Yet another monsoon-related anomaly has occurred in the great outdoors. During a normal season, these prolific, perennial Hibiscus bloom from August through September. Gigantic flowers often measure a whopping eight inches across! The plants were gifted to me by my sister-in-law about eight years ago, at that time a newly developed possibility for northeastern gardeners. They took hold and have rewarded us annually, since then.This year, scores of blooms set very late in the season, due to cold temps and.... yep, you've got it.... the rain. As I dug up my annual Hibiscus today to save it from the nighttime chill, I noticed the first rewards of the season from the big beauties. At long last, we have color. The question now becomes, "Will all those buds open before frost?" We'll just have to wait and see. Mother Nature has certainly conjured up some odd situations to test our gardening prowess!
