Farewell-to-Spring

Bathe/Shower with Clarkia amoena


The Clarkia amoena (Farewell-to-Spring), a California annual native, is out in full splendor right now. This is an incredibly easy to grow annual. It reseeds but doesn't seem to go hog wild like miner's lettace and California poppies might in a yard. The seeds spread out a bit from where they were last year, but in my case, I enjoy them so much I keep thinking of new places to drop the old seedy branches, and leave them for a month or so. That's all it takes.

As far as care goes, they will bloom with only winter/spring rain water just fine below the Cuesta Grade but you can extend their blooms by adding water a few times. I understand you can even get them to bloom in the fall if you plant in summer and water them. They are slow growers though sprouting in January and not blooming until May or June. Of course they are also tall.

The photo above was taken outside my shower/tub window. You want an outdoor shower? See Sunset Magazine for ideas this month. I did long for one after a trial at a lovely place in Mendocino called Osprey Hills, (sadly no longer in business) which was a step up from camping but boasted that outdoor shower.

Our house in SLO was rented for many years to students before we moved in, and the dry rot was enough that the contractor had to make repairs to the outside wall. (Not entirely the student's fault, there was no vent, though there was a large window). The contractor really wanted to decrease the window size so that the shower water could not hit the sill at all. However, we knew we wanted the 4 x 5 foot window size we already had. So, he did his best to protect it, and we are likely much more careful than the students were.

So, we have the best of all worlds: an outdoor shower that isn't outdoors, and it is also a hot tub (for 1 only of course). But with the window open all the way, the sun shining, the birds singing, and the clarkias waving in the wind... what could be better?