Garden bindweed, again

Cherry

By Rhiannonw

Wed, 31 Jul 2024
  • 646 reads
11 comments
 

Insidiously quickly it binds, spirallingly winds
entangling. strangling, entwining around
grasping support from the stronger stems;
poking through, it flaunts shrouding heart-shaped leaves
and bulging buds which crack open – large gape:
‘Whiter than white’ – “look at me” insolent
silent shriek ,
flamboyant shout atop the bushes.

This is the nuisance-weed in gardens and along roadsides (Calysegia sepium), not the beautiful little field bindweed which I love    https://www.abctales.com/story/rhiannonw/field-bindweed

Certificate U
Poem
Nature
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Turlough on

As beautiful as the bindweed flowers are, Rhiannon, I feel your pain. 

This plant is undefeatable. I can't understand why it hasn't, by now, covered the entire planet. It's such a pity it's not edible.

Turlough

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

I don't think it is so much pain, as irritation! And amsusment at its flaunting look. I don't really like that harsh white, but love the little pink and white striped ones on the roadside and field edges! So, it was just describing its climbing habit, which is of course a nuisance to gardeners. Though the feeling of grabbing a stem and pulling out yards quickly is rather nice! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Insertponceyfre... on

oh yes, there's nothing more satisfying than untwisting a whole string of bindweed ! the flowers are beautiful, but if you let them go mad, they really do cover the whole garden and drown all the other plants. It was everywhere in my garden when I moved here, but I'm down to one or two shoots now, which I pull out whenever I spot them. I will admire your flowers from distance in this lovely poem!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thanks! Sometimes when there is danger of tearing other flowers or fruit, I snip the stem low down and later its easier to unwind. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

thank you for the cherries. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

Hi Rhiannon, Like insert when we first moved into our present house, the garden was heaving with the bindweed flowers like you show in the photo. Over about ten years we managed to get rid of most of it, by deep digging the roots out...I'm glad we did, because there's no way either of us could dig like that now.

Your poem describes exactly what happened in our garden, all that entwining around and grasping support from the stonger stems. It's such a shame, but necessary to get rid of it.

Jenny.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. We haven't eradicated ours, so it is a constant removal of the worst. As I said I like the little field one so  much, but this seems flaunting and a bit cheeky when the flowers suddenly appear on top of a bush that you haven't seen it growing up through inside! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by marandina on

"Whiter than white’ – “look at me” insolent
silent shriek.."

Such drama in your vignette, Rhiannon.

The ever evolving struggle between flora.

We intervene where we can, of course.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

In the garden we have to intervene less or more I suppose! Thank you, Paul. Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

These flower poems are so good, "flaunts...insolent...flamboyant" you always think of the perfect words!

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Thank you. I always appreciate your thoughtful reading and appreciation of detail. Rhiannon