The Oxygen Garden

In the jungle, that doubles as a living room window, the last of the Amaryllis bulbs are beginning to bloom.

Hopeful rosebuds take on the mighty task of keeping a gardener's spirits high during the depths of winter.

"I hate January," says a friend of mine. Hmmm, I thought to myself... Well, that's a relief. I thought you hated me.

Perhaps we should make like bears and hibernate through this cold and dreary month. If nothing else, it might prevent us from snapping at one another.

The ever-tardy Christmas Cactus wows me with her magic.

I woke this morning with an imaginary icicle hanging from the end of my nose. That generally means one of two things. Either I left a window open, or the furnace is on the fritz... again.

Fuschia Kalanchoe is teasing me.

Each winter I fantasize about selling (or bulldozing!) this good for nothin' house. The furnace is dying a slow death. Snowdrifts, higher than my head, are waiting to be shoveled off the porch.

The snow plow guy crushed the 3rd mailbox I've installed this month.

Put on your thinking cap. Can you tell by the leaves which flowering perennial this is? Hint: I'm crazy for 'em.

The coffee pot, fortunately, is working just fine. And, once again I thank my lucky stars that I have a fireplace to fall back on.

* Breathe deep. Houseplants clean up the air in a stuffy house. Flowering plants do that and then some.

** While you're waiting around for a warm, spring day, rent the sci-fi thriller, Sunshine.