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Monday, June 3, 2013

DO YOU KNOW ABOUT JEWELS OF OPHIR/OPAR ~ A GARDEN FLOWER



 Do you know about Jewels of Ophir/Opar?  It is the most wonderful bunch of tiny pink fragrant flowers that open in the late afternoon.  In the lower right corner, that's pentas.  The jewels of ophir flowers are on the thin long stems.  After the blooms drop, the tiny red seed will stay on the plant for a while and looks so pretty with the pink flowers opening up every day.
     A long time ago, when HGTV was showing amazing gardens of regular people, I watched all the time.  One of the gardeners talked about jewels of ophir and I ordered the seeds.
     It is invasive because it throws those tiny seeds everywhere.  It loves to grow and crowds other plants.  So, after it has dropped all it's seeds, I just pull it up and put it on my compost pile.  Sometimes, if it still has seeds on it, I will pull it up and just lay it in a flower bed so the seeds can fall there.  I just don't want to ever lose it.


     After being in a horrible drout, these recent rains have been just wonderful!!  But, all the rain and being spring has caused alllll my flowers and shrubbery to become overgrown.  That bright green foliage behind my fence is blue plumbago.  It's one of my very favorite plants.  But, it didn't freeze back last winter, so it already had a head start and after all of the rain, it was coming through my fence and over my fence.  You couldn't even see my fence.  So, this morning my go-to guy, Gus, came by and trimmed it for me and it looks so, so nice, again.
So, I'm off to a good head start on getting everything trimmmed and looking the way I want it before the horrible heat sets in.
Can you see the iron bird finials on my fence posts?  I love my picket fence!

8 comments:

  1. I love your picket fence too! I also grow Jewels of Opar. Love them!

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    1. I think they are the sweetest flowers!! And, so forgiving when I have to pull them up because of crowding. They just keep coming back from seeds.

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  2. That is the cutest little fence ever. I love learning about new plants and will have to try the Jewels of Opar.

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    1. Thank you! The jewels of ophir grow very easily in the shade or sun. They just bloom better in the sun.

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  3. I did not know about Jewels of Ophir. Surely I can find a sunny patch in my garden somewhere to tuck a few, experimentally. Thank you for the creative tip!

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    1. First of all, I love jewels of ophir. But, just letting you know that when you plant it, you will probably have it forever! It is invasive because of the seeds.

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  4. I pulled mine out, they sure did seed all over, including the walkway. A very pretty flower when in bloom though.
    Your white picket fence is charming.
    Judith

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  5. I'm surprised you got allll of them. And, thank you. The fence has kept my doggies in and other dogs away from my cats.

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