Oranges and lemons

I had forgotten that I had added a couple of lily bulbs, one yellow and one pink, to a tub that already contained some bright orange ones. The tub lives beside a well-established rhubarb plant which produces enormous stems and leaves in spring. My lax weeding practice (deliberate and otherwise) means that some of the perennial lilies have to fight their way through rhubarb leaves each year in order to stand up straight and bloom. The orange ones are a little further away from the rhubarb plant so there’s generally less of a fight.

I was pleased when the orange lilies bloomed. So pleased that I completely forgot about the other two colours. I’ve harvested about three quarters of the rhubarb stems since they ripened in late May, significantly reducing the obstruction of natural light around the lilies. I was away from the allotments for a few days. When I went there yesterday, I was pleasantly surprised to find that the oranges had been joined by yellows. There it was, a single yellow-flowered multi-bloom lily standing out, tall and proud! Head and shoulders above the other lilies! They looked lovely against the backdrop of foliage of different forms from different plants, a great compliment to the orange lilies.

Oranges and lemons!

I peered into the tub to find out what had happened to the pink lily bulb. It had sprouted but I’m afraid that growth was weak and the plant was lying on its side. The poor thing must have strained to get some light, having been clobbered and held back by the broad, heavy rhubarb leaves. I don’t expect it to bloom this year but it should be back next season. I’ll try to be a better steward and keep the rhubarb leaves out of the way next year …

Lesson learned. With a little attention to the basic light requirements of ALL of the sprouting bulbs in the tub, I’ll be able to add PINK to the oranges and lemons in the future.

All this reminds me of both the resilience and the fragility of nature, including human nature. Many natural habitats are under threat all over the world. That said, I never cease to be amazed at how nature bounces back sometimes. I’ve read that reduced human activity during the Covid-19 lockdown has been a great benefit to wildlife in the UK.

Sometimes we humans survive and even thrive against all the odds. Adversity and challenge can be great stimulators of endeavour, innovation and progress. We all know the popular saying, ‘When life gives you lemons, make lemonade’. True. It is also true that our growth, productivity and general quality of life can be severely curtailed when adversity starves us of basic requirements such as nutrition, shelter, security, education and opportunity. That is exactly what happens when inequity and other forms of disadvantage are hard-wired into a nation’s structures and systems.