Monday, September 27, 2021

Sunflowers and More


First, a little garden update.

Our sunflowers are finally in full bloom -- a moment I wasn't sure would come. They seemed to get started so late this year.


Dave said he looked out the window on Saturday and saw a squirrel AT THE TOP of the yellow one. I told him he should have snapped a picture, but he was focused on getting the critter off the plant. I noticed last week that some leaves were broken off and now there are petals missing from the big flower. Squirrels!

I spent part of yesterday working in the garden. I repotted a foxglove (also a squirrel casualty) and cut down another burdock. We only have one remaining now, in the wild area at the very back of the garden, and I'm planning to let that one stay into the winter and perhaps go to seed.


The other day Tasker Dunham asked about our "Aaron's rod," also known as great mullein. It's still blooming, as you can see, though quite a few of the flowers have gone to seed. I'm just letting it stay put for now, but when the rest of the blossoms die maybe I'll shake out the seeds and try to spread them around.


Our coleus is blooming, and I love the tiny purple flowers against the colorful foliage. I'm so pleased with how well these plants turned out. They're all bushy and healthy and bright. I'll buy more next year.


And finally, here's another shot of our Stokesia, which has a healthy cluster of blossoms -- pretty miraculous since it didn't bloom at all last year.

In addition to working in the garden, I cleaned the house and continued reading "Johnny Tremain," which I've almost finished. I finally tossed our living room roses, which had almost entirely lost their petals.

By the way, I learned something linguistically interesting as a result of that post -- I called the vessel containing the roses a "pitcher," and John from Wales questioned my use of that word, saying pitchers were "large jugs." I would consider almost any vessel with a handle and crimped spout for pouring a pitcher, regardless of its size.

Well, I looked into it, and apparently this is another British English vs. American English thing. In Britain, such a vessel is a "jug," at least according to Wikipedia. In fact, Wikipedia says that in British English, "the only use of 'pitcher' is when beer is sold by the pitcher in bars and restaurants, following the American style." Can that be true? Meanwhile, I would consider a "jug" to be an enclosed container with a handle and a stopper or cap -- like the plastic jugs in which milk is sold, or an old-fashioned jug of whiskey.

It's funny how English varies from place to place.


Dave and I got Chinese food on Friday night but I didn't eat my fortune cookie until yesterday. Did I miss my rendezvous with Lady Luck as a result?!

60 comments:

Yorkshire Pudding said...

An air rifle or air pistol can be purchased legally in England. This will allow you to eliminate your bothersome compatriots - sciurus carolinensis and save your neighbourhood from further horticultural devastation.

gz said...

I doubt. YP, that a gun could be used in Steve's garden!

Our sunflowers are late blooming this year too, I am glad that it isn't just us!

Mullein is a good natural dyeplant. I am not sure what part of the plant was used,whether petals like Marigold or roots like Madder.

Frances said...

I very nearly commented the other day that your " pitcher" was in fact a jug if it is living in UK !! Nice drop of rain this morning....I am about to get very wet walking the dog!

John Going Gently said...

“ jugs” also have another meaning lol

Moving with Mitchell said...

In both countries... :)

Moving with Mitchell said...

You have such an unusual collection of flowers. The best presentation of sunflowers I’ve seen in ages. As for the fortune, I’m positive fortune cookie rules mean the fortune applies to the day you cracked it open. Was Lady Luck yours?

crafty cat corner said...

The Stokesia reminded me of Michaelmas Daisies, I always love those in my Dad's garden.
Briony
x

Debby said...

I really love your garden. Even now, there is color everywhere you look.

Ursula said...

As much as it may pain John that I agree with him: A pitcher tends to be on the tall side whereas yours is more like a jug. Anyway, who cares as long it's not broken with water seeping all over the place.

