Mystery Plants

There are not many rules when it comes to editing. A couple are: if it is a good weed leave it and if you don't know what it is, leave it until you find out if it's annoying or not.

I'm beginning to think somebody tossed the goats last fall's decorations. When unplanted squash like seedlings came up in the dung piles after I flattened them for planting, of course I left them. Who wouldn't want free squash or melons even if I had to wait to find out what they were.

This doesn't look like anything I have grown and eaten before. It's kind of warty, but not in the least bit pumpkin shaped.

And I have absolutely no clue what these things will be turning into. Where did these things come from? I have huge vines of mystery squash while my cantaloupe contemplate whether or not they even want to grow.

I know what these are, Turk's Cap Lily, Lilium superbum. It's also the first time they have bloomed in about four years. Some pestilence had been sucking the life out of them for many years running. This year they finally escaped the pest and bloomed.

I also keep meaning to dig some up out of the deep forest where they never bloom in the shade and bring them into my part of the garden. It's on the list.

It was way too hot and humid at work today so I came home a bit early. I guess I could go and edit along the new trail and forest restoration with that extra hour of time, like it wasn't just as hot and humid up here. I think a compulsion has gotten a hold of me.

The baby Magnolia fraseri will enjoy all this new breathing room. I'm using the chop, drop and decompose method of tidy. Compulsion or not, it is still a five year plan to lovely.

While I was chopping I discovered something new and unknown. I had cut one down a few days ago before I could stop the loppers. I just figured where there was one there would be more and there was. I have found several more of this unknown.

My best guess is this is Magnolia acuminata. That means my magnolia grove will have two species of magnolia tree. How cool is that. When they get big enough to bloom, the aroma will be lovely.

When I first spotted them I just thought more M. fraseri. The more I saw the more it didn't look right. It said magnolia to me, but it sure was different from all the others.

I have found ferns, orchids, rhododendron, aralia, hydrangea and more Buffalo Nut. My new forest trail is going to be lovely.

If I can organize a Tall Flower Meadow into thinking it's a garden, I can do the same in the forest. Just give me time.