Walking back from the mailbox today I decided to pick a bouquet. These are all "weeds" growing in the lawn. Actually, I use the term lawn loosely, since there's very little grass- but I'm not big on lawns and as long as it's green, holds the soil in a downpour and doesn't require maintenance except for an occasional mowing it's welcome to stay. I don't feel quite so benevolent when weeds invade the flower beds, but they're pretty safe in the rest of the yard.
I haven't decided what all the little flowering things are, but I recognize henbit, dead nettle, ground ivy, Carolina geranium, carpetweed, and I should know the yellow one, but it escapes me right now- we have wild strawberries and cinquefoil and yellow oxalis, and it may be one of those, but it was poking up with no leaves, so... . They are all tiny-the yellow bloom is 1/2 inch across, to give you an idea. It reminds me of a bouquet of tiny faerie flowers.
7 comments:
i guess the green "leaves" or "plants" are weeds?
Arlene,
Poulsbo florist
Everything in the pic is considered a "weed"- but it all depends on how you define a weed, I think. Emerson thought of them as "plants whose virtues have yet to be discovered," and Whitman wrote "O the gleesome saunter over fields and hill-sides!
The leaves and flowers of the commonest weeds—the moist fresh stillness of the woods." I guess a weed to most people is anything that insists in growing where they don't want it to.
Yellow wood sorrel I think. (Like oxalis.)
I'm not sure whether it's Creeping Wood sorrel (Oxalis corniculata) or Yellow Wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta). I'm thinking maybe creeping since the leaves (I finally found some)seem to hug the ground and the flower stalks are so short. Besides- the creeping is referred to in Hortus as "cosmopolitan"- I like to think of my weeds as cosmopolitan- it gives them a certain panache, don'tcha think? ;)
Your fairie flowers are so pretty! You know so much about flowers and weeds. I'm so impressed!
Aorund here the only thing I dont' want and know what it is for sure, is Tumbleweed or Russian Thistle. Those Goat Head thorns are the bane of my bare feet!
Great quote from Whitman. I'm enjoying your site.
I've thought about getting a few chickens. Some are so beautiful. Just not sure if I want to take on more responsibilities;)
roses & lilacs- Thanks, I'm glad you enjoy the blog :).
I have found that chickens are really not as much work as I thought they'd be- and their antics are fun to watch (most of the time...)
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