoms. Soon the alluring fragrance of citrus will fill that corner of the room reminding me that spring is hiding around another corner.