Dig?

Adventures of a surly urban gardener and the guerrilla tactics she uses to fight crime and infestations in a community garden and her own backyard.

Wednesday, July 19, 2006

WTF Wednesday, 1st Edition

I just moved to the Chicago region. My finace and I bought a dear little cottage that has been beautifully landscaped.

The only problem is that I have no clue what most things are, because I did my early gardening in a mid-Atlantic state.*

So I've decided to start a game - I'll call it 'WTF Wednesday.' Most weeks, I will try to post a photo of a plant that I do not know what it is, probably from my yard or garden plot, but I may take photos around Chicago if the mood so strikes me. Sorry to say, there are no prizes. You just get the personal satisfaction of having helped a fellow dirt grubber get to know who lives in her yard.

Let's get started.

This plant is ~3' tall and appears to grow alone or with one or two others. Here's its flower, which is in bloom now (mid-July):
WTF 1.1

Here's its leaf:
WTF 1.2: Leaf Detail

Thanks for playing.


* For example, it took a lot of Google-ing to figure out that this is Lady's (Ladies) Mantle (Mantel). Right?
Right??
Ladies Mantle

2 Comments:

At 8:37 AM, Blogger Jeanne said...

It might be Queen-of-the-Prairie
(Filipendula rubra). What zone is Chicago, anyway?

 
At 11:33 AM, Blogger Kathy said...

I majored in wildlife biology in college, but most of my botany knowledge has seeped out of my brain.

Have you bought a plant key? They're different from field guides and better (imho). You start with questions like: Is the plant green? As you answer questions about leaves, stems, etc., you should end up with what it is.

I had a key from when I lived in Michigan, but finally tossed it when I moved 6 months ago. Darn! I would have sent it to you. It's useless for Colorado.

 

Post a Comment

<< Home