Addressed all the envelopes for the native plant food security project and will be packing seeds this week. Will ship everything off on Monday.
The pawpaw and persimmon are partially cold-stratified already but since it’s winter, they should go back in the fridge as packed until spring. Boehmeria and physalis, follow directions on pack.
@jblue
One of my favourites! I have it growing under my blueberry shrubs, all in large containers. It likes similar conditions and looks great when the blueberries don't! @plants
Really missing my redbud tree (Cercis canadensis) this fall. It had such beautiful peach colored leaves.
It fell over after successive tropical storms this fall. Arborist said it was near the end of its lifespan anyway. I searched all over for volunteer seedlings but couldn’t find any. 😔
@thegardendude@ClimateJenny@plants you’re right! We have a flowering cherry that is 20ft from where the redbud was. The redbud was really tall so I could never get at the leaves and had to jump up to reach the lowest branch to get flowers.
Harvested the Passiflora lutea today. This is for the food security + rewilding project.
There are around two seeds in every berry and I collected enough already for everyone who wanted them. They don’t taste very good: sweetish pen ink with hints of dish soap. They stain a blueish purple. The flowers are edible though and can be used as a garnish.
This is your seasonal reminder that all acorns are edible. Some need processing, others do not.
In October, I will do a thread on Southern Live Oak, Quercus virginiana. These don’t need processing but do need to be steamed in their shells to remove the nut. Last year, house moths ate most of mine so they need to be well-sealed and frozen after shelling.
@Brendanjones@jblue@silphium@plants Would like to recommend the book "Nature's Garden" by Samuel Thayer here. There's over 50 pages about acorns with lots of pictures of the ones to avoid, weavil issues, processing techniques, as well as history and what to do with them.
@jblue@plants Like to, YES! Unfortunately our local huckleberry species here in California (Vaccinium ovatum) and thimbleberry (Rubus parviflorus) seem to have other ideas. Oh well, the native grape has tons of foliage and I suppose it will fruit in another year or two (no idea what it is like for eating, though).
@plants@jblue Ooh, I’ve just been making plans to plant some Verbesina in my yard ‘cause it’s supposed to be great for insects! And also it’s a cute plant. Ours up here in Indiana is Verbesina alternifolia, aka Wingstem.
It’s related to the cucamelon (M scabra) and is also a perennial. Pictured fruits are ripe. When they turn darker green they are no longer edible and when they are black, are stinky and work like ipecac.
Please let me know if you want seeds to this when I pass out native edible seeds this fall. More in AltText.
This started as 3 plug size plants this spring. It's clearly something we are going to have to keep watching so that it doesn't take over. It is just starting to come into bloom. The flowers are just starting and should be more impressive soon.
@cohanf Gorgeous shots! Your alt-texts are so great. It's nice because I can read it while looking at the photo (except for the bottom 2 where I have to close alt-text to see it). Your rocks are absolutely gorgeous. I garden with rocks a lot here but they are not that beautiful. They are granite, but mostly gray and fairly plain. I didn't realize you were into rocks. I'll have to take photos of my stones. I've unearthed 1000s since arriving here 13 years ago. @plants@nature
Last year this was all invasive bramble. My neighborhood decided to create a roadside wildflower patch here.
Bees, moths, and other pollinators are flitting around that weren't here before.
I know I'm sharing this project a lot. But of all the things I'm trying to do, all the things I'm trying to do and only making marginal progress, it's nice see a few flowers that I KNOW wouldn't have been planted.
“In an effort to create gardens free of insect problems, most gardeners have used a recipe perfect for cooking up insect outbreaks: alien plants, lack of plant diversity, insecticides. Would we not better achieve our goal of a pest-free garden if we employed nature herself to look after things? We have spent the last half-century proving beyond the shadow of a doubt that a sterile garden does not work. “ - Doug Tallamy