All along our roadsides, a beautiful pink plant is now blooming. It’s red clover, a lovely and versatile member of the bean family. Red clover is a short-lived perennial and can grow to heights of nearly three feet. Many of the plants I saw while heading to the Shenandoah Valley last weekend were pushing two feet and they were beautiful. Red clover is not native to America, but has thrived … [Read more...]

Since I noticed a butterfly weed, a brilliant orange plant growing beside the road last year, I have become more and more interested in ordinary weeds and wildflowers we often ignore. One is blooming right now, it’s common chicory, totally considered a weed and in the dandelion family. Chicory, of course, is a name associated with coffees, and this plant can be used as a coffee substitute and … [Read more...]

  They are called common daisies, but there is nothing ”common” about them. The delicate white and yellow flowers – usually growing wild – are among nature’s most lovely and they are just beginning to bloom along our roads and bi-ways. Daisies are flowers you would normally find in a meadow – if we still had meadows. Mostly, we don’t. We now have thick stands of fescue grass across most … [Read more...]

Funny, but there are still a handful of smells that I can distinctly remember from my youth. One was the smell of a new baseball mitt, a strong leather scent that lasted until you left your glove out in the rain just once. Another smell was that of a new pair of blue jeans, the aroma of the strong indigo dye was tantalizing. Another unforgettable scent I recall was from Grandma Brewer’s kitchen … [Read more...]

  In my continuing series on common weeds and wildflowers, I now have another bloom in my yard to write about - the common dandelion.  Most consider dandelions to be pests – invasive weeds that must be eradicated with a good dose of Roundup, but dandelions are like a health food store growing in your yard Dandelions, of course, are small plants with yellow flowers and deep root systems, … [Read more...]

For the past few weeks, as I mowed my lawn, I have noticed beautiful flowers growing where they probably shouldn’t be growing -  like violets and buttercups. This week I saw clover blooming. Clover is not at all a weed, but many consider the delicate plant to be invasive. Not me. I actually plant clover whenever I have a patch in my yard that may be in need of some grass seed. Clover is one of … [Read more...]

  Another beautiful “weed” now growing in my back yard is the common buttercup. This variety, sometimes called the creeping buttercup, has stubborn roots and can be the devil to get rid of, but the flowers are certainly delicate and lovely. Buttercups are generally perenials,  but unlike many wildflowers, they are poisonous. Livestock that grazes in a field overrun with buttercups can … [Read more...]

  I have a weed in my yard that I’m quite fond of. It is blooming now. It’s a common wild blue violet. I never planted violets and have no idea how they made it to my yard, but I’m glad they did. There is no flower more lovely. Wild violets have heart-shaped leaves with purple-blue flowers. Though they are classified as annuals, they often self-seed, coming back each year in different … [Read more...]

  Beautiful Wisteria   Another beautiful plant seemingly growing wild along our roadsides these days is wisteria. Boasting lovely lavender blossoms, wisteria sprouts up wherever there is an opening. The plant is so hardy, in fact, some gardeners have a difficult time getting rid of it. Wisteria is actually a vine and must be pruned and kept under control or it crowds out … [Read more...]