When we came back from walking earlier this morning, I noticed the abundance of blue flowers along the road at the end of our driveway. Probably because I've been working with old newspapers from the 1800's, I was reminded that this rather pretty bright blue flower is chickory and early settlers used the root to make a beverage similar to coffee, the leaves were steeped for medicinal tea, and even today, some varieties are cultivated for various purposes. What we have is a wild variety - related to ragweed, I believe, but as far as I know it isn't bothersome the same way ragweed is. Anyway, Fred suggested some of the people who walk by may not know they are seeing not just weeds on the roadside, but a useful wild plant.

Which brings me to the other plants along our roadside, lupine. These purple pink and creamy white flowering plants are now going to seed. The seed pods are first green, then turn dark brown and if left on the plant, when sufficiently ripe and dry the pods burst open with a sort of corkskrew effect that literally tosses the seeds far and wide so in following years there will be a profusion of flowers. Anyone wishing to have some lupines in your garden or as wildflowers around your home should pick the pod stems that are dry but haven't opened. Bring a plastic bag and help yourselves - there are plenty along the road and all you need to do is spread the seeds around where you want them and next spring you should have some plants. Left on their own, lupines will reseed year after year - sometimes where you don't want them, but you can easily dig them out and replant where you want them. Another nice thing about them is that they will grow well in inferior soil and are said to enrich the soil for other plants. Anyway, do just help yourself to some seeds. The town road crew will be around soon and mow 'em all down, I expect, so better get them soon.