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Penny Carnathan
Penny’s a Nurture And Hold (NAH): Nah, I won’t pull that out yet, it’s still got a green shoot. She likes dragonflies, lady bugs and new stuff only after weeding, pruning and fertilizing.
Kim Franke-Folstad
Kim’s a Want It Now (WIN): Everything pretty, everything now. She will resort to full-spectrum insecticides in desperate situations, and believes it’s her duty and right to buy new plants every weekend.
Both advocate Plant Choice (SOMEthing besides crotons. Please!), lots of color and low maintenance. We don’t agree on everything, but we’re smart enough to learn from each other - and from you.
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My lawn is more of a ... meadow
Posted Nov 16, 2009 by Loren Omoto
Updated Nov 16, 2009 at 04:08 PM
Some friends were talking the other day about cinch bugs, brown patches and other banes of lawn care.
“Not a problem for me,” I said. “I’ve got weeds.”
Hahahaha, they laughed. “Yeah! Me, too. Ha-ha!”
They were joking. I am not.
Sure, I have some tufts of Bahia here and there, depending on the season. But if it weren’t for the weeds, my yard would have a serious case of pattern baldness.
Actually, it’s wrong to call my little volunteers weeds. By definition, weeds are unwanted, and I want mine. That makes them wildflowers.
Sometimes it becomes necessary to persuade neighbors, or maybe a homeowners association, of this fine semantic distinction. In such cases, it’s important to learn your plants’ names. Who can argue when you point to Emilia fosbergii Nicolson and identify it as Florida tasselflower?
Thank goodness my neighbors are an easygoing bunch. But for those of you not so fortunate, I e-mailed photos of some of my new fall bloomers to a University of Florida weed expert. Phil Busey, based in Fort Lauderdale, very kindly provided the names.
Sadly, he wasn’t as appreciative of my favorite as I am.
“I consider the Southern sida nasty in lawns. It has a strong taproot and is hard to remove,” he wrote. “I prefer more delicate, restrained weeds.”
But the flowers, he conceded, are “attractive and interesting.”
Which is more than I can say for my Bahia.
Your wildflower glossary for this week
Southern sida
Sida ulmifolia
A common sight in southeast Florida, it’s also called common wireweed (but you don’t have to share that). This is a big bloom compared to the others—about an inch across. It reminds me of Cuban buttercup.
Pink purslane
Portulaca pilosa
Phil says this ID is a “probably.” Pink purslane usually grows in dry, sandy areas and looks like the cultivated moss rose. This photo is a super close-up; the flowers are very small and open only in bright light. But the little clusters of hot pink spots are very pretty when open, just like their domesticated cousins.
Globe amaranth
Gomphrena serrata
An uncommon plant, Phil says. It’s documented in only seven states, including Hawaii, according to a USDA Plants Database. Not quite so dramatic in the yard because it’s tiny, but it reminds me a bit of white clover Up North, so I like it.
PS The sign in the photo at the top was a gift from a friend. Isn’t it great when friends know you so well? I love it! It hangs on my front door.
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Reader Comments
Posted by (Janna) on November 16, 2009
Love the sign, Penny! I’ll bet the friend who gave it to you lives life looking on the bright side. It’s all a matter of attitude. I have also decided to accept and embrace the “weeds” in my back yard. Especially if they are mostly green and sport an occasional pretty flower. My husband, however, is not so welcoming of “wildflowers” in our front lawn.
Thanks Phil, for the info and identification! Go Gators…
Posted by (Chip) on November 16, 2009
Keeping a nice lawn can be one of the hardest things we do here It can be done however I chose to put my efforts into something more fruitful [no pun intended] I have an 5x10 foot area left with grass and that is next on the to do list. except for weed eating around the outside edge’s of our yard. When the kids were young this would have been imposable and I put a lot of time and work into having a nice yard for them to play in. I got to say I don’t miss having to mow the grass!...“Chip”...
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on November 16, 2009
My favorite line is——But if it weren’t for the weeds, my yard would have a serious case of pattern baldness. Cracked me up when I saw it in Sunday’s paper and cracked me up again here. Mainly because this is my yard to a T. We have Bahia grass and it’s not my gardening focus so it is very ignored. I agree with Chip. My goal is to have as little grass as possible some day.
Posted by (Janna) on November 17, 2009
Yes, Penny - I WAS one of the “haha I have weeds, too,” friends! Glad to hear that the plants in my the back yard diverted your attention from the weed-grass!
Chip, I’m sure that back in the day, you had a beautiful lawn for the kids to play on. Now you have a bountiful harvest for your family to enjoy! I’m with you and Susan though, on wanting less grass. Someday, I hope to have all plant bedding areas with the exception of a small patch of grass for the dogs to…um, you know.
Posted by (Iluvpumpkins) on November 17, 2009
I don’t have grass anymore, just flower beds with patches of weeds. I did the St Augustine thing and lawn spraying service still grass died. Now I am going to try and plant Florida Friendly plants and hope my flower beds look good. Janice
Posted by (Chip) on November 17, 2009
I think you know how I would vote. And it seems to me that the father the grass/weeds/wild flowers gets from my garden the fewer the weeding I have to do in my garden so it make for less work in the long run. ...“Chip”..