5550 KTRS Inside Out Show Saturday July 30th Plant of the Week Joe Pye Weed, Eutrochim purpureum.
At the risk of seeming repetitious, I did discuss on the show for a second week in a row, the struggle homeowners have when purchasing a plant with the name weed in its title. How encouraging is it to be buying a plant that already has been called a weed?
In reality, Eutrochim purpureum is a very nice plant. It produces bundles of muted rose blossoms in multiple “plus size” bouquets.
I feel this eupatorium has better structurally than the wild blue flowering boneset as it is primarily upright in a fun sun average soil site. It is also significantly less rampant than the “oh no, its everywhere, its everywhere”, aggressive reseeding white flowering eupatorium.
This mid- late summer perennial has fairly clean green foliage and attractively arranged leaves on upright, and sometimes rather stout sturdy stems.
I have pondered the “use” value of this “flowering food bar” for butterflies and this is a “weed” that has won a deserving position in the garden.
Like the rest of us, there is always decisions to make when reality gardening. For me this plants request a small time commitment. When using it in a limited space, it does require a quick and painless (for me) shearing of the easy to reach flower heads. This control method in early fall easily offsets its strong habitat contribution. This method of controlling reseeding is for me a useful management decision. When I have properly timed, it has opened the door to enjoying many plants that suffer from a “weedy reputation”.
Side Note: The “G” Factor
Most years there seems to be some plant or plants that flourishes despite (or because) of the weather. I don’t always notice the thread of commonality until the season begins to draw to an end.
This year was no exception except how early I have taken note of the persistent, the rugged, the recovering and oh so visible durable, the plants that have what I call the “G” factor.
At first it was difficult to define them beyond “great”. As the weather, the clouds, the rain, the sun, the heat, the humidity, the drought, I waited to see what would be significant, what would remain, would anything survive, much less start to shine?
But in each season, there were plants that performed. I could hardly believe all the flowers that did hold, the seedlings that took root and fruit that formed. Despite everything, my fears had to fade as the “significantly showy” started to shine.
And the, like other years, there was the “oh that is so sweet” and the “who are you?” (And where did you come?) And admittedly, “oh I forgot but now I remember you”. I can’t seem to recall any other year as filled with so many variables that left such a visible effect on my heart.
And then I realized what the “G” Factor is. It’s not for “grow”, (some things did and some things didn’t, I know I did). It’s not for great (some things were but some were “so not”. I still have a hard time seeing the good in the loss of my sister, but I have to say there has been some things that might not have happened otherwise) the “g” is a “G”, I am sure; it is the “God” Factor.
Every year, every season, every event, every success and even hardship, opens my eyes, opens the door, tests me, shows me what is good. It is God who hardening the plants as it hardens me and makes me strong, cleaning my heart as the rain. God makes every thing, and everything that happens for me so I can come to know and recognize, Him, and so in my prayers, I can only ask to be included like my favorite plants, humble evidence of the “G” Factor!
Forever blessed,
… Re
At the risk of seeming repetitious, I did discuss on the show for a second week in a row, the struggle homeowners have when purchasing a plant with the name weed in its title. How encouraging is it to be buying a plant that already has been called a weed?
In reality, Eutrochim purpureum is a very nice plant. It produces bundles of muted rose blossoms in multiple “plus size” bouquets.
I feel this eupatorium has better structurally than the wild blue flowering boneset as it is primarily upright in a fun sun average soil site. It is also significantly less rampant than the “oh no, its everywhere, its everywhere”, aggressive reseeding white flowering eupatorium.
This mid- late summer perennial has fairly clean green foliage and attractively arranged leaves on upright, and sometimes rather stout sturdy stems.
I have pondered the “use” value of this “flowering food bar” for butterflies and this is a “weed” that has won a deserving position in the garden.
Like the rest of us, there is always decisions to make when reality gardening. For me this plants request a small time commitment. When using it in a limited space, it does require a quick and painless (for me) shearing of the easy to reach flower heads. This control method in early fall easily offsets its strong habitat contribution. This method of controlling reseeding is for me a useful management decision. When I have properly timed, it has opened the door to enjoying many plants that suffer from a “weedy reputation”.
Side Note: The “G” Factor
Most years there seems to be some plant or plants that flourishes despite (or because) of the weather. I don’t always notice the thread of commonality until the season begins to draw to an end.
This year was no exception except how early I have taken note of the persistent, the rugged, the recovering and oh so visible durable, the plants that have what I call the “G” factor.
At first it was difficult to define them beyond “great”. As the weather, the clouds, the rain, the sun, the heat, the humidity, the drought, I waited to see what would be significant, what would remain, would anything survive, much less start to shine?
But in each season, there were plants that performed. I could hardly believe all the flowers that did hold, the seedlings that took root and fruit that formed. Despite everything, my fears had to fade as the “significantly showy” started to shine.
And the, like other years, there was the “oh that is so sweet” and the “who are you?” (And where did you come?) And admittedly, “oh I forgot but now I remember you”. I can’t seem to recall any other year as filled with so many variables that left such a visible effect on my heart.
And then I realized what the “G” Factor is. It’s not for “grow”, (some things did and some things didn’t, I know I did). It’s not for great (some things were but some were “so not”. I still have a hard time seeing the good in the loss of my sister, but I have to say there has been some things that might not have happened otherwise) the “g” is a “G”, I am sure; it is the “God” Factor.
Every year, every season, every event, every success and even hardship, opens my eyes, opens the door, tests me, shows me what is good. It is God who hardening the plants as it hardens me and makes me strong, cleaning my heart as the rain. God makes every thing, and everything that happens for me so I can come to know and recognize, Him, and so in my prayers, I can only ask to be included like my favorite plants, humble evidence of the “G” Factor!
Forever blessed,
… Re
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