Caveat Emptor

Day 261: Caveat emptor: "let the buyer beware." When I first moved here over thirty years ago, I set about trying to find something which would grow in the space which later became known as the Barren Wasteland for good reason. A ten-foot wide area between the back wall of my house and the side of the garage resisted all my attempts to turn it into a vegetable garden or a flower bed, rejecting every effort I made to enrich the soil with compost, fertilizer or other amendments. Eventually, I hit upon the idea of getting a "regional" wildflower mix to broadcast in the hopes that at least one species would find the conditions acceptable and, innocent that I was, I bought a large container which claimed to be "for the northwest." Today, with a bit more experience behind me, I would have read the label more carefully. What I planted...and what had the greatest success at establishing...were what I would now call "weeds." Over the years, I've managed to get rid of most of the undesirables, but two which persist are yarrow and California poppies. The Barren Wasteland is now a riot of colour and variety, but very little of that "northwest mix" still exists, having been pulled up by the roots and disposed of without further ceremony or regret.

A Love-Hate Relationship

Day 285: Almost anyone who drives back roads (paved or otherwise) in western Washington will recognize these two flowers. They may only know them as "daisies" and "poppies" rather than Oxeye Daisies and California Poppies as wildflower aficionados will, and fewer still will be able to apply the proper scientific nomenclature Leucanthemum vulgare and Eschscholzia californica.

(Pause here for a second. You have to love the word "Eschscholzia" for having six consonants in a row. That even beats "Schwarzschild" of astronomical fame. Now, back to the lecture...)

Both Oxeyes and California Poppies are non-native species and, because of their propensity for establishing monocultures by crowding out native plants, they are both considered invasive. Still, it's hard to hate anything which delights the eye so enthusiastically, and it's at times like these that I question what constitutes a pernicious pest as opposed to a plant which is simply expanding its range into an area which lacks effective bio-controls. Doesn't it seem logical that as global temperatures rise, Eschscholzia would move into higher latitudes? Admittedly, Leucanthemum took the boat across the Atlantic along with another aggressive invasive (western Europeans), so who can point and call it nasty names without fear of the finger being pointed back at them?

As much as I love the cheer these two species impart, the gardener in me is compelled to yank them as soon as I spot their foliage in my flower beds. Invariably, at least one Eschscholzia escapes my eagle eye until it pops out orange and sunny. After thirty years, I've not been able to eliminate the subsequent generations from an envelope of "mixed wildflower seed" I threw out in the Barren Wasteland, nor the obnoxious and unlovely Yarrow which came in another packet. Always keep in mind that something easy to start may not be quite as easy to stop.

A Glad, Good September Morn

Day 323: A Glad, Good September Morn to you, my friends! As many (but not all) of you know, this is my personal "holiday," second only to Christmas on my calendar. Traditionally, it is celebrated with a swim (or at least a dunk) in a chilly alpine tarn somewhere, but with this being Labor Day weekend, the celebration will have to be put on hold until it can be performed without the chance of being seen. Instead, I have chosen to bring you the beauty of my garden, just a small bouquet which includes no more than three stems of any given plant species. Believe me, the sacrifice was negligible! Included are two types of Coneflower (Rudbeckia), two Cosmos, Nasturtiums, Lavender, Delphinium, hardy Fuchsia, Snapdragons, Nigella, tall Phlox and a few California Poppies which were in a "wildflower" mix. May your coming year be as bright and festive as these flowers, and may you find joy in the Beautiful Month.