A Bit Smelly But Lovely!

   For as long as I can remember (and that is a long, long time), there has been a bunch of plants that just pop up randomly in the yard.  I never know where new ones might sprout and the old ones never seem to die.  They go dormant in the winter but, come springtime, they start growing with a vengeance.  The plants must be relatively hardy as I do nothing in the way of care for them and will actually cut them down with the lawnmower, to make matters worse. Still, these plants grow.  And grow.  They are sort of like the kudzu of the Bayou but without the overpowering part.  For years, I had no idea of what the plant was called.  My sweet Aunt Marie gave me the first start when I first moved to the Bayou from the farm across the road.  I actually never think she told me the name of the plant.  We both loved gardening so sharing plants was the thing to do...names or no names.

  Well, the sharing has continued even though I am the "Old Lady of the Bayou" now.  Recently, I asked Darling Daughter if she would like a start of the plants and she was elated.  "Yes!  I love plants!"  Oh, the tradition continues which makes me so happy!  Well, I started thinking it was a shame to give an "unnamed" plant to someone so a bit of research started.  With the magic of the Internet, I was able to identify the plants!  These hard-to-kill, smelly, yet lovely things are Clerodendrum Bungeis.  Since that is a bunch for an old brain to remember, I found the common names of these things.  Rose Glory Bowers, Cashmere Bouquets or Mexican Hydrangeas are all listed as common names depending on region.  Personally, the Mexican Hydrangea fits wonderfully as the plants grow similar to hydrangeas that we are accustomed to seeing in gardens. 

  Tomorrow will find me digging some of the smaller plants, potting them and preparing them for a jaunt to Darling Daughter's place.  I am sure that my son-in-law will be on "plant retrieval" duty some time this week as there are still tomato plants awaiting their transport, too.  Goodness, it is nice to know that I can share things from the garden!