Clivias

My garden has a mind of its own. We didn’t plant it, it came with the home, and it has a natural wild beauty to it. Whomever planted it, however, really understood the seasons. It always has something new spouting as the seasons change. My favorite is spring. Each March, the very back of our yard explodes to life with vibrant orange Clivias. I don’t proclaim to be a green thumb… I rely on Alex to keep the living things around me alive (herbs, veggie garden, plants, flowers, dog). I feed Alex the caretaker. And, I’ve fed him well, because the garden continues to flourish. That first spring in the home, I couldn’t help but bring the outdoors in. I placed a cutting of Clivia in the front entry and it just made me smile every time I opened the front door. I had some left over scented diffuser bottles, so I used those as bud vases and put them all over the house. Once the Clivia season had ended, I missed the flowers, so I restocked the front entry with an orchid. A very good friend came over for dinner one night and commented that flowers in the entry were good Feng Shui, good Chi. Apparently the orchid is a symbol of the quest for perfection in any areas of one’s life. It is also associated with abundance, spiritual growth, beauty and purity. Orchids now greet each of my visitors before my dog does and you’ll find fresh clippings from the garden all year long scattered throughout the house. I’ll take any help I can get from the flowers and even if my life isn’t perfect, I’ll take the smile that comes along with them.

How to be Neighborly: Greet your visitors with a flower and a smile.

Camellia

Succulent

Diffuser bottle turned Bud Vase

DTSA

Clivia

Welcome Orchid