One treat this week, at home in Taos, has been to see things green and flowering. The flora and fauna were still in quiet repose when I left here on May 7. Anila (my friend who lives with us) has taken complete charge of all things related to gardening here at our place, which is no small feat. Amazingly, she has a garden flourishing outdoors, complete with corn. This is no small feat at our elevation of just a hair under 8,000 ft.
Early in the week, we discovered cutworms happily devouring the leaves of the Beet that Ate Taos. This is a volunteer that popped up last fall in our greenhouse, and was given no major attention all winter. At one point, Mr. Sunflower and I decided it was having such a happy time, we'd just leave it to see what would become of it. Well, this photo is the result. This big girl weighed in at 10.75 lbs.! I wonder what it could have been, had not the cutworms had their way with it?
Yesterday we visited Monte's house, down in town and in yet another one of our many micro climates. We discovered this Lamb's Ear plant gone haywire. These velvety stems reach to a good 5 feet into the air. This was just a wee plant she brought home from the nursery a couple of years ago. No one she has shown it to has ever seen such a happy Lamb's Ear plant. Any feedback from you on this one???
Last, but not least...I am headed back to California today, with a happy tummy full of green and red chile. I met my goal! Chile for lunch all five days I was here in Taos.
Life truly is good. Have a great weekend!
4 comments:
I've never seen a beet that huge nor a lambs ear that big! Whatever you have in the soil must be better than worm poop!! I have finally managed to cultivate a small patch of lambs ear and really have to baby it! Enjoyed seeing that beauty of your neighbors!
Cathy G
Cathy: Your note cracked me up. The beet was grown in a greenhouse, so the dirt was pretty good, but Monte's lamb's ear is growing in little more than desert dirt...wish I'd measured the circumference of the plant, it was way bigger than it looks in this photo. Maybe she planted it on some strange Taos vortex!!! (ha ha ha)
I'll give you my opinion, Marty. In Missouri we have those plants that you call lambs ear. It is considered a weed here and we call it mullein. "Our" lambs ear has lavender flowers. I have seen this mullein on the roadside six feet tall.
Tammy from skiptomyewe has hooked it into her garden series rugs. Her blog is on my sidebar.
Hope this helps!!
Sheri
Sheri: That is SO interesting. We have mullein in the mountains, but it's not quite as soft as this baby. I'll pass your note on to Monte. Thanks for the identification!
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