Springtime in California

There are many people whom I know and love very much who are always so crazy about the "Seasons in Utah". Oh, pull-eese, give me the 20 to 30 degree temperature range, I can take that, not the endless months of FREEZING! Any way, I just need to go on record and show all interested that Spring does definitely come to SoCal too!
Look at my treasured lilacs, they are very rare in Southern California. I have finally figured out the secret of growing and getting lilacs to bloom here too. I do love my lilacs!

In 1994, Jenny and Julie were both BYU students. When they came home after winter semester, they brought me two lilac plants in 5 gallon size containers. We planted them, and anxiously watched every spring for the coveted blossoms. Once in a while I'd get one or two tiny blooms. I was always disappointed with the outcome, but the bushes were nice greenery in the planter boxes anyway.

I tried to figure out why they didn't bloom better. I remembered that in the fall, when the leaves were falling, a lot would remain clinging to the branches of my bushes. Leaves usually completely fall off trees after freezing, and that was probably the step that was missing in the life cycle of my plants. I decided to go and knock off all of the remaining leaves from the branches, thus helping the bushes have a fuller cycle. After doing this the blooms the following spring were beautiful.
Look at my wonderful bushes now. I have clipped some beautiful bunches of flowers to share with the Young Women at church and here in the house.
Here's our pretty Jacaranda tree too. I don't ever say that my favorite color is purple, maybe it should be since it stands for Integrity. Almost everything that blooms in our front yard is purple, maybe secretly purple is my favorite color.

Spring-time is Beautiful wherever you see it. It's remembering to look for and notice it that is the essential part of enjoying Spring to it's fullest!