It's Blooming!

When we planted it after the fire (in what we have come to call 'The Fire Garden' ) this echium plant was about foot tall and the same in diameter. Everything in this little garden area including the fencing, the hot tub, an arbor and many plants. was destroyed.  (The former owners called it 'The Jungle which it was when we moved here). Echium is quite common here and gets a large candle shaped blue bloom. It grew to fill the five foot square bed, overflow onto the deck next to it and cover the really ugly gas meter. But despite the rampant growth, it showed no signs of blooming last spring. Our gardener assured us that it would bloom, and when I looked at it closely today I realized that he was right. It is covered with tiny buds. The blooms are supposed to be blue and these look like they are going to be pink, but we shall see. We are always advised to buy plants when they are blooming to ensure the right color and variety, but we needed more instant gratification. 

Even without the blooms it has done more than its share. I wonder why the same plant, bought at the same time and planted in another location didn't get anywhere as big as this one, but bloomed the first year. John says poor soil and he's probably right. It is a rare plant that thrives in our rocky soil on a steep hillside. 

Almost as quickly as it came on almost two months ago, my back pain is going away. Not gone yet but definitely resolving. It's good to know that I'm not doomed to live with an aging spine and an inability to walk without pain. Finding the right level of exercise to be therapeutic is definitely key. I used to teach yoga to people with back pain, but I don't seem to be as good at applying it to myself, so I have Kathy to thank for her patient and cheerful guidance....

Thanks to Pinkhairedlady for hosting.

Note to self, and anybody else who tends to be highly suggestible...never Google possible medical diagnoses. It seems that the same symptoms apply to practically everything from cancer to hay fever! Speaking of which, our rapid antigen Covid tests, ordered from Amazon, arrived today. Still waiting on the ones from the government....

Tomorrow I will begin to try and catch up with all the household chores that have been postponed since the beginning of December. Including something in lieu of Christmas cards....Valentine's Day cards perhaps?