Weeds are flowers too

“Weeds are flowers too, once you get to know them.”
- A. A. Milne, 1882-1956

I’m kind of a quote freak. I remembered the above quote when I was in my garden. There’s one “weed” that I just love…The Johnny-Jump-Up.

Every time I see a Johnny-Jump-Up in a new place in my garden, I smile. I can’t help it. I’m not sure if it’s their name, or if it’s their simple purple flowers, or if it’s the fact that they pop up whenever or where ever they feel the need to spread some beauty.

I planted my first Johnny-Jump-Up about 8 years ago. I bought him at a house with a “perennials for sale” sign out front. (I’ve never seen a Johnny-Jump-Up in a ‘real’ garden shop…thus the debate whether they are a flower or a weed.) Johnny came home with me in a Styrofoam cup. Since that time he has spread and multiplied and moved from garden to garden. He never seems to be in the same place twice.

He’s not like other weeds that move in and take over the whole garden and kill off the other flowers. He just happily co-exists…spreading his simple beauty…not hurting anybody.

I once shared some of my Johnny-Jump-Ups with a friend. She ended up hating them and uprooting them wherever they decided to spread their beauty. They would pop up in unexpected places in her well-planned garden. It drove her nuts….and Johnny knew it. He took it as a challenge to keep finding new places in her gardens. Gotta love the spunk of Johnny-Jump-Ups!

Johnny-Jump-Ups definitely qualify as a ‘smooth stone’ in my life. My $1 investment 8 years ago continues to make me smile every summer.

I can learn a lot from Johnny…keep spreading whatever beauty you can, in whatever way you can, wherever you can….whether it is wanted or not. Someone may get a smile out of it!