Friday, March 12, 2010

Green Living by Janet Marchant: Saving Some Green This St. Patrick's Day

Oh, boy! It's almost time for St. Patrick's Day again. I sure enjoyed the parade last year, with all of those eco-conscious participants, and I learned a lot about St. Patrick. I just love holidays, and I also love thinking up new ways to enjoy them in the cleanest, greenest way possible. As you may know, St. Patrick's Day is already one of the greenest holidays around, but hold onto your gold-buckled hats, because we're about to green it up some more!

This year, I was going to give friends and relatives little Paddy's Day gifts like homemade soda bread or crubeens, or buy them some of those pretty, potted shamrock plants. Well, imagine my delight when I recently discovered some shamrocks growing right in my own yard! I haven't been lucky enough to find one with four leaves yet, but they do have darling yellow flowers, that are as bright as a leprechaun's gold.


I was surprised to find these little gems growing in a part of the yard where even my Kentucky bluegrass has a hard time. But come rain or shine, the spunky, clover-shaped leaves keep popping up like weeds! So instead of spending a lot of green this St. Patrick's Day, I'm going to dig some up in my own yard. A little creative recycling of various containers will give me all the pots I need, and I'll be able to share my shamrocks with everyone I know.

I've noticed that these yellow flowers seem to grow in some other places around town, too. You might even find some of this gold in your own yard, if you look carefully, or ask the right leprechaun. If you do find some, you'll be all set to make your own earth-friendly gifts for the holiday.

2 comments:

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Concerned Gardener said...

Janet, wait! That picture in your column shows oxalis pes-caprae, which is a weed and a big problem for anyone who wants to plant anything else in their yard! Don't give any of those yellow-flowered plants to your friends if you want them to stay friends with you. Believe me, if you think dandelions are hard to get rid of, you will be floored by how much trouble oxalis can be. Please publish a retraction, because as you can see from the comment by Anonymous, you are already misleading college students who may soon be planting gardens of their own!