First Flowers for the Season / Violets and English Daisies

First Flowers for the Season / Violets and English Daisies

“There’s a flower!” The little girl leaning over the old pole separating our yards was delighted and surprised. “Yes,” I told her, “it’s the first one, and you found it!”

Little girls and miniature daisies are both sweet and delightful. They are welcome diversions on mild days from the deluge of stormy weather we have been having here in Northern CA. I am reminded of the tiny bouquets of violets and English daisies I once picked as a child. And then there were the daisy chains children everywhere like to weave. Do you remember the little daisies you picked as a teen? They helped us answer the all-important question: “He loves me? He loves me not?”

English daisies and violets are often the first flowers to bloom for the year. They rarely wait till it is officially spring to begin whispering that warmer (and hopefully drier) weather is near. They are easy to grow, from nursery starts or seeds. If you have gardening friends you may even be able to arrange a trade for a few plants to start in your own yard. Once established both the daisies and violets are likely to spread, which makes them fun to share. And they are easy to transplant.

English daisies perform best with at least partial sun. I have quite a few of the handsome low evergreen mats. They pop up on their own in the lawn, and I encourage them in my mixed borders and beds. The ones blooming in my yard now, get sun (when it bothers to peek out) most of the day. Violets on the other hand prefer a spot in the shade. They will be happy to grow beneath a tree, or on the shady side of your porch. My violets get very little winter time sun, yet they are cheerfully decorated with little purple blooms.

English daisies and violets were once considered useful plants and were not grown only for they early blooms. They were considered medicinal plants, and the flowers of both the daisies and violets are edible. (If you are allergic to pollen – you should skip the idea of tasting flowers.) For those who would like to try them, they add pizzazz to salads, cake decorations, and ice cubes for fancy drinks.

Now, I know you are thinking that it is way to cold for iced drinks. But if you have room in your freezer, simply drop a flower in each compartment of your ice cube tray. Add water, and freeze. Once they are solid, empty the trays into an airtight bag or other container. This should keep them from forming crystals or dehydrating. Simply keep them frozen until you are ready to use in warmer weather.

The leaves from violets are considered edible. I have tried them, and I really can’t say that I recommend them. However, if you have a goodly patch, and lack many other winter greens, they make an acceptable addition to soups. (And they are considered nutritious.) You may find them recommended as additions to salad, but they are a little tough for my taste.

Don’t forget to look for violets and English daisies while you are selecting seeds or plants at the nursery or in your favorite catalogs. They need very little care, and will brighten your late winter days with their happy blooms. The children in your life might even venture out on dry days and pluck you tiny precious bouquets that you can enjoy arranged in a miniature teacup or vase. The sweetest things need not be large or rare, when they arrive right on time.

For more on edible flowers see:
http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07237.html">http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/garden/07237.html

For more on English Daisies see:
http://www.wssa.net/photo&info/larrymitich_info/englishdaisy.html">http://www.wssa.net/photo&info/larrymitich_info/englishdaisy.html

Links to everything you could possibly want to know about violets can be found by scrolling down on this page:
http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbVioletMed.htm">http://www.gardensablaze.com/HerbVioletMed.htm

649 words Copyright 2006 Harvest McCampbell

Love / A Gardening Poem

Love

i will become
that living soil
beloved flesh
of earth

bury me
where worms feed
scatter seed
i will take new form
in the deep embrace
of roots

grieve a moment
if you must
but then rejoice
we are all just
a part of this
one life

revel in golden light
sun warmed earth
the fragrance of
flowers
pollens mysterious delight

inhale these dear
molecules
these tender things
that my soul
and substance
have become

inhale
and I will be
with you
always

together
finally
at last
we will become
perfection
that living soil
the beloved
flesh of earth

until then
you will find me in the garden
precious seeds
near to hand

Copyright 2-3-06 6:00 AM Harvest McCampbell

Bring on the Frogs, Toads, & salamanders!

Dear Readers,

Last time I went to town I was in hot pursuit of some Sluggo - as I have mentioned in a previous post. I was full aware that the stuff is not as harmless as they claim, but had my plans to try to keep anything but the slugs from being poisoned. Alas, it was not offered anywhere I looked. (My aches and pains definitely keep me in check. Shopping till I drop usually entails 3 or 4 stores.)

Yesterday a friend ran me on some errands, and we stopped in the local nursery. No luck there either. But a few people let me know they had seen my gardening articles in the local paper! Hurrah! (Heck, I still haven't seen either of them . . . The second one was the piece on Fennel I also posted here. )

This morning I was chatting with my ex-husband on the phone. He is an avid gardener, an awesome artist, a fantastic massage therapist, the best friend you could ever want - but a lousy husband. We are great friends. I brought up the Sluggo and my son was listening from the other room. Anyway - Ex-hubby and his girl friend have each tried the Sluggo on their gardens with different results. Everywhere he used the Sluggo his ground molded - and no where he didn't use it. And he has a bumper crop of baby snails. His lady however, has had good luck with the stuff and is able to buy it at the Dollar Store!

Hmmm . . . I was having some second thoughts. When I got off the phone Son totally nixed the Sluggo idea. He said "Mom, ladies who can't walk and talk on the phone at the same time do not get to play with poison." Oh yea. Dang but he has a point. I can't walk and talk on the phone at the same time. I have problems walking and having stuff in my hands. I have problems walking and talking. Walking with the phone in my hand and trying to talk is just over my edges. Funny things happen to you when you have brain damage.

I definitely couldn't argue with his logic. So I said, "Then you pick the slugs morning and evening - cause I don't feel well enough." He just shook his head to that. I thought a few seconds, then said, "Then you buy me big bottles of cheap beer and I'll use that." It is settled, my slugs are condemned to death by alcoholism. I am sort of against it, being clean and sober for 23 years. But I have to agree, that ladies who can't walk and talk on the phone at the same time shouldn't be playing with poison. Dang it anyway. (I am not sure how long it has been since anyone accused me of being a lady - but that is a story for a different day . . .)

I've been thinking about salamanders. I used to keep them when I was a girl. (And no one accused me of being a lady then.) Now we have giant salamanders and pretty dang big tiger salamanders in our woods. We have external gilled mud puppies in our creeks, but none of these are what I have in mind. Toads and them afore mentioned salamanders need a real specific habitat. I am thinking the little itty bitty salamanders might be happy with just herbacious cover. I am thinking they can slither in and out of slender spaces, unlike big fat ravenous toads. I might be able to make do with slender salamanders on slug patrol until I can get some shrubs and hedges going well enough to have just the right toad habitat. Growing that habitat is going to take some doing - with a budget that primarily allows for seeds and cuttings . . .

So, I will be having a beer bash for the slugs, and inviting in the slamanders . . . Seems they are having a population explosion up north - maybe someone will want to trade some slamanders for some seeds:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060202/ap_on_sc/good_for_frogs

Hey we had a great garden day! Sun almost came out. And it never rained hard enough to chase me in. Course I am about half dead now . . . But that usually don't stop me for long . . .

Hope you all had a good garden day too . . .

Harvest