Week of April 25, 2021

The spring season in the Florida Garden has been a dry one, with several weeks with only a brief shower. The multiple frosts also raise the possibility that certain plants would not re-emerge at all. Several beds therefore were bare. A couple of long, substantial rainy periods then occurred in midApril, stimulating the CALLADIUMS to finally show themselves. The first sign of life were a few spires of the first leaves, suggesting that that would in fact be returning. Then, more and more shoots, some in groups. The the first leaves unroll, with single, flashes of color on small precursor leaves, then many more small leaves, then large intricately colorful leaves that take over the bed. Now they are filling up the empty beds in the front yard, in the mondo grass by the driveway, and a few in the backyard Coontie bed. Their riot of color announces summer weather ahead.