Self-sowing plants fall into the category of either convenient or maddening. They fill in bare patches or pop up in places they shouldn’t. Still, they’re always more welcome than weeds and when cooperative can be real money and time savers.
However, if the gardener is not feeling cooperative, self-sowers are sure to be the biggest pain in the ass you and your garden have seen since your honey tried to smoke out a mole. Cuban Buttercup is a flower not to be planted lightly; it’s a commitment, one forced upon me because I didn’t know any better. It creeps between the brick pavers overnight, crowds out other plants, and it’s time to stop resisting. In the spirit of Pema Chodron, I’m embracing the Buttercup and all the other self-sowers growing in my garden beds.
I’m putting away my wallet and cutting my garden workload thanks to Buttercup, Salvia and now Milkweed. Seed pods burst through the garden last April, and one Milkweed plant gave birth to a litter. Five new plants popped up this spring. But location, location, location; a few were a little misguided in planting their roots.
And some could have been planted with my own hands; this pot was empty other than the shells and marbles:
As opposed to the Buttercup, I’m thrilled with the spread. Milkweed equals butterflies; monarchs in particular, and my milk carton is in place and ready to house all the impending chrysalises.
