Golleee Sgt Carter!

Look what I woke up to this morning! I wasn't paying much attention to Epiphyllum buds with all the work going on with concrete on the other side of the house. MY other plants are done blooming a bit earlier in the year. LINK This is the first bloom ever for this plant. I planted it as a cutting several years ago.



Look at that color! That's a nice addition to my red and ivory blooming plants. I'm trying to figure a way to organize them all better on this back patio. Maybe there's some attractive way to hang them between shade sail poles I've been setting up.



The cutting was a gift from an older gentleman at church. He had lost his wife of 50 plus years and was clearing out his house and the last of his Epi collection (had almost 150 at one time) before moving to an elder care facility. He was the prototypical "Tender Warrior."

A plankowner in the 10th Mountain Division, he fought his way through Italy, was at Monte Casino and then went on to father two fine sons, and had a distinguished career as a marine biologist and Elder in our church. He was a Tuna expert professionally and a lover of God, people and flowers (esp. Epi's) personally.

But for his encouragement and example of temperate gracious manliness I wouldn't have become the man I am.