Wildflowers or Weeds?

I love to wander in the woods near where the Bayou turns into a creek just to look at plants. There is an amazing variety of plants that grow in this bog. It is quite difficult to get into this area and in summer there is always the chance that you might encounter a snake or two, but to me, it is well worth the effort. Each month there is a different show of color hiding beneath the canopy of trees just beckoning me. More than once, I have wandered in with a shovel and bucket to dig a few specimens to be transplanted in the gardens at the house. I am always careful to leave ample plants as to not deplete my wonderland.

Veronia is one plant that I moved to the garden. It is a tall plant that blooms profusely but also makes thousands of seeds. This in itself can be a problem in the garden but since I deadhead as soon as the blooms fade, I should be able to contain it. I love the deep rich purple of the blooms of this tall (mine is about five feet tall) plant.

Another transplanted beauty is the Marsh Mallow. (Not to be confused with marshmallows from S'mores fame!) The Marsh Mallow is a member of the Hibiscus family and is usually pink or white with yellow centers. They get about three feet tall and seem to be impossible to kill..my type of plant!

Blue Flags or Wild Irises are also abundant in the creek bottom. These, although I have dug them and moved them to the gardens, are reported to be highly toxic to both humans and livestock. I decided that I was safe having them in the garden since I knew about this and the only "livestock" around are the dog, Ezzy and the cat, Ms Put. Ms Put would be smart enough not to eat a poisonous plant and Ezzy, well..let's just say I have to watch her. She will chew anything!

A very fragrant plant, the Swamp Lily, also called Seven Sisters Lily, String Lily and sometimes Spider Lily, is to be my next acquisition. The back part of the Bayou is a solid mass of these lilies with bulbs some four inches in diameter. They remind my of a night-blooming lily that was outside of the bedroom that my sister and I shared as children. We would push our beds next to the windows during the summer (no air conditioning in those days) and would always love it when those lilies bloomed!