flowers | Aunt Mayme's Attic

When I posted last, in late February, it was as warm as Southern California spring weather; warm enough to clean my windows. Today, well, it’s a different story.

Earlier this week, I placed sheets over my flowers that were blooming, as a result of the warmer weather, to hopefully keep them going until the “real” Spring arrived. That night, it rained–then snowed. About an inch. The following afternoon I arrived home from my day and removed the sheets. I couldn’t fold them up because they were so frozen that when I tried to do so, they broke in two; even the heavy canvas one. They looked like giant white cow patties and tossing them in the wind was easy because they were so heavy and didn’t blow.

So I took out more sheets, tossed the frozen ones aside, like one would toss cow chips, and placed fresh ones on the plants. While doing so, I stepped on a day lily; sweet pretty orange flowered bushes that bloom more when you pull off the old blooms. It crunched and then broke in two!

Frozen daylilies. See the darker colors?

I felt like I was hurting my babies as I was trying to protect them. Flowers are so joyful with their beauty, that I want to keep them doing what they do best–bloom. But they are literally broken. Trying to keep plants over winter is a difficult thing in my area; even for perennials. And being from a warmer climate, I’ve worked hard to adjust to the frigid winters where I live now. This winter is winning and I’m feeling defeated.

The following day, the forecast was for rain, and overnight freezing temperatures. This meant another set of frozen sheet cow patties. Which led to a sunny day and 18 degrees. Again, I removed the cow chips.

Tossed sheet cow chips. The leaves wouldn’t come off as they were frozen on the sheets.

Following day forecast: 54 degrees and frigid temperatures overnight, which was right.

A deep heavy sigh, I was outside and looked up to the heavens. “Mother Universe”, I said, “I’m defeated. I can’t keep these babies any longer. They are in Your hands.” And resigned myself to the idea that I had to divide the day lilies this year anyway, so maybe them being frozen out would make it easier to dig them up.

I once heard a song sung by a beautiful young woman that had such a great meaning. She was a New Thought Folk Singer. “Be careful what you wish for with unguarded thoughts, because what you wish for today might be tomorrow what you’ve got”. This morning I woke up to this: