Funny word, ubiquitous, It doesn't exactly roll off the tongue does it? And since I can barely pronounce it I definitely had to look up the correct spelling. No other word epitomizes the definition of 'existing or being everywhere'. When it comes to the Johnny Jump-up, one thing is for certain...it is UBIQUITOUS. We see the little darlins when they first pop up in the spring; we admire their itty bitty little purple and yellow faces as they brave the early spring elements and we think to ourselves "I can't pull out that sweet tiny face". But as is true with all youngsters, they grow. And they create entire clans of Johnny Jump-ups! Big Daddy Jump-ups! Masses of women, children, and cousins of Jump-ups! Then next thing you know, we have a love/hate relationship with the little dickens. We take no pity on them when they invade our lettuce. And we have no mercy when we dig them out and carelessly throw them in the debris pile. By the end of the growing season we reluctantly allow a few new starts have their way with our waning vegetable plot. But believe me, they will converge on us once again the following year. We love them. We detest them. We marvel in them. We ignore them. BUT no matter what... they are ubiquitous!
(originally published in May 2015)
