Preventing A Larceny

I stole these Cinnamon Ferns when my neighbor across the byway took a bush hog into the flower bed planted by the former owner that had long since gone bad. I saw no reason that such nice ferns should be bush hogged.

I found these Caesar's Brother iris where they had been tossed into the forest as rubbish at a client's garden. Too many iris is too many. They can't all find good homes. And with daylilies and iris, tossing them out into the woods doesn't guarantee compost. There is a good chance they will root and live on.

I put out a call to the universe. I wanted an Oconee Bell, Shortia galacifolia. The only place I had ever seen them was in two local botanical gardens. I'd see them and have larcenous thoughts.

Lynn Hunt of The Dirt Diaries heard my call and came to visit the wild cultivated gardens bearing a Shortia from the nursery near her that I had been pointed to as a possible source of this rare native plant. Lynn has prevented a potential larceny. It is more likely I'd visit one or both of those gardens again before making the long trip to that nursery.

The new baby Shortia has flower spikes. I think they are post bloom. It is well past their bloom time. Maybe there are seeds in there the baby will disperse.

A Confederate Violet, Halberd Violet and Painted Trillium were also gifted. I think that makes eleven violet species and eleven trillium species that make their home in the wild cultivated gardens now.