Friday, March 30, 2012

The Weeds I Should Have

I stopped in at the native plant garden in Lake Junaluska today thinking if there was any hope of catching spring, I'd better get there now before the June like weathers arrive. They have the kind of weeds in their garden that I want in mine.

So far Bluebells, Mertensia virginica have been unsuccessful here. Another attempt has been made and a single leaf has appeared.

The Celandine Poppies, Stylophorum diphyllum that followed me home last fall are doing quite well. The seeds will need to gathered for flinging.



There is a purpose to my editing out the thugs in the garden becoming even if they are native plants. There are better native plants to have as weeds.

We do have a few meager stems of the woodland phlox, Phlox divaricata around here. I think it is being out competed by the other wild things. Its meager showing has prevented me from buying more. Maybe if I give it a space free of thugs.



Got plenty Bloodroot, Sanguinaria canadensis, though not this petal variation.



Got four species of trilliums at least, but neither the red or yellow flowered kind. I don't have the trilliums where I want them. Some of them will need to be relocated.



Got Iris cristata.



Both the white and blue. It really is weed like and forms big fat colonies from small transplantings. All I need to do is keep spreading it around.



A pink version of the woodland phlox?



We have the Foam Flower, Tiarella sp. I am not sure if we have tried the Jacob's Ladder, Polemonium caeruleum. I do know where I could get some to fall out of the ground and follow me home.



Working on more of the native deciduous azaleas. I can always find a place for them.



The little Silverbell, Halesia carolina I planted died back to the ground, but has resprouted. Hopefully I can grow it into a tree. I know where an entire mountain side is covered with Silverbells now if I need to get another. Last fall I was weeding them out of beds they set so much seed.



I'll just keep editing out the thuggish things I don't want. One day I'll have all the weeds I do want.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I have a silverbell that I just adore! Of course, it is still so small I have to get on the ground to get a good look at the bells.
Sallysmom

Siria said...

I love the native gardens over at Lake Junaluska! There is always something to see. I try to "exercise" around the lake and I always love going over to check things out.

Christopher C. NC said...

Sallysmom I was happy to see the Silverbell blooming at only about 12 feet tall. It means I may not have to wait long for mine. I hope it takes off this year.

Siria I like to check out the native garden a couple times a year to see what's blooming.

Dianne said...

Looks like I need to take a walk in the woods. I keep looking for the wonderful things you have. Some I find, most I do not.

Christopher C. NC said...

Diane I have the advantage that my parents have been adding flowers here for 25 years, many of them native after seeing them hiking along the parkway and other places. Also our stream valley and seepage that cuts through the middle of the land has probably been untouched for 50 to 60 years. It is packed with native woodland ephemerals.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

Absolutely love these wildlings. I wish I had some to fall into my garden. Blue bells have been difficult to start in my garden but now there is one successful clump. It has been here through drought and flood so I hope it stays and reproduces.