Sunday, May 27, 2007
Insectivorous Plants and Mid-Spring Flowers
Insectivorous Plants and Mid-Spring Flowers
Yesterday I was out weeding the big garden in the country and I am happy to report that the Prisepia sinensis bushes are in full bloom. Also, the first blue camas flower started opening. I remember reading that Prinsepias are native to North America. They have sharp, narrow thorns, narrow leaves, and graceful arching stems. The flowers have five petals and the fruit is a flattened drupe with a single seed that looks like a bumpy smarty. I think the seeds would make a good substitute for buttons if someone were to drill holes in them for the thread. There is not a great deal of pulp in the fruit, however it does make a delicious jam tasting of both peach and apricot.
Although their growth is somewhat slow, they do not suffer from cold damage here in our zone two climate. It takes me from three to five years to bring one of these guys from seed to flower (without fertilizer). I have also observed that buried branch tips tend to root, and roots near the surface tend to sprout leaves, so these plants might also be propagated asexually. The bush’s growth form is somewhat mushroom-shaped. With the profusion of sharp thorns I think this is an ideal plant in areas plagued with deer, moose, and other browsing herbivores. It would also make a great hedge as nothing would want to press up against those formidable thorns.
Blue camas or Camasia quamash is a perennial in the lily family. Indigenous people of North America used to slowly roast the roots in the coals of the fire in order to caramelize them – a treat in an area lacking in sweet foods. The blossoms are startlingly indigo blue and catch your eye from a great distance. Everyone asks me what that incredibly blue flower is. When I tell them it’s a camas, the next thing they say is, “Oh, so it’s poisonous then.” No, it isn’t. Although they share the same family, blue camas belongs to a different genus than the green, white, or death camases (Zygadenus). They make a wonderful addition to any bulb bed, but will require about three years to make it from seed to flower.
My crabapples are blooming and my butterworts and sundews are finally up. I was certain that the butterworts would over winter in the structure I described for you several weeks back, but I only had the plants for less than a year. I am still anxiously waiting for the pitcher plant and sundew seeds to germinate. I will keep you informed. MM.
Yesterday I was out weeding the big garden in the country and I am happy to report that the Prisepia sinensis bushes are in full bloom. Also, the first blue camas flower started opening. I remember reading that Prinsepias are native to North America. They have sharp, narrow thorns, narrow leaves, and graceful arching stems. The flowers have five petals and the fruit is a flattened drupe with a single seed that looks like a bumpy smarty. I think the seeds would make a good substitute for buttons if someone were to drill holes in them for the thread. There is not a great deal of pulp in the fruit, however it does make a delicious jam tasting of both peach and apricot.
Although their growth is somewhat slow, they do not suffer from cold damage here in our zone two climate. It takes me from three to five years to bring one of these guys from seed to flower (without fertilizer). I have also observed that buried branch tips tend to root, and roots near the surface tend to sprout leaves, so these plants might also be propagated asexually. The bush’s growth form is somewhat mushroom-shaped. With the profusion of sharp thorns I think this is an ideal plant in areas plagued with deer, moose, and other browsing herbivores. It would also make a great hedge as nothing would want to press up against those formidable thorns.
Blue camas or Camasia quamash is a perennial in the lily family. Indigenous people of North America used to slowly roast the roots in the coals of the fire in order to caramelize them – a treat in an area lacking in sweet foods. The blossoms are startlingly indigo blue and catch your eye from a great distance. Everyone asks me what that incredibly blue flower is. When I tell them it’s a camas, the next thing they say is, “Oh, so it’s poisonous then.” No, it isn’t. Although they share the same family, blue camas belongs to a different genus than the green, white, or death camases (Zygadenus). They make a wonderful addition to any bulb bed, but will require about three years to make it from seed to flower.
My crabapples are blooming and my butterworts and sundews are finally up. I was certain that the butterworts would over winter in the structure I described for you several weeks back, but I only had the plants for less than a year. I am still anxiously waiting for the pitcher plant and sundew seeds to germinate. I will keep you informed. MM.
Monday, May 21, 2007
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Grape Blosom Buds and Giant Sequoias
Grape Blosom Buds and Giant Sequoias
This morning I actually had time enough to stick my nose in the front yard to discover that most of the Sequoiadendron giganteum seeds had sprouted. The five-year-old grape vines are finally showing the first traces of flower buds as are the may apples, giant forget-me-nots, spanish thrift and squill. The princepia bushes and pentstemon flowers are in full bloom.
