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Killing Jack

It looks like we have killed Jack. At the end of the day, this may have been a good thing, although the kids are still saddened by Jack’s passing. But it really wasn’t our fault. Or at least we can claim ignorance and self defense rather than outright murder. Please don’t hate us. Here is how it happened.

First, let me reassure you that Jack is not a person. Nor is Jack an animal or any mammal or rodent or bird. Jack is plant, well many plants, and therefore many Jacks. He emerged one day (along with his doplegangers) this recent spring, bursting out among the weeds in the yard. He presented himself first alongside the driveway, very near to where the kids play, proudly showing off his three leaves. Later, he emerged again in the pachysandra near the lamppost and to the right of our house, where we cultivated the ground last spring to grow large sunflowers. All we got for our troubles was weeds, newly sprung from the cleared and rich soil.

I did mention that Jack displayed three leaves. You know that old saying: leave of three, kill it, kill it, kill it?” Okay, really it is leaves of three, let it be, because having three leaves in plant society generally makes you poison ivy, poison oak or poison sumac. With three children who love to explore the woods, we thought we should take any chances and vowed to wipe out poison anything.

trillium Gloating from our victory, we headed off on Sunday to our local botanical garden to explore some newly built cathedrals in the sky (tree houses). As we did the stroller shuffle to remove the smallest of our brood from their confines, I spotted the same leaves of three on the side of the path. I got a sense of dread. Knowing that the botanical garden would never allow poison ivy so close to an area of high traffic, I worked up the courage to ask about the plant. It turns out that the three leaves is a plant called Trillium, or Jack-in-the-Pulpit, an unusual plant that blooms white flowers, loves moist woods and is hard to cultivate.

When we returned from our trip, Jack was already bowing down. Poor Jack.

Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.

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About Mary Ann Romans

Mary Ann Romans is a freelance writer, online content manager, wife and mother of three children. She lives in Pennsylvania in the middle of the woods but close enough to Target and Home Depot. The author of many magazine, newspaper and online articles, Mary Ann enjoys writing about almost any subject. "Writing gives me the opportunity to both learn interesting information, and to interact with wonderful people." Mary Ann has written more than 5,000 blogs for Families.com since she started back in December 2006. Contact her at maromans AT verizon.net or visit her personal blog http://homeinawoods.wordpress.com