Monday, July 14, 2008

The Will to Survive

On my almost daily jaunt down to the corner store, I pass a closed automotive repair shop. This place has been closed for about 4 years and is looking pretty ratty about now. The raised planters in the front used to contain a decent if not spectacular selection of perennials and shrubs when someone was there to take care of them. But since the closure the poor plants have been on their own and are slowly dying off. The railroad ties that hold the planter together have been bumped by numerous cars and are falling apart while the soil is totally dry and full of weeds and yet..... this Datura manages to survive and bloom every year. Each summer I think of coming back at night with my trowel and pail and bringing it home with me, but I know that if I try it, I'll kill it. So I'll just enjoy it while on my walks until someone else thinks they would like it in their garden and sneaks back in the dead of night to leave a gaping hole for me to see. So I decided to take a picture now even though the bloom hasn't fully opened because it just might be my last chance. This datura is white.


This is a picture of a purple datura that I started from seed a few years ago. Mine never came up the following year. I guess mine didn't have that survival instinct.

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm not familiar with that plant. What kind of flower? Maybe you could get some seed and start your own. Middle sis

flydragon said...

I already have started these from seeds. I'm going to revise this post and add a datura flower that I had a few years ago

Anonymous said...

I think you need to 'save' this plant! (For one that can manage to 'break into' a locked room, that shouldn't be any problem.) Really, though. I suggest you save it because I felt bad about wanting to 'steal' some poppies because no one was taking care of them. By the time I got nerve enough to dig some up, there were so many weeds, it was almost impossible, and they didn't make it through the transplanting. So, I think the datura would thank you for taking it home:-) You can always say, my sisternan told me to do it--which should come easily to you!

SisterNan

flydragon said...

Are you trying to say that I'm a burglar, a thief, and quick to blame others for my mis-deeds? I'll wait until it's done flowering, (it has a few more buds) and then "save" it.

Nunya said...

doesn't this one get a seed pod type of thingie?

also, btw - this is toxic.

i think you really want it because of it's a hallucinogenic (aka "jimson weed").

flydragon said...

How do you suppose they get around the toxic part to get to the hallucinogenic part? Just asking, no reason, just curious.

Nunya said...

i'm not sure why you think i know the answer to that.

you could do a little internet research if you're thinking of giving it a try!

Harley said...

Appreciate this blogg post