Pink Rose of Sharon

 Over the years, the rose of sharon has been my garden nemesis. While it can form an attractive screen dotted with blooms in late summer, it’s also a vigorous volunteer. I find volunteers growing in the shrubby border between our proper and that of our neighbor, in the narrow crack between garden edge and sidewalk, even sprouting tall from the middle of our low-spreading catalpa. It’s a flower preserved in cloth by many a quilter over the past 200 years, with leaves pointing outward, blossoms translated into gently scalloped circles, centers sometimes embellished with embroidery. It’s nice to see the growing plants but I do prefer the quilted versions, which are more well behaved.