two surprises
Last week I was leaving the library and overheard three athletic young men outside having a discussion. One of them said one of the following sentences:
- “Great game last night!”
- “I’m tired of studying, lets get some brews.”
- “Dude, I just love the way jasmine smells!
If you picked the last one, you would be correct. I guess I was a little surprised at what was the subject of conversation among three college jocks.
The library entrance is flanked by two planters full of jasmine that are situated high over the walkway. When the jasmine blooms, there’s no missing the aroma.
I took the stairs up to the level of the beds last week. There, I was surprised to find that one of the planters contains a little more than jasmine. To my eyes it looks like someone has staged a little guerrilla gardening operation: Poking through the monoculture of the flowering vines were little plants of yarrow, gaura, a pink-flowered mint relative (anyone know what this is from the photo?), and something else not in bloom that I can’t identity in its green, leafy state. The bed on the other side is just plain jasmine, as it’s been for the last 18 years. If this were officially sanctioned landscaping, they would have made the planting symmetrical and introduced these little plants on the other side.
It’s all a little chaotic. I think I like it.
June 03 2009 05:38 am | Categories: gardening | Tags: guerrilla gardening • jasmine
Town Mouse on 03 Jun 2009 at 7:07 am #
That’s entertaining. I bet that guy’s mom was a gardener — how else would he know it’s jasmine?
geos on 03 Jun 2009 at 1:44 pm #
nice post and garden photos.
Greg on 03 Jun 2009 at 6:56 pm #
THAT’s funny. Guys in the 21st Century are getting to be rather enlightened fellows about some things, aren’t they? You’d be less likely to hear that on this coast, but maybe because jasmine is hereabouts. Still, must’ve been a challenge not to giggle aloud.
The pinky thing looks like some kind of salvia or sage, maybe. But it’s hard to say from the photo. Weird about all the different plants mixed in with the jasmine.
Alice Joyce on 04 Jun 2009 at 11:52 am #
Another delightful post.… your blog makes my day! Alice
Jean on 04 Jun 2009 at 3:14 pm #
Ha, I think I like that chaotic planting too! Looks like a salvia of some sort. Great story about the jocks.
lostlandscape on 04 Jun 2009 at 8:48 pm #
Town Mouse and Greg, it was too funny for me not to share. There’s hope for humankind.
Greg and Jean, I’m thinking salvia, as well, though it’s not one of our natives.
Alice, thanks so much!