“You know I don’t really like spiders.”
I scowled as my friend led me around her garden. Large or small, spiders really do give me the creeps, and sometimes they bite. Yuck! I do know they have a purpose. Just as long as that purpose does not include me.
My friend stopped in front of her new addition. “What do you think?”
I cringed.
“茎上那是一只蜘蛛吗?”它看起来确实像一只蜘蛛。我凑近一点,但又不太近,以防它扑过来。毕竟,有些蜘蛛确实会跳。
A hummingbird hovered nearby, and I froze. I assumed my friend did too.
那只鸟一定是感觉到我们安全了,因为它飞得更近了。它的小翅膀猛烈地振动着。然后,它把它的嘴插入了蜘蛛顶部的植物。
“I didn’t know hummingbirds ate spiders,” I remarked.
Related Post:The Black Bat Flower
我的朋友轻轻地笑了起来;声音大得足以吓住蜂鸟,蜂鸟很快就振翅飞走了。“它不是在吃蜘蛛,因为它不是蜘蛛——它是一朵花。一个看起来像蜘蛛的。”
“Oh!” I didn’t want to be impressed, but I begrudgingly had to admit this flower was impressive. Even if it did look like a spider perched on a tall stem.
“It’s actually a cleome,” my friend explained. “But most people call them spider plants. I only have the white one for now. There are also pink, purple, and lavender colors available. Different, don’t you think?”
“Unusual,” I agreed.
“这不是苗圃里最受欢迎的植物,”她继续说。“它正在降价出售,所以我抓住了机会。我不知道会发生什么,但我很高兴。”
我的朋友总是喜欢在她的花园里种植新的、不同的花。蜘蛛花是最新加入的,“不寻常”与它的描述相去不远。我不确定自己是否想在花园里种一株蜘蛛;我不喜欢真正的蜘蛛。但这是一种有趣的可能性。
Due to its weedy appearance when first growing, the spider flower or cleome (from the family cleomaceae), Rocky Mountain bee plant, and stinking clover, can’t compete with the more dignified six-pack flats of marigolds or impatiens. However, looking beyond its youth, this plant can easily become a conversation piece to add to your garden. And for those like myself who hate spiders, this might be an alternative to the ones that crawl and bite.
Related Post:Homestead Stories: Strange Names for Beautiful Flowers
Cleomes are easy to grow and require minimal care once they’re started. Its fern-like foliage, which provides a weedy appearance until the flowers appear, is tall and makes the flower an interesting backdrop to any garden. It likes full to partial sun, well-drained soil, and as an annual, it needs to be re-seeded every year.
If planted in a shady area, the plant will become too tall to support the flowers and will probably fall over. Seeds can be planted in either the spring or the autumn. The seeds need light to germinate, so once the frost is gone, the plants will start appearing within 10 days.
Cleomes几乎太容易生长,因为种子传播,并可能入侵其他花园区域和接管。如果你允许植物自己重新播种,你可能想要每年都使作物疏种。在植株之间留出18英寸的距离可以促进植株生长。
Related Post:Pollinators
cleome为蜂鸟和蝴蝶提供授粉。它甚至吸引了一种被称为蜂鸟蛾的飞蛾,这种飞蛾像蜂鸟一样飞来飞去,但通常是在黄昏时分。
The flower, when it appears, has many petals that form a cluster radiating from a central point. The long stamens give the flowers a spiky look and add to its spider-like appearance. Spider flowers make a unique addition to any garden, and mix well with zinnias and black-eyed Susans for a naturalized meadow look. They will even do well in a container as a centerpiece to trailing flowers like petunias.
And best yet, the plant is drought resistant and will be perfectly happy in an area that is prone to intense sun and drought at the peak of the summer season. It is also pest and disease resistant. The spider flower is definitely a plant that cares for itself and requires little attention other than to enjoy its unique flowers.
Leave a Reply