A new word is like a fresh seed sown on the ground of the discussion.
– Ludwig Wittgenstein –
We moved to Houston, Texas in January of 1979. We learned a lot of new words there, not the least of which was Y’all! Gardening was a whole new experience too, what with planting a lawn with sprigs, avoiding fire ants, and experimenting with wonderfully boisterous plants like Pampas Grass! Unfortunately we were only there for a year, but every time I travel to a warmer climate, I take pictures of Pampas Plumes and think about our home in Texas. I found these plumes in Port Townsend in Washington.
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Clematis – in the fall the flowers morph into silky balls of shining hairs. These eventually dry and become big puffballs of seeds. These particular clematis (yellow) grow well in our province – so well that in some areas they have been labelled invasive. Invasive! I’d say they were just well adapted to take advantage of any location – sort of the Walmart of the plant world.
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This third photo is Fireweed – It grows wild on our property in just one sunny location. Fireweed contains antiseptic compounds, and young shoots can be eaten or made into tea. I expect both products are a bit bitter. That seems to be the case with wild flowers and weeds!
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Foxtail Barley Grass is considered a weed in our part of the world. It will grow where few other things will! The pretty seed heads are barbed – they are considered to be the porcupines of the plant world.
Now it is your turn to talk about seeds – Are you going to seed, do you live in the seedy part of town, do you need seed money, are you seeded in tennis, or are clouds seeded in your part of the world?
I love the pampus grass, but its hard to get rid of if you want to dig it out.
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Hi pensioner – I can imagine pampas grass doesn’t take kindly to any attempt to make it budge from the place it feels is home!
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Funny how one person’s weed is another’s flower. Reminds me that one can see flowers wherever they want. As far as seeds, I’m sowing seeds of change right now. Good thing, too! Nice pics.
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Hi winsomebella – Good luck on your seeds of change! They are the hardest ones to get growing sometimes.
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Hi,
I love the look of the Clematis, even though it has been labeled invasive, you have to admit it really does look so different, and reminds me a bit of a full flowing skirt. 🙂
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Hi Mags – I like the Clematis too, and I will plant some seeds here. I just have to think of where I can put it and monitor it’s aggressive behaviour!
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Love your pictures. Living in the humid south we get Pampas, clematis and many other “Old Timey” plants. Right now my Confederate rose is in full bloom. My plants are all volunteer from seed or a small twig a friend has shared or a bulb. And I do the same. This year I gave to my neighbors about 100 amarylis bulbs and still had a 100 left for me. My Confederate rose was a small twig my friend gave me. Now it is over 15 feet tall! The purple sage is in fully bloom feeding the last of the summer hummingbirds that will travel 1800 miles to Mexico over the gulf in the next few days. They are putting on the weight gettting ready for the journey!!! Seeds? Not so much. I just pull up a piece of jasmine, trumpet vine or clematis to transplant somewhere else. But I do not have an eye for photography like you do!!! Love it.
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Hi Amanda – I actually still have a rose in bloom too! How wonderful that you have so many plants to share with friends and family. I do that too, so it is fun to wander around the yard and think about the people who gave me plants, or who I gave plants to.
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I love, love, love, decorative grasses. I only wished they grew in my area. Your pictures are beautiful.
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Hi Lorna – Decorative grasses are becoming much more of a landscape plant up our way. More and more of them are being featured in the garden centers. I bought three last year at $13 a pot, and thought that was pretty expensive for something that is really just very tall quack grass!
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I love the pictures! I wish I had an eye for such things 🙂
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Hi Belle – Actually I have two eyes, but I don’t think they have any special powers when it comes to photography!
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I’m a decorative grasses fan. I love them all. Yes, even foxtail. You can find varieties of grasses suited for wet or dry spots that will be beautiful and hardy. They are either no or low maintenance and disease and pests don’t bother them. Most of all they make a wonderful rustling sound when breezes blow.
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Hi timethief – I’m using grasses more and more in my landscaping because their dried golden stalks and seed heads look nice all winter long. When the snow is piled high it is nice to see clumps of dried grass standing like soldiers on my front patio!
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I am paying another visit to these beautiful photos again. The silver hair Clematis are so lovely. I’m not sure seeds are survive this year in TX…
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Hi Amy – I loved the sheen of the Clematis too. The photo doesn’t really do justice.
Seeds really do have amazing survival skills. I’ll bet you’ll be surprised how things bounce back when the rains come again!
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