Carolina Rose seems like a strange name for the New York State flower but that is the reality. Now more than ever before the actions undertaken by politicians seem to be devoid of logic or general benefit. Monetary donations to campaign funds appears to be the ruling force. How that factor influenced the selection of our State Flower remains a complete mystery.
We found this native plant growing along the fence line separating our land from our neighbors. We secured his permission to dig on his land if necessary. As it turned out, the desired plant was totally on our land. A single pink flower carrying a deliciously sweet scent is this rose's claim to fame. We are pleased to have it in our garden but it deserves a better location.
This close up shows both the prickly surface of the red rose hips and the long thin sharp thorns that line the stems. These thorns pass through gloves or sleeves with ease delivering a painful stab. We need a location for this plant that is far away from routine cultivation. Hand weeding under this plant is always painful. That is why that task is seldom completed. We are still searching for a good spot for this plant so it remains in a nursery bed. Actually, most of the original plant has spread into the nearby stone path where it attacks lower legs. Beauty often comes with a price and in this case the price is pain.
Sumac is a more docile plant that is held in general disregard. These trees are short lived and messy. We have this trash tree defining our shade garden near the road. At this time of year its red leaves are stunning. During the summer they provide a shade cover that appears to be tropical. Soon both the leaves and the stems that hold them will drop to the ground. The fallen leaves are not a problem but the tangle of cast off stems is messy. Since we plant under these trees raking up the mess is out of the question. What is required is some quiet time under the trees picking up individual stems. That is not a bad way to spend some quiet outside on warm blue skies days. We also get to check on the progress of recent transplants.
1 comment:
I'm always sad when I hear that the Sumac is considered a trash tree. We have one bordering our driveway that performs the way you mention, but as you say it's not really a big deal to pick up the branches and leaves when they fall. And they are so beautiful--especially in the fall. We've pruned ours dramatically several times, and it's survived at least for the 18 years we've lived here. It would be sad to see it perish now. The rose hips on your rose are beautiful!
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