This Weekend: Bloom Night?
June 15, 2016I checked and measured all the buds on Friday and found the majority to be in the 40mm to 45mm range. I figured the weekend would be safe because they seemed to be stuck in stall and they just couldn’t get there in two days. I actually figured they wouldn’t even break stall before Monday and planned to stay away for the weekend.
The problem is she was calling and I couldn’t ignore the call, so I came out on Saturday to measure again. After my rounds I suspected The Queen had decided to make the move, as the buds advanced to 45mm to 50mm and had the look that only she can get just before she breaks stall. On Sunday I didn’t measure, but could see the change and knew the push was on.
Monday I went out to measure and found the majority of the buds had advanced between 60mm to 80mm, and on Tuesday they had increased to 80mm and 100mm. For those of you that follow Bloom Watch every summer, you know we’re looking for blooms ranging from 170mm to 230mm (7-9 inches). You also probably remember that I carry with me a little ruler, which ends at 120mm, and when The Queen pushes the buds greater than that length we are, as a rule of thumb, 2 to 3 days away from the celebration.
Still, I can’t tell you the exact day The Queen will open and display her beauty and emit her fragrance, but I can tell you we are getting very close. So keep an eye out for a Bloom Night email. I will update you as she whispers the information to me. I look forward to seeing all of you soon, so get ready for the fun.
Until Next Time – Lee Mason, Director of General Services, Tohono Chul