Who Took the Flowers?

  Back when I was a kid early spring meant several things.  Gnats would suddenly appear, it was time to plant potatoes and the English Dogwood bloomed profusely in every yard in the neighborhood.  A couple of these have not changed.  Those pesky gnats still gnaw away on any skin that is exposed and the potatoes have been planted but where are the showy white blooms?  What used to be a staple in almost every garden has now gone the wayside.  For some odd reason, this flowering shrub has fallen out of popularity with present day gardeners.  I do not understand it.

  The English Dogwood is in bloom here on the Bayou, though, as I try to baby the shrub enough to keep it growing.  While mine is nowhere near the size of Pop's nice plumb bush, at least it graces the yard with its beauty each spring.  I have noticed that things bloom in waves here with the first being the azaleas and forsythias.  Next come the satumas, oranges and wisterias.  As soon as those start to wane, the English Dogwood picks up the slack and lingers until the Confederate Jasmine and roses take over.   This pulls us into the heat of summer with the crepe myrtles, magnolias and gardenias but this time of spring is solely devoted to that shrub known as English Dogwood.  It is a strange thing that each of those others is highly scented.  The yard is blasted with one aroma after another except when it comes time for the white blooms to decorate the yard.  No scent whatsoever can be detected.  While the flowers are gorgeous as they cascade down the drooping branches, nary a scent can be detected.  Makes me wonder why.  Why, with all of the other highly scented blooms drawing the honeybees and hummingbirds, does this shrub not do the same?  Do these blooms not need pollinating?  

  The English Dogwood is sort of a misnomer as the shrub is not English nor is it a dogwood. Sometimes it is erroneously called a Mock Orange but it is not even kin to the citrus trees. The bush is a bit more akin to hydrangeas than anything else.  It is easy to grow and can stand long spans of time with little attention.  There have been tales of folks who have rescued shrubs from their grandparents' yards after years of inattention and have been blessed with a hardy shrub.  So why has this gone the wayside?  Why, with the renewed interest in gardening, has the English Dogwood not been reinstated to its former glory in the landscapes of new houses?  Where have all the flowers gone?

More Random Thoughts From the Bayou

To be or not to be..that is NOT the question of the moment! The question is more aptly stated as "Is it or is it not?" Sometimes things acquire a name that has nothing to do with its origin, use or just plain, old "nothing to do with it"! Take for example the "English Dogwood" This bush is not a dogwood..it is a "Philadelphus Coronarius". It is also known as the "Mock Orange" and lo and behold..it is not even kin to the orange tree! So just what is it? I have the answer to that question! It is a wonderful addition to the garden! Growing up, there was quite a large English Dogwood in the middle of the front yard. As with any plant tended by my dad, this bush did well and each Spring bloomed profusely. The white flowers with yellow stamens cascaded to the ground on long willowy branches. My Mock Orange is not near so big as his was, but still it blooms each year. The blooms come just after the Azaleas start to wane so it is a very welcome sight.

Another plant with a fake name is the "False Indigo Bush". Whoever dreamed up these monikers? Did they just run out of names so they had to start calling bushes by the names of other plants? Did the "namer" just wake up one day and exclaim.."Well. there are no names left on the list..let me just use some that were already taken and see I can confuse everyone!" And if it is a "False" or "Mock" plant does that even make it a real plant? Think about it..if something is false then it is not true..if it is not true then it is a lie..if it is a lie then it is not real.. if it is not real why would it be named? If it is not real, then perhaps it is not even in my garden! Oh my..true logic at work there!

Turning to the animals at my place..Is there really such a thing as "Double Trouble"? The answer...Yes..and their names are Ezzy and PJ! My son and daughter-in-law have been here for a week..this threw the dogs together for a week..this in turn meant each picked up the bad habits of the other. Hmmm..thought..why in the world are good habits never learned? Seriously, these are not bad dogs..just the opposite. Both are a bit headstrong but they are happy together and that is all that matters. Friends stay friends through thick and thin.

Ok so this thought applies to most everything but as I look at my yard, it seemed most prevalent here for the time being..Why are projects easier when you are thinking than doing? In my mind's eye, I finish a project quicker and more efficiently than in real life. Take building an arbor..this should not be a most difficult undertaking. Still, boards fill the area but have not been set into place. True the boards have only been here for a few days, but still..in my mind, this was already built! Now it is almost as if I am trying to put down a floor not an arbor for vining plants! Perhaps my grapes and green beans should learn to crawl horizontally instead of vertically!

Last but not least..the sewing room find! How in the world will I ever use 100yards of sage green tulle? Darling Daughter ordered this several years ago and never used a bit. I lug this 5 foot tall roll of fabric around every time I try to clean. It is huge! Is there any known use in the entire universe for 100 yards of sage green tulle. I doubt it..