As a kid growing up on the farm, my life, of course, was filled with plants. I was taught how to plant, tend and harvest. The lessons started with the seeds and how to tell if they were viable and ended with how to preserve the bounty of our harvest. Pop made sure that his knowledge of caring for plants (and the farm animals) was passed along so "if there is ever a need", I would be able to provide for myself and family. The knowledge has come in handy as our pantry shelves stay filled with the most delectable treats from our garden plot. One of the all important instructions was to "never let anything go to waste". This not only applied to what we could eat or share but even the scraps. On the farm, most kitchen scraps were fed to the farm animals. The chickens, hogs and cows loved any vegetable scraps! What was deemed too far gone to feed the critters was placed in the composting pile. That, as we all know, is grand stuff for the gardens.
The compost pile here is in steady use since I am not allowed by the city to have multiple critters running around the place. So, every table scrap is dumped to be broken down into soil additives. Of course, the wild critters around the Bayou have a fine time finding free foodstuffs each night but a good bit still rots and the nutrients can be used to grow more plants. Of course, a lot of rubbish from the gardens makes its way to the pile as well and, occasionally, seeds sprout. I allow a good many flowering plants to live where they sprout so the compost pile is a makeshift flower garden of sorts.
After emptying some coffee grounds into the compost, I noticed that the oxalis or (pink wood sorrel) were blooming in one corner. They flourish here and are always the earliest to bloom. Today, however, one bloom was the largest that I have ever seen! The normal size of each bloom is about 1/2 inch in diameter but this one was easily 2 times that (maybe larger) and, instead of the normal 5 petals, this had many more. The whole bloom was like a big ruffle! Thinking this was just a fluke and nothing to be excited about, I checked the other plants and sure enough there were others with the large blooms and equally oversized leaves.
Maybe the compost pile is a really good place for the wood sorrel to grow. If that is the case, I am purely happy to let it thrive there. These plants hold a special place with me since they have always been favorites of several of the important ladies in my life. Grandmother, Mom, Aunt Helen and my grandmother-in-law, Momie, all adored the little pink blooms. Each made the same remark at different times of how they knew spring was here if the wood sorrel bloomed. I wish they could see these blooms!
Normally, September and October are the months when the yard is filled with butterflies of all sorts. Of those that visit, the Monarchs have all ways been the most prevalent. They would come in swarms as they migrated. There were times a few years back, when the Asclepias and Ageratum were simply covered with the orange and black butterflies. For the past two years, however, the sightings have been sparse, to say the least. I miss the butterflies.
I was reading the other day how the plight of "missing" butterflies was not just a local thing. It seems that the Monarch population is on a sharp decline in this country. Part of that is due to weather changes but a good bit is due to the loss of habitat. One of the main sources of food for these butterflies is the milkweed plant and, as the name implies, most folks see this as a weed. The plants are promptly destroyed to keep those "well manicured" lawns and gardens in shape. No one wants a weed in their garden. This is a shame. Sorry, folks, those things you deem as nasty weeds are actually wildflowers and should be left to grow where they will. Here on the Bayou, I leave as many as possible. Yes, I do cut the grass but wildflowers are welcome to grow in the flower gardens and vegetable gardens because I know the importance of having native plants. The native flora helps the native fauna survive. Cut out one of the two and both are soon decimated.
The milkweed plant is of the Asclepias genus. These plants grow readily in just about any type soil. (I have one that grows in sand!) These plants require little to no work so can be a lazy gardeners dream plant! Mine is dubbed "Butterfly Weed" and it truly seems to attract the Monarchs. This type Asclepias has orange, red and yellow clusters of blooms and looks quite striking when mingled with the purples of the Wild Ageratum and the towering fluffs of Goldenrod! My wild gardens are never boring but they sure miss the butterflies!
I love it when I conveniently "forget" to mow a piece of the property. Wildflowers pop up everywhere making the otherwise shabby looking area look bright and happy. Son had replaced a few boards on the pier and tossed the old ones on shore near the base of the pier. We had good intentions of hauling them to the burn pile but got sidetracked along the way so there they sat. Grass grew up between the boards creating a terrible mess for about ten feet. It was in the midst of this mess that I found one bright spot. A wildflower had grown right along with the grass giving its beauty to the world. When I spied the tiny blooms, I immediately plopped down on the pier boards and started weeding. Every place is a garden if you want it to be!
This particular wildflower is called St. Andrew's Cross Flower. The name comes from the fact the positioning of the four petals resembles the X shaped cross that has been dubbed St. Andrew's Cross. The story of St. Andrew states that while he was crucified on a cross, he had requested to not be hung from the same type cross as Jesus. He deemed himself not worthy to be compared to Jesus. He was tied to a X-shaped cross instead.
The tiny yellow flowers of the St. Andrew's Cross Flower create small seed capsules that contain many seeds. These seeds will drop and grow wherever they are allowed but not to the point that the plants become a nuisance. The plant was often used as a medicinal herb years ago. It was used as a treatment for snake bites, It was also a "go to" herb for everything from toothache to giving strength to children with "weak legs". All parts were used in one way or another. Me? I just think it is pretty and will probably save a few seeds to toss back with my wildflower garden behind the canebrake!
I am quite sure that most everyone can identify a rose. The shape, the scent, the thorns and, well, the colors. Roses come in pinks, yellows, reds and whites with a few hybrid colors thrown in for good measure. Now the question...Is there a difference if you say pink rose or rose pink? You would think that these two words would mean the same whichever way you stick them. Not so. While most folks are familiar with pink roses, not all are familiar with Rose Pinks. Yep, there is such a thing. Rose Pinks! Nice!
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| Pink Roses! |
While tromping about my daughter's place yesterday, I photographed wildflowers. Her field is quite overgrown with weeds since the previous owner was a little old lady that could not tend the fields any longer. Her yard, on the other hand, was immaculate! But that field! That field offered Elizabeth and me the world of opportunities to explore! Daisies, pitcher plants, wild phlox, sundews, ferns, mosses and any number of other fantastic bits of flora awaited our discovery. One of the most beautiful wildflowers we found was the Rose Pink. Yep, Rose Pinks! These lovely little flowers brightened just about every corner of the field.
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| Rose Pinks! |
The blooms of the Rose Pinks are diurnal. They open during the day and close at night. They are highly aromatic and attract a lot of bees and butterflies hunting for nectar and pollen. The plants prefer bright, sunny areas like the field and can tolerate almost any soil type. They can be found anywhere from marshes to sandy beaches to clay mounds or any place in between. The Rose Pinks are fun, happy flowers that Elizabeth and I decided definitely must remain in the field! Selective mowing will be required for this field!
