Dec 16 2009
Pesky
Rain on pampas grass
Pampas grass can cut you like you wouldn’t believe – until it does. And it will, if you aren’t careful. I learned that one the hard way. Pampas grass fools you into thinking it’s nice and pretty, with its plumy tops and fountainy looking grass, and then – wham! If you’ve ever dated, you’ll have had a similar experience at some point. In both cases, you learn your lesson pretty fast.
Apparently pampas grass is nothing more or less than a weed, despite its pretty appearance. My sister uproots little ones ruthlessly if they dare to be in her path. Maybe they try to cut her in revenge.
Another supposedly pestilential plant here is Scotch broom. It has dark leaves and grows in witchy hedges, starred with bright yellow blooms. Like pampas, it spreads like crazy and crowds out native plants and animals. It has clearly fallen into disrepute since it was the emblem of Charles VI of France back in the 14th century.
I seem to have a soft spot for weeds. I love dandelions, both the cheerful yellow and the fluffy “clocks”, and the greens are delicious. I have a paperweight with a real dandelion clock magically captured in its depths, and I treasure a little painting of dandelions which used to belong to my mother:
I never want to admit to my sister that I think these plants are pretty. As an avid gardener, she deplores weeds and deer alike, and their cuteness holds no sway with her. So when we walk the dog together, and the sun shines on the bright broom and the pampas sways in the wind, I keep my thoughts to myself. Maybe peskiness is in the eye of the beholder.
5 Responses to “Pesky”
I’m torn between your sister’s thoughts and your thoughts on this subject of pampas/weeds/deer etc.,
We are in the midst of a battle with pampas,
and deer have been with us for years – not so my flower garden!!!!!
Country living !!!!!!!!! But, the pampas is beautiful and the deer are gorgeous…… what to do????
jx
Deer fencing, if you can!
I’m going to try deer “resistant” plants in the spring, like lavender and geraniums. But if Lucky will eat futons and Chico bags…
There is always have been a hudge difference between humans and Mother Nature, we look at flowers as pretty and we enjoy the smells and beauty as we should, Mother Nature has her pampas, weeds etc for the survival of insects and animals, there is room for both.
I’m like you and always remarking how lovely a particular weed is in our garden. Jennifer eventually gets around to pulling it but the usually come back.
Broom is evil, evil, evil. It is SO invasive, choking out native species which in turn wreaks havoc on the ecosystem on the coast…
when I first moved here I loved the burst of yellow, until I started to learn about the plant. Now when I see all that yellow I get antsy and want to get rid of it all!
I also quickly learned that all the seasonal bursts of colors were almost all attributed to an invasive species. ~sigh~ Something is always raining on the parade!