Flowers and Food

Sadly, this post is not about edible flowers (someday!). This post is a mixed news report from the past few days.

First, I visited some relatives in the southern part of the state over the weekend, and they had some marvelous irises. I'm a sucker for irises in general, but these were particularly spectacular. They looked more purple than blue in person.

The area had a late frost, which might explain why the flower stalks aren't upright.

The flowers are still wonderful even so low to the ground.

My other news is that when I returned from my trip, I found that my purslane cuttings in water had started developing roots! You can (sort of) see them below as squiggly lines in the water. I suspect the cuttings in soil are getting roots too, since their aerial portions are not nearly as haggard-looking as the indoor plants..

Maybe all six cuttings will grow into thriving purslane plants! Stay tuned to find out.

I think I'll keep these three cuttings inside until their roots are slightly more robust, then plant them outside. Since I don't want to dig up the plants outside, the results of my experiment may just be determined by which plants end up the healthiest. We shall see.

Next post: tomato madness.

The Finale of the Dawn of Summer



The theme for today's final venture into summer is purple and white. These two colors always go well together, especially in irises, as seen below.

 

While a creamy white iris would go well in a moonlight garden, this is about as white as it gets. Thus, this would probably work better.

These irises remind me of flowy dresses--or what flowy dresses should look like, at least.

This toppled iris is the darkest one I've seen in town. All irises stand out, but this one caught my eye despite being half covered in grass and foliage.

Perhaps these nearby blooms are a better example. Unlike the white iris, these aren't blinding, but they do capture the attention.

This peony bush (genus Paeonia) was in my yard. Peony flower buds are beautiful in their own right. They look like oversized wasabi peas (only they smell better).

I brought a couple of these flowers inside, and they delighted the house with their smell for the whole week.

What a lovely plant. Peonies have looking and smelling good down, and they require negligible maintenance.

This post concludes my Dawn of Summer series. Stay tuned for...

Next post: cuttings and/or views of the campus in summer.

The Dawn of Summer, Part V



Hello again. I hope your Memorial Day was a sunny one, though I know it wasn't for many. Today I approach the end of my walk through summer's start.

 

As you can see, these variegated hosta just glisten in the sun. I'd love to see these in bloom! I wonder what color their flowers are.

Though blurry, you can see how lovely this peony is. This bloom allows us a view of what I imagine to be its stamens (in pink).

This display of irises is what inspired me to take all these pictures. I was impressed with the sheer variety that was stuffed into this space. It's a hodgepodge, but it's tastefully done.

Let's explore all the colors that come together to compose that hedge. First are these royal purple and white irises. I like these because the contrast accentuates both of the flower's colors.

These "antique" pink irises have a much milder color, so they aren't striking, per se. However, these are the best example of an elegant iris that I've seen to date.

 

 

These yellow irises take up most of the strip of grass. They aren't as bold or dainty as the last two. They're kind of in between. However, a hedge composed solely of bold flowers or solely of dainty flowers wouldn't be as interesting as this combination is, so the yellow blooms do add to the whole.

 

 Lastly are these maroon and gold dwarf irises. While the first thing that I think of upon seeing these is Harry Potter (yes, sadly I was one of those middle schoolers with a Gryffindor-striped tie), they're pleasing even outside of those thoughts. Maroon isn't a typical flower color, so it attracts the eye more than the yellow alone would.

What do you think about that iris collection? What combinations of colors would you choose, if you could choose any of them? (Personally, if I could have a hedge of irises, I would like some of the yellow and maroon, some lavender, and some of the purple and white for a sunset effect.)

Next post: the end of the beginning.

The Dawn of Summer, Part IV

Let's dive deeper into summer's delights. I don't recall exactly where we left off, but today we're going deep into iris territory.

We begin with some lovely purple and gold irises in the peak of bloom.

Even iris buds are beautiful. When I was very small, I used to pick these and pretend they were eccentric lipsticks.

For a little change of pace, here's another peony bush. Peonies are so purely white that they're difficult to photograph with any detail.

These flowers are also exquisite, but I don't quite know what they are. They're almost like pink bluebells.

We now return to your regularly scheduled irises. These sunny yellow flowers serve to demonstrate the versatility of irises. Irises can look elegant (like the purple ones above), cheery (like these), or dramatic (as in the next picture).

