Some flowery photos from our home.
This is an easy to grow, no care or low care flower, called Meet Me By the Gate or Jupiter's Beard.
It is growing next to the garage and our alley where it gets no watering and no food. It is found growing wild in difficult places in California, and comes in white, pale pink and this darker pink.
I learned of the name Meet Me By the Gate when we lived in the country and the lady on our neighboring farm told me that name, which I think is charming.
So, in honor of our neighbor Ann, this flower will always be Meet Me By the Gate to me.
When I went to a garden center many years ago to buy one, the worker said "oh those are weeds, we don't sell them." I felt like she had hurt the feelings of these pretty plants. Of course there weren't any around at the plant store to hear her mean words.
As you can see from the photos I did find a plant or two to buy elsewhere.
The official name is Centranthus ruber, also called Red Valerian. Do not confuse it with Valerian, a different plant. Butterflies love this plant, so it is extra good to add to your garden. A native of the Mediterranean it is naturalized in the USA, Great Britain and Australia.
Happy gardening to you this May.