Sunflowers and squirrels are a sore point with me. Unlike you and your delicate and unusual sunflowers I grew the common variety, six foot and then some; massive heads. Along the fence. No Mrs Kravitz in sight. Enter the squirrel. Mistaking his identity as Tarzan swinging from one head to the other. I don't kill things. Even moths and stuff (spiders) I will release, painstakingly, back into the wild yet with those squirrels - had I had a gun - I wouldn't have vouched for myself. They [the squirrels] weren't even RED by way of mitigating circumstances.

U

Bob said...

I love the pinkish hue of the sunflowers.
I can imagine the squirrel was rather proud he'd reach the summit of Mt. Sunflower!

Mary said...

A squirrel on top of a standing sunflower was quite an acrobatic feat--though we do know that squirrels are master acrobats. Never seen a pink sunflower.

Anonymous said...

I'll go with John Gray of Wales with his definition of pitcher. My hands were soundly beaten because I said pitcher instead of annunciating the word picture when I was at primary school. Now don't get started on vase, varse and voise.

e said...

Love your sunflowers and all the garden shots.

Susan said...

I never knew that coleus bloomed! Your garden must be so lovely. We are 'blessed' with a wide variety of garden destroyers - grey, black and red squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, voles, and moles. I like to live peacefully with nature but, by the end of August, they are on my last nerve.

Lynn Marie said...

Since I'm not in the UK, I can continue to call a pitcher a pitcher no matter how large or small. A jug is an enclosed earthenware container corked at the top that can store liquid or be played as a musical instrument in a jug band. "Little brown jug and I don't care."

Colette said...

Hmmm, I really like the word "pitcher." "Jug" has taken on a slightly utilitarian connotation in the States. No doubt from all those stills in the back woods.

The Bug said...

Lovely lovely lovely! Those sunflowers are just wonderful.

I do wonder if the fortune is timed to the purchase or to the eating of the cookie. That's a nice philosophical conundrum!

gz said...

Oh, before I forget...the Jug in NZ is the kettle 🙂

Ellen D. said...

Wow! Your sunflowers are really outstanding! I don't think I have seen that pinkish color in a sunflower before. Well done!

Sharon said...

I love that pinkish sunflower. The color is beautiful. Language differences are fun to learn but I would never have called that little pitcher a jug. Those Stokesia look a lot like Bachelor's buttons so I looked it up and they appear to be unrelated. Interesting.

ellen abbott said...

the only sunflowers I have are the common field sunflowers at the back of the property. I love that pink one, so unusual. I was going to say what else would the little pitcher be called if not a pitcher. and I agree, jugs do have a small handle for just a finger or two and a small spout and a very narrow neck sealed with a cork like moonshine comes in. I think it's not just meanings but even pronunciations I think. I wonder where our American versions of some words came from like trunk/boot of a car or apartment/flat for a living space.

Anonymous said...

Love the sunflowers there. Do you plant seeds every year or do they reseed themselves?

Marcia LaRue said...

Personally, I'd go with ewer as opposed to both pitcher and jug!

Which is the best definition of the word Ewer?
Define ewer. ewer synonyms, ewer pronunciation, ewer translation, English dictionary definition of ewer. n. A pitcher, especially a decorative one with a base, an oval body, and a flaring spout. American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language.
I have never seen a coleus bloom either!
That brownish-pink sunflower is really pretty!!

Edna B said...

Your sunflowers are beautiful. I've never seen purple ones. You're so lucky to still have so many beautiful blossoms in your garden this late in the season. But then, you do take wonderful care of that garden. Enjoy your day, hugs, Edna B.

Kelly said...

I never knew until this moment that sunflowers came in pink! I still prefer bright yellow, but these are quite lovely.

Don't get me started on squirrels. I might shock you.

Ms. Moon said...

Sunflowers are glorious, aren't they? Have you ever seen a full field of them planted and blooming? It's like a vision of heaven.
I think I read that Johnny Tremain book when I was a child. Did I comment on that already? I was still pretty drugged up yesterday. Anyway, I don't remember anything about it except the title!

