Christmas growth and flowers

After much angst over nearly two years, it looks like the globe artichoke is not only going to survive but may become the plant I’d been hoping it would be.

It’s still only small but look at the leaves. I’m not sure why it has taken so long but perhaps it just needed the time to develop a decent root system in the thin soil.

On the other hand, the Nine-star broccoli doesn’t seem to have needed any coaxing to develop into a decent sized plant, which will hopefully produce a few cauliflower-like florets in the spring. Yes, the florets should look like cauliflower rather than broccoli but, since we like both, it’s a win-win situation.

In the meantime, the holly tree has been growing at a steady rate since I first discovered it at the back of the garden. This means there were plenty of cuttings for decorating the house this Christmas. I’d put one branch in with the conifer cutting still doing well after two months in the case. All it needed was a splash of red, I felt…

My mum and I must have been in telepathic communication because a box of carnations arrived the next day. Perfect timing!

So, while all may not be well with the world, there is still plenty of good.