Roadside car games to play
By JOAN CROTHERS Towns Sentinel Editor

Tall Iron weed grows from 2-10' tall, with a cluster of small purple flowers that can be so tightly packed that each head looks like a single blossom. They grow in groups along the highway, in bottomlands, and in moist meadows.

When you are out in the car with your children or grandchildren, take along this section and see how many of these roadside plants that are blooming right now they can see. It will be a fun learning experience for everyone.

Take a piece of paper and pencil for each of them to keep track and see who the winner will be. The rules are that each one has to look on their side of the car only-and no cheating allowed. The longer the trip the better. Figure out the prize for the winner ahead of time.

All these plants can also be grown in your garden and they are really drought-hardy and grow with little care.

Blue asters will soon be all along the roadsides and especially in the rocks along the road over Unicoi to Helen. Cardinal flower grows 1-5' tall so may not be as easy to spot alongside the road. Mullein grows from 1-8' tall with velvet leaves and a yellow flower spike. Black-eyed susans are from 1-5' tall and take no care. Birds love their seeds. Butterfly weed is a favorite roadside - or garden flower that doesn't like wet feet so they're good in rock gardens.