Resilience and GBBD!

Resilience...

this word has great meaning for me lately. 

I've come through a rough time,

riding on an emotional roller coaster. 

Making my way through the weeds of life,

I've made it through, or at least to a clearing. 

As I walk my property,

taking notice of the daily changes

in my cherished garden,

one thing rang out loud and clear....

Resilience! 

Of course, survival has many forms...some not so nice.

I choose the kinder ways of resilience 

as I do not want to become a thorny,

nasty individual.  

Resilience, in fact, means to bounce back...

to be elastic and to rebound...

even rubbery. 

Kate Bush said it best in her song titled,

"Rubberband Girl"...

courtesy of You Tube

"See those trees bend in the wind.

I feel they've got

a lot more sense than me. 

You see, I try to resist....

I want to be a rubberband girl."

Trees and plants,

by their sheer nature, are resilient. 

They roll with the punches. 

A perfect example...

When I moved 4 months ago,

I brought 3 stalks of bananas

from my original Garden in Paradise. 

They would have made it through

the division and relocation just fine

if it weren't for the cold. 

You can see the original stalk

did not take well to frost. 

However, the root survived

and sent up a brand new stalk

to produce sweet clumps of bananas

for the new Garden in Paradise! 

How about this example?

My poor Costus was not only divided,

relocated and subjected to freezing temperatures...

it has endured the constant trampling of my dogs. 

The Force is strong in this one though,

and it is sending out new shoots and leaves

from the only remaining stalk. 

New shoots are rising from the ground as well! 

After all, wise Yoda said,

"Do or do not.  There is no try." 

Sorry Sci Fi haters...can't help it!

Here's another beauty that has taken a beating

from the dogs as they chase the squirrels

about the yard and up the trees...

these Caladiums seem to spring back

like nothing hit them. 

Surprising as they seem more delicate than this.

Here's another photo with backlighting,

courtesy of the late afternoon sun. 

Yet another surviver...

My cherished dendrobium orchid

was left out in the cold several nights in a row. 

I really didn't think she was going to make it. 

Only two of her original stalks remain,

and they are mostly leafless. 

But this gal is no quitter! 

She's sending out new pups

so she'll be able to produce her

gorgeous blooming spectacular

in October for my birthday,

as she does every year!

Now, if you want to see a real trooper,

check out my incredible aloe.

This lady is tough as nails...

nothing seems to phase her. 

She was divided and relocated,

then left to endure the cold nights

just like the others. 

But she took her punches standing up. 

She's in full bloom, as if nothing ever happened!

While so many of the others are recuperating,

she is full of vim and vigor!

I have one more to ogle over...

my Tillandsia Ionantha.

Just two weeks ago,

it did not show any sign of blooming. 

It looked healthy

but there was no evidence

that this fun little ball would come to life

this year,

having endured a change of environment. 

But...

BAM! 

The fireworks erupted quite unexpectedly! 

Talk about a come-back!

One final resilient gal is this amazing sea turtle

 we met at the Loggerhead Marine Life Center. 

She's recovering quite well from her injuries

 and will be released sometime in the near future.

Isn't she amazing?!

So, I feel akin to the flora and fauna...

resilient and pliable...

able to take a beating and bounce back

with strength and confidence! 

Once again,

my garden has worked therapeutic miracles!!! 

I'm adding this post to Carol's monthly

Garden Blogger's Bloom Day meme.

(15th of each month) 

Be sure to head over to

May Dreams Gardens to see other GBBD posts!