When the wild thistles—which I cultivate and move into my flower beds—are done with their lovely purple flowers, the resultant seed pods break down into these crazy looking clusters of fluff. Each seed is attached to those very light, feathery appendages, which catch the wind and blow all over the yard, ensuring the thistle's continued existence the next year. In the spring, I spend a few months faithfully digging up the tiny plants as they start to grow in the lawn and driveways. Goldfinches and other birds LOVE to nosh on these when they get to this point, which is the real reason I continue to do the work to keep them in the beds and not in the lawn where they'll be mowed and never mature.
Click to enlarge and see this fanciful and fluffy bit of floral fun!
How pretty!
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Amy
When I was a kid we would pick those, make a wish and then blow on them! They were considered VERY lucky. We'd try to beat our brothers and sisters to them. Nice memories!
ReplyDeleteKatie
Thanks, Amy. I hope you check back to the blog often!
ReplyDeleteKatie: I think you might be thinking of dandelions, which do the same thing with their seeds. I don't think you'd be able to pick these thistle flowers. They have prickers all over them and they're REALLY SHARP, lol. You can only handle the plants when they're very small before the first thorns erupt. INterestingly, the morning glorie plants around the veggie garden kept getting eaten before they'd start climbing, except for the ones with these prickly plants in front of them. I think the thorns even bother whatever animals were eating my glories, so next year, I'm going to plant a thistle in front of every morning glory plant and see if that stops the critters!
I remember these from last year Casey! They are such a pain when in the same field with cattle! Am very curious if they are keeping the garden from being eaten...will be fun to find out.
ReplyDeleteKatie...maybe milk weeds? Love to blow the "fluff" off of those! No one was ever to happy to find us blowing dandelions, BUT the lawns (where I grew up anyway) were not as manicured as they are today...awww, the memories...funny what makes one walk down memory lane isn't it??
Casey, I've been around - I've just been lurking! ;)
ReplyDeleteNow that I've opened my mouth, you'll never get me to shut up!
Thanks for stopping by my blog!
:)
Amy
HAHAHA Amy...you're hooked now! You are gonna be up all night reading Casey's blog!!
ReplyDeleteHow do I know that? Experience!!
Casey, silly me! Of course it was dandelions! How could I mix that up? LOL I also remember one summer when my sister and I were tasked with pulling up (by the roots) every dandelion plant in our considerable yard. I think I cried for the 2 weeks it took to do the job. You'd think I'd never forget! We did have thistles, too. I remember the purple flowers.
ReplyDeleteHope you are all well now, Casey.
Katie
Mare, no I'm not! I have to be up in 6 hours to get the boys ready for school, so a few more comments and I'm outta' here! :P
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Amy
MARE, YUP, MILK ODS WERE THE FLUFF WE BLEW TO THE WIND AND MADE WISHES.I THINK YOUR RIGHT.
ReplyDeleteAMY SO GLAD YOUR COMMENTING.IF YOU LOVE THE OUTDOORS AND FLOWERS THIS IS THE PLACE TO BE. I THOUGHT OF CASEY YESTERDAY WHEN YOU POSTED THAT CAR HORN. I WAS WISHING HE'D BE ABLE TO HAVE IT FOR HIS COLLECTION OF CAR STUFF. I HOPE HE WILL GO AND CHECK YOUR BLOG OUT.IT SAD TO SEE THAT HORN JUST SITTING THERE IN THAT BRUSH
CASEY,GO LOOK AT HER BLOG AND CHECK OUT THE PICTURES AMY PUT ON THERE YESTERDAY/ SO COOL.
GRANNY.