How I Learned to Love Clivia

In March the Clivia start to bloom in Laguna.

There were lush beds of bright orange ones near the front door that were there when we moved into the house. I was actually somewhat horrified the first year they bloomed because shocking orange was just not in my color scheme for the front garden. But after the first couple years I had to admit that they won me over if with nothing else, their exuberance alone. The year 1994 was a particularly dreary winter and I couldn't wait for the bright, bold display with which they heralded spring.

My solution to the clashing orange with my soft pastels in the otherwise peaceful front garden? While the clivias were in bloom I snipped off all the other flowers in the yard and added pots and pots of beautiful, bright, bold purple and blue delphiniums.

It may have seemed anti-climatic when the clivias were finished, but all those flowers that had been suppressed for a month went crazy with blooms as soon as I let them and took over the show.

After I learned to love clivias I put yellow ones in along the east entrance to the lower garden and they never fail to brighten up the shady area that is difficult to grow much color.