Thursday, April 24, 2008

Thursday Thirteen: Weeds

1. During our gardening last week, I ran across the plant below. I have no idea what it is. I couldn't find it in my field guide:



2. This plant spit at you when you messed with it. Spores or seeds flew at you if you disturbed the plant. And they hit hard.

3. I caught a few spores or seeds in the face the first time I bothered the plant.

4. The seeds/spores were sticky. One stuck to my forehead.

5. They also left residue on my glasses.

6. I thought this was a great species self-preservation method. The plant doesn't really care if it lives, but its offspring have a chance to actually leave the area and make a better life.

7. My husband is always on the offensive against weeds.

8. He has set up a sprayer he uses on the tractor. It's on a cart and he rides around spraying the fence lines and anything else he considers a weed.

9. He always sprays around the timbers we have setting off my rose bed in the front yard.



10. Those roses stay very sickly and I keep telling him it's his weed killer.

11. After I left home last Saturday so he could mow, unbenownst to me, he got out his sprayer.

12. He sprayed around the perimeter of our very small garden.

13. We had just planted many tender and young plants. He didn't realize the overspray was getting on them. They are all dead or in the throes of dying.

The weeds are thriving.

I am still not an official Thursday Thirteen participant, but you can learn more about it here. My other Thursday Thirteens are here. One day I will figure out how to play properly.

8 comments:

  1. If it weren't for the weeds, I wouldn't have a yard.

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  2. we have the spitting plant all over our yard. i think it's a cardamine. see: http://crabappleherbs.com/blog/2008/03/09/spring-greens-peppergrass/
    and: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardamine

    weeds can be extremely beneficial. maybe you can find some info on biodynamic farming for your husband: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biodynamic_agriculture

    thanks for linking to my blog :)

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  3. I'm sorry about your garden :( Can you relocate?

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  4. I believe the plant in question was featured in Star Trek (the original), episode entitled This Side of Paradise in which our heroes land on Omicron Seti and get spored to bliss. Strong Emotion counteracts the spores' effect, so just watch the chimpy in chief give a speech on What Me Worry, and your rage ought to fix you right up.
    peace out

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  5. ugh - don't remind me! I HATE to weed, but LOVE the warmer weather. What a conundrum.

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  6. Zoe- I think you're right, that is the plant! Thanks so much for the identification.

    Sweet - I will replant the tomatoes and peppers in the same spot and hope for the best, I think.

    Everyone else - I kind of like pulling weeds. It is good exercise and a great way to give my brain a rest!

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  7. I miss having a garden - especially the home-grown tomatoes.

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  8. Oh, you too! Sometimes I pull up the wrong thing, thinking it's a weed when it's not; and leave the wrong thing thinking it's not a weed when it is.

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