ellineer

Fall news

Oh good, another couple of WordPress updates!

I’m sure this will all run together as one paragraph, even though that is never how I create the documents…..instead relying on lots of dots.

This summer was very unusual, and pretty hard on the plant life around here. 80’s and 90′ for weeks at a time, and no rain from June 1 to around end of August. It wasn’t until the temps dropped back down into the 70’s that any of the plants came back to life. Even the mature Rhodies looked wilted and near death while it was still hot, despite my providing some sprinkler assistance to some sites. But because we don’t have humidity to speak of, which also goes along with no rain, it was pretty pleasant for humans, especially into the evenings. We are used to it getting chillier at night, but we didn’t have to bundle up at night this summer. If we’d had a little more rain, some of the plants wouldn’t have been so stressed, and some might not have died.

BUT, the real stars of “drought resistant” gardens here in the Pacific Northwest, meaning they not only survived but they looked OK Delphoidea/Arrowleaf, Monardella odorissima, all the buckwheat species including ground covers and shrubs, Penstemons Richardsonii and Tolmei, Beargrass, Desert Parsley, Indian paintbrush (castilleja), many heuchera, Globemallow, the two pussytoes, and of course the sedums and all the spring emerging plants that are not subject to the drought because they die back in the summer anyway (bulbs, irises, Columbines). Some plants did OK if they were not in the sun, but there were literally sunscorched areas of otherwise alive plants where the Suns Rays were strongest, especially afternoon light (why did it capitalize “Suns” on me, twice now? This must be part of the upgrade).

I have found a new ‘feature’ fatal flaw in this version of WordPress. You may not appreciate it because this is a static document, but there is a huge lag time for typing the keystrokes and seeing the words being typed out, very frustrating. Guess I’ll wait a while till they fix this bug to come back. Bye bye!

Goin’ Native

We decided to finally try out the Native Americans’ favored food, Camas. This was a a highly valued food that was widely traded and given as gifts by Chiefs. They cultivated large areas using controlled burns and limiting the number of bulbs taken at any site. It was dug up around flowering time due to the fear of Death Camas, which looks different but the bulbs look similar. We don’t have any of that! We have white camas but it’s a Camassia. The bulbs were eaten after being slow cooked in steam pits for two days, and either eaten right away or sun dried and stored. We’ve had a bunch of it for years now, maybe ten years, and some is growing into the walkways in a couple of places, so it seemed the right time.

They are difficult to dig up, and require a deep tool like a post hole shovel. That’s why the moles can’t hurt them. So far the voles have not partaken either, though they like the bordiaea well enough! If the moles can’t expose their bulbs, the voles can’t get there!They are about 7 or more inches deep in hard soil and mulch. The native Americans preferred to cultivate these (yes, they sowed seeds and engaged in agriculture) on soil just above rocks like on outcroppings, because they were easier to dig up.

They dug steam pits and cooked them slowly for two days with fern leaves, heated rocks and water. The cooking bulbs were watched round the clock for that time and hot rocks and water were added as needed….what did they use for a thermometer?! It was a seasonal job – for women, of course. But if the cooking was cut short or insufficient, the results pull be significant gut indigestion! They contain inulin, which is a polymer of fructose which requires slow cooking over time to break down. Inulin is indigestible by humans, so it needs to be low-temperature cooked over prolonged period. This gives the cooked bulbs a progressively more brown color, and the fructose then gives it a mildly sweet, “carmelized” flavor. It peels like an onion but is firmer than an onion after cooking. Their scent is likened to baked pears (true), and their flavor and consistency like potatoes (also true). The native Americans knew better!

We prepared them two different times. First, by digging them up , cleaning them, slicing off roots and stems, and putting them into a small collapsible metal steamer which was then put into a crock pot. Water added to just below the steamer level, set low, and forget for two days. They turn progressively BROWN, as the inulin is broken down. Then slicing them crosswise and sautéing them in olive oil or butter till golden, and lightly salted. Yum. I will warn whomever that eating them earlier has consequences. I felt a little yucky in the gut the next day after eating them earlier, at 20 hours of cooking. After waiting a day and then eating them at 40 hours of cooking I had no ill effects at all.

