Flowers, Flowers, Flowers!

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Well, hello there

I leave the faded flowers/seedheads on my Baptisia plants all winter. When the wind blows, the shaking seedheads emit a unique sound that I have attempted to detail here for minutes now but I’ve given up on how to best describe it beyond “cool”.

Those seeds ultimately fall off the branches, blow in the wind and establish a foothold all over the garden. When the new plants emerge in spring I selectively leave a few even though the young ones aren’t as attractive as their parent (kind of like my … never mind). But, when they fill an open spot, like the one I discovered below, they are welcomed with open arms.

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Please excuse me while I weep

Found this bouncy ball while weeding amongst a massive grouping of just emerging Joe Pye weed this morning.

This may have secretly resided here for close to five years, whenever my son or daughter bounced it too hard on the driveway and eventually gave up on the search.

First, aw. They’re not so young any longer. I miss little them.

Second, yeah me. I’m clearly earlier to weed than in previous years or I would’ve spotted this much sooner.

Third, look to the left in the photo. Yes, poison ivy. I’m screwed.

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Please excuse me while I weep again

This is a Viburnum plicatum ‘Shoshoni’.

Back in 2004, when we moved into our current home, I planted two of these along the front foundation. They were the first shrubs planted into what was an overwhelming blank slate. I clearly recall buying these at Rutgers Nursery with my two year-old son in tow. He sat on the cart surrounded by the shrubs, happy as can be, as I bumpily dragged him around for a good hour.

Years later, the two shrubs outgrew their spot. Bad on me. I attempted to dig them up so I could relocate them, but killed them instead.

Just like that, gone.

A year or two later, while weeding in the spot where the Shoshoni once thrived, I pulled out a root with a few bright green leaves on it. Instead of tossing it in the weed bucket, I shoved it in the dirt in the backyard and forgot about it.

Now here she is all these years later, looking as gorgeous as ever.

The deer ignore it.

I think they know how much this means to me.

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F you weeds

No, those are not weeds in front of the Amsonia. Those are strategically planted Obedient plants. What was once 5 tiny plants is now like 105 plants. Yes they are aggressive, but they’re easy to pull out and manage.

But most importantly my friends, they suppress the weeds like a champ and that cannot be overstated.