A Winter of Red Blooms

Isabel and her friends, Beth and Carl have been gardening all winter. Gifts of amaryllis bulbs throughout November and January have meant nearly non-stop blooms for four months. When Isabel left Unit 2-6 in early January, her neighbour Beth and Beth's husband, Carl promised to keep watering and turning the bulbs that had just arrived. Each time Isabel would venture upstairs to her old stompin' grounds the stalks would have grown three inches.

Tending and enjoying them in the midst of this long winter has brought much enjoyment and a little adventure. One night a nurse accidentally sent one flying across her room. Mum thought it was in a 100 pieces but the apologetic nurse cut off the stems and the blossoms continued for another two weeks in a large vase.

We are grateful for this gift of colour and light in the winter; for friends who enabled the bulbs to be purchased; for Beth & Carl who have watched over them so carefully; and for Sandra, Mum's volunteer who tends her plants and flowers ever so carefully (under Isabel's direction) each Tuesday afternoon.