Friday, March 26, 2010

What's In A Name?

“Nicknames stick to people, and the most ridiculous are the most adhesive”
~Thomas C. Haliburton

This pothead is the newest addition to my garden. I’ve had a hankerin’ for a pot head for some time, and after a lot of looking but no finding, I was thrilled to stumble over a newly arrived, large shipment at a small nursery that was just what I was looking for!

Almost every pet I ever had was given a well thought-out name, and this hand crafted pothead that comes to my garden from Thailand is no different. I have a few ideas for a name for her but I’d love your input!

Ooh, ooh, I know…let’s make this a contest! The winner will be rewarded, naturally. If you are in the continental USA, I will send you a prize of TWO packets of my favorite annual purple poppy seeds! One for you and an extra if you choose to give a friend a gift. These poppy seeds should arrive to you in time to sow them in your spring garden in the Northern hemisphere. Here in the western part of Washington State, USDA zone 7-8, I can usually sow them in February, and they bloom in June. They reach over three feet tall and are a beautiful deep purple, single (occasionally double) flower with a darker throat and creamy pollen which my honey bees love. After flowering, it yields wonderful seed pods that not only supply you with a-gazillion more seeds to save but also snazzy dried pods to use in your fall decorations or arrangements. Heck, I even like to use the green under-ripened pods in flower arrangements, which you can see in this picture.

Outside of the continental US it is illegal for me to mail seed, so for my non USA readers, if I choose your suggestion for a name you’ll have to settle for knowing I celebrate you as the winner! Lame, I know but my hands are tied. Sorry! But your name and blog address (if you have one) will be forever posted for all to see! I’d love to hear all my reader’s suggestions!! I know I have many readers outside the US, so please join in the fun! After all how often do you get invited to give your opinion?

I’ll end the contest 7 days from the day of this posting.

In bloom in my garden today: Oxalis oregana ‘Wintergreen’, Anemone nemerosa ‘Robinsoniana’, Dodecatheon (Shooting Star), Alpine strawberry, Muscari (Grape Hyacinths), Hepatica, Fritillaria, Primrose, Hellebore, Skimmia, Mahonia repens (Oregon Grape), Heather, Rhododendrons, Clematis, Hyacinth Orientalis ‘Blue Jacket’, Daphne caucasica ‘Eternal Fragrance’, Wood Hyacinths (Hyacinthoides hispanica), Corylopsis veitchiana (Winter Hazel)

Author’s photos

6 comments:

Shari B. (FitFeat) said...

Hi Joan! How fun! I love contests! I have two names to enter.

1.) I just have to put "Mary Jane" out there. I can't help it - I have the giggle factor of a 12-yr old and just that fact that this is a POTHEAD makes me crack up so of course "Mary Jane" comes to mind. ;)

2.) "Sukhon" which I read is a girl's name of Thai origin that supposedly means "pleasing scent" since whatever you will grow in it will most likely smell wonderful!

Thanks for another wonderful post!

Cindy said...

OH I LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOVE nicknames. every one in my home has like 12.

I have to stare at her face a few more minutes...a few ideas are brewing...

every "thingy" in my yard has a name.

Love it Joan, thanks for letting us help inspire you! and those

purple poppies are beautiufl!

I'll be back

Tracy Zhu said...

I submit Mali, the Thai word for jasmine, something I know you grow. I only know this from buying jasmine rice...

Very cool pot!

Pat said...

Hi, Joan! Thanks for visiting my blog the other day and leaving such a nice comment! The pot seems to me to want to be called something silly and feminine -- could her name be Floradora?

And I am in awe of your list of what's blooming for you right now! Oh to live in the PNW!

Cindy said...

see, the thing IS i need to know what's getting planted. However..I made some guesses. your pot looks jamacian to me. (or african) so the Thai thing is throwing me off.

Okay: her "hair" is going to be wild with beautiful plants...she may be looking for help to tame her locks so we have "Petunia-Panten-a. (or Poppy-Pantena, pick a p flower here)

Springtime is great for Jasmine round these parts (mine) so Jasmine-Jehmima.

Bee-Trice...cuz I am sure a local bee might land in her locks.

Rose-Annafanna...miniature roses are lovely in pots and she would give any garden variety pizazz.

Hya-Cynthias make a lovely if not short term apperaences (and my name is Cindy so I like this one)

but my favorite...and despite the fact that le Pot is no where near sporting a french vibe, but that's how I roll:

Mademoiselle, Fanny Le Fleur

cuz she just looks like a Fanny!

have fun, and thanks for sening me some Ju ju!

xo

Joan said...

Oh wow, I gotta wade through Cindy's novel here but in the meantime I want to thank you all for your entries...how fun this has been for me and you I hope!

Welcome Rosella! Shari, you may want to check out her blog pix of the snowmageddon she endured this winter, I know you can relate!

I've got some work ahead for me today!! Stay tuned for a winner tomorrow!