Monday, September 22, 2008

How to Spend a Saturday

There's little better to do on a gorgeous late summer/early fall weekend than to drive around the country, go to an orchard for apples, buy produce at roadside stands, and enjoy what scenery is left around here before it's paved over into strip malls and subdivisions. This time of year, nurseries are full of "hardy mums." Everywhere we went Saturday, signs encouraged us to purchase "hardy mums," as if somewhere down the road one could find a stand selling "delicate mums." If each and every mum is "hardy," why bother with the adjective?

One friend who gardens told me "hardy" means that these are mums that can survive a light frost. Another told me that it means that you can plant them in the ground, that "hardy" mums are perennials. The internet told me that all mums are perennial, all mums survive a light frost, and therefore all mums are "hardy."

Except my mums. The sign at the stand where I purchased mine said, "Hearty Mums."

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I just had another hearty laugh. Not a delicate laugh. This one might survive the winter.

Amethyst Rose said...

hmm I wonder if "hearty" was intentional. Saturday Spike and I were on our way to the Allentown farmers market and we saw a sign that said yard "sail". Maybe they wanted us to sail to their yard? LOL!

Anonymous said...

I only know mum to be mummy.i did not know it was associated with plants.tunsie.tunsie.tunsie

Anonymous said...

I'll bet Mum was a hearty sort as well, Tunsie.