Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Roadside Compliments

I finished work kind work early enough to stop and fetch some mulch for the roadside vegetable garden. If I do it a bit at a time when the time presents itself, it will get done sooner rather than later.

While I was spreading mulch another neighbor came to a stop on the scenic byway.

"You really keep this place tidied up and looking good. I appreciate that."

Um, gee, well, thanks. Actually I said I was looking forward to when more flowers were blooming and have a nice day.

There is no messy trash on my section of the scenic byway. It is pretty disgusting a quarter mile in either direction of me. Maybe he was referring to that?





















The newly planted potato aisles are mulched. That was a dozen bags. Another forty to fifty should do the whole vegetable garden. Gardey pulls weeds all day. There is no need to come home and do it some more. It is a good thing when I can weed the entire roadside vegetable garden in fifteen minutes.

At home I edit. That's a little different than weeding.





















More anemone are coming into bloom. These are pretty good multipliers and spreaders. I should transfer some of them into my section of the wild cultivated gardens.





















Crocus multiply well too as long as the varmints don't find them and eat up the bulbs.





















More gaudy. I don't know why this sets me on edge just a bit. Is it the perfect circle that makes it seem so unnatural?  It feels like I went to the craft store and stuck a bunch of fake flowers in the ground.





















Up close it's not so bad. Then you can tell the flowers are real.



























But it is done and I ain't digging them up to change things. Maybe if I added some pink flamingos?





















I like them this way.





















A lot less gaudy, but equally thrilling is the baby Oconee Bell, Shortia galacifolia. It had four flowers last year. I'm only getting two this time. If it forms a dense mat as it should, the flower display could become quite showy in years to come. When it gets a bit bigger I may slice off a piece and try it in a sunnier location.





















Another new thrill is the native Trout Lily that I transferred into the garden last year. All three places I planted them have returned. I am hoping they reproduce and spread about. The hillside where I found them was covered by thousands.


5 comments:

Lola said...

I remember we had Trout Lillies at our place.

Christopher C. NC said...

Some things you would think I would find her like the Trout lily, I have never found on this mountain. It is interesting how every little cove and mountain top in these hills has its own unique set of plants.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

I think your gaudy circle will not grate when they become more and grow together. I love that splash of color. Especially this time of year when there isn't much color at least in my garden. I think the neighbor that stopped was being nice and trying to complement you on your achievements there on the mountain.

Sallysmom said...

I have one tiny bloodroot. I thought it must have bloomed last year but I didn't see it. So I made up my mind to keep a check on it. I looked every day. Well, I skipped one day and guess what? Of course, you know what happened. It bloomed on the day I skipped. I actually screamed when I looked and saw the flower petals on the ground.

Christopher C. NC said...

Lisa it will be interesting to see what this circle of bulbs does over the years. It's hard to have a detailed chat when they stop in the road. It's easier to talk story when they pull off the road and get out of their cars.

Sallysmom those Bloodroot are fast. Thankfully we have plenty so I always see some.