There is more to a poppy than a lovely flower.
The poppy bloom makes a pod full of seeds.
I leave the pods up as long as I can for the Goldfinches.
They come every spring to rip open the pods.
They make happy little squeaks as they eat the tiny black seeds.
Many seeds fall to the ground. I have quit saving and sowing Bill Troutman poppy seeds.
I know that the Goldfinches will do some seeding while feeding.
This is a magical cycle involving birds and seeds.
A circle of red and gold.
Flow
I try to keep my angst and anger off my blog. There is too much of it everywhere.
Sometimes I feel like I am surrounded by wrongs… drowning in wrongs.
This weekend was one of those times. Man against nature. Man against man.
Some wrongs cannot be righted,
but we must try…
Here is an elk by the side of a busy highway eating Kudzu with a fake wreath stuck on an antler.
Count the wrongs if you like.
I will add it was in Cherokee, NC.
We visited the brilliantly designed Museum of the Cherokee Indian.
Go when it is not crowded. Listen to every word, read each placard, study each diorama and photo.
Slowly walk through a history of a beautiful nation and some wrongs that cannot be righted,
but we must try.
Be careful with each decision. Everything matters.
What you say, what you buy, what you eat, what you leave lying around…
FLOW
A garden full of life requires more than good soil and enough water.
It requires an open heart and an open mind.
It must be a welcoming place to wildlife.
Hungry visitors must be gently guided to other plants.
It must be a haven for plants and animals.
It must be full of love, not hate. (even for snakes)
A garden full of life requires quiet, slow movements.
The rhythms must not be disturbed.
Patience and guidance are provided instead of rigid control.
The sounds should be natural by nature, not loud and startling.
A garden full of life is a balanced garden, friendly to flora and fauna.
A garden full of life is a garden full of love.
FLOWER
We went to the farm.
The birds are still flying and nesting.
The flowers in the field are blooming as usual.
The wind blows and rustles the Magnolia leaves like it always did.
The farm is a quiet place now.
A lonely and sad place.
Do the flowers know this?
FLOW
It seems like placing a plant would be easy.
Partial sun, full sun, no sun? Well-drained soil, moist soil, wet soil? Shallow pot, deep pot?
The plant will let you know if it is unhappy. Then, it is your job as its caregiver to figure out what is wrong and change its habitat.
I rarely get it right the first try, despite reading labels and doing research.
I have moved most plants in my yard at least once. This includes shrubs and small trees.
Moving pots is easier, but still requires experimentation.
I finally found the perfect place for my Red Epiphyllum. Its one of the ‘Hanging Weirdos.’
It was just fine hanging from a limb of the Crepe Myrtle until we cut it back. A new spot was scouted out. A new hook was placed under the deck on the south side of the house.
Viola! More growth, more blooms.
It is striking against the stucco wall.
Pay attention to your unhappy plants. They need a change. Maybe you need one as well?
FLOW
This is my first time caring for a Devil’s Tongue plant.
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I have tried to be very careful with it.
As I was moving the Amorphophallus konjac pot the other week, the phallus fell off.
I was horrified! There I was with pot in one hand and the phallus in the other.
Mr. Flower contacted the gift-givers who assured us that the phallus falling off was normal and that a leafstalk would emerge in due time.
I continued to water the pot as I waited for signs of life.
When nothing happened after weeks of waiting, I became concerned that the whole thing might have rotted.
I took matters into my own hands and decided to check on the bulb.
I was not prepared for what plopped out of the pot.
It looked like a giant brain with two hemispheres and a corpus callosum down the middle.
Then I decided the brain needed further inspection for rot and shoots, so I gave the brain a bath.
I am pleased to report there are signs of life atop the brain of the Devil’s Tongue. I guess we could call this the brainstem.
I would hate to have killed such an unusual treasure from my dear friends, the Popes.
It may stink, but it has provided a lot of entertainment.
FLOWER
I am happy to report the first spotting of a butterfly in the garden.
It is a Great Spangled Fritillary/ Speyeria cybele.
It was happily sipping from the Butterfly Weed flowers.
This type does not startle as easily as some, so I took numerous photos
until my camera battery died. Hi Ho.
I am glad I braved the heat to check on my garden this first day of June.
FLOW
I usually do not want slugs in my garden, but I do want bright red berries.
I have dozens of Japanese Sacred Lilies/ Rohdea japonica.
It is one of my few evergreen blooming plants, so I keep propagating it.
It is not really attractive, but it is supposed to bring good fortune.
Its blooms look like little corn cobs.
You must closely examine a stalk to discern its floral parts.
I have had these for decades but not one red berry has been produced.
Apparently, the little corn cobs are pollinated by slugs. What else would be drawn to this?
So how does one attract slugs? Will it be worth it to get red berries?
I think I will let things be and hope for the good fortune without the slugs or the berries.
FLOW
My passion vine is covered in gorgeous blooms.
My gorgeous blooms are covered in beetles.
They seem to be three-lined potato beetles.
Maybe the ant will tell them.
The seem right at home on the blooms.
FLOW
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