2 Apr 2013

A - Z Challenge - B



Bellis perrenis. Bossy.

This tiny daisy Bellis perrenis forms rosettes of paddle-shaped leaves and the flowers follow the sun's direction. They open by day in dry weather and close at night, hence the name Daisy, a shortened version of Day's Eye. The hardy plants are common lawn weeds.

Of course, weeds are just plants we don't want growing in a certain place. In other words, they're bossy. Or is it the lawn owner that's bossy? Gardener and weed are in a constant state of war because once the plant takes hold, they flower, seed and propagate. The bossy Bellis spoils the gardener's desire for a green lawn by producing pretty white flowers. 
 A different outlook might be needed to change the Victorian era of needing to control our gardens. Grow plants not lawn. See the link here. Also, many people in England are opting for a wildflower meadow instead of a clipped lawn, where plants, flowers and grasses sway in the breeze.


Proverb: Better to remain silent and be thought a fool that to speak and remove all doubt.

22 comments:

  1. I love daisies and making daisy chains.

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    1. I remember splitting the stems of each flower and threading them together, the smell of grass and the hot summer sun. Wishing makes it so.

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  2. I have a wild flower corner and two lawns, the later because they are easier to maintain. 'Bossy' is a good word fro some plants and gardeners too.

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  3. I love to see the daisies on the lawn but Mr A thinks they make it look untidy! We have another variety of this plant growing in the crivices of paving and they are survivors from a long ago pack of seeds called Spanish Daisies.

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    1. Spanish dasies sound great. I used to grow daisis like that which could be used for herbal tea. Cammomile.

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  4. I love daisies and think it's such a shame when the grass is so long that I have to mow it and therefore get rid of the daisies.

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    1. Simple. Don't mow it. Grow a wildflower meadow. Just pop in a few extra plants and let the grass seed. It'll look beautiful.

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  5. Beautiful, Francene. A "wildflower meadow" sounds like a dream. We have lawns, but I see meadows when we drive out of town.
    Nice to have found you on the A-Z Challenge list.
    Silvia.

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    1. Thanks, Silvia. Good to contact you, too. Look up the meaning of a wildflower meadow on the net. You'll love it.

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  6. Oh, I envy you your rain -- it is so dry here in Colorado that some flowers just have a struggle to survive. But we do have our wildflowers in the mountains.

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    1. Rain must sound wonderful to you when you have none. Believe me, the sky is mostly grey and the rain goes on and on, dampening the spirits as well as the soil and plants.

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  7. What a fun daisy to follow the suns path, they are wonderful, I love the version of Blackeyed daisies here in the states, they are medium in size but grow tall in bunches. Stopping by from UBC. Thank you for sopping by as well.
    Karren Haller

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    1. I think all daisies do that along with sunflowers. They take the most out of the sun's rays.

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  8. I love how flowers move to face the sun. We just need a little more sunshine!

    Have a great A to Z month!

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    1. The sun has shone here near London all day. It temped me outside to hang out the sheets. But a chilling wind blew away any promised warmth. That's what I long for.

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  9. Hi Francene,
    This is really new to me,
    the picture is lovely too
    Best Regards
    Ann

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  10. Hang in there Francene, summer is coming.
    I do love the wildflower fields, they are a mass of colour and movement.
    (Let's not think about what hides beneath ... heh heh)

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    1. The best plan would be to just look--don't walk over the growth. hehe.

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  11. I would love to have a wilder lawn, but hubby is all about the grass. So is our HOA, so we have to follow the rules. Plus, I do have to remind myself that tall natural grasses would hide rattlesnakes, so I'm torn. However, I did convince hubby to leave my morning glories and wild sunflowers alone. So now I have my own "weeds" that make me happy, and he just mows around them. :D I once scattered flower seeds over the lawn to see if any would take, but they didn't.

    Shannon at The Warrior Muse

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    1. A perfect compromise. And an excellent example of ballance between you. ;-)

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