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| Gardening in a pandemic |
Many mysterious moons ago, this pretty herb (probably a weed) germinated from a packet of wild flower seeds, which I long discarded. I think it is Nemophila menziesii also known as baby blue eyes or baby's-blue-eyes. My editor, banished to a sunlit room, reminds me that I should not be so careless.
(I have been informed by one of my readers (okay, I only have one reader) that this bad-boy is Oenothera speciosa. It is very invasive and I doubt even a Hiroshima type event would get rid of it. Like living in a pandemic, one must accept what one cannot change. )
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Oenothera speciosa  |
https://theimprobablegarden.blogspot.com/2020/06/first-cactus-blossom.html
ah!
ReplyDeletenow i am confused, you really did draw the cartoon yourself?!! how???
the bleach thing made my day haha - incredible :-)))
shouldn't the pretty blossoms be blue, then? i looked it up and they look blue in other pics... sooo lovely! (the photo reminds me in a way of the one i posted, with the white petunias in the dark :-) what a coincidence! but of course mine are the common petunias, yours something i haven't heard of yet...
and of course it needs rich, acidic soils, i noticed a lot of lovely perennials and shrubs need this type of soil, which is the opposite of what i have, which is very loose and sandy...
That's why I'm not certain about my Nemophila menziesii diagnosis. I'll post another picture (before if gets warm--which always wipes these pretty faces out). It's attractive enough, but it's also invasive--gets in everywhere. Crowd control is required (pepper spray, water-canon, stun guns, flash grenades, you know, the usual).
DeleteBut the yellow centers worry me more than the blue petals. Doesn't seem to be Nemophila menziesii. I think it was from a California wildflower seed mix.
And depending on what type of sand you have, your soil might still be acid enough. The sand here is limestone, and that is very (extremely) alkaline. Camelias, for instance, won't grow here--unless you continually add pine needles or vinegar (not bleach) to keep your acid-loving plants alive (which is far too much work for the lazy gardener).
DeleteYou can buy a cheap test kit to determine the PH of your soil. (Make it your next science project.)
i am almost sure it is alkaline/neutral, as there are no camelias etc growing here, not only here, but in the whole town. i wanted a rhododendron, but it's hard work as you say.
Deletei think - and he will have to forgive her for her presumptuousness - your mysterious guest might be Oenothera speciosa. If it's true, i really can't believe this is happening :-)))
ReplyDeletelong story short, 2 years ago i saw this lovely flower in a village, i took a photo and made inquiries, i wrote down the name. i got the seeds from Chiltern, they germinated like crazy. then i started reading more about it and found out only horror stories about how invasive it is
https://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/236
https://healingmagichands.wordpress.com/2007/09/27/nimby-plants-i-would-never-plant-again-oenothera-speciosa-showy-evening-primrose/
https://wildfloweryard.com/journal/invasive-plants-trees-flowers/
so i got scared and moved it to very back of the yard, where there are only weeds and grass, we'll see what happens. i still have a few left in a part of the front garden where i haven't really started the work - it's only snails anyway, but i planted a lot of gladiolus... you won't believe it, the snails don't seem to be interested in Oenothera either! but i think i will remove it, because i now fear i won't be able to grow anything else there, i was thinking Aquilegia... though if it is pretty and carefree... i am torn about it :-)
Good catch! Oenothera speciosa it is! (I'll change the caption).
ReplyDeleteFrankly, I'd like to get rid of it--but it comes back every year, like a virus.
(Blogs are wonderful for sharing knowledge. I definitely learned something today...thank you)
i hadn't got your reply!!! i must have forgotten to tick the box, or something happened again!
Deletei was wondering why you don't react to my discovery, i was impatient to smile in victory :-)
so you don't like them, or do they spread too much? you've convinced me, i will move all young llants to the back of the yard, it's too dangerous to keep them at the front! too bad, they are so pretty.
you are welcome, i am very proud to have been able to tell you something new:)))
They are as invasive as a covid nose swab test. In private I continue to study its eradication.
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