Wednesday, August 25, 2010

'MAY ALL YOUR WEEDS BE WILDFLOWERS' ~ WILDFLOWER WEDNESDAY (QUEEN ANNE'S LACE)

"May all your weeds be wildflowers."

~ Author unknown


Queen Anne's Lace (Wild Carrot)
(Daucus carota)



Gardener's Note: "Queen Anne's Lace, also called Wild Carrot, is tall with stems covered by tiny hairs. Once a European garden plant, it has escaped to the wild and is considered a week because of its aggressive growth. Flower clusters dry and curl, forming the bird's nest shape often used in dried flower arrangements. its long taproot can be dug, roasted and ground as a coffee substitute. During its first year, the roots are soft enough to eat. It is thought to be the ancestorof the common garden carrot. TAKE CAUTION: Queen Anne's Lace is sometimes confused with deadly WATER HEMLOCK. Look closely for Queen Anne's CENTRAL PURPLE FLORET. A host plant for Black Swallowtail butterfly caterpillars."
WILDFLOWERS of MICHIGAN





Queen Anne's Lace

Her body is not so white as
anemone petals nor so smooth--nor
so remote a thing. It is a field
of the wild carrot taking
the field by force; the grass
does not raise above it.
Here is no question of whiteness,
white as can be, with a purple mole
at the center of each flower.
Each flower is a hand's span
of her whiteness. Wherever
his hand has lain there is
a tiny purple blemish. Each part
is a blossom under his touch
to which the fibres of her being
stem one by one, each to its end,
until the whole field is a
white desire, empty, a single stem,
a cluster, flower by flower,
a pious wish to whiteness gone over--
or nothing.
~ William Carlos Williams
(1883 - 1963)



~ at home at the lake

Celebrate Wildflower Wednesday with

32 comments:

Anonymous said...

Dearest Joey, I shall always associate Queen Anne's Lace with the hedgerows and roadsides of rural England where, when I was a child, it grew in frothy abundance. Later, during the 1970s and 1980s it was seldom seen as the policy of the local councils was to spray weedkiller along the roads [as, we were told, a safety measure to improve visibility for car drivers]. Happily that policy has now been reversed and we are once more returning to how things used to be.

I have loved this posting for what you write, for your images, and for the quotations.

Unknown said...

Doesn't matter if this plant is as common as the dandelion...I love it, never get tired of looking at it, let it grow around my garden. Simple things are the best pleasures, aren't they?

Victoria said...

Wonderful post Joey...great phosts too.......lovely poem...you always create interesting reads..i So appreciate that!! AWesome!
Have a sparkling day!!

Meems said...

Dear Joey,
Queen Anne's lace has always been a favorite of mine. Received an anniversary bouquet once with 2 dozen roses and the white lace mixed in. It is my all time favorite flower arrangement received from Mr. Meems.

You have featured this delicate-looking wildflower so beautifully through your photographs and artful images... as always.


Happy day to you.
Meems

Gail said...

Joey, yeah, I love this lovely flower and don't care if it's European and considered a weed! It was the main flower in my table decorations at my very informal wedding celebration! Thanks for the lovely reminder~gail

F Cameron said...

I think the wild variety is beautiful, but I grow the false queen anne's lace, ammi majus. The wildflower blooms much longer.

RURAL said...

I miss them, have not seen them around anywhere for years.

And if only my weeds were as beautiful.

Gorgeous shots today.

Jen @ Muddy Boot Dreams

Rose said...

This is one of my favorite wildflowers of all time, Joey! No need to plant it here--it springs up around all the farm buildings with no help from me:) I'm not a fan of William Carlos Williams, but this is one poem of his I enjoy. Happy Wildflower Wednesday!

A Garden of Threads said...

She makes a wonderful subject to photograph and your shots are stunning.

tina said...

It is a very pretty 'weed' indeed. Some years I let it grow in my garden but then some-not so. It always reminds me of meadows full of flowers. Lovely poem.

joey said...

Thank you, dearest Edith. We are blessed with blankets of white Queen Anne's Lace gracing our highways and country roads. A whole field is a stunning sight to behold.

You are so right, jodi. I love this wildflower! Though not in my garden here, blessed by its bountiful beauty in the surrounding countryside and at the cottage.

Hello, dear Kiki, and thank you for the lovely comment. Wishing you a sparkling evening :)

Hi, dear Meems. Because this is so close to my heart, I think I have done a post on Queen Anne's Lace every year with the same poem (only one I can find). Mr. Meems is my kinda' guy! Happy remains of the day :)

A favorite of mine too, dear Gail, and when in bloom, always in a wildflower bouquet gracing my table. I am so happy I remembered today and especially delighted to have posted one of your favorites :)

Another beauty and very cool, Cameron. Is it invasive?

