April Showers bring Flowers

Growing up in southeast Missouri we were blessed with a growing season from April through October.  The snow belt ran about twenty-five miles north of Sikeston, Missouri.  I always looked forward to April, when the rains came, and the daffodils popped their heads through the earth.  The arrival of daffodils was uplifting, like seeing a happy smile.  

Around the perimeter of our back yard were various flowers to enjoy.  My mother had a prized red rose bush in the southwest corner.  Near the rose bush was a large bird bath that was often used by the birds in the summer.  I don't remember the name of the variety of rose, but the variety was one that was pleasantly fragrant.  Many days, I went to that corner of the yard to enjoy the smell, look at the roses, and watch the birds bathe and play.

We had several hydrangeas planted on the eastern border of the property.  One was pink, and the others were blue.  Many years had passed before I learned that the type of fertilizer made the difference in the color.  Occasionally, we brought in hydrangea cuttings and made a bouquet for the living room.

In the far southeastern corner of the backyard, tall bamboo cane grew many feet tall.  The best I remember, they grew eighteen or twenty feet tall.  On occasion, my parents cut some canes and made fishing poles out of them.  The problem with the cane plant is that it is invasive and grows where it is not wanted.  It was removed in the late 1950s, and removed again, to get rid of the predatory plant.  My Dad finally had to dig the roots up to remove the cane and to rid the property of the plant.

When I left Missouri the last time, in 2008, my intention was to take a cutting of one of the hydrangeas from my parents home and to plant it in Louisiana.  I failed to do that, but I dug up a bucket full of Liriope (ground cover or border grass) and moved it to Louisiana.  It flourished and over the years I have enjoyed sharing cuttings from the original Missouri Liriope with friends and family. 

Flowers and gardens are to be enjoyed by many and appreciated for their beauty.  The flowers start with the April showers and remain beautiful with daily and weekly watering by people throughout the summer.  Gardening is one of the few rituals still enjoyed reaching back to the medeival times.  For the next few weeks I will Blog about family memories and the joys of memory.