37paddington said...

Language is curious and alive, ever evolving. I am editing a book by a British educated writer and her grammar and spellings are so very different from what I have become used to while working in the U.S., though I remember her preferences from where I grew up. I feel positively bi-linguistic!

The bike shed said...

Catching up after many weeks away due to bereavement.
But I was thinking of you and your blog the other day as I watched something about Chelsea flower show - have you been I wondered. I expect you'd love it.

Janie Junebug said...

Jugs are boobs, honey bun. Your sunflowers are fabulous.

Love,
Janie

Catalyst said...

I was surprised to see your pink sunflower. I always thought they came only in yellow.

Steve Reed said...

That may be necessary, since our canine deterrent is losing her enthusiasm!

Steve Reed said...

LOL -- can you imagine if I started firing a gun in my garden?!?!

Steve Reed said...

"Jug," to me, sounds even larger than "pitcher"! And as I said, I think of a jug as having a spout with a cap or cork.

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, Americans use that meaning too, though I'm not sure I've heard it in recent years. More of a '70s or '80s expression, maybe?

Steve Reed said...

If I met with Lady Luck I did not recognize her.

Steve Reed said...

They are a bit like those, but larger and darker. We have lots of Michaelmas daisies at the moment, too!

Steve Reed said...

It just keeps going and going!

Steve Reed said...

I never knew a sunflower would even SUPPORT a squirrel, but I guess they do. (Ours have the additional support of a stake, which no doubt helps.)

Steve Reed said...

Proud, or maybe confused! "I climbed all the way up here for THIS?!"

Steve Reed said...

It's a very strange color, isn't it? I've never seen one like that either.

Steve Reed said...

Do you say "jug" for a small pitcher, then? My hands were never beaten in school, fortunately.

Steve Reed said...

I'm glad, E!

Steve Reed said...

It's hard when you're emotionally invested in your garden and what you've grown, and nature suddenly appears and snatches it away!

Steve Reed said...

EXACTLY! That's what I picture when someone says jug.

Steve Reed said...

Maybe, yeah -- the Hatfields and the McCoys!

Steve Reed said...

Right? It's kind of unusual to get such a time-sensitive fortune!

Steve Reed said...

Just to confuse things even MORE. LOL

Steve Reed said...

That color is new to me, too. They're just seeds that were included in a wildflower mix. I'm happy they grew so well and bloomed!

Steve Reed said...

I think Stokesia are a type of aster. I'm not sure about bachelor's buttons -- aren't they more like a carnation? I'll have to read up on that!

Steve Reed said...

A small pitcher could be a creamer, but the one I have is a bit too big for that word, I think.

Steve Reed said...

This is the first year we've grown them! They came in a wildflower seed mix. I'm going to leave the seedheads up for the birds (and squirrels) so maybe they'll re-seed?

Steve Reed said...

Now that's a word I NEVER hear, except maybe in a museum!

Steve Reed said...

This is one advantage to being in England, where temperatures tend to stay pretty moderate. The growing season is longer. If anything, we suffer from a lack of sunlight more than from cold temperatures.

Steve Reed said...

The pink ones surprised me too! (They have a touch of yellow!) I doubt I'd be shocked by anything regarding squirrels.

Steve Reed said...

It's a pretty popular kids' book, even now -- I wouldn't be surprised if you'd read it. I LOVE a field of sunflowers!

Steve Reed said...

It still fascinates me to see the differences in British and American word usage and phrasing.

Steve Reed said...

Oh no! I'm sorry about your bereavement. We have indeed been to Chelsea -- we went several years ago. (Maybe five or six?) It was interesting but honestly I get more pleasure out of a plain old garden center. :)

Steve Reed said...

Apparently not to a British person! (At least not exclusively.)

Steve Reed said...

I've never seen them in quite this color either!

The Bug said...

I have a word game I play rather obsessively & it DOES NOT accept ewer as a word! What the heck!