W is for Weeds
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| This is the second year of growth for these garlic mustard plants. |
By definition, a weed is a plant that is growing where you don't want it to. So what is a weed in one situation, may be a flower in another. However, there are several plants that most people agree are weeds because of their invasive nature. From time to time, I'm going to showcase one of these invasive weeds in a Second Look as a heads up. Meaning if you see one of these in your yard, pull it. If you don't, it will take over. Unfortunately, I've learned this the hard way more than once.
Today's feature is garlic mustard. It's a biennial that was brought to this country 150 years ago as an herb. Like most invasives, nothing likes to eat it, so it can spread to its heart's content crowding out native plants along the way. In places, it covers entire forest floors. The best way to control it is to pull it getting at least some of the root. Mowing before it can form seeds also helps. Control has to be repeated every few years because seeds can be viable in the ground for five years.
Here are some other things
I saw this week during a Second Look.
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| Most of the trees are well on their way to leafing out. Here you can see a Japanese Maple, Sweet Gum, Dogwood (leafing and blooming), another kind of maple, and pine trees. |
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| Yellow swallowtail butter fly on an azalea that is starting to bloom. |
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| Cherry laurel. The blossoms aren't big, but they have a great smell. |
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| Goldfinch. It has its full summer/mating colors now. |
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| Mating crane flies |
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| Pink Dogwood |
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| White Dogwood |
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| Light pink Dogwood. And here's another example of why I take a Second Look. It wasn't until this year that I realized that these dogwood blossoms were a different color than the others we have. They are a beautiful, delicate pink. |
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| The bluebirds have laid more eggs for a total of five. |
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| Squirrel enjoying sunflower seeds. It put on a good show for the cats. |
I think our yard is more weed than grass. Oh well.
ReplyDeleteIt's fun to think about all the baby birds you will have. Today I noticed that mama robin is sitting on her nest, so we will have baby robins soon!
Thanks for sharing your spring pictures.
We have a weed filled yard. We just put some grass seed in to see if it can crowd out some of the weeds. To take your mind off the weeds, have fun watching the robin on the nest. Baby anythings are really cute.
DeleteI saw this today and thought of you. :) http://my.xfinity.com/video/these-tights-will-let-you-skip-the-pedicure/674635331796/Comcast/TODAY_new?cid=hero_SF_PedicureTights&tab=Lifestyle
DeleteMaybe this could be an X-ample of more useless information???? Yes, I'm pretty amused with myself.
Look for more on this on Z day.
DeleteLovely pictures! Definitely worth a second look
ReplyDeleteThanks, HBF. Looking at nature is something I really enjoy.
DeleteIs the garlic mustard suitable for culinary use?
ReplyDeleteI love the shade of blue on the eggs. How very pretty. I'd be tempted to touch one, I'm sure.
What's growing in the stone circle under the pink dogwood?
I don't think it's used that much anymore, but as the name suggests, it used as an herb for seasoning.
DeleteI have never been tempted to touch the eggs, but I'm going to have stop looking at them soon. That particular box opens from the front and not the top. I'm afraid something might fall out the front it I open it. We'll see if I can figure out something else to watch their progress.
What you see in the circle bed at this point are irises. There are also some coneflowers that don't do very well there because of shade and deer. That's near one of the favorite spots for the deer. The like to both graze and sleep near there.
I'm out blog hopping from North Carolina on the W day of the alphabet. Love your W post and the second look at things. Great photos. While you've been seeing things anew, I have been writing about hotels and inns, the architecture and architects, the settings for these significant places in a community. Today was tea at the Washington Duke Inn. Not too late to join me.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed seeing your tea experience. I love tea and tea time, but it's hard to find places for that where I live.
DeleteYour lovely Dogwood photos return me to my childhood. Each spring we took a road trip to Arkansas to look at the Dogwoods blooming.
ReplyDeleteDogwoods were all over the hills where I grew up in West Virginia which made them a favorite of mine. Sounds like you may have seen a similar thing in Arkansas.
DeleteOur spring is over, so I am enjoying looking at pictures of yours! Sadly the weeds (and future weeds) are just getting started.
ReplyDeleteI'm always a little sad when spring is over. I appreciate the lushness of summer, but it's just not the same.
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