Can We Talk 2

Rose of Sharon

         If there is a shrub you can't destroy or harm, this is it. It has a lovely flower and comes in several colors. I only have one. But they reproduce faster than rabbits. The pods fall off or get blown by the wind and grow where ever they land. You can prune it back severely without hurting it or stunting its growth.

         I spent the afternoon on my creaky old knees pulling up new seedlings from its base. I don't need a thicket of them. They do attract birds and butterflies and bees. They grow tall and will intertwine with other trees or shrubs. They take almost as much time and energy as the more exotic flowers. At least the deer don't eat these.

         Last year I had a big pot near one of these shrubs. I planted zinnia seeds in it. They were old seeds, so I didn't expect to see them come up. When I got these tall plants, I knew they were zinnias, but I didn't know what they were. Finally, a guest looked it up on her phone ap and told me. So my niece is going to take them. I don't need more. That was a learning experience for me. I had never seen them do that before. I think my Dad just hoed up that flower bed as usual and took out all the seedlings without knowing it, or at lest he didn't tell me about it.

         Grow them if you think they're pretty, but be prepared to keep them under control or let them go wild and take over.