This volunteered in my rose bed (I had a bird feeder full of seeds and you know the rest) and I'm thinking it's a blackeyed susan but I'm not sure. No pictures in the plant files. I just love it, it's so airy and productive. I have a nice jar full of them on the kitchen counter.
Here's the jar -- the one on the right, by the marigolds and in front of the zinnias. Past their prime, but makes a lovely casual statement, I think.
Ann, I think what you have is a type of Sunflower,
the cone on the Blackeyed Susan is a lot more prominent.
Check this out
http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=RUHI2
Josephine.
This message was edited Jun 27, 2007 3:22 PM
Right - not a black eyed susan. But a very nice plant after all.
I would be careful with the seeds until you know what it is. (Not letting them drop but rather collect them so you can place them where you want them next time.)
If you put out bird seed, you'll have volunteer sunflowers no matter what you do! I've buy the "All season - No Waste" sunflower chips. I've read somewhere that over time the shunflower hulls build up and become toxic to the soil and other plants won't grow there. Using the shelled ones prevents that and not so many volunteer since they're not always whole seeds.
I love my Sunflower volunteers, I have one right now at least 12 feet tall.
I just pull out the ones in the wrong spots, and in the compost pile they go.
Frostweed, how do you keep fireants, roaches and rodents out of your compost bin? I looked at buying one of the tumbler type bins, but they were really pricey, even for small ones. We have ours in large plastic garbage bins and always keep one empty so we can turn from one into the other to mix it, but it could be working better. With the lid on to keep the critters out, it doesn't get enough air and so it smells to high heaven. Got any tricks that would keep the bugs away?
Not really Crowellli, some bugs are to be expected in a compost pile, especially if you are cold composting. But there is no bad smell and no flies hanging around, we always cover the kitchen waste with dry plant matter, yes there will be other creatures that are soil and organic matter digesters, but we have no problem with fire ants either.
Here is an article I put in Gardens.com,check it out and see if it could work for you. And please let me know if you have any questions;
http://davesgarden.com/articles/view/38/
Josephine.
BL ~ MitchF is probably correct, you may want to corral them unless you love them. They probably reseed freely and I doubt they came from your birdseed but may have been "planted' by your birds.
I can't tell from the photo but do your flowers favor this one? http://davesgarden.com/pf/go/31/ If so, these are a common wildflower growing in ditches and fields. They call them tickseed as the early settlers stuffed their bedding with these to repel ticks and fleas. It would seem every plant in nature serves some purpose.
Definitely not a BES. I think it's a sunflower, though, and not tickseed as it does not have red in it at all.
Ah, well -- just something lovely to have in the front bed, and I cut them for vases so I think I can keep them in line as far as reseeding goes. Thanks for all the input!
crow, did you cut the bottoms off the trash cans? I have 'compost hoops' which are working pretty well (cold composting). Cheap, too! I got a tumbler but didn't have any luck with it. I'll likely try it again. It's my impression you really have to keep the balance of brown and green very perfect in them!
The bottoms are still on the trash cans because they sit on concrete near the pool equipment. I know that's not ideal, but it's the only spot I can put them out of sight. Unfortunately, my husband poked holes in the bottom of two of them when he got a little over zealous "turning the compost" with a pitch fork. Guess he doesn't know his own strength (or is just tired of messing with it so he did it on purpose so I'd give up)! You'd think he knew me better than that by now. LOL
We're talking about the woman who has spent seveal hundred bucks replacing plants that washed away 4 times already this year in our heavy rains. Just give up that particular bed? No way. I'll replant until they stay put!
