Tuesday, May 20, 2008

The Flower Wars


My first poppy opened this morning. I have a large patch of these babies that my grandmother gave me starts of years ago.
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One May I woke up early and found a strange woman standing in the middle of the flower bed taking pictures. She acted like it was perfectly natural that she was invading my ground and photographing it. I even found her back again the next day. Never trust a photographer
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Pink peonies also live with the poppies. They'll be opening in a week or so, which is unfortunate, because they really clash, but I haven't found another good place to put them.
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I could move the poppies, I suppose. I've thought about letting them take over the side yard. I've never been fond of the grass over there anyway.
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I have this discussion with myself every spring. It's yet to be resolved.

20 comments:

Talia Reed said...

Poppies are gorgeous! I'd be happy to give them a home here. My mom gave me some peonies this year--pink ones-- but I don't think they'll be blooming this year.

Charmi said...

You can certainly have starts, Talia. Maybe in June we can have a flower exchange. I know a couple other writers enjoy the flower thing, too.

Jennifer said...

me too me too. I can give chinese lanterns in exchange for something too.
and that lady taking pictures in your yard, that's me! granted she should've knocked and asked. Brad also loves taking pictures of flowers close up.

Charmi said...

June, then, we'll have an exchange. Whoever wants to join in, say the word.

maeve63 said...

I'm not sure if I have anything left to swap. I already dug up my ferns and swapped for hostas and lily of the valley...but perhaps next year?

I was going to ask, though, do you think it might be easier to relocate the peonies? Maybe that's not an option. I just picture digging up masses of individual flowers as opposed to a few bushes. You could always plant more poppies over where you want them, couldn't you?

Charmi said...

Come anyway. I have poppies to spare and a few other things, too.

Yeah, I think the peonies really need to be relocated, but I just don't know where yet, for the past 15 years!

Busstogate said...

For what it's worth, I buried a hibiscus root/twig the other day. Hopefully it will grow like I was told.

If so, I am going to create a Pre-Raphaelite sanctum santorum in my front yard to be near my screen tent/summer poetry-writing cage.

Charmi said...

Would you like a small snowball bush to go with it?

Busstogate said...

Not sure, as the land is the school's not mine. (I live on campus). I don't want to get carried away this year. Plus, I have a hedgerow acting like a border in front of my building. The hibiscus will already be a sore thumb, but hopefully, I can transplant it to where one of the hedges has apparently died. For some reason, this bush is as still as bald as it would be in December. I think I will have to uproot it.

Talia Reed said...

I have lily-of-the valley and irises to share. Both of which will be done by June.

Jennifer said...

I totally NEED a snowball bush. I was just remembering the one in our yard growing up and realized you just don't see those in the stores. I'll give all my chinese lanterns for it!

Charmi said...

This sounds like it's going to be fun. I have several snowball bush starts. How about we plan a plant exchange at my house the last Saturday in June or if that doesn't work, make a different suggestion.

Talia Reed said...

I wanna go to Charmi's!

GloJoMo said...

I don't know what snowball bush is, but the excitement over them makes me want one too.

We have Lily of the Valley, and I hate it. I can some of that away. We also have a bunch of Irises and we might be able to spare a few. Also we have mint if anyone wants some.

The problem is I won't be here, so I'll have to send Jesus in my place. :(

Charmi said...

Gene will chill the Guiness is Jesus is coming.

My snowball bush is in the process of whitening. The snowballs start out greenish-white and then get whiter and whiter. When they're in full bloom I'll take a pic and post it.

Talia Reed said...

My mom and dad used to have a snowball bush. It was more like a tree. Our collie used to sleep under it.

Rachel said...

Jesus is coming? And he drinks Guinness? Thanks what I get for scrolling through a thread. Oh, and I have absolutely NO plants to trade with anyone because I do not enjoy digging in worm-infested dirt in the sweltering sun while my back stiffens into a permanently bent position. But thanks anyway. :)

Jennifer said...

Okay, I already forgot what I have to exchange other than the lanterns, but I'm in. Isn't June a bad time to transplant? Isn't now or fall a better time?

Jennifer said...

okay glojomo, had I not met you at the market and thought you were totally cute, I would call you crazy for not liking lily of the valley.
Ferns, I have ferns too, still can't think of the third thing to trade.

Charmi said...

I've transplanted things every which time of the green year.

I'll trade whatever anyone has, I don't care. I've got some sage and some comfrey to spare. I think I'll just you-all walk around and ask for what you'd like. There's a bunch of stuff.