The weather this spring has been wonky. It stayed cold longer than usual and when the sun decided to make an appearance, early May was more like late August.
Then the tropics began to change the atmosphere. This past weekend was seasonal. We took that as a sign.
Heading to Lowe's, we loaded down two carts full of plants. When all the charges were tallied and I swiped my credit card, the lights dimmed. I could have sworn I heard a cheer from the back office. I'm guessing we single-handedly help the corporation hit a sales target for the quarter.
One of the flowers we bought was flowering moss. I love that plant. I learned about it before I started to school. My great-grandmother Liddy Watson had flowering moss on the porch of her tarpaper shack.
The house itself would be condemned this day and time, but she kept that little house spotless. And her yard would have made Southern Living photographers giddy. She would have made fun of people who "bought flower or garden seed." Everything in her garden and flower beds were heirloom flowers she'd had since before WWI.
Between the posts were homemade hanging baskets made from car tires. The bottom part of the tire was left which is where she planted the flower flowers, but the top half of the tire had been cut away leaving just the inner ring which she used to hang the flowers. Some people these days call those redneck flower pots. That may be true, but filled with flower moss cascading over the edges with blossoms that look like bubblegum, I think the "redneck flower pots" are beautiful and I wish I had some to hang on my porch.
Our plants haven't started blooming yet, but when they do, they are prolific. It may be one of my favorites.
The picture below is one I shot last summer.
The nursery where I buy my flowers has it's big clearing out sale around Father's Day. I've been getting plants and planting up a storm already but then I love to go and get a flower bargain! I don't think I've heard of flowering moss but it sure looks pretty! Your Great-Grandma would be proud of you!
ReplyDeleteJust beautiful.
ReplyDeleteSpending money in and on the garden is one of our weaknesses too. A big weakness.
Your lovely flowers looks like portulaca. I used to start them from seeds and they grew in a dry area. I never heard it called Flowering Moss. Your great grandma was very wise. Maybe you got your love of flowers from her.
ReplyDeleteHugs, Julia
I googled it & flowering moss IS portulaca!!
DeleteMy mom always had those flowers and she called the moss roses and they would come back again and again every year. She had them planted in the ground and not in a pot. I'm hoping to get some sales on flowers now that Memorial Day has come and gone. They are beautiful, but expensive.
ReplyDeleteWe call them moss roses. My mother always had them in the yard somewhere.
ReplyDeleteSo beautiful. Now I must also head to Home Depot. Need to find 3 plants that can take our ridiculous heat and sun.
ReplyDelete