These maroon irises border on moody and misunderstood, that's how dramatic they are. Yet, they evoke emotions just as positive as smiley face yellow irises do.

Dark and light irises can even inhabit the same space successfully. The contrast adds flair, and balances out the exuberance and the moodiness.

Speaking of exuberance, I'm not sure what these flowers are either, but they are the happiest I've seen since the daffodils stopped blooming. They're pink, but they're so light and reflective that they might as well be white. I would love to have some of these someday.

What new plants have you discovered recently? What unexpected combinations have worked well in your yard or garden?

Next post: more red-hot summer action.

The Dawn of Summer, Part III



This is the third installment of my ongoing series on summer's sprouting. Today we're going to see some of summer's best beauties, as well as a big, expensive toy. For more on that, read on.

 

To begin, here is a white clover flower. It isn't big, or showy, or even in focus, but it does make one more hesitant to use broadleaf herbicides on the lawn.

 



This picture sums up my feelings about irises: they're regal and always surprising. I've seen the lavender/periwinkle color before, but the pink/purple/gold variety is new to me. I don't think you can go wrong with color combinations when it comes to irises.

Even the necrotic tissue below that bud is elegantly shaped. That's impressive.

Here's a better shot of the multicolored blooms. Each color brings new sophistication to the whole. Stay tuned to my next couple of "Dawn of Summer" posts for more iris configurations.

The other great flower I noticed while I was home was peonies. According to my mother, peonies smell like roses used to. It's a vaguely sweet smell that enters your nostrils subtly, like the scent of marigolds. However, the smell of peonies is less controversial than that of marigolds. We had some peonies in my house for a couple of days over the weekend, and it was a pleasant experience.

See the sign on the tree in the picture above? That's a "No Trespassing" sign. However, I braved the warning to get a better shot of some peonies hanging out with yet another color of irises. The gold and maroon remind me of a crown.

I'm not entirely certain about the identity of this bush. The flowers look like dogwood flowers, but I've never seen a dogwood bush. The plant sure stands out, though. It must be fifteen feet tall.

See? The petals have the characteristic notches that dogwood flowers do. I wonder if dogwood can be trained or bred into bush form.

Lastly, a random neighborhood shot. This Corvette looks like something Adam West would drive.

Have you ever seen a plant in a form you didn't think possible? What colors of irises have you seen lately?

Next post: possibly potherbs.

The Dawn of Summer, Part II



Today we continue our journey through the beginning of the bountiful season. Let's start with the reason I initiated this journey: irises. Irises fascinate me. Their many colors and elegant shapes, propped upon tall, slender stalks have resonated with me all my life.

 

Here are a couple of iris bushes, though shot from afar. Also, note the peony on the right.

 



This beautiful, buttery iris was in a cemetery near my house. I must be hungry (even if not, I've always got food on the brain)--this flower reminds me of popcorn.

Even if a patch of land is unkempt, irises always spruce it up, as shown here.

Another elegant plant nearby was this yucca.

But what's this? That, my friends, is the start of a beautiful bounty in the form of blooms. Yucca flowers, as I've said in other posts, are completely edible. You'd better believe that I'm going to scavenge some when they arrive. I don't exactly know what these flowers taste like, but I can see myself sautéing them with onions, garlic, corn, beans, and jalapenos, then serving that over rice with some pork brisket for a Southwestern dinner. That sounds excellent. Maybe I am hungry.

This passageway is an example of the great aesthetic feats plants can accomplish. No other material, organic or otherwise, could make this area look so inviting and mysterious. It reminds me of The Secret Garden.

Here's another yucca inflorescence stalk (read: stalk where flowers will grow) forming, this one farther along. If I knew what yucca tasted like, I'd almost be able to taste the flowers already.

I noticed a lot of weeds on my walkabout. These two plants are buckhorn plantains (Plantago lanceolata). Why are they significant? They're edible! Young leaves can be included in salads, and older leaves can be cooked like any other leafy green. Yes, I want to try this, and yes, I will post about it when I do.

A few years ago, this cemetery (which was originally a "colored cemetery" dating back to the Civil War) got a nice entrance gate and some landscaping around it. While it was a nice gesture, and it does look much better, there are silk flowers adorning the gate. However, there are also these pretty rose bushes. The peachy-pink blooms are unique, at least in town.

What evidence of summer have you found?

Next post: probably more moments in summer's morning.