11 August, 2006


... and I didn't trade a cow in return for magic beans! I simply bought a small plant in a tiny pot at a local nursery. Everything seemed innocent enough, I wanted it to soften the edge of some of my patio containers with a pretty foliage vine. I chose one with with a purple edge to the leaf, a nice color accent. It is called "Sweet Potato Vine". In the beginning (for a day or two), it stayed within it's pot. Then, like Jack's beanstalk, something magical began to happen. It spilled out onto the patio floor... and grew... and grew... and grew some more!

It didn't stop there. It crawled out under the rail and took off down the patio walls, stretching itself ten feet to the ground in no time at all. It hasn't stopped, it's heading through the woods toward the Yadkin River. I'd better stop it. I'll need to get the clippers before it leaves town.


And to think, it all started so innocently! What did I know? I've learned my lesson. Next spring when the man at the nursery asks:
"Sweet Potato Vine"?
I'll know how to respond:
"If it's all the same to you, I'll keep my cow, but thanks!"


Life is good!

5 comments:

Flake said...

Maybe your "grandogger" can take care of it next week :)

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

You know, for some reason she isn't interested in the vine that's run amok... I think she might be afraid of it!! ;)

Jim V said...

We recently discovered that a cucumber vine was doing better than we originally thought, MUCH better. Our neighbor has a climbing vine that spills through her fence into our yard. It has beautiful flowers, so no complaints from us. But it has broad leaves that look alot like the leaves of a cucumber vine.

Well, we recently discovered that her vine wasn't spilling as much as we thought. Our cucumbers have gone CRAZY, made their way over to the common fence, and woven themselves throughout it. At one point, there was a tangled mass of vines that was easily a couple of dozen vines think, weaving back and forth. It looked like some sort of cable of cucumber vines. It was a HUGE mess once we started digging into it.

The funniest part was that a cucumber must have started to grow between the fence and a piece of attached lattice when it was very small. As it grew, it jammed itself between the two and molded itself around them to the point that it took two of us to yank it out of there.

So, needless to say, we've been eating alot of cucumber in our salads lately! More than 2 dozen so far, and there are at least six ready to pick sometime this week.

...

I am sorry to hear of the loss of your friend, and the very rough summer you've been having. So often we can only take comfort in knowing that we, at least, are seeing God's plan play out before us even when the nature of the plan can be painful. God bless you, and say hi to 'The Uncle' for me.

Mrs. Goodneedle said...

Hi, Jim! At least your "magic vine" provides sustenance; mine is purely decorative... not a sweet potato in sight. (Or even a bean for that matter!) Looking forward to seeing you (and L. and the little princess) soon!

Jim V said...

I should be back to updating little's blog this Sunday. She's getting big!!!