Late in October and on into November, the gardens around the hillside are left to wild abandon. Whatever grows...grows. Whatever blooms...blooms. While most of the plants are wildflowers (better known as weeds to most folks), the gardens are at their prettiest, if you ask me. I have no problem letting Mother Nature have her say in the matter of what is planted, what stays and what blooms. The tall goldenrod bobbles its heavy heads with the bay breeze while wild ageratum carpets the lower parts of the patch. It is that purple ageratum that is a fall favorite of mine. Long ago while back on the farm, Pop would load the kids in the back of an old Studebaker station wagon and we would go on a grand search for wild flowers. Pop was the perpetual head of the local school's PTA and always hosted a superb Halloween Carnival. The wild flowers were used as decorations. (Yep, you could do that back in the day because there were no whiny people. No one complained about their "allergies" acting up due to the blossoms.) Pop would drive until he found a place where the "ditch daisies" and ageratum were thick, park the car on the side of the road and we were all out picking flowers. (Again, no one complained about us raiding their fields or the roadsides. People were good-hearted and were willing to help in any way.) So wildflowers were a part of my childhood and memories hold strong whenever the plants start to show their colors.
The ageratum plants that fill the gardens here are not those wimpy things that can be bought in garden centers. Those things die out quickly and only provide a very low plant. When I say "carpet" the lower part of the garden, I am talking a good sixteen inch tall purple mist flowing in every direction. These plants are not the annuals that the stores offer but are perennials that will return every year on their own accord. They are hardy plants that will provide beauty until the first hard freeze. One bit of advice if you do decide to "go wild", cut the ageratum plants back to about ten inches tall two months before they are to bloom. This will encourage thicker foliage and more abundant blossoms. As an added plus to the wildflower gardens, critters love these plants. Every day, hundreds of butterflies, moths, bees and other pollen-seeking critters visit the garden patches. The ageratum blooms come in a variety of lavenders, purples and (rarely) white. Yep, I love the purple mist plants and I love the fact that Mother Nature is in full charge of my gardens! She does a much better job than I do!
Down behind the shed in the far corner of the property...right near the marsh edge, there is one spot that I leave growing to wild abandon. It is here that there are a number of wildflowers that seem to spring up with each season. Some, like the violets, bloom in early spring and are close to the ground. Others like daisies and wild phlox tower on lanky stems and blow around with the Bay breezes. Then, there are the skullcaps. This plant has a great tendency to lean to one side and wind up mostly on the ground. Perhaps if I fertilized it, the plant would grow a sturdier stem and stand erect but, since this "garden" is one of wildflowers that seed themselves, I do little other than enjoy it.
The skullcaps are blooming now and have been for the past two months. Their purple blossoms do not stand up well to the noonday heat. It causes them to drop before their maturity. Hopefully, enough blooms matured to seed stage early in spring so that the plant can reseed for next year. Each bloom is a velvety soft purple cap that contrasts nicely with the green stalks and leaves. It blends well with the Stokes' Asters that can often be found blooming next to it along the creek beds. It seems that both plants love having soggy roots!
Although skullcap is used as a medicinal herb, I have yet to try any. Supposedly, it can be used as a pain reliever, nervine and sleeping aid. I am not sure just which of the many types of Scutellaria this is. Some day, I might just get the urge to try a bit as a tisane....maybe. When I am not positive of an identification, I am a bit leery. Sipping a cup of tea made from just any plant is not the brightest idea. I shall wait until a sure identity is made before drinking a cup but is sure is fun to know that there are so many different plants out that that offer possibilities!
