Confessions of a Plant Lover

Let no one think that real gardening is a bucolic and meditative occupation. It is an insatiable passion, like everything else to which a man gives his heart. ~ Karel Čapek, The Gardener's Year, translated by M. and R. Weatherall, 1931

I have a confession to make: I treat my plants like they have little plant-souls. I apologize profusely when I prune them, and if they are the kind of plant that will root from prunings, I usually start another plant (anyone need a houseplant? I have plenty to share).

Most of the plants in my outdoor garden create seed pods that have to be trimmed once the flowers have gone by. I used to leave them, but ended up with about half a million baby (insert plant name here: coneflower, jacob's ladder, coral bells, columbine). Seriously -- I could start a nursery. In fact, every spring an email goes out to all of my neighbors with plant offerings -- most currently I have a dramatic overabundance of creeping flox in four different colors. Anyone want some?

The past year or so, I've been throwing my seed pods down the hill of a neighbor who wants it to be filled with flowers. It's getting there. This year, I just cut back all my columbine and I have the pods sitting in a bucket. When they dry, I will have enough columbine seeds to seed an acre of land.

And my jacobs ladders are almost finished blooming.

We won't talk about the black-eyed susans, liatris or coneflower that's just beginning.

But, how can I throw away their babies? I'll probably end up putting them in little packages and adding them to my seeds container. Maybe someday I'll find a good home for them.

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I loved all the answers to the hobby question yesterday -- Dru, I used to love quilting, but can't find the time anymore. Tori, genealogy is my brother's forte... something he's passionate about, so I'll let him handle that! Gay, we have plenty of snakes out here -- mostly garters -- that we love and adore. I think Paperback Writer's little visitors were fascinating!

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As discussed previously, I'm writing a story set in 1953. I asked my mom for some slang from back then, and she couldn't really think of any, so we turned to Google. Of course.

I love some of them, LOL.

Duck Butt or D.A. (Clearly, the movies didn't use the crude slang, because I always heard "duck tail"... D.A. stands for "ducks a**): Hairstyle of greasers where hair in back is combed to the middle, then with end of comb, make a middle part.

Or some that mean something entirely different now.

Jacked Up: Car with raised rear end. (hot-rodders)

Cherry: Originally, an unaltered car. Later, anything attractive (hot-rodders, originally)

It's interesting to look back and see how much things have changed.

When I was in high school, valley speak was all the rage. I used "totally" or "gag me" (though I usually left off the spoon option), "gnarly" escaped my lips now and then. I do admit to knowing, and singing, all the words to "Valley Girl" by the Moon Unit herself. Nowadays, I don't use too much unless you count "wicked" (i.e. "really" ... That guy was driving wicked fast!).

What slang do you remember? What slang do you use now?

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LASR has gotten hammered with reviews requests over the past couple of days. It's great! We're busy! I've picked up a couple new reviewers and we'll probably be posting nearly every day (that's my hope). So, if you're looking for something to read, check it out.

I'm actually on my way over to post right now!

Have a great day.