Several of the Nicotiana rustica seeds have sprouted. I saved them from plants that I grew last year. So far they have a much higher germination rate than the seeds that I got from Richters. Over several years I have had the repeated experience that seeds purchased from them are not viable, or only marginally so. I do not know the specifics, as to whether they were either poor in quality to begin with or whether they were just old or stored improperly by them.
A number of months ago we bought several types of papaya at the grocery store; washed saved and planted the seed. Today I noticed some of the seeds had sprouted. This is the first time I have been able to get any papaya seeds to germinate. I am very excited.
The American gold finches arrived back yesterday: today there were four adult males at our various feeders. I also heard the house wren today: it always has such a cheerful and bubbling call. I hope to keep you updated next week. MM.
This morning I actually had time enough to stick my nose in the front yard to discover that most of the Sequoiadendron giganteum seeds had sprouted. The five-year-old grape vines are finally showing the first traces of flower buds as are the may apples, giant forget-me-nots, spanish thrift and squill. The princepia bushes and pentstemon flowers are in full bloom.
Several of the Nicotiana rustica seeds have sprouted. I saved them from plants that I grew last year. So far they have a much higher germination rate than the seeds that I got from Richters. Over several years I have had the repeated experience that seeds purchased from them are not viable, or only marginally so. I do not know the specifics, as to whether they were either poor in quality to begin with or whether they were just old or stored improperly by them.
A number of months ago we bought several types of papaya at the grocery store; washed saved and planted the seed. Today I noticed some of the seeds had sprouted. This is the first time I have been able to get any papaya seeds to germinate. I am very excited.
The American gold finches arrived back yesterday: today there were four adult males at our various feeders. I also heard the house wren today: it always has such a cheerful and bubbling call. I hope to keep you updated next week. MM.
Sunday, May 13, 2007
Thornless Honey Locusts and Peas
Thornless Honey Locusts and Peas
Yesterday I was out weeding the big garden in the country, and was pleased to observe that a large quantity of the honey locust seeds and the pea seeds had sprouted.
The yellow fritillary lilies and the nanking cherries are in full bloom (I hope to have some pictures for you shortly). A considerable number of the Indian breadroot seeds from southeast Saskatchewan finally germinated: they have been in the ground for two whole winters now.
The leaves on the European and the beaked hazelnuts are unfolding: so are the leaves on the river grape next to the house wall. The osha root plants are all up and they all look very healthy.
My few surviving quinces are in their fifth year of growth, and this winter they did not die completely back to the ground. Maybe they are starting to synchronize their growth with our colder dryer seasons.
We have a pair of starlings nesting in one of the owl birdhouses on our garage. There are still a large number of ladybugs in the big garden. A rough estimate would be about three ladybugs per square meter. This is less than there were about a month ago when there were about nine per square meter. I have never noticed this many ladybugs this early before. In the past I have only ever seen a lot of ladybugs on plants with lots of nectaries where aphids were active. I haven’t seen any aphids yet this year. That’s all for now. MM.
Yesterday I was out weeding the big garden in the country, and was pleased to observe that a large quantity of the honey locust seeds and the pea seeds had sprouted.
The yellow fritillary lilies and the nanking cherries are in full bloom (I hope to have some pictures for you shortly). A considerable number of the Indian breadroot seeds from southeast Saskatchewan finally germinated: they have been in the ground for two whole winters now.
The leaves on the European and the beaked hazelnuts are unfolding: so are the leaves on the river grape next to the house wall. The osha root plants are all up and they all look very healthy.
My few surviving quinces are in their fifth year of growth, and this winter they did not die completely back to the ground. Maybe they are starting to synchronize their growth with our colder dryer seasons.
We have a pair of starlings nesting in one of the owl birdhouses on our garage. There are still a large number of ladybugs in the big garden. A rough estimate would be about three ladybugs per square meter. This is less than there were about a month ago when there were about nine per square meter. I have never noticed this many ladybugs this early before. In the past I have only ever seen a lot of ladybugs on plants with lots of nectaries where aphids were active. I haven’t seen any aphids yet this year. That’s all for now. MM.
