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‘Things I didn’t plant’ — FOD Susan’s garden mysteries
Posted Aug 26, 2010 by Loren Omoto
Updated Aug 26, 2010 at 10:46 PM
Email from Susan Gillespie of Riverview. Subject line: Things I didn’t plant.
“I was remarking to my sister Cindi how tall the milkweed was this year as a monarch butterfly was feeding on it. I went to get my camera, but the monarch moved on.
“It dawned on me that I didn’t plant that milkweed — or any of the others that are thriving near the lanai screen.”
In fact, a look around revealed that someone — or something — has been quite busy in Susan’s garden. All around her are flowers she didn’t plant. Quite a few of them she can’t even identify!
She suspects “Faerie friends.” I suspect avian digestion. Either way, Susan has been spared lots of dirty digging this hot summer.
Curled around her mailbox like a feather boa for the second summer in a row is this little beauty, a wispy vine.
“Last year I was yanking it out and a Vietnamese lady stopped in her car and was horrified I was doing that,” Susan writes. So she gave the woman an armload.
It turns out this is cypress vine, Ipomoea quamoclit. It produces beautiful red blooms that attract butterflies and hummingbirds, and it grows easily from seed. But take note: A lot of gardeners on Dave’s Garden, particularly Florida gardeners, complain it’s nastily invasive. It pops up everywhere and strangles other plants.
Susan has decided she won’t be saving the seeds, but she’ll let it return if it continues to behave itself.
We had to call upon the dynamic duo of horticulture, Farmer Rick and Sydney Park Brown, to figure out what this vine is and, more important, whether Susan should slay it immediately or coddle it and share cuttings.
“Syd and I consulted and this is what we think it is,” Farmer Rick wrote. “I would pull it before it takes over or stay after it with pruners.”
Campsis radicans, or trumpet creeper, is another with pretty blooms — and even more haters than cypress vine.
Not all of the newcomers are bad. Along with the yellow milkweed, Susan has Philippine violets and these red salvia and portulaca (but these, I suspect, are descendants of plants Susan actually planted.)
The moral of the story? If you hang out with Susan’s Faeries, don’t accept gifts.
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Reader Comments
Posted by (Chip) on August 26, 2010
Oh Susan what a pretty garden you have! Garden fairies? well at lest they have been busy not like my lazy elfs I can’t get any work out of them….“Chip”
Posted by (Pumpkin) on August 27, 2010
Susan, I like all the volenteers in your garden. When it gets this hot those plants seem to be the things blooming. Pumpkin
Posted by (Pumpkin) on August 27, 2010
Penny, Thank you. I was just happy my hair did not look frizzy.Pumpkin
Posted by (Chip) on August 27, 2010
Pumpkin, I am guessing all this happened before the tree came down? You have the luck of the Irish! Everything looks so nice.It looks like you and Mr.Grumpy have been busy and all of your hard work shows!...“Chip”
Posted by (kgardens) on August 27, 2010
Thought I had commented on here this morning. I guess I didn’t type that word right or something. Anyway, Susan, your yard looks great and what wonderful volunteers you have. I really like that cypress vine. Hopefully it won’t get away from you.
On another note, I saw Pumpkin this morning on TV. You looked and sounded great. I always love to see that path and all your seating. The flowers and foliage just flow throughout your space. I totally forgot about the tree falling. Hope the recovery from that incident is going well.
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on August 27, 2010
Oh Janice, your garden is a treasure. No wonder they came to see what you have created. It is beautiful. You and Mr. Grumpy should be proud. Plus your hair looked great even in hot humid weather and I love that color.
Thank you, Chip, Penny and Kay. I was actually hoping to see everyone else’s volunteers. I can’t be the only one who get’s them.
Posted by (Chip) on August 28, 2010
Susan my “volunteers” have come and gone. I do have seeds from one of my all time favorite volunteers started in seed trays as we speak. And if I can get these guys going I will be entering the fair this year! This is the time of year for me when I change over from a “spring” garden to “Fall”. It is a lot of work, but both Diane and I like for the garden to change its look with the seasons ! ...“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on August 28, 2010
Is your volunteer a secret, Chip? When you enter it in the fair can we vote on it? Is it edible?
Posted by (Pumpkin) on August 28, 2010
Thank you FOD for watching me on Channel 8. Leigh is very sweet, as soon as she walked into my home she asked if she could pet my kitty.
Tonight is my high school reunion, but tomorrow I will sent in some photos of my volunteers. Go Big RED!
Posted by (Chip) on August 28, 2010
Oh sorry! got into a hurry and forgot to say it came from a volunteer tomato plant. Diane saved it from a freeze and it turned into a monster! about 15ft around with huge tomato’s and a lot of them! at its peak I filled 3 five gallon buckets a day out of it most were about a pound some though were 4 - 5 pounds with a few monsters so we saved those seeds. If these do half as well I got a good chance at the fair! not bad from a plant I had nothing to do with starting. Love those volunteer’s!. ..“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on August 28, 2010
Ah yes, the volunteer tomato. I remember that story too. I hope the seeds match the mama. We’ll be rooting for you.
Posted by (Ingrid) on August 28, 2010
Oh, yes Penny, please find a link so we can see Pumpkin’s garden, we all who missed it on TV.
I’m so curious, especially after reading all the posts….
Posted by (Chip) on August 28, 2010
My broccoli and cauliflower I started on the full moon [the 25th] popped up this afternoon! not bad at all! I love watching them come up. If I have the timing right I should have fresh veggies for Thanksgiving diner…“Chip”
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on August 29, 2010
I hear that, Penny. I just was out there for an hour weeding and I am spent. That heat and humidity do me in. I think I’ll do indoor things for the rest of today. I must teach those faeries to weed, dang it.
Chip, you and Diane are amazing. I applaud the gardener in both of you. The thought of fresh veggies by Thanksgiving sounds yummy.
Posted by (Susan Gillespie) on August 29, 2010
Penny, is that your voodoo lily or did you post that for someone? My friend, Tom, gave me a bulb and it never flowered. It was supposed to be black though. I didn’t know they turned into a tree. Interesting.