I Love Plants

 
Just in case you didn't know it already, I love plants. Plants that are in bloom are a special treat, but I'll take 'em in any old stage.

Here are two more from Loda Lake. First is a pink lady slipper orchid in bud.



Followed by one of the many Galium or bedstraw. They all have rather insignificant white flowers later in the summer. I have trouble remembering which is which without my book. This one has six leaves in most of the whorls, and it was completely smooth. That leads me to the conclusion that it is fragrant bedstraw, Galium triflorum.



Did you know that one of my ridiculous personal goals is to be able to recognize any wild plant in the northeastern US in any season? Quite possibly impossible, but I might as well aim high. I really need to work on those Galium. I think there are two of them that I really know without the book.

Now lets come home to my flower gardens. They are pretty pathetic. Lousy soil, neglect, no budget for improvement. Pretty much the plan is that whatever agrees to live gets to stay!

Here is fleeceflower. It was a freebie a number of years ago. Not particularly exciting, but still living.



The blue behind it is Ajuga or bugleweed. It's pretty much a ground cover staple. This was bronze Ajuga when I got it, which means the leaves were purpleish-brown. It's pretty much reverted to regular. Quite successful... I have to rip a bunch out each year or it will crowd everything out.



Here's the biggest shocker of the bunch. I paid real money for this Japanese painted fern about 20 years ago. Most everything I paid money for is dead or so small it's hard to find. This should be. They are supposed to be fussy and want a particular kind of environment and blah, blah. I don't think it should be happy where it is. But every year, there it is again! Works for me.



The good news is that I have the entire front flower bed by the house weeded. Incidentally, all bets are off when it comes to knowing all the garden plants available. There are simply too many varieties of ornamentals for me to learn them all.

	See Michigan's Common Orchid
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