Well into spring, which just happened

Well they’ve gone and “improved” the website again. I’ll just be brief until the updates come

BRIEFLY(!), things are happenin’ early this year, I think. Most bulbs coming up though Chocolate lily is just erupting in its clumps, and some of the recently purchased Fawn Lilllies. Most of the perennials are at least poking up if not leafed out. Poor Delphimium, three plants coming up great to ~1 1/2 foot with flower heads and two plants were attacked by slugs, with partial destruction. Too bad it isn’t poisonous to slugs like it is for mammals. A few Fawn Lilllies are just starting to bloom as are Shooting Star pulchellum, Douglas’ Grass Widow, and some shrubs: Indian Plum, all the Archtostaphylos plants like Hairy Manzanita and Kinnickinnick, all the Currants – yellow, red and wax.

Found a couple of plants along a path where the hot tub removal dudes had trampled…..I’d just planted a bunch of seeds and had a few smaller plants along that path, and am waiting to see what comes up (lower back yard from the hot tub deck to the street below…and they were all Samoan dudes!). We didn’t have anything valuable lost, I’m just curious, and also I’d have to replant/sow if things didn’t show up. A couple of Trilliums came up, including Chlorpetalum, which has pretty speckled leaves and fragrant flowers, and a planting of Trillium seeds from three years ago.

Ducks have arrived a few days early, actually the last week of February! They didn’t come back until last week, though it was still early, around the 10th, and it is usually the 18th or later. They are scare-dy ducks, though, and are too skittish. We used to be able to mess with them standing near the pond, now they fly away when we open the door! Jeez!!

End O’ January

First of the Shooting Stars, Desert Parsley, mature Trilliums and Delphiniums poking up . LOTS of Brodiaea shoots and now Ookow/purple Brodiaea. First White Camas, which looked very strong last year.

Just a hint of paintbrushes, pussytoes, and white, yellow columbines. None yet of Jacob’s ladder, gaillardia, asters.

Took out two huckleberry bushes in the meadow area of the back yard. Sowed a bunch of seeds there, hoping something will take hold. I had over 50 packs of seeds, only some of which I planted into pots, the rest was spread around the whole yard…we shall see what develops!

We’re gonna be in Sunset!

Apparently next March, with the photos that were taken this past May at and just after the Native Plant Society garden tour. A freelance writer showed up at the tour and asked to take picture, which we of course said yes to, cuz why not? He introduced himself with his name but didn’t say that he was a writer and also didn’t say he was tentatively representing Sunset. Apparently he sent the photos to Sunset that day to see if they were interested in our garden, because he was, that’s the reason he took them. Then a local freelance photographer buddy of his (whose native plant ID book we now have) wanted to do the piece, which we were by that time aware of, so he asked if HE could come out and take pix, so we said sure, cuz why not? But then Sunset contacted us shortly after and asked if ANOTHER photographer could come out. He was here for two half days, because it got too sunny on the one day. We had so many great flowers, and sooooooo many bees, that’s what first impressed the writer. We had the first showing of Beargrass, the tall and gorgeous White Camas, and the Yellow Desert Parsley, to name a few). Anyway, this year Seattle Times, next year Sunset!!

Winter bulb fun!

I noticed a few years ago that Brodiaea leaves come right up through holes in leaves, instead of just pushing their way up. I figure that they probably produce a substance that dissolves the dead leaves, leaving a clean hole. I took a bunch of photos of them. This year I tried an experiment, and secured several squares of paper over patches of Brodiaea, including newspaper, lined notebook paper, copy paper and card stock paper. The newspaper actually dissolved a few days after getting wet, of course! But the brodiaea came up through the copy paper and the sturdier notebook paper. The card stock has only been outside a few days yet. There are small dark dots and then they poke through. I’ve noticed that the tips of the leaves sometimes have a tiny drop of clear fluid at the top, that’s probably where the enzyme is. I took a few drops with a stick and dotted them on two spots on the paper, also, next to one of the leaves coming through. But, these drops dry out and so I had to reapply it. Not sure if there has to be continuous wet for it to keep working, but if it is an enzyme it does. I laid a stick with the tip wetted with these drops on the paper, in case that would help, but I think it has to be done a little more properly than that..don’t have lots of time, the leaves will be done trying to emerge soon!

Autumn has finally arrived

Of course, I always a deny the fall until it’s almost over, since we have some plants that persist into November and December. With the first freeze this past week, it’s basically winter and soon spring will be here! First snow, too, which was unusually on a Saturday instead of me having to drive through it, but it wasn’t heavy or sticking to the roads much anyway. It did stay around the yard all week, though, since it was freezing.

Planted some new seeds (in pots), mostly from eastern Washington . Synthyris/kitten tails, large flowered clover/trifoliate macrocephalum, Penstemon Gainderi, Penstemon deustus (white flowered), paintbrushes/Castilleja Elmeri and Miniata, Phlox Viscida, Balsamroot Serrata and Trollius Albiflora. Also planted in pots some white and small purple camas, bear grass seeds, and Purple avens (we have a few but not enough and we have too many of the large leaved yellow variety).

