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Don’t discount weeds — display them
OK, I will admit it. I really put off weeding a bit too long and a bit too late in the season this year. I think it was all that wet weather we experienced up into June (that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it). So, when I finally got around to going out and taking a good look around, I was appalled at what had taken root (and in some case, taken over) outside. Where did these things all come from?
I was off to a great start when I realized how graceful the flower heads were on what I was considering a noxious weed. Well, you can probably guess what happened next: off to the kitchen to find a suitable container. Now, certain flowers demand certain types of containers or vases. Actually, a vase of any kind was going to be too formal for these little, unassuming fellows. Searching through all the cupboards, I came upon a large milk bottle — just the thing. The weeds that had somehow managed to pop up everywhere were (I think) something called cat’s ear, a close look-alike to the common dandelion but quite a bit taller and more robust. One of the delightful things about this plant is that though some of the blooms are on strong, upright stems, many of them tend to curl, droop and otherwise meander around on the plant in interesting ways. Scissors in hand, I cut a handful of them (as many as I could cram into the narrow neck of the bottle), added water and had a delightful flower gathering. I use this term because that is essentially what it is, simply a flower gathering, without the mindset of making an arrangement. Although I love big, blowsy displays of flowers, these smaller, unassuming bouquets of botanicals that volunteer themselves and usually are considered pests often can make the most interesting of quick and delightful floral statements. This type of quick-and-easy “flower gathering” is at home brightening up a corner in the kitchen or in a sunny breakfast nook. Art and I have a small bistro table for two that moves into the backyard as soon as spring weather permits. Here, we often enjoy either an early morning cup of coffee or an early evening locally brewed ale. These natural denizens of the garden make a perfect floral statement on the tiny table. In my case, the dandelion imposter popped into an old bottle made a perfect cottage bouquet. Teamed up with a few lemons to pick up the vibrant yellow of the blooms and a stray piece of driftwood (because there is always room for a piece of driftwood), they made a quick, yet appealing statement on the kitchen window ledge. This has gotten me really looking at some of the other unplanned guests in my yard. I realized morning glory is fast approaching the “thing that took over in the night” status. However, this rampant vine adds a wonderful, wild movement of foliage to bouquets. English ivy, often a bane to gardeners, also is wonderful for this use. I also have a variety of wild grasses that have volunteered themselves between the perennials. These are wonderful for adding an airy lightness to arrangements that might otherwise be a bit ponderous or too serious. There are loads of books out there on the right way to arrange flowers, and certainly there are tricks and techniques that will make your floral statements more attractive, but when it comes to weeds, the only thing you really need to remember is simpler is better. So go on out and see what you might put into an old mason jar instead of the compost heap. |
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July 14, 2006