Wild Flowers Blooming in Bama

 About four years ago some sort of purple thistle appeared on the farm. They are quite spectacular and grow six feet tall in the fields.  The blooms eventually turn white, producing whispy white seeds much like dandelions do.  On a windy day they will catch a breeze and float away for miles.

 Since my father is not living here now,  the front field has not been cut so the thistle is having a fine time being free to reach its full potential without any fear of mowing machines.

 Don't get too close.  Those little thorny things on the stems can stick you.

 This is a strange little blue wild flower that comes up in the same spot every year. I see them in many country gardens here but no one has ever told me their name. They only bloom for a couple of weeks but can put on a nice show while doing so.

 These aren't wild flowers; they are my grandmother's oxalis.  She had them in her yard as far back as I can remember and probably got them from her mother.  


They would spread out into the yard and Raymond her yard man would mow over them.  In a couple of days, little pink blooms would shoot right back up. 


They form bulbs and spread everywhere (some gardening books say they spread just like weeds and have a low opinion of them). But to me they remind me of my grandmother along with iris and canna lillies.   


Any of my loyal readers want some free bulbs just let me know and I"ll send you a box.

 Ah, buttercups.  " Want to smell my flower?" was the children's game with buttercups.   Then the unsuspecting victim gets a nose full of buttery pollen inside and out.   


You can also see in the upper left the purple vetch that can take over an entire field in one year if left unattended.

 This is an eighty gallon iron cook pot that was left on the place when my grandfather moved his family here in 1928. 


 On the bottom is  A J Sperry Batavia Illinois.   I wrote a letter to their historical society and received a nice reply saying that this particular piece was made about 1878.   


The green stuff floating on top is duck weed,  a water plant.  I was coming back from New Orleans about 20 years ago and saw it in a creek on the side of  the road so I stopped and  quickly scooped out a cup full ( I said quickly because the whole time I was thinking that  a gator might come out from under it and get me) .  


It has managed to stick around since then.  I don't know how it travels, but if you have some in the back yard and fill a bucket with water in the front yard, chances are it will be found growing there in a few days.

Well, all that walking around making pictures has made me tired, so I will just sit on the front porch a while and watch the weeds ( flowers)  grow.