Intoxicated by Flowers

After yet another 7 day stint of only looking at land through a thick wall of wind and rain, today was a cherished play day ashore. And oh what a day. The sun is shining again and the flora is as happy as I am. Influenced by trade winds, Bermuda has a subtropical, not tropical, climate. That means winters are cool and damp, and summers are rarely very hot. Gardens flourish and arable land is farmed year round. I find it interesting that only a few of the many species of plants growing in Bermuda are endemic. Most were introduced and many have become native, meaning they arrived by natural occurrence without the aid of man, but can be found in other places too. For example, Hibiscus, which is not endemic, is everywhere, including exotic red, yellow and white varieties. One of my favorite walks in St Georges takes me past the the Bermuda Perfumery which has been producing fragrances inspired by the flowers of Bermuda: Easter Lily, Jasmine, Oleander, Passion Flower, Frangipanni and Bermudiana since 1929.