Thank you, Jen. If you were near, I would share. It seems the world is a sea of Queen Anne's Lace floating in meadows and along roadsides here in Michigan.

I'm with you, Rose, and happy you enjoyed this. At least William Carlos Williams hit one home run for you :)

Thank you, A Garden of Threads. Agree, Queen Anne is very photogenic!

Hi Tina and thank you! Since childhood, one of my favorites.

Curbstone Valley Farm said...

Beautiful photographs as always Joey. I've been gradually converting many of my weeds into wildflowers since moving here :P I love St. Catherine's Lace, although here, sadly, I only see water hemlock.

garden girl said...

It's so tempting to plant a few in the garden Joey. They are so beautiful - one of my favorite wildflowers.

Your photos do Queen Anne's elegant, pure beauty justice. Well done!

Autumn Belle said...

The flowers are so delicate, sweet and pretty. Your pictures have capture their essence perfectly.

Carol said...

Queen Anne's Lace adds lacy grace to the field and any flower arrangement it may become part of. This is a very LOVELY post Joey! Beautiful!

Anonymous said...

Hello Joey - As Edith says these are now returning to our UK hedgerows :) You have captured their delicate simplicity in verse as well as angled shots collated into lovely montages.

Laura

Diana Studer said...

Wherever his hand has lain - we have a tabby cat with a little white fingerprint on her front leg - where God was saying hold steady, as he painted her.

Anonymous said...

I just love Queen Anne's Lace, or all wildflowers for that matter. We had fields full of QAL and chicory nearby, and I enjoy watching them sway in the breeze. The next door neighbor has a big stand of QAL behind his fence, and no one has bothered to cut it down all summer, and it sure won't be me. Perhaps it has contributed to my large butterfly population this summer.

joey said...

Thank you, Clare, and take heart knowing you are surrounded by other unique flora/fauna.

Hi Linda. QAL's majestic beauty rules in the wildflower dynasty.

Thank you, Autumn Belle. Your last post was amazing!

Hello, dear Carol, and gracious thanks. She was fun to photograph in her happy lakeside environment :)

Welcome Patio Patch and thank you. Delighted that you are enjoying QALs return to the UK. We sure enjoy here prolific presence here!

How lovely, EE! Thank you sharing.

I'm sure QAL has been a big contributor, Robin. The drive up north has been stunning ... August, a flood of wildflowers along the way.

Pat said...

Amazing how you made a wildflower look great.
Have to look up what range native means...NJ has few but if I look at states near by ,then I'm in luck.

joey said...

Hi Patsi. Queen Anne's Lace is a beauty, easy to photograph looking great. How 'bout this for a piece of info ... William Carlos Williams, who wrote this poem, was born (1883) in Rutherford, New Jersey! You are probably surrounded by this Queen and her many royal offspring :)

BGgarden said...

Always inspiring - even images of what some might call weeds. True Art!

Happy Summer Joey!

joey said...

Thanks, dear Bren. Happy weekend :)

Wendy said...

I love queen anne's lace - it's so pretty - and interesting to examine both from afar and up close!

joey said...

A beautiful flower to photograph for just those very reasons, Wendy.

Katarina said...

I love Queen Anne's Lace! And your photography!

Monica the Garden Faerie said...

Joey, I love your photos but I've never been wild about Queen Anne's lace, not even as a child. I don't know why. I like almost all other wildflowers...

Rick said...

Lovely shots of the wild carrot, or more affectionately, Queen Anne's Lace. We have an abundance of it and as a result we end up taking it for granted. But on its own, it's quite lovely. They remind me of snowflakes, with each flower being a little different (I posted one in July).

Have a great weekend joey!

joey said...

They remind me of snowflakes too, Rick! Thank you dear camera buff friend :)

Anonymous said...

I love it too but I think your photographs call for a celebration!! Beautifully presented. And the quote...wouldn't that be every gardener's wish?:)

About Cassandra said...

How I love Queen Anne's Lace - it brings to mind the country roads of my home state of Indiana...I love including it in summer bouquets with summer flowers such as daisies, black-eyed susans and even hydrangeas. I am delighted to have discovered your lovely blog - thanks to your posting on Edith Hope's wonderful blog! I am now a follower! Your mosaics are WONDERFUL and inspiring! Cassandra ♥

joey said...

You are a dear, Kanak. Thank you, dear friend.

Welcome, Cassandra, and thank you for your kind comment. I just returned from visiting your lovely site, anxious to return. (Don't you just love our dear Edith!)