It’s going to be in the 80s this coming week (weird, I hope it doesn’t last, I want more spring before we get summer, please), and I think we’re pretty safely past frosty nights, so I’ve taken some time today to move all the tropicals outdoors.
It’s sort of goofy to grow tropicals in this climate, but what can I say — I love them. Bougainvillea, mandevilla, jasmine, duranta — they’re just so great. I usually get one flush of blooms from most of them in the winter indoors, and then once they’re outside and soaking up sun, they get bigger and leafier and stronger, and then usually around August, they go pretty nuts with the blooming.
That’s when I get to use hibiscus in cooking (it makes great drinks too), which is very fun. Mostly, though, I just enjoy the lush flowering. 
I’m going to try to make sure they all get full sun spots, and they’re all going to need a good drink to help them acclimate, and if any have gotten any disease issues, this is the time to rinse them off and wash affected leaves.
I think that means that I really do need to get at least some of my hoses set up today. So I think Mother’s Day is mostly going to be coaxing my kids (currently ages 12 and almost-15) to help me with garden chores. (Kev is off the hook today because he’s drowning in final grading of his math exams.)
The weather’s so great, if I can get the back deck cleaned up and fully set up with the plants, it’s going to be really fun to throw some stuff on the grill for an easy dinner tonight. Maybe I’ll even teach the kids how to make burgers; they’d like that.
Sounds about perfect.
