Friday, June 22, 2012

Opening your eyes

I haven't been gardening that long, so my plant knowledge is limited. But the funniest thing keeps happening: once I finally notice a plant exists, I see it EVERYWHERE. Case in point: I was at my friend Jason's house, exploring his front garden. He had a giant silver mullein, Verbascum Bombyciferum, doing its freaktastic fuzzy phallic blooming thing.

Image source: Frisco Vista

I went out the next day and bought one at Garden Fever. Mine won't bloom until next summer but I'm stoked that I have one now. Once I knew it existed Ryan blogged about it, Loree blogged about it, and I see it in gardens around town. How did I not know this plant before?!

I've said it before: everything is more magical when you go through life not really paying attention.

14 comments:

  1. Now I want one. They usually have a number of mullein at the Chicago Botanic Garden's English Garden. Supposed to be great for attracting finches.

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  2. They are wonderful to touch, as well. I'd been pondering the use of lamb's ears in the garden, but they are so thuggish. I'm thinking this guy is a better option (assuming it self-seeds next year).

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  3. So funny...I've had the same thing happen...sometimes it's even that I won't like a plant for the longest time...then I see it used well somewhere...and I fall in love with it!

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  4. The same thing happens to me. Some plants I can understand, but this one?! It really sticks out.

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  5. Yup, I know that phenomenon too! That's a cutie. I had a cool mullein that I bought from Annies' Annuals a few years back but it has vanished in the plant graveyard that is my north border.

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  6. Used to hate it...love it now. Am I really that suggestible?

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  7. It seduced you. It certainly has the look.

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  8. Are all mulleins biennials? I'm hoping that if I buy a second plant next year I could maybe always have one blooming in the years to come.

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  9. Yes! I tend to hate all the plants we had in our yard growing up: calla lillies, callistemon, juniper. But then I see one in Jane's yard or Loree's yard and I fall in love with them.

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  10. I know! How do you miss a plant like that? I have some serious blinders on.

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  11. Let's hear it for "discovering" new plants. That soft gray mullein foliage is the best! I also like Stachys byzantina and Salvia argentea for that gray fuzzy look, though you have to stay on top of the lambs ears...

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  12. I love love love lambs ears! They are kind of weedy in one part of my yard but I don't really care. I'm bummed, I accidentally killed the pot of Helen Von Stein Stachys that I got at the plant sale.

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  13. HammeringOurWayHomeJune 29, 2012 at 6:14 AM

    THIS "everything is more magical when you go through life not really paying attention" is purrrfect ! I'm always sort of being poked at for never having a clue (like when Drew planted TWO gardens in our mud filled yards, I walked right by BOTH, d'oh). I also relaughed at the garden tool on roof. Apparently our stucco guy just found a bunch of tools on our roof-- I had no part in it though, happily (for once). And that mullein, it looks so funky! What a fun plant.

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  14. It is shockingly easy to leave things on the roof. It's so weird.

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