Thursday, July 12, 2012

Wildflower or Weed?


Like many other states, we have been in a heat wave and a drought. Few of my flowers are blooming. The ones that are blooming look wilted and faded.
One day this week I decided to walk to the cotton field "out back", passing by the log house. To my surprise I found numerous clumps of these pretty yellow flowers in front of the structure, bright spots on the otherwise dry, brown grass.

It's not like I've never seen them before. They grow wild on a lot of the ditches and road sides. I've always enjoyed them. . . .even though farmers consider them weeds and plan major attacks against them.

But, that day it was like I saw the bright yellow blooms for the first time.
That day they looked a lot more like flowers than weeds to me. . . .


I had my camera, so I headed that direction--before the sun got too hot.


Dragonflies must have been enjoying the beauty, too. . .
They were swarming all around. . ..


A little research and I found that these wildflowers are native to Arkansas.
They are called Golden Tickseed and come from the aster family.
They are considered a flowering plant from seed. . . .but can get weedy.


Looking at them closer, I began to think, 
"Wouldn't a whole field of these be beautiful?"


 I've tried for years to have flower gardens at the farm. I've spent lots of time and money on plants that I like, only to watch them wither and die during our long, hot summers. So, I've decided to go with whatever is hardy enough to withstand the harsh conditions of open, unshaded, unprotected land.
It seems these Golden Tickseed fit the bill.
They don't mind poor soil.
They are drought and heat resistant.
They bloom all summer.
Perfect. . . .

 No more mowing them down. No more weed killer.
Hopefully, by next year we'll have a blanket of yellow behind our house to enjoy during those hot summer months.


Wildflower or Weed?
I guess it's all in the eyes of the beholder. . . .farmer or not. . . .
I see FLOWERS. . . .

Sharing this post with: *Garden Party @ Fishtail Cottage

18 comments:

Anne said...

Beautiful!Weed or no weed those are lovely.Nothing not even a dandelion is growing here.It is so sad.So brown and sad.All we can do is water what we need to just to keep things alive.
((((Hugs)))
Anne

Unknown said...

I love this post! I feel the same way about Queen Anne's Lace. Although I don't let it grown everywhere, I do let a few go in the summer when everything else starts to die back because of the heat and dry conditions and they serve as a good filler. A place down the road has their whole front yard in wildflowers that bloom in succession so they have color all year when even the perennials aren't looking so good.

Old Time Cindy said...

I did a post ages ago asking everyone if they thought dandelions were weeds or flowers. It's interesting to hear everyone's opinion. I think your plant is a beautiful flower, of course. :)

Carolyn said...

I think there is nothing more beautiful then seeing a field of wild flowers, so I say, let them go and grow!

Laurel Stephens said...

I enjoyed this post so much. Hiking through the dry sagebrush in the hills around my home and seeing beautiful blooming wild flowers perfectly adapted to their harsh conditions has taught me to reconsider the entire concept of what a weed is. I'm slowly replacing the plantings I've been struggling with in my own yard with the area-appropriate ones I see on my hikes. I'm learning to accept that no matter how much water and fertilizer I dump on my yard, I still live in a hot dry desert. I hope you'll share photos of your field of yellow flowers next year.

Heide at ApronHistory said...

Lol! We always have this discussion in our house becasue everyone such different garden styles. Cottage/wildflower look versus tidy/formal look.
They are very pretty, especially this year. I have heard the name before but I don't remember ever having seen them.

Cat Nap Inn Primitives said...

they are beautiful and I love the back drop of something old and weathered...would rather have them, then the dreaded dandilion..;) thanks for sharing the beauty where you live.;)

simplicityinthemaking said...

Flower! A Native one!

Patricia @ 9th and Denver said...

I say *wildflower*... :D

they are so pretty and you captured them perfectly.
Pat

Coloring Outside the Lines said...

Looks like a beautiful flower to me!

Sam I Am...... said...

Just what I've been looking for....native plants for AR as the ones I've been trying are dying! LOL!
Could you save some seeds and I will send you the postage and SASE? Else I can look on the internet (where would we be without the WWW?) and see if I can find some. I love them and those colors would be great in my yard. I wish they'd take over my yard so I could get rid of this Bermuda Grass!LOL! They are such pretty colors and so cute how could anyone ever think they were a weed? You're right, it's all in the eye of the beholder!

Grandma Barb's This and That said...

I would say this is a beautiful wildflower. I love the picture with it against the old wood and the dragon fly that you captured.

Have a Daily Cup of Mrs. Olson said...

Oh Dru we look at things the same in so many ways. I think that they are beautiful and I would let them sow all around your farm. The yellow is so striking next to the old wood. I love many flowers that a lot of people consider weeds. I often wonder who determined the dadelion to be a weed. After all, an entire field of them is quite breathtaking.
Hugs,
Jann

Mimi@blueroofcabin said...

Well now that is a great attitude! I think they are pretty. I decided to just go with it myself and I seem to have an awful lot of ground covers now. Oh and ivy lol.

Debra said...

They are beautiful! Of course they are a flower !:)

It's like PHLOX...Tall Phlox grows as a 'wildflower' or "weed" in my area...western PA OR you can go buy a different variety at a plant nursery but either way they are gorgeous ...

andrea@townandprairie said...

Whatever you label it, it pairs beautifully with the weathered wood box!

Larry said...

These are spectacular photos... Larry

Fishtail Cottage said...

I wouldn't say these beauties are a weed....i love the photo's of the blooms in front of the barn wood....so pretty! thank you for linking up to Fishtail Cottage's Garden Party this week. I'm looking out my window again today and only see rain....xoox, tracie

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