Portulaca is one of my favorite flowering annuals. It’s perky bright flowers thrive in the heat of the summer when most other plants are beginning to wither and fade. As a little girl I loved to say the word; “por-chu-lak -a”. It has such an exotic, rhythmic cadence. Maybe it was because it rhymed with “la cucaracha ; one of those annoying little ditties we used to sing as kids.
A few years ago I rescued half a dozen “reduced” portulaca plants from the markdown rack at Lowe’s and put them in my front garden where they came back and flourished. They were so happy in their new spot that they went to seed and have come back each year.
This year’s crop of portulaca was disrupted a bit when we put in our new walkway. Much of the front garden was disturbed and re-mulched. Still, a large group of plants emerged at the lower tip of the garden, which had stayed pretty much the same.
I’ve enjoyed watching them grow from the time they first peeked their spiny leaves through the bark, their cheery flowers making me smile.
Then, while I was cutting the grass last week, I noticed a new plant had emerged in a new spot, away from the others.
Somehow a seed managed to land on the edge of the lawn and despite the competition of weeds and the lawn, grew into a strong, vibrant burst of color.
This little plant is a living reminder of the adage I’ve heard so often in my life, “Bloom where you’re planted,” something I’ve had to do so many times. It’s good to have reminders like that. We never know when life will interrupt the plans we’ve made and our seeds are cast into the wind. Sometimes we’ll land in a familiar place, other times in the weeds. Either way, blooming is possible.