Spent some time in the backyard with my plants today. I’ve got a few I’m kind of excited about – Joe Pye Weed and this Tall Coreopsis. Joe Pye Weed is named after a Native American herbalist known in New England for helping the settlers treat typhoid fever. Fun times.
Last year, I bought these from a local nursery and left them in pots – they were fine but stayed small. This year, I finally planted them out in the yard, and they shot up over 6 feet tall! Apparently, all they needed was a little freedom to grow into big beasties. Very cool.
I also went for a walk and visit my secret spot for collecting wild Japanese maple seedlings. This hidden gem is an old abandoned road, now crumbling into a ditch with nature reclaiming it. It’s cool to see how effortlessly the forest takes back its territory. Next to this wreck is a massive 20-foot Japanese maple, comfortably nestled under towering oaks, maples and poplars. I’m sure it was in full sun at some point, but as the forest grew, it settled into its more natural and comfortable understory space.
You can see someone still lives back here. (The mailbox on the left.) But the house is way back up the driveway that goes up to the left. The abandoned part of the road is right past it and down the hill.
Growing out of the cracks and erosion of the road, are numerous Japanese maple seedlings. I come here every few years and collect some of the babies that grow. Maybe not totally legal, but I doubt anyone cares about this place or the weeds growing here, so…whatever.
I got back home and put the little plants into pots to grow. I hope they live. Fingers crossed!
Nice post. Paragraph 2 is repeated in paragraph 3
ah yes. thanks!