Flower Power and Memory

Lithodora in situ

Maybe I was a day late and actually played the part of an April fool on Monday.  I had the opportunity to go to a nursery and look for plants for my tiny garden.  I was gambling I know, buying tomatoes, corn and eggplant starts so early in the season.  There could be a month of cool rainy weather which would defeat my plans.  It's a gamble humans have been taking on since the advent of agriculture.

A modern problem for the springtime planter is deciding on what to plant.  Like all our shopping options, nursery fare is astounding.  A dozen types of tomatoes, dozens of other vegetables.  Then there are scores of herbs.  I navigated through all those temptations like sailors off the coast of Sorrento; never falling for the siren call of plants I had no room for; until I saw it.

Long ago, in what seems like someone else's life, I was married to a man who loved gardening.  He is a bright person who learned the English as well as the botanical name for every living thing in our huge landscape.  One of the beautiful plants we were able to grow in that more northern climate was lithodora (gift of the stones).  It has shocking, electric blue blooms as it covers the ground.  It's originally from southern Europe, I'm not sure it will survive a blazing summer here, but it might.

I seldom think about that other life I led, but the bright blue blossoms of the lithodora brought it back to me.  I'm glad I added it to my patio.