My backyard is currently what I call a "weedflower garden," since it's covered with tons of native spiderwort plants that put out oodles of beautiful blue flowers each morning.
The yard didn't always look like this.
When I first moved in, it was your standard-issue suburban back yard with a decent covering of grass. I wasn't big on watering and fertilizing, so over time the weeds (as some people call them) began to take over. I really like the flowers produced by spiderwort, known botanically as Tradescantia virginiana, so I let them grow and bloom each spring. At least for awhile.
Soon I'll get serious again and mow down the "weeds," which will no doubt bring my neighbors great satisfaction. I think they believe that my backyard is a bad influence on their closely tended and well-manicured lawn. Oh well. At least I'm a good neighbor in other ways. I don't have a yippy dog, I don't throw loud parties, and I don't harass them for the invasive Chinese tallow tree that they have allowed to flourish in their front yard (although I should, especially since I'm always finding seedlings in my yard).
Until I get motivated to mow, I'll continue to enjoy my weedflower garden. I like to gaze at the flowers from the kitchen door while sipping my morning coffee. I marvel at how the flowers seem to blanket the entire yard and at how the morning sunlight backlights the blue petals until they almost glow.
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5 comments:
Hi kim, just found your blog through blotanical. Love your blog name. I like to use cannas, bananas, and hibiscus when I landscape around pools. Spider wort is one of my favorite shade flowers. Terrible name for it though, don't you think?
Deb.
Hi Deb-- Thanks for the comment. I've often wondered why it's called spiderwort. The "wort" part is from the German word for "plant," but why "spider"?
I agree with you! I love an "interesting mix" of plants. When we moved to Kentucky, I learned how fanatical people here are about their bluegrass lawns.
Glad to find you on Blotanical. It's a fun group.
I love spiderwort. I have a nice boggy spot for them, and have been eyeing Sweet Kate at the nursery where I work. Trouble is, I could go broke working there, so I (try to) exercise restraint! Spiderwort is definitely on my list of wants. I'm envious that it grows wild in your yard.
You should take a look at a post I just did about all my weeds that are in my yard. I have some pretty cool weeds, I like to call them wild flowers though! Here is the location
http://ayardinfortpierce.blogspot.com/2008/05/to-weed-or-not-to-weed-that-is-question.html
You might enjoy the pictures!!
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