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Sunday, July 18, 2010

WEEDS


Where I was born marigolds are like weeds.
Hence the name french marigolds.
They would grow in the shallow cracks of  river beds near
where my Aunt and Uncle lived.
We would walk by them on our way into town.

When I was young I never much paid attention to them.
 It wasn't until I was older that I realized people planted these
and was awoken to the image in my mind and the memory of that pungent smell.
The colors of Provence are vibrant but often with a hint of antiquity.
A warm worn look that says I've been here awhile....
and I'm here to stay.

Here in the US we have equally beautiful weeds.
among them....

Queen Anne's Lace
I admire them everytime I drive down our sideroad when I come to work.



Usually by now this area is weed whipped but since a fence had been put up it seemed
George had forgotten about it.
They had a chance to grow.
I had hoped to photograph the Chicory (Cichorium intybus) that was flowering....
but I was there too late.

.
( this image is from the web)
read more about flowering weeds


Can you tell what this is???
while playing around I really liked the colors and though I rarely show the
crazy stuff I come up with I thought I would this one time.
It reminds me of a tapestry.


Anyways this is what it really is.... a train.
Yes we are near the tracks.
On the wrong side.
But, you knew that one already:)))

It's loud at time but you get used to it.
Last yr Amtrak worked on them extensively and everytime a train would pass they would
blow their whistle..choo choo!
 but  very longggggg choo choo's
It resounded all thru the town....the towns people were not too happy
but they had to do it. I had one lady say to me in a  huff.
"We just moved here and it's going to lower our property value"
OMG
I just laughed.
What could I say?
Yes maybe you should move!
but I didn't.
The train doesn't bother me at all.
In fact, the kids love to see it go by.
Fathers put their kids on their shoulders so they can get a better look.


The black eyed susans amongst the weeds to me just are the best!


The very best part is I can enjoy them just doing there thing without tending to them.
No watering,
No feeding,
No weeding,
Heaven!

If you want to be mesmerized by more Queen Anne's Lace
go and visit Erin's
Gorgeous blog
You'll be happy you did!!!!!!!


27 comments:

Unknown said...

What a beautiful garden. I love your photographs of each garden scene.
Karen

Laura @ 52 FLEA said...

My favorites...Queen Anne's Lace and chicory...together they say summer!
Pretty post...love your tapestry!
Good night...heading home in the morning...
:) Laura

Rust: Vintage Inspired Design said...

Queen Anne's Lace has always been one of my favorite flowere....beautiful shots. Don't know if it is such my eyes playing tricks on me, but did you notice the lacey pattern in the road in your 3rd pic?! So pretty!
Happy day!
xojanis

June said...

Carole I do love a flowering weed. Especailly Queen Anne's Lace! I also adore Indian Piantbrush and some of the wild lupine that grow here. Your weeds where you live certainly look like lovely plants to me.
I love the sound of a train whistle. Especially at night. I always wished that I lived in a town where a train traveled through. You really are blessed you know?!
To answer your question. It did get to 91 degrees one day this week. The hottest day we have had yet. It has been in the high seventies and low eighties mostly though. It is a very cool year. However we rarely get hot here, because of it being 5000 ft in elevation. Last Summer and the Summer before last, was the hottest we've ever had. This year is cooler than most, so everything is late here because of it. Can you believe that we had to build a fire in our woodstove last Sunday? It had gotten so cold during the night (52 degrees)and I don't do cold well. LOL! The sad thing is that we will probably get Fall right on time this year and I will be building fires all the time.
hugs

oldgreymare said...

Carole,

great minds..how funny that you and Erin would both post about Queen Anne's lace.

I am always homesick, 36 years now, can that even be called homesick? anyway....you two always make it worse and better. Worse because I miss it so, and better because it stirs up all those good memories...so keep it coming!

xxx
z

A New England Life said...

I want Queen Anne's Lace in my garden! Is that wrong? It's growing everywhere and I just love it!

Chickory is what the blue flowers are called, huh? My husband pulled one right out of the middle of our front yard the other day. The only weed growing, and about a foot or so high. I thought it was pretty just not in our front yard ; )

Maura @ Kisiwa Creek Photography said...

Hello Laura! I'd love some Queen Anne's Lace in my future garden...it's such a delicate looking blossom. I'm sure it's tough if it's a weed though. I love your photo's...just wonderful! Before we moved to the farm a year ago we had moved from the city to a beautiful old Victorian on the edge of a small farming town. It wasn't long after moving in that we discovered that the trains that went by blew their horns at the crossing half a block away. Most of the engineers were good but I swear one fellow must have been getting even with an ex wife or something because he would LAY on that horn every time he'd go through our town!! We got used to it...sort of. When we moved to the farm 9 months later I was disappointed to be able to hear the train that was 5 miles away from us when the wind was from the north...I thought we were done with trains!!Anyway...I still love trains..but I'm glad they're in the distance ;) Thanks for sharing your beautiful photo's with us...have a wonderful week! :)

erin's art and gardens said...

carole!! i'm just reading along and admiring your prettiness and the coincidence of our queen anne's lace posts...and thinking "great minds think alike"...AND then i see my name! you are too sweet!!! thank you darling. not sure about "mesmerizing", but i surely appreciate the compliment! you are always too good to me.
hugs!
erin
btw...being on the "wrong side of the tracks" is more fun!

