Thursday, August 14, 2008

At Least They Weren't Toadstools


Though I've not yet made a purchase from Annie's Annuals, I enjoy receiving their catalogs and their regular e-mails. The one I got today amused me so much, I just had to share it:

You know how you get those sticky burs caught on your sweater when gardening or hiking? Well, I get A LOT of them and it takes a really long time to get them off of my wooly sweaters, so I just keep wearing them, burs and all. But, last week I decided to wash this blue sweater of mine with all the burs still on it, hoping some of them would fall off in the wash. Yes, I admit I am domestically impaired! I was in a rush when I took the sweater out of the washer and just threw it on the laundry table for a few days. When I checked back in on my sweater it was none too happy with me and its moldy smell was ummm, you know, prominent. So I washed it again and this time hung it up to dry in my dark garage.

Several hours later I went back into the garage, turned on the lights and whoa! There were little wiggly whitish looking things all over it! Upon closer inspection, I could see that those pesky burs, which are actually seeds, had sprouted all over my sweater. What a sight! I had never heard of such a thing.



Now the best part of the story is that these particular little burs had come from a plant called Cynoglossum amabile, the seed of which we often have lots of trouble getting to germinate in our greenhouse here at the nursery. I related this curious event to Anni Jensen, our head propagator. And in a very Anni type gesture, she put a thoughtful finger to her cheek and with a sparkle in her eye said, "Hmmm, I will have to think about that!"


I've had that happen when I inadvertently left a plastic bag with seeds in the pocket of my jeans and put them through the wash. A couple of days after I removed the wet packet and laid it on the dryer, I had sprouts in that bag, but this sweater thing just made me giggle.

And that, in turn, reminded me of a story that our older daughter Kara had told several years ago. She was in college and dating a young man who shared a rental house with several other guys. I don't have to tell you about the housekeeping habits of a bunch of college guys, do I?

Well, she was visiting John and needed to use the restroom. It was carpeted. You're starting to picture this, aren't you? A bunch of college guys with a carpeted bathroom. While we can imagine the condition and cleanliness that might be present, Kara was still shocked when she sat down and her gaze fell upon toadstools sprouting from the carpet in front of her. I think she said that was the last time she ever used the bathroom there.

Plants want to grow. Unless we want them to, of course.

15 comments:

Anonymous said...

Highjackers took over your sweater and multiplied. I can't believe it. Reminds me that some great discoveries find themselves.

Anonymous said...

What a funny story about the germinating sweater! lol I think I would have done the same thing as your daughter,lol, toadstools in the bathroom!

Unknown said...

What a funny story about the sweater! I think I need to sign up for Annie's emails, too.

By the way, I FEEL Kara's pain. While there weren't any toadstools, I absolutely refused to go into my former husband's college house bathroom... which was also carpeted. Many an evening did I walk home to use something clean instead!

Cindy Garber Iverson said...

Oh goodness! I'll bet those hard-to-germinate seeds are now planted in moist old sweaters at that greenhouse. ;)

Cindy

Gardenista said...

That's what I call an organic home-grown sweater!

Kylee Baumle said...

Anna ~ It's amazing, isn't it? New medium for growing plants. Can't you just see that showing up as a novelty item at Walmart? It's the new Chia Pet! LOL.

Perennial Gardener ~ Yeah, I'm funny about bathrooms and that would have really disgusted me! I always wished she had taken a picture.

Kim ~ You'll enjoy the e-mails. I enjoy browsing the plants and seeds available there. Lots of unusual things!

Cindy ~ I'll bet you're right!

Gardenista ~ Isn't that a hoot? :-)

Rose said...

Kylee, Thanks for starting my day with a laugh! I've heard of a seed stitch in knitting a sweater, but this is the real deal:)

My son once lived in an old house with 3 other guys while in college; I went inside once---and did not ask to use the restroom:)

Shady Gardener said...

Thank you for sharing the funny anecdotes! You might say anti-dotes for the common state of lethargy! lol. :-)

Shady Gardener said...

Hi Kylee, I'm stopping by again today to let you know I've nominated you for a little award. Check it out at "my place." ;-)

Kylee Baumle said...

Rose ~ Seed stitch! Now that's great!

Shady Gardener ~ Thanks for the award! That was sweet of you! :-)

Ewa said...

Dear Kylee,
Come and have a look :) I fixed the probelm with pictures.
cheerio!

Sky said...

lol...what a treat this early morning to get such a chuckle from your post! that sweater is a hoot!

we are only now learning about geocaching, and i am excited to learn more and begin treasure hunting!

i am jealous - i wish our tomatoes would ripen. we have had a very cool summer and only now have gotten some realy warm sunshine. i lived in the south most of my life and can eat them right off the vine! :)

Yolanda Elizabet Heuzen said...

Giggle, what a funny story Kylee, really amusing. Perhaps you should try the sweater method out with your blue poppy seeds next year. Who knows what might happen. ;-)

Connie said...

That sweater story is hilarious!
Yes, plants do want to grow. I have a bindweed that somehow found its way under our foundation and grows into a downstairs bedroom. It is always yellow and can get very long....looking for the light. :-)

MrBrownThumb said...

That's even better than the bulb that sprouted under my tv.

LOL.

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