Growing Stuff

I am not sure how I can be two such different people: I am a geek; I love technology, gadgets, the very man-made world. I am also a nature lover. I love to spend time in the woods, away from any man-made sound. I also grow plants.
My father grew up on a farm, hunting, fishing, and trapping. I remember him growing a vegetable garden, beautiful azaleas, dutch iris, peach trees, and a nice overall landscape design. I was not interested.
My older brother grew unusual house plants, things I have never seen since. He was an English major. My younger brother grows things too, some herbs, flowers, etc.

I have a yard full of plants. I have a collection of milkweeds (Genus Asclepias) like butterfly weed (A. tuberosa), South American butterfly weed (A. curasavica), purple milkweed (A. pupurea), swamp milkweed (A. incarnata), and A. physocarpa. There are more I hope to get (A. cordifolia).
I also have lemon balm, pineapple sage, spearmint, peppermint, anise sage "Black and Blue". I have lots of Black Eyed Susan, Bee Balm, bog sage, daylilies, and other lovable weeds.

I expect my children will grow things too when the time comes. It is in our blood. I love to spend a little time planting and then seeing the growth and beauty for years.

I am not always successful. It seems like I grow two kinds of plants: Those that die in a year or two, and those that take over. I am now ripping out stuff I paid good money for. I am looking for a way to keep things under control, like a section of barrel sunken into the ground.