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Wild Lilies, White-Crowned Sparrows and House Finches
Wild Lilies White-Crown Sparrows & House Finches
We just had a big dump of rain and sleet and the sloughs and muskegs; ditches and ponds are all filled to capacity (good spring germinating weather)! Birds are coming back and blessing us with their bright colors and cheerful songs. This year we are host to an unusual number of house finches. Some of the more local birding guides indicate this species as sporadic in this area (too far north). The guides covering larger areas place this little wonder quite a bit further south. However, we have had several visits from them last year. At the moment there have been at least two males and five females visiting our feeders (there could be more, but they keep moving around). We also have at least thirteen white-crown sparrows hopping and bopping and singing their hearts out in our yard. They just love seed scattered on the ground. Now that I have a very small shelf under the big kitchen window, some seeds from the feeder will fall on it (or in the water dish), and this layering effect of having food at different altitudes has enticed these sparrows to occasionally visit our feeders; something they haven’t done before. They have also repeatedly eaten sunflower seeds that had been floating in the water dish (are they soaking their food like a porridge?). There have also been a pair of merlins flying around and mating in our neighborhood, and I heard a pileated woodpecker off to the south as I was checking the plants in the front yard.
In the front yard I am pleased to report that two species of edible camas have sprouted, along with a couple of species of fritillaries and a mariposa (I got all these seeds from J. L. Hudson Seedsman). It should take about three years before they are big enough to bloom.
There is not much to report on the tree seeds other than that some of the domestic apple seeds have sprouted. This is no longer a novelty for me as I already have several specimens that I grew that are about four feet tall.
Today I observed that the fritillary lilies out on the farm are beginning to bloom… some have two or even three bells on a stem. I hope to take a picture of them next weekend and possibly post it the week after. The mountain mahonia that I grew from seed is already opening up new leaves and actively growing. The plants I bought as adults from a nursery still look completely dormant. In the back yard, the may apple buds are just beginning to poke through the soil.
The pictures in my last posting are of several types of spring flowering crocuses and a blue starflower. I am not much of a photographer, so the focus may be a bit out. With my competent wife’s patient assistance, I hope to have some finch and sparrow pictures to show you shortly. Please stay tuned… MM.
We just had a big dump of rain and sleet and the sloughs and muskegs; ditches and ponds are all filled to capacity (good spring germinating weather)! Birds are coming back and blessing us with their bright colors and cheerful songs. This year we are host to an unusual number of house finches. Some of the more local birding guides indicate this species as sporadic in this area (too far north). The guides covering larger areas place this little wonder quite a bit further south. However, we have had several visits from them last year. At the moment there have been at least two males and five females visiting our feeders (there could be more, but they keep moving around). We also have at least thirteen white-crown sparrows hopping and bopping and singing their hearts out in our yard. They just love seed scattered on the ground. Now that I have a very small shelf under the big kitchen window, some seeds from the feeder will fall on it (or in the water dish), and this layering effect of having food at different altitudes has enticed these sparrows to occasionally visit our feeders; something they haven’t done before. They have also repeatedly eaten sunflower seeds that had been floating in the water dish (are they soaking their food like a porridge?). There have also been a pair of merlins flying around and mating in our neighborhood, and I heard a pileated woodpecker off to the south as I was checking the plants in the front yard.
In the front yard I am pleased to report that two species of edible camas have sprouted, along with a couple of species of fritillaries and a mariposa (I got all these seeds from J. L. Hudson Seedsman). It should take about three years before they are big enough to bloom.
There is not much to report on the tree seeds other than that some of the domestic apple seeds have sprouted. This is no longer a novelty for me as I already have several specimens that I grew that are about four feet tall.
Today I observed that the fritillary lilies out on the farm are beginning to bloom… some have two or even three bells on a stem. I hope to take a picture of them next weekend and possibly post it the week after. The mountain mahonia that I grew from seed is already opening up new leaves and actively growing. The plants I bought as adults from a nursery still look completely dormant. In the back yard, the may apple buds are just beginning to poke through the soil.
The pictures in my last posting are of several types of spring flowering crocuses and a blue starflower. I am not much of a photographer, so the focus may be a bit out. With my competent wife’s patient assistance, I hope to have some finch and sparrow pictures to show you shortly. Please stay tuned… MM.
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