Steve Bender & Felder Rushing
It was fun to read the stories about how common southern plants are passed along between family members, friends and any visiting gardener that shows an interest . For it seems that is all it takes. An admiring comment about any easily propagated plant and you are sure to get an offer of a piece or a bit of seed to take with you when you go.
Even though this is a book written by a couple of southern gardeners there were plenty of plants of which a northerner would have knowledge. Such as Tawny daylily/Hermerocallis fulva
or ditchlily as I have heard it called. This clump was growing in our garden when we moved in, left behind by previous owners. I love its vibrant display each June and I never have to water or weed or feed these hardy plants. The picture is from last year because it will be another week or two before this years scapes begin to flower.
Click on picture to enlarge .
In the chapter called 'Plant Cardinal Climber -Please', Steve Bender asks why isn't anyone growing this easy to grow hummingbird magnet.
Well plenty of people I know are growing this vine. Many because I hand out seeds and seedlings every year since first discovering how many hummers were drawn to our backyard in late summer by the numerous small red trumpet shaped flowers amid the ferny foliage. I received seed as a passalong from a friendly texan. It is an annual that does not self seed here in the Chicago area but the seeds are easy to collect and save until the following spring.
In 'Passalong Plants'
Bender and Rushing tell how gardeners (and I do not believe it is only southern gardeners) create a unique community where plants and tales are freely shared. Where visiting and chatting are part of the appeal, as is poking a bit of fun. At the plants beloved as much for the interest they create as any other attribute, and the garden art so creatively displayed .
Thankfully botanical names are included along with the many common names and information for growing if you are lucky enough to acquire said plant from another gardener. Also included are sources for buying if you insist.
Check out Felder Rushing website Photos of his front yard.
http://www.felderrushing.net/frontyard.htm
Passalong Plants is the April-May selection of the Garden Bloggers Book Club.
http://maydreamsgardens.blogspot.com/
Hi, Gloria, just found your post. Thanks for participating in the Garden Bloggers' Book club again!
ReplyDeletePassalong Plants has been one of my favorite books for years. We do have some wacky yard art down South but the spirit of sharing is common to gardeners world-wide. I think blogs are another form of it--thanks for sharing photos and thoughts of your garden.
ReplyDeleteHi Gloria - thanks for the photo of the good old orange daylily. It might not be fancy but it still looks pretty good to me - maybe I can find someone down here who's got fulva, and is in a sharing mood!
ReplyDeleteAnnie at the Transplantable Rose
Carol, Thank you. I stayed up way to late reading all the Book Club entries.An interesting bunch these garden bloggers.
ReplyDeleteM Sinclair Stevens, blogs make it possible to take a garden tour at any time.Isn't it great the way peoples personalities shine right through in their gardens.
Annie@TR,the spot where that daylily grows is a dry and compacted horror. The Tawny daylily can grow almost anywhere completely carefree.I grow Yarrow and heliopsis along with to carry through the summer. Each is aggressive enough to keep the others at bay.I like all that sunny color. Good Luck!!!
I hope to be able to read this book - it sounds wonderful!
ReplyDelete