We moved to Junction City four years ago in May. I love springtime. I love the daffodils, plum blossoms, camellias, bluebells, lilacs, dogwoods, and cherry blossoms. No really, i LOVE them. They make me happy. When we first moved here everything was in bloom and I was so excited to see what would come up in the flowerbeds.
There was a little plant growing by the front door. It grew like a beanstock, inches every day. By the end of summer it was 10 feet tall and had leaves that were two feet across. The main stem was hollow. It was an oddity and a mystery. Nobody seemed to know what it was. At the base it looked like it had grown and been cut down about 4 times in the past. Being the tree lover that i am, (that's tree lover, not hugger) i decided to keep it and see what it turned into. Someone told me Danuta Pfeiffer had one, so i called her to ask some questions. i went out to her place (Pfeiffer Winery out High Pass if you haven't been i HIGHLY recommend it) to check it out. It's a Chinese Empresss tree, or Paulownia. Sounds cool, eh? Well the word on the street is, it's a weed. People don't plant them. Yeah, well i thought it was cool, and rumor has it they grow lovely smelling flowers. So i figured it should be moved away from the foundation (you are getting way way way more details than you wanted here, i know....too bad). I had a pro come out and help move it to the back yard.
Each year the leaves have gotten smaller (thankfully) and they don't turn pretty colors in the fall and they are kinda messy. It provides good shade though. So it's been acceptable. Well, i was upstairs this evening and noticed something on the branches...buds of leaves...and FLOWERS! FLOWERS ARE ON MY WEED TREE! BIG PURPLE BEAUTIFUL FLOWER BUDS!!!!!! I had to go out and see in person. They're too high up, so i grabbed a ladder and climbed up to the nearest flower and took a whiff. Oh my goodness. They smell like violets! Like a little voilet doll i had as a child. After four years, i have flowers on my weed tree. And they smell amazing. I'm so happy.
This is a year of new beginnings for me and my tree. :)
This happened with my irises too. My dear friend Gail gave me irises from her flower bed when she moved several years ago. I planted them at my place in springfield and they never bloomed. They never died...they just stayed green all year...for three years. I moved here and they didn't bloom for another three years. Then last summer, after someone moved out, they bloomed! AFTER SIX years, they finally bloomed! It's like my plants know...i love them. :)
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