Friday, April 12, 2013

friday fun finds: creeping jenny


yesterday chach shared her new adventures in gardening. i started gardening a couple of years ago and am officially an addict. it is so therapeutic, so relaxing and it gives you a feeling of accomplishment almost instantly. i also love that in the world of motherhood, where most days are not full of huge successes, gardening gives you produce within weeks. it's miraculous and such a refreshingly gratifying hobby...and you get "free" food. it's a win.

still, with five kids, my time is limited in my garden. i pick hearty, easy to grow plants in my garden that will produce food my kids will eat. i don't have a ton of time to weed. i don't have a ton of time to re-mulch. i want to care for my plants and just enjoy the rest of the yard.

that's where my favorite little plant comes in. i absolutely love "creeping jenny". a creeping jenny is a ground covering plant. they are cheap. i can get them for just about two dollars. here's what makes them so wonderful. jennies spread rapidly. as they grow, they drop down new roots and just keep going. one little container will start as about 4 inches around when planted. after one season, it will be about two feet around. after that, watch out. these sweet little plants will completely cover a barren area. they do not need much sunlight. they can survive in a ton of sunlight. they do not need much water. they do great in a ton of water (even a water garden). they do not need much care. they are nearly indestructible. they are amazing!

our patio couldn't even stop the growth.


the best thing about jennies? what is absent from the pictures above? no guesses? that's right...no weeds! where jennies are, weeds don't seem to grow. i've had one or two try to fight their way through the jenny covered grown but they are pulled up in a snap. there won't be weeds all summer long and the area won't need any mulch to keep it maintained. right there the sweet little plant has eliminated two time consuming gardening tasks. i think jenny deserves a medal. 

what about you? do you have a favorite plant for your garden? for me it's jenny...the helper of mommy gardeners everywhere.

3 comments:

  1. Ok, Nellie, now I'm completely DAZZLED by you. All this and a gardener to boot?! We moved into a new house this fall and I SOOO want to try a garden but have no idea where to start. I'm sort of daunted by it b/c I have never kept even houseplants alive.

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  2. Those look great! Since I'm a Jennifer, I kind of like the idea of having a Creeping Jenny in my garden LOL.

    I don't do very many flowers - I grow mostly vegetables and herbs. I love my flowering thyme the most... smells delightful and it's so hardy!

    Wishing you a lovely weekend!
    xoxo

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    1. i grew up as a jenny too. i'm so in love with my creeping jennies and the plant with that name all over my yard!

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