On Planting: Lamb's Ears

The first plant, or flower, I took notice of when I got my first house is the Lamb's Ear. For its appeal to me, it shares much in common with the Dusty Miller Silverdust. They've both got the same feel to their leaves; I think they even both flower the same: purple! Among the Hostas on my property were plenty of Lamb's Ears, which I quickly learned, grow... & spread... quite quickly... And since I found myself adoring them, I preserved as many as I could. (Click here for a link to the Lamb's Ear plant on Amazon's website.) 

I remember one which began growing about two feet further toward the street from the main planting line beneath the front window that I began trimming the front lawn around. During a visit from Dad he remarked to me, "You know there's a Lamb's Ear growing in the grass." I'm sure he just wanted to hear what I'd say about his comment; he couldn't have possibly not have known what was going on. The only two options were for me to say, "Oh, is that what's growing among the blades of grass? I guess I'll just dig that up as a weed & get rid of it." Or, what I basically did say, "Yeah, I know. I'm cutting around it so I can let it grow a bit & then replant it when it's big & strong enough in a better, more suitable location." Dad nodded affirmatively.

The leaves of the Lamb's Ear are soft & delicate, & do look just as a lamb's ear does. They probably feel just the same as well, although I'm not so familiar with touching actual lamb's ears. I remember being bummed whenever I'd be cutting the front lawn (where most of the Lamb's Ears were growing) & I'd be trying to make trimming more simple, so I'd try & get the mower that much closer to the edge of the grass line. Then I'd get frustrated as I'd watch the tip of a Lamb's Ear leaf get nipped; it wasn't a smooth edge anymore.

I wasn't such a bit fan of the purple flowers, & I'm well aware, had I taken the extra effort to keep at nipping off their tops, then the extensive & the extensive spread of the Lamb's Ears throughout my yard, wouldn't have become nearly so much. Yet, I'd focus most of my outdoor organizing time on things other than de-flowering the Lamb's Ears. Maybe in my subconscious I knew to keep the flowers in order to keep the beautiful leaves, err ears, growing in the yard.