Saturday, September 8, 2012

Moss rose


By lunchtime the moss roses - Portulaca grandiflora - on the sunny edge of the terrace have shut up shop for the day, their petals colourless, furled and dry. Until then they are a riot, enjoying cooler weather more than I would have thought, and staying open longer.

I nibble their leaves every now and then but they don't have the same very sour appeal that the sprawling weedy portulaca does - P. oleraceaethe one that boasts more omega-3 than any other measured plant source...

3 comments:

  1. Have fallen in love with portulaca all over again. Had not grown it in years until last year, when I put in a bed - out in the hot, hot sun. It, of course, thrived and - even better - reseeded itself so that this year I had even more. The thing I love the best is that there will be flowers of several colors on the same plant. WTF? It's just so darned happy looking!

    Glad yours is doing so well, too.

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  2. My parents grew portulaca in a flower box on the front porch. They preferred the double variety. Really hardy stuff...volunteers will spring up from seed years later!

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  3. I tucked portulaca in amongst succulents in a big pot this year. They bloomed their little hearts out, and it took me back to my mother's hot, sunny borders in Vancouver, when I was a little girl. Those portulaca were like jewels, in all colors. Love them.

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