The Blog: More than just games and humor

I often wonder why more don't contribute to In Progress…or even read it (especially after Myk's promotional poem). Oh there are the usual suspects such as time, but I have a sneaking suspicion it is more than that. I also wonder, at least for those who don't read it, what they think it is. Bill, not long ago told me he has redoubled his efforts to contribute—to the point of changing his reading habits. I assumed he meant reading more about games and humor, which I suppose is the blog's trademark—indeed the trademark whenever we get together.

But I'm always looking to expand the core areas of interest. In this vein I'm making a post on gardening, one of the few subjects I'm not sure we have broached.

This year's favorite flower for me may be the icelandic poppy, also known as Papaver nudicaule.

The flower is a perennial, at least in zones 5 and above. Apparently it blooms in Europe, Asia, North America, and the mountains of Central Asia . . . but not in Iceland. The reasons for its favorite status with me this year are the following:

• Orange is a favorite garden color of mine.
• They bloom most of the summer. While the flowers themselves last only a couple of days, new ones constantly rise up on the foot-to-two-foot stems.
• Last year they bloomed until frost.
• They multiply. I assume by reseeding. I was shocked last year to find a dozen small plants growing when I had only purchased one the year before. (Actually I purchased two, but one died.)
• This year I have a couple of dozen—one very large plant, a dozen medium-sized and perhaps a dozen small ones which I will transplant a little later to appropriate spots.
• They require practically no care and are drought tolerant.
• They attract hummingbirds—really!

Here is what they look like when first coming up. Luckily I did not weed them out last year.