Cotton

I may be the only person in Ohio growing cotton.  A few years ago, we were at the zoo in the fall.  At the rhino exhibit, they had all sorts of odd plants--which for me was just as fascinating as the rhinos.  I was surprised to see a nearly dead plant with cotton balls on it.  I had never seen cotton before, so I picked a couple cotton ball seeds and brought them home.  Last year, I planted them in pots, and was surprised to find they were incredibly pretty plants with reddish green leaves and big ivory pinkish flowers.  I ended up with a dozen cotton balls.

I was going to plant them in the veggie garden this year, but all the rain put an end to that idea.  I planted a few in pots and saved the rest for next year.

It turns out that my plants are an heirloom plant that is mostly grown in gardens as an ornamental plante.  Other cotton varieties are not near as pretty.