Flowers in the Time of Drought

It may not be the best time to be writing about beautiful gardens and flowering yards, as our summer drought (an annual occurrence?) begins to bite. Nevertheless, I must, if only to cheer myself up. Looking at our barren yard with its dry patches of earth interspersed with tufts of yellow grass (it’s called a “lawn”) I fantasize about it all blossoming. You know, like the desert after a shower of rain?

Anyway, just keep this place in mind for when the rain does return – as it must, at some point. Then go along, buy some plants, cheer yourself up with their brightness.

Despite an astonishing, energetic thunderstorm in Kingston one night, the prospects for more rain look dim (although my smartphone app is optimistic, but local weathermen less so). In light of this, I wanted to share with you a wonderful discovery I made a few weeks ago. If you are in Kingston, it is the place to find (and buy, at reasonable prices) any kind of plant you can imagine. It is the Hope Gardens Nurseries. To find it, you drive in the main gate and tell them you are going to the nursery. They give you a ticket. Then through the gardens gate – the guard will direct you to the right, so you drive down a short bit of road to a semi-ruined house. Beyond is the extensive nursery, filled with a huge variety of trees, flowers and bushes.

The Hope Gardens Nurseries have pomegranate trees! Which should grow well in dry conditions. Here is one I found in the garden of remembrance at the Shaare Shalom Synagogue in downtown Kingston. (My photo)

 

Please note: the photos of the nursery were taken several weeks ago, before the water restrictions began!

And as an afterthought: we are seriously considering finding a cooler spot on the planet next summer. We might migrate for the season, and return with the little wild warblers from the north. Tropical summers are always hot, but this is the second consecutive summer of bush fires and dust. It’s becoming too much.

I’d like to find a nice glacier, melting or otherwise, to nestle beside. Reykjavik sounds appealing to me, right now.

Our modest purchases in a wheelbarrow… We will be back for more when the drought lifts.

Garden meditation… This gentleman was shelling palm seeds.

Lovely stuff.

Fruit trees, bedding plants, palms, orchids, all kinds of unusual plants. You name it!

In places the vines seem to be holding up the building. But it could be restored and made into a really nice arts center…

We discovered a lovely old stone building near the nurseries, which sadly appeared to be merging into the landscape.

An unusual plant (a datura, I think). With my love of purple I couldn’t resist buying one.

Hanging baskets galore.