Plantopia

 Perhaps the most photogenic of the Asteraceae family, the Sunflower is quite beloved.  Some are big and showy, some are petite and showy. Sunflower was one of the first plants I grew from a seed.  I still love to grow them.  They’re a favorite of my son also. And my daughter.  She actually gave out seeds at her wedding.  It’s interesting to watch a sunflower follow the sun across the sky.  It’s interesting to watch the sprout and grow.  They feed pollinators, they feed birds, they even feed us.  No wonder they are so beloved, they’re super plants.

 Yesterday’s walk was lovely.  We visited some old friends, a feral old pear tree, a lovely myrtlewood tree, some sprightly dandelions, and our favorite yuccas that we fangirl over all the time.  It was threatening rain so a found a bit of material to make a cape for sprout from.

 Today’s adventure was a mushroom walk around our neighborhood.  We didn’t find any fly agaric, you know the pretty red capped mushrooms, but we found plenty of others.  Some were babies just popping out.  Some were sadly ripped out of the ground.  We like mushrooms, they’re very photogenic, and they help plants communicate with each other.  I also believe they are a sign of healthy soil, it means there is is mycelium running through the soil which is always a good thing.

 My Grandma-In-Law loved dahlias.  She had dahlias that she’d had for years & years.  Her yard flooded every winter so in the fall she’d  dig them up & carefully clean and store them in marked paper bags in the garage.  In the spring she’d take them back to their places and replant them with a little composted chicken manure for a snack.  After she passed a granddaughter came and got all the corms.  But every year I add a new dahlia to my yard in her honor.  I have quite a few now, they’ve naturalized in my yard as it doesn’t flood.  They always bring a smile to my face as they remind me of her.

Oldest grandson, the youngest doesn’t hold still long enough. The lovely pear tree. The very productive apple tree. Today we ventured to Sweet Home, OR to visit the grandsons.  They have a great old apple tree & a pear tree in their backyard that we visited with.  They were getting ready to rest after working hard all year producing fruit, so we’ll check back with them in the spring.  

 Today was errand day & Sprout wanted to come along.  First the booth at Leaf’s Treehouse to straighten things up & add some inventory.  Next stop post office to mail a cousin to a new home, and the Dollar Tree.  Sprout wanted to hang out in the yarn.

Probably my favorite Sapien is Sprouta.  Who doesn’t love babies?  I know I love babies of all kinds, and baby plants are included in that.  It probably started when I worked in a greenhouse in high school & one of my jobs was starting seeds.  I loved watching the little green shoots poke up.  I still love to start seeds and generally have a tray of soil in my kitchen that I use for seeds I find in fruits.  I currently have baby grapefruit trees, apple trees, lemon trees, and pear trees growing.  I’m also going to start some lettuce here shortly & try growing my own salads.  I’m also saving seeds from the wildflowers and sunflowers in the yard for next year.  I can’t wait for a whole new crop of sprouts.

 Awww, the Vine Sapien.  I both love vines, I live with a perfectly pleasant Pothos, and abhor vines…I’m looking at you Moon Flower.  Vines are unique & each has its own personality. Take Moon Flower.  Seriously, please get it out of my yard!  I’ve been battling this vine since we moved into our house almost 30 years ago. It starts out innocently enough.  A small tendril sent out & winds up a stalk, or trunk, or branch.  Ki’s slender & cute & you think “Ok, this isn’t bad, I’ll leave it alone.”  One week later & ki has completely overtaken the plant, the area around the plant, and all the neighboring plants.  Ki will smother everything in its path.  For this reason that cute little tendril is now met with extreme prejudice and traced back to ki’s roots and pulled in its entirety from the ground and transported straight to the big trash can. Pothos on the other hand is a delight.  The darling that lives with me currently was found dying on the discount shelf at a loc