Monday, February 20, 2012

WWTT #12

I know many of you were wondering if there would ever be another WWTT. Yes, you are in luck! It is time once again to ask ourselves, WWTT?
Here in Portland the No Ivy League organizes ivy pulls, volunteers are recruited to spend the day pulling ivy. There are many parts of town where ivy grows to completely cover trees, the trunks and branches.
Perhaps this gardener wants the look of ivy, without the invasive hassle?
Perhaps that’s what they were thinking, when they decided to string some FAKE ivy in their tree.
WWTT?

24 comments:

  1. I can only imagine what the inside of their house looks like if they're resorting to fake plants outside.

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    1. No doubt there are plastic covers on the arms of the chairs?

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  2. Hmm, I dunno, since it doesn't go to the ground I guess they want it to "grow" out of the hollow of the tree.

    I went back to read all the WWTT posts, all funny too.

    There are silk flowers in some yards around here. What better way to have tulips in August?

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    1. Uhm, good point (tulips in August)...and I guess it would be a sure fire way to have big sculptural Agaves in my wet garden too!

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  3. I love this because it enters into the realm of environmental responsibility in the same way fake turf does. While our initial response is "seriously?!" if we look at it another way, it really does have the potential for good environment steward: it's honoring the aesthetic one may desire without the environmental degradation of the real thing. Please keep us posted as it's sure to continue to fade into more and more of a surreal blue color. It would be pretty fantastic if it sprouted colored flowers at Easter. Or perhaps Easter Eggs?

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    1. Maybe I'll have to tuck a few foil covered chocolate eggs in there?

      Seriously though...(yes...that is my initial response) I just can't endorse fake foliage in the garden as being a better alternative. It's hideous!

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  4. This seems to be a disturbing trend. I drive past a fake ficus planted in the ground near the road (unfortunately I'd have to pull into their driveway to get a good photo). I've heard of other people spotting similar plantings.

    Maybe they're thinking - real plants are too hard and a gardener is too expensive? I hope someone nips this trend in the bud (yes, I went there).

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    1. Oh please please get a photo! I know, it goes against my rules of blogger conduct but maybe just a quick run up the driveway?

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  5. OK - that pretty well takes it. One of the things I _don't_ miss now that I'm not gardening in Oregon is the pernicious English ivy. I _never_ could get ahead of it.

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    1. I've got a small (getting bigger) patch I inherited under the Privet. I kind of ignored it (instead tackling the Morning Glory running through it) but now I'm realizing if I went away for two months it would probably cover our patio.

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  6. I'm pretty much a live-and-let-live ( or garden-and-let-garden) sort of guy...but fake plants are kind of where I draw the line. There are so many houses I'll drive by and see fake flowers in their little foundation planters all year long...in the most garish of colors...they rather set my teeth on edge!

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    1. Have I ever told you about my grandmothers fake red geraniums in her front flower beds? She didn't have much of a green thumb and was so proud of those plants.

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  7. Oh my goodness! On the scale of crazy this tops the charts! It's almost soo horrendous that it's wonderful ... In a fits on spontaneous laughter kind of sense. I don't think you could help but grin?!

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    1. Oh yes...there were plenty of grins. As I said above I think it's pretty hideous, but I can laugh at it. I don't think they are doing it out of any desire to be ecologically sound. I think they thought it was pretty.

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  8. sandy lawrenceFebruary 20, 2012

    Maybe they're practical jokers since ivy is a pest there? I guess we'll know if a family of chalk gnomes start poking their faces out from amongst the fake leaves.

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    1. Oh chalk gnomes would be fun! Put probably melt here in the Portland rain...

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  9. Benefit of the doubt, perhaps someone found a portion of plastic ivy in their attic but instead of putting it in the bin, decided to to recycle it by sticking it on to that tree. Still odd though!

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    1. Ok, I suppose that's a possibility. But still...why not across the mantle inside?

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  10. Well, I'm kind of into certain kinds of fakery. After traveling in Asia, and having spent a lot of time in Asian restaurants here and abroad, I've developed an affection for the decorative possibilities of chintzy fake flowers -- esp fake flowers of symbolic significance, such as ume. I see plastic and fabric flowers decorating altars, in vases, as table center pieces, and draped over railings and sometimes, I find it charming. The part that's UN-charming is the plastic itself: plastic takes thousands of years to break down and is environmentally costly to produce. But... so are plastic pots. And the fossil fuels used to transport plants. One more reason to SHOP LOCAL! Local nurseries that propagate and grow their own plants are our best bet for environmental responsibility, as well as cool plants.

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    1. Well there is certainly no arguing with your last sentence is there?

      (full disclosure...I did have a plastic flower in the bud vase of my VW Bug for about a year...it was so bad that it was good!)

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  11. Loree, see? Plastic flowers can be strangely fun. So what's in your bud vase now? I wonder how a little succulent cutting would do... maybe those blue chalk sticks (Senecio madraliscae)? Back to plastic: I wonder if we can convince more local growers to use those Earth Pots and similar technologies? Probably more expensive but I think plastic pots have to be replaced with something better eventually. It seems crazy for us to be greening our gardens with plants while adding unbelievable heaps of plastic to the environment... oh and by the way, I would never buy plastic flowers -- I just try to appreciate them when I see them.

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    1. Agave attenuata pup in bud vase died when I forgot to bring it in last winter on 18 degree night. Tiny not hardy Opuntia died last winter because I thought it was hardy and left it out. Third times the charm and a small Aloe 'Fire Ranch' has been planted in the bud vase for almost a year!

      For veggie starts and annuals I like some of those not peat but peat-like pots I've been seeing. Not sure what they're made of but they get the eco-stamp of approval.

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  12. Good succulent choice, that little Aloe! You should show us a picture.
    And I think the peat-like pots are Earth Pots (tm)!

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  13. Plastic plants and flowers should be against the law! ESPECIALLY outside!

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