Weeds

Daylilies do very well in Wisconsin. You can drive for miles in the countryside and the roads will be lined with them. Tom prefers these tall, wild (or semi-wild) ones to the shorter ones that have been hybridized for gardens, but we have both kinds in the yard. Some of the shorter ones are ones that Mama gave me from her garden a couple of years ago. Others were a gift from Helen and Jay from their Minnesota garden, others Tom has gathered from places around his old family farm and other places in the area. Because they came from different places at different times, they are not on the same blooming schedule. There is a whole line of them between the front yard and the woods beyond. They are quite tall, but as of today, no buds have opened.

I like both the short and the tall, but I am inclined to like shorter flowers (daylilies or whatever) along the sidewalk. Tall plants tend to get lanky, lean (or fall) over the walk, and they begin to look like weeds to me. I admit that the taller versions are probably closer to the true native prairie flowers, however. (But doesn't that make them closer to being weeds, too?)

In fact, I read that the common daylily is on the verge of being named a noxious weed because it can spread out and take over so easily. I hope they never spray the roadsides to kill it, though. It is such a wonderful sight around here in the summer.

Another prairie flower that we have in the yard are these wild prairie roses, the state flower of Iowa and North Dakota. Tom made sure to save a bunch of them when he was clearing brush and mowing, and this year we are getting some blooms. This is the only native climbing rose, and it is not only pretty in pink -- it is thornless!

Sorry the photo looks so washed out. They are such a delicate pink, and my camera is so basic, even though I took this in the shade and tinkered with it, it looks weak. The flowers are actually quite pretty.