Gardening: Cultivating an appreciation for the unusual

The beauty of gardening is that Mother Nature is full of curve-balls.  That may be part of what frustrates those with green thumbs, but it is also what keeps us coming back.  Pointing out some of natures spectacular displays may just help awaken the green thumb in our kids as well.  If not, your kids will at least think you are a garden-geek and that is pretty amusing as well.  Here are some of the latest garden oddities that I chose to bring to my kids attention:

Ok, you may not think that a dying house-plant leaf isn't a spectacular display, but really - who can deny it is has a gorgeous way of dying?  Nature may just be trying to teach us that aging can be beautiful in itself.

My parent discovered a planter covered in alien-looking vines.  Turns out it was a dodder, or a parasitic plant.

Although it may be a real blight in some areas of the country, it's pretty rare around here and I found it fascinating.  No connection to the soil, but it was thriving like no other.

Here's what it looks like after we untangled it all from the poor planter-victims. 

Ok - this is one of my favorite gardens ever!  On Crockett Avenue in Logan, Utah, a man named Bruce Bugbee creates a stunning garden display. 

This year's theme was the Wizard of Oz - complete with a yellow brick road.

I love the tin man!

The whimsical sign that describes the garden quotes the book/movie: "I don't think we're in Kansas anymore Toto."  Love it!