Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Russian Thistle


Does anyone know the common name for this pain in the neck plant that reproduces in my vineyard faster than the field mice and rabbits? The first spring I saw the cute little green plants popping up in every little wrinkle of dirt. I was so excited because I thought it would be a beautiful wild flower (I do have many of those, really) that I could transplant in the flower garden I was planning. I asked a plant expert the name of the flower and he replied that it was tumbleweed, a very invasive plant that was brought into our country on either Russian rye seeds or flax seeds by Ukrainian farmers. I'm sure that expert and his cohorts had a fine chuckle that day. Heck, I bet they still occasionally bring it up. "Remember that lady who.... Ha! Ha! Ha!"

I know what you're thinking. Tumbleweeds. Romance. The Wild West, Ghost Towns, "Get Along Little Doggie", Shoot-Outs in front of saloons. All very exciting. Why do I not see it that way? I will say more in my next blog!

1 comment:

  1. I promise. I have stopped throwing our tumbleweeds over the fence! There are now three things that are inevitable: taxes, death and tumbleweeds.

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