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Unfortunately I am among the ones who have started thinking of them as weeds. I originally imported a few from the hayfield adjacent to our property. But now they are invading all over the place. I sent several to a DGer that's trying to establish a meadow, but I that was just the tip of the iceberg. I have finally accepted the fact that I will have to pull them up when they are not where they should be. That goes against my nature, (I tend to nurture & transplant everything) but I had to draw the line. They are pretty though.
I suspect the reason florists will not use field daisies is because of the unpleasant odor. I never noticed it as a kid, but they really do smell bad.
I don't think I've ever noticed a bad odor to them. I do understand though about the way some flowers reseed just a little too enthusiastically... in my garden this year, it's garlic chives and morning glories that I've had to pull up in a few places because they were just overtaking other plants I was trying to nurture.
Take a good whiff of the foliage the next time you pick some. Of course, I suspect smell is very individual. I think sage stinks, too. But I've heard others say sage smells good. ??? But I know I'm not alone in my dislike for the smell of field daisies. I've heard others comment on it.
I'll share a good daisy story with you, too. When my children were very small (probably all under 8) they picked a small bouquet of field daisies & brought them to me for an elderly couple we knew from church. I arranged them in a bright colored mug & we took them to their house. They were thrilled to receive them. I thought "it really doesn't take much to brighten someone's day". Not very long after that the husband passed away. When we went to the funeral home we met some of his family members that we hadn't known previously. When I introduced myself several people said, "Oh, you're the one who brought him flowers. You can't imagine how much they meant to him. He told us he would much rather have a few flowers now, instead of all the baskets of flowers at his funeral." I was floored!! He had even told his family about those flowers. A handful of "weeds" in a mug.
Pam, the next time you want to get rid of some of the plants or if you happen to have seeds for this, I sure would love some! I wanted hubby to stop the other day so I could raid a roadside bed for plants. He wouldn't. He worries so much about the police stopping me that he has me wondering now. I used to keep a small shovel in the trunk. I did have a sister-in-law get stopped for doing the same thing, kinda, she was trying to rescue something but they didn't quite see it that way.
Flower, I'll see if I can catch my plants at the right time for seeds... and if you're ever up this way, I'll happily dig you a clump!
That's a really neat story about the flowers your kids picked, Pam! "Little" things sometimes really aren't so little, especially when it comes to something as sweet as a children's bouquet of flowers!
