In the Garden

The heat is supposed to return with a vengeance by the weekend but it was so much cooler this morning that I ventured out into the garden.

The first task was to deadhead the roses. They have really suffered over the last week and I quickly filled a garbage bag with dead and sunburnt flowers and leaves.

Then I tidied up a couple of other garden beds and pulled out a heap of tradescentia. The people who had the house before us were very keen gardeners (we are not) and seem to have filled every bare spot with this. It grows insanely well and has to pulled out at frequent intervals or it will smother every other plant. As I was yanking, I came across a pot hidden in the undergrowth which has three of these flashy flowers on it.

It is some kind of bromeliad (when I was given it I was told its name was vase plant). The leaves grow in a circular whorl around a centre hollow and the flowers emerge from this space. I have had the plant for at least 8 years and it has only ever had a single flower before. It must like its present position to produce three.

The colours ARE pink and purple and while it has a vague resemblance to a waterlily in general shape, those petals really do have sawtooth edges. Plus the plant is home to at least one spider, so I will continue to admire it from a distance. Since I did a bit of pruning to surrounding plants it is now visible from the kitchen window. The flower lasts a few months so plenty of time to enjoy this year's crop.