Faded Charm said...

Beautiful photos! I also was playing around this evening and took some shots of some flowers in my garden.

Hope you had a wonderful weekend.

Kathleen

Draffin Bears said...

Hi Carole,

I loved seeing all your pretty flowers, and love wild flowers, that seem to just come up.
Queen Anne's Lace and chicory, always make a pretty show.

Happy week
Hugs
Carolyn

Sissie's Shabby Cottage said...

I think Queen Annes Lace is such a lovely flower.
We use to live next to a train track and after awhile you get used to the sound. I actually liked it. You didn't have to worry about neighbors in your backyard!

Lovely post.

hugs
Sissie

Rebecca said...

Hi Carole
The Queen Annes lace this year has been wonderful! It is thick along the road to the shop and I always want to stop and cut some but never take the time...something to be said for that! My whole back yard this year is weeds but not the flowering kind! Just have been nuts lately with everything going on... I am closing my shop and hope to have it down by the end of the month. I just can't hang on any longer...
Hope you have a wonderful week
Blessings
Rebecca

Sueann said...

I love the Queen Anne's Lace!!! We have it here up in the mountains too...it is just a little smaller but still delicately beautiful!
Love your photos!! You can't beat wild flowers!
And I love watching trains too!!
Hugs
SueAnn

Rosemary said...

You certainly have some pretty weeds!!
Have a great week!
xo,
Rosemary

Anonymous said...

The garden I'm putting in around the house is all wildflowers. Like you said... no watering,
no feeding, no weeding, Heaven! Now if I can just keep the bunny from eating the blossoms before they bloom, I'm be a very happy gardener! :)
Thanks for the gorgeous eye-candy, Carole!!!

Unknown said...

Hi Carole! You have all the same beautiful weeds that we have here...I love them and they are all over the place near my home!!! Marigolds always remind me of my dad because he has planted them every year since I can remember :) I tried the vanilla ones this year and really like them!

Hugs ~

:) T

Jacqueline @ HOME said...

Oh Carole,
There is nothing prettier than Queen Anne's Lace ....... I'm afraid that I am guilty of picking an armful and putting it in a great big white jug. I only do it once and pick it from where there is lots of it ! I shouldn't really as, if everyone did it, there wouldn't be any left to enjoy !!..... although, I don't dig it up !! That would be going too far.
Your photographs are wonderful and I love the one of the train that you 'customised'. I can see why you loved it.
I like the thought of the train going by. It always reminds me of 'The Railway Children' and my Grandmother's house, where the train steamed and whistled it's way by and my sister and I and our cousins used to wave like mad.
My sister has planted a meadow drift at the bottom of her garden, with wildflowers. It really does look lovely.
I really enjoyed your 'weedy' post Carole. XXXX

Heaven's Walk said...

Carole - funny that you should blog about Queen Anne's Lace today! I've been really noticing them lately on my morning jogs growing wildly next to the pretty blue chicory. And Hubby actually brought some home for me clutched in his fist yesterday. :) I believe it's the prettiest weed out there!

xoxo laurie@heavens-walk

Evi said...

With these weeds, who needs hybrids!
Looooooooooove the Queen Anns Lace. You know, this is Paulas favorite flower. My weeds right now are not so pretty, and I wish I had the energy to get rid of them. It is just too hot!
The rain last night will help them along too. Oh well, waiting for cooler weather.........
Hugs, Evi

www.MaisonStGermain.com said...

Another beautiful post:) The photo of the train does look like a tapistry. We used to pick Queen Anns Lace and up them in a jar of colored water and watch the flower turn blue. Hope you are enjoying your week:)
~Debra
Blog: Capers of the vintage vixens

Anne Lorys said...

Absolutely lovely, Carole!

Have a wonderful Thursday!
Hugs,
Anne

Debra@CommonGround said...

Carole, I love this kind of garden, "the Master's Garden" it contains some of the most beautiful! I loved hearing about the train and your property, sounds wonderful!
xo,
Debra

Shannon Fricke said...

So gorgeous. Has inspired me to spend the weekend in my country garden. thank you for the inspiration!

MJ Ornaments said...

Beautiful flowers Carole, I especially love Queen Anne's Lace. :)
Take care,
Martha

Luiza said...

They are wonderful, Carole!

Wish you a wonderful weekend!
Hugs/
Luiza

Pansy Cottage Girl said...

Hi Carole~ All the pictures are just lovely. Make me want to garden!

Tallulah's Antique Closet said...

I dont mind a couple of weeds in the garden I dicovered a neat weeed thad is kind of a tralier with white flowers and is drought tolerant. This is the second year I had let them take off. Thanks for stopping by for a visit......Julian