Several years ago, I planted a clematis at our previous property. Each year it would grow, but never bloom. When we moved, I somewhat perversely decided to transplant it to the new property. Apparently, it was much happier in its new location, and it shot up the side of our deck. I thought I would finally get to see it bloom. Then my son, with the best of intentions, cut the grass in the backyard and mistook my clematis for a weed, leveling it with a swipe of the weedeater. Undaunted, I protected what remained of it through the long winter and crossed my fingers for this summer. (I also announced to everyone repeatedly to beware of that little spot next to the deck!!)

I finally received my reward!!

Similarly, I went to a Green Elephant plant swap a couple of years ago. Among other treasures, I was given a baggie full of what I thought I heard were crocus bulbs. Crocus bulbs? Those delightful, little harbingers of the end of the long, wet winter? Yes, please!! Well, life being what it was at the time, I didn’t get the little bulbs in the ground for quite a while because we were in the thick of moving. Finally, gardener’s guilt kicked in, and I made a place for them just outside the front door. Lo and behold, I was not too late, and long, green leaves began to appear. But they didn’t look like crocus leaves and they didn’t bloom. I’m not much for killing things, especially when they aren’t doing any harm. So I left them. The next year, the greenery became thicker and taller, but no blooms. By now, I realized that they weren’t going to be crocuses, but I was intrigued by the mystery of what they were.

I finally got my answer in the past couple of weeks!

One neat fact about crocosmia is that hummingbirds love them. It happens that I planted the corms underneath my hummingbird feeder, and we’ve been enjoying watching the hummingbirds buzz around them and rest on their branches.

Mysteries resolved!