The Weed from HELL!

This is a picture of Japanese Knotweed...a horribly invasive plant, once sold as an ornamental, that always seems to be planted exactly where one would like to plant something (anything!) else.  A member of the rhubarb family, this thing grows from the ground up to about 8 to 10 feet tall in approximately 2 months....really.

Every spring we begin the "spruce-up-the-yard" season with the removal of the dead stalks from the previous growing season (we left them in place all winter to provide a barrier between us and the scary neighbors).  Today I accomplished just that, snapping or cutting off the stalks at the base, breaking them into workable lengths and hauling them out to the curb for the village to pick up.  Don't worry....these stalks are dead and will not sprout into new, noxious growth at the county compost site.  I can already see the new, bright red   shoots poking up through the soil.  Over the next few weeks These buds will stretch 3 or 4 feet into the strangest, asparagus-looking shoots with very little in the way of leaves.  Then, while I'm out running an errand, these stalks will burst into foliage and stretch the rest of their height, thoroughly hiding the sight of anything on the other side that you don't want to see...so it does have some value.

Getting rid of Knotweed.....is impossible. Or, nearly so.  I have yet to succeed in eliminating it from the property line.  We tried very hard to do so several years ago.  After months of digging and squirting Round-Up into the stalks and on the roots, we discovered that efforts to remove the plant only stimulates it's super-powers and causes it to grow faster...and spread further into the yard.  Feeling sorry for us, a well-meaning neighbor thought he would make things better by running his roto-tiller through the area.  I came running out of the house with arms waving, yelling "STOP!  You don't know what you're doing!!!"  A week later, every one of those chopped-up little pieces sprouted into a new plant...creating a lush carpet of Knotweed. (Have I mentioned that desperate people in Great Britain have gone to jail for throwing this stuff in ditches in the dark of night?)

A year later, the scary neighbors moved in and we gave up on getting rid of this blight on the plant world.  We let it grow up on the property line once again....and after the neighbor kid tried to steal our basketball, I fertilized it.

William Baffin Rose and Maggie

This was one of my very first posts. I've always liked it...so here it is again!

Bring Back the Victory Garden!!

My grand-parents planted a Victory Garden in their back yard. During the World Wars the goverment encouraged citizens to grow and preserve their own food...a lesson in self-sufficiency that they passed on to my mother, who spent many days throughout the summer canning the bounty of our huge vegetable garden.

With our economy in the state it is in, I think the Victory Garden should be revived!! Learn to grow your own foods... to create better quality products for your family. Take pride in your ability to be a little more self-sufficient! Gardening can not only help save on your grocery bill, but it can also be very relaxing and fun.

Visit the following website for more information on creating your own Victory Garden.

http://www.revivevictorygarden.org/

I can't wait to buy seeds!!

Here is the latest photo of my Harrison's Yellow Rose. It didn't bloom this year, but hopefully it will continue its strong growth so that next year it will be able to. Thanks for the division, Mom! I'm so proud that I haven't killed this one yet!!

The Early Peonies

Historic Harrison

Planting a garden is one of the most satisfying ways I have found to add some nostalgia to the house. Over the years I have acquired quite a few plants that have a history, both in my family's gardens and in American gardens in general. Their stories add an old-fashioned charm and make for great conversation when people stop by for a visit.

The Harrison's Yellow Rose, shown above, is one of those plants. As you can see from the photo, it is just beginning to grow. This is my third attempt to establish this rose in my Central New York garden, and apparently it's true that the "third time's a charm" because the canes are leafing out and sending up new shoots from below the ground...a great sign!

Harrison came from my mother's yard, where it had grown into a sizeable, healthy and beautiful shrub. She had grown this at a different location when I was a little girl. It bloomed next to my sandbox, and to this day I cannot smell the flowers without experiencing a strong sense of deja vu that sends me back to my pail and shovel days! Ahh, the memories!

But this rose has a history much older than my personal recollections (which, truly, are not that old!). First recorded as growing in New York in 1830, this rose is said to have been carried in covered wagons by the early pioneers as they ventured west. It is possible to track the routes these people took by making note of the places this rose can be found growing. It is also sometimes referred to as the Yellow Rose of Texas, although it has pretty much been established that the rose in that famous song actually refers to a person. None the less, it is fairly prolific in that state.

While looking up information on how to care for Harrison, I came across a literary connection in this plant's history. According to the Gardens of Emily Dickinson, by Judith Farr, this pretty yellow rose was grown in her family's gardens. It is well known that Miss Dickinson was passionate about her flowers, and many of her poems speak to that. I am looking forward to picking up a copy to read, and hopefully will also pick up some horticultural tips from this poetic genius. Then I can tell people, "Oh, Emily Dickinson taught me how to care for that!"

Over the next few months I will continue to post photos of my historic rose to, hopefully, record it's growth and allow my mother to see how her shrub's offspring is doing. If we're lucky, it will even bloom this year. It is one of several heirloom plants I have growing on the property, many of which you will probably read about in this blog as they come into bloom.

If you are interested in growing heirloom plants, there are many websites available that can be found through a simple Google search. There is a great deal of information regarding the care and history of various plants, as well as nurserys that have them in stock. The best place, however, to find these heirlooms is in the backyards of our family and friends. I have found that the level of enjoyment that comes from planting Grandmother's flowers and vegetables is much higher than simply popping random plants into the ground. Your garden will become a bit of a photo album, of sorts, complete with stories to be passed on with each division you give away.