Esther Chiltons prompt “Sport”

Sport in Botany defined by Wikipedia :

In botany, a sport or bud sport, traditionally called lusus,[2] is a part of a plant that shows morphological differences from the rest of the plant. Sports may differ by foliage shape or color, flowers, fruit, or branch structure. The cause is generally thought to be a chance genetic mutation.[3]

I saw a sport once. Eight or nine twigs on a forsythia bush, each fused to the next, like a pan pipe. It still had leaves and flowers. I was reading sci-fi books at the time, I was only young and found the strange formation almost creepy. I cut the sport off the bush and it never grew back. But I always remembered this sporting image!

Gardening when I can

Describe one habit that brings you joy.

For years I have filled the back yard with hanging baskets and flowers. This year I had to get help from my sister to hang the baskets as I can’t climb ladders. Then I got plants from a wellness group I visit every week. Some of the plants were going over so I got them for a small amount of money.

I love this habit, but it has its dangers. I use a hose to water the plants as I can’t lift my watering can up. But it’s a trip hazard! I have to be very careful not to fall, luckily I have a grab handle by the back door. But sometimes things get very precarious!

Visiting gardens

Which activities make you lose track of time?

I can’t remember where I took this photo. I think it might have been the Trentham Gardens show gardens?

I lose track of time when I visit (which is not very often). I will try and get a friend to come with me so I can explore a bit further. It takes me a while to walk around  a garden, and I frequently take photos so that I can rest on the way round. I’m slow and not sure so handrails can come in handy. But I love seeing how gardens change with the seasons. But sometimes my progress is glacial! I keep checking my heart points on my phone. They generally stick at 0 because I’m so slow!

Wild plants and flowers

Walking through the middle of Stoke today, there is a small patch of land next to a car wash that was seeded with wildflowers a few years ago. Every year I walk past and I’m amazed with what springs up. I think the local bees must be happy. Just down the road from there another patch of land in front of a large billboard has become overgrown with buddlea and grass and amazing clover flowers. I hope they don’t get cut down!

Bench and moss

My garden bench looks a bit worn out. There’s a hole where the wood has rotted. Now it’s growing moss. There’s a small strawberry plant in a pot, and a few empty pots which I might fill up with flowers letter on.

I’m posting about gardening, but I haven’t been out much. The rain has been pouring down all month. Less flaming June, more flipping wet June!

I took this photo today, I might buy another bench. Perhaps a metal one? In the meantime I will continue to use this as a potting bench for now.

Thistles

Plants love growing, their seeds sneak in cracks, send down roots and push up paving, this thistle is an example of one. Looking round my area the streets are less littered with litter and more by plants. I’m not calling them weeds, they are wild vegetation. I don’t really mind them, except where they grow in front of and on doorsteps. I do think that the streets used to get maintained in a better way. I don’t think I’d like a lot of weed killer to be used, but I hope things can improve soon. Hopefully owners could do a little hand weeding.