Cades Cove - Great Smoky Mountains National Park
August 14, 2014
The Geraniums on April 20, 2014 shortly after we bought them!
The Geraniums on September 2, 2014 after SIGNIFICANT pruning!
I'm no photographer either
and wish I'd taken pictures before I did the pruning, but I hope you can see
the amount of overall growth PLUS the huge number of blooms waiting to burst
forth. Two things came to mind:
1) Growth requires pruning. In order for a steady rate of overall growth
to occur, the dying/dead/past their prime flowers have to go.
2)
In the right
place, under the right conditions, these geraniums will continue to flourish.
We’ve always enjoyed
geraniums in the summer, but these have been stronger and more beautiful than
any we ever had in the fifteen years we lived at our other house. We can
only conclude that they are now in a location more conducive to perfect growth
conditions for geraniums.
You can draw your own conclusions
from this silly analogy. I feel as if I’ve been “pruned” to death
over the last year, but in retrospect, can see how beneficial it has been. In spite of the painful pruning, overall growth has occurred and WOW, can I ever
see all sorts of new blooms just waiting to burst forth. I must be in the right place and at the right
time. I can’t wait to see what’s in
store.
August flew by in a haze
of heat and humidity here in East Tennessee.
I did manage one perfect day at a lovely spot by the river in Cades
Cove. It was one of the first days after
Bill returned to school and I spent it reading, reflecting and pondering. It was a very good day indeed!
A little river gazing..............
A little lunch...............
A little reading.........
Rest assured there are many more days like this one coming up.
Have you been "pruned" lately? I'd love to hear
about it.