Many other plant seeds sewn in little areas (Dave calls them “clumps”) all over the yard. I had almost 50 packets of seeds of various types and quantities to sow in total. I try to mark them with white pumice so I don’t end up digging them out accidentally (I’ve seen some plants grow up together due to that if I’m lucky, who knows how many were lost, though). I’m still reluctant to put valuable plants, bulbs or seeds in areas that have been ravaged by moles in the past, even though the moles were much less active the last few years, or to plant them around aggressive plants like salal. So, I still end up putting most of these in certain places, but I finally have so many seeds of some types that I can be liberal. Too many to name, but lots of bulbs and plants that are underrepresented .

Below is not the snow we got last week, that was nothing by comparison. This is a winter wonderland from a couple of years back:

Late summer in all it’s glory – really!

We’ve had some good summer rains this year, about every 2-3 weeks or so. Combined with the hotter weather, the plants are loving it! Most everything looks beautiful and lush like it normally would if it got enough rain throughout the summer, which “normally” it doesn’t! A few plants still getting a little scorched, fewer now that I’ve transplanted most of them out of the direct summer sun? So, so’ s not to forget, here’s my transplant list for this fall:

Two huckleberries from backyard meadow, to west entry area.
Two maidenhair ferns from front yard to anywhere better, speaking of over sunned!
Pull out remainder of ajuga around patio, replant with new seedlings of Paintbrush, Gaillardia and Globemallow.
Hooker’s Fairybells to less summer sun.

I sowed a bunch of Trillium Chloropetalum seeds that the one newer plant produced (two small but productive pods), into three spots in the lower back yard. Propagating these would be a coup, as they are fragrant and more delicate looking than the Westerns. It is in an area that the moles have thankfully abandoned, as they have several other hazard spots, and not in too much sun. It will eventually be a little grotto for some ferns, Boykinia, Leopard lily, Fawn lily, chocolate lillies, Shooting stars, Miterwarts, Trilliums (Chloropetalum),Penstemons, spotted Saxifrage, Camas, Bear Grass, Balsamroot and Pussytoes, to name a few. Well, it will be trilliums in about 7 years, anyway, that’s what it takes from seed! The Western Trillium seeds from the last few years germinated well – we have about five different patches of two-year seedlings planted out in the ground, and about five of the three-year plants which were planted into a small pot.

We’re in the paper!

Our garden was featured in the Seattle Times’ Sunday garden section, as a native garden. The pix were taken last year, in May, so things have filled out more since then, but the photos were good anyway…our garden can be very photogenic and not hard to find many good shots.

Next up, Sunset! We were photographed in May of THIS year, during and after the native plants society tour on the 17th. I have to say, those pix are likely to be much better – there are more and larger plants that are relatively new, more filled out, and a few plants bloomed for the first time, including the gorgeous White Camas and White Brodiaea ass well as Bear grass…these pix really don’t do them justice!.

Summer’s glory!

We have been blessed by the garden gods with an excellent summer again this year. Elements that make up this type of summer include long stretches of sunny days, maybe some fog in hype morning, and rain about every 3 weeks. The plants meanwhile love it, and they are thriving to show their appreciation.

We have a couple of new plants growing, including healthy looking foliage of Scarlet Gilia, and a few baby starts of Bog gentian that we need to put in the newest, third bog area (two others are in a raised planter structure and part of the pond). I also have healthy looking starts of orange flowered Globemallow, River Lupine, Monkshood and the taller, red flowered Common Paintbrush, but I won’t plant them out till fall so I don’t have to struggle to keep them watered and alive.

Lots of seeds collected, mostly ones I want to plant. I collected a bunch of native “sunshine mix” for Sarah, which is camasses, Iris tenax, Nodding onion, Sea thrift, red columbine and a few others. Selected ones include two pods of Trilliim Chloropetalum, Harsh Paintbrush, Ookow, White Brodiea, purple brodiaea, white Camas, White and pink Shooting star, triteliaea (purple), Wild Ginger, Bear Grass, hookers onion, small camas, chocolate lily, Fawn lily, tiger lily, leopard lily, pussytoes, Geum Aveum, Desert Parsley/Lomatium

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The squirrels and Jays have just about finished off the hazelnuts. Too bad it will be another ten years or so till the Garry Oak produces acorns, it’s supposed to take about twenty years.