Queen Anne’s Lace and Blushing Susie

The names of these two aggressive, sometimes invasive growers are contradictory to their genteel and lady-like names. When they are planted in the ground they spread like wildfire in any season. These two are some of my favorite flowers growing in the garden right now .

Queen Anne’s Lace

Queen Anne’s Lace is such a wonderful name and I adore it. It is also known as Daucus Carota, which is also a nice name too. The flowers themselves really look like a lacy bouquet. I grew these from seeds two years ago and I found that they have been spreading themselves in many places all over my yard. When they first started to grow they look like carrot leaves. Small green clusters grew from thin stems but eventually they open up to reveal reddish flowers with a mix of white. The variety I have are dark pink and white flowers.

They like lots of water but can grow well even in dry spots in your garden. They don’t require fertilizer and can stand clay soil, see the spot where I put them below, it is pretty dry most of the time.

Blushing Susie

Blushing Susie Thunbergia is one of the cutest flowering vines I have ever seen! I grew them from seeds and it took them a while to flower but when they did, they were so vibrant. Before they open, they have pretty light green, heart-shaped buds that looked like paper lanterns. When they bloom they have the brightest orange-red, light orange, or yellow flowers on its vines all at once sometimes. They like moist soil and lots of places to climb onto. They are a bit invasive, so I recommend growing them in pots and far away from other plants you don’t want them to overtake. This one is also fairly low maintenance… no fertilizer, just water.

I love these invasive flowers and I don’t mind them reproducing or spreading all over my garden. I do mind though that the Blushing Susie is strangling my tomato plant and alstroemeria. It can easily be cut down and moved elsewhere though since I had it in a pot. Try growing them from seeds. The package or some websites will say they are for certain growing zones but I always defied those warnings and grow them out of range anyway!