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“P”ansies
Pansies have been one of my favorite flowers since I was a child. I love the color combinations (deep blues and purples with dots of yellow and white). These pansies were just planted at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods where I work, and a few days later, we received a cold, wet snowfall. I walked by them and they were all curled up, as if they were trying to keep warm. I thought for sure they were dying, and that our late-spring weather had done them in. Several days passed and they sprung back as hearty as ever! The weather warmed up again, spring has continued, and so have these pansies. Although they…
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#AtoZChallenge: Bouquets or garden flowers?
One thing that I look forward to in the spring and summer is the variety of flowers and plants that spring up around our house. We have several rose bushes, iris, lilac, lillies – all make for a beautiful, fragrant bouquets inside. However, the dilemma is that once I cut the flowers and bring them inside, they don’t last very long. And, they aren’t visible and make for a barren landscape outside. I also struggle a tiny bit with the question, “Who am I to think that I should cut these blossoms and hurt the plant, just so I can have beautiful flowers in the house for a few days?”…
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“U”nsung heroes
Photo by Diane Weidenbenner. Why is it that all the carefully plotted, planted beauties get all the glory? Rose bushes and Geraniums are majestic! Zinnias and Hydrangea have character, color and class. However, it is sometimes the unsung heroes of the field that give us pleasure as we drive by on a Sunday jaunt, like the frothy blanket of yellow against a green, leafy background. Is it a wild mustard plant or rapeseed? I’m never quite sure. It’s more prevalent in some fields over others. And, it seems to grow, and multiply without a lot of human effort or forethought. In doing a bit of research on the Internet, it…
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“A”pril means new blooms on old wood
Lilacs bloom in early spring on “old wood.” © 2011 by Diane Weidenbenner. It’s spring, or so the calendar and Almanac say. Another change-of-season indicator is the fact that my husband, Joe, has gotten out the chain saw. He’s oiled it, sharpened the blade and tested it out on a few unsuspecting bushes. I fear for our plants’ lives this time of year. I felt it necessary to mention to him that the lilac bushes seem to have buds on them and that now would not be a good time to trim them. I remember hearing that they bloom on “old wood.” Specifically, “Flowering on old wood means that a…
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“B”eauty of spring, where art thou?
Photo © Diane Weidenbenner To say that I’m anxious for spring is an understatement. The anticipation is enough to make me write Shakespearean blog titles. I’m an all-or-nothing kind of gal. If I can’t have two feet of snow, I’d really like to see flower buds and forsythia. Photo © Diane Weidenbenner In Indiana we have four seasons but they are not created equal. The two summer months when it is 90 degrees and 150 percent humidity seem to last a lifetime. Fall is beautiful and is a satisfying three months, if it hasn’t been too dry. And lest you think that humidity means rain, it does not. It’s perfectly…
