Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary...

Well, my name's not Mary and I really don't have a garden per se, but I do have some potted plants and some that I was able to plant around and outside of my apartment building. I have this big Aloe Vera plant in a pot, that really needs to be placed in the ground, but I will need to hire some muscles because it's very heavy. Unfortunately, a lot of the outside leaves got frost bitten this winter and can be discarded. I use the Aloe Plant's leaves all the time to soothe my rash that I get on my forearms when I crochet or knit too long. It really works well for me. To my surprise, it blooms yellow, not red, like I'm used to seeing, but that was in Laguna Beach California. I learned everything so different here. Around the corner, at the side of the building, I have planted some rose bushes that are blooming now. I have one yellow rose bush two red heirloom rose bushes and two pink heirloom rose bushes. They are of the smaller variety and smell very, very sweet. Right now I'm enjoying the colors, but later in the summer, I will probably make some more potpourri. Finally, I want to show you a beautiful, large Amaryllis flower. My neighbor has this plant in a pot on the porch, but they grow in the ground, plentiful like daffodils and tulips in the spring. This one is quite large. I would guess about 10" to 12" in diameter: My neighbor holding the two big blossoms together so that I can fit them in one frame. Aren't they huge?