The big news of the day is that our Chinese lantern plant is not dead, as we had feared. I'm not sure I ever wrote about this, but we've had terrible luck growing Chinese lanterns. We lost two plants in two consecutive years -- one we planted at the wrong time and one got demolished by slugs (or something). Our third attempt seemed to flourish until last August or September, when it abruptly turned yellow and then brown and wilted away.
I knew they died back in the fall, but August seemed too early. Still, we left the pot alone all winter to see what would happen. I was already thinking about what else I could plant there, but lo and behold, yesterday I found lots of little sprigs coming up. Not only isn't the Chinese lantern dead, it seems to have grown underground all winter. It's much bigger now. Hopefully we'll get some lanterns this year.
I finished "Unsheltered" yesterday. I've heard people criticize Barbara Kingsolver for being preachy about economic issues and climate change, but I didn't find that to be a problem at all. Of course, I agree with her 100 percent. Maybe if I didn't I'd feel differently. I'm now tackling David Wallace-Wells' "The Uninhabitable Earth," which delves deeply into climate change and is probably going to be a downer, to put it mildly.
(Photo: Creative cable storage on our high street.)
There's nothing like a little light reading to get you off to sleep. Have you read "Fifty Shades of Grey" by E.L.James? I suspect you'd love it. Turn one page and you're already snoring.
ReplyDeleteI'll be interested in your report on The Uninhabitable Earth. Not sure if I can read it or not. I seem to be retreating from the news again lately, and that book sounds like more sadness than I can handle right now.
ReplyDeleteI hope your Chinese lanterns do well - they are such a lovely plant. My mother always had them in her garden until recently, and I associate them with her and her green thumb.
At first that photo looked like an untidy spider :D
Chinese lanterns have always been one of my very favorite plants. Not sure why, but I remember them fondly from my childhood. Don't you also get a pretty bloom ahead of the fascinating lantern part.
ReplyDeleteHaven't read Kingsolver for a while, but always enjoyed her.
For the life of me I don't know if I've ever seen a Chinese lantern plant. Is that possible? Although I have seen something growing by the road that looks a bit like that.
ReplyDeleteThe Kingsolver book was a good one, wasn't it? It was a very fine reminder of how we can let things go for the benefit of all, even babies, I suppose. That part was a bit sad but I think it worked out for the best.
I read The Sheep Look Up back in my early 20s and it had a profound effect on me. I don't think I can read another book about how we are destroying the earth. we are certainly doing everything we can to make the earth uninhabitable for humans and all other current life forms. I looked up chinese lantern plant. it showed the orange puffy globe things and also identified the abutilon or flowering maple. I'm assuming you have the former.
ReplyDeleteI had to look up the Chinese Lanterns too - I wonder if I could keep myself from trying to "pop" the flowers? One would hope!
ReplyDeleteI thought your title might refer to this Brexit petition I read about :)
Googling Chinese Lantern plants is a trend now. I am interested in what you think about The Uninhabitable Earth. I've been reading long reviews of it, and it does sound like something we all should be reading.
ReplyDeleteI've not read a Barbara Kingsolver so I will have to try her next.
ReplyDeleteGood news about the lantern plant. I'll look forward to some photos of the blooms.
ReplyDeleteYou will have to let us all know what you think about The Uninhabitable Earth. I saw an interview with he author on PBS and I've been thinking about buying the book.
I had to laugh at your fun photo of a low-tech solution to high-tech problem:
ReplyDeletetape!
Thanks for that.
That is a very cool plant with an interesting blossom. Here's hoping for success!
ReplyDeleteLove the photo! Not your home, I presume.
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