Butterfly & Pollinator Picnics

Posted on March 2, 2020 by Ann Lovejoy
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Asclepias speciosa

Winsome West Coast Natives

Yesterday, March duly arrived with chilly, wild winds, but now skies are blue and the temperature is finally rising; we may even hit 50 degrees today! As I’m clearing the garden of fading foliage and tumbling stalks, I’m keeping an eye out for sign of sleeping butterflies and bees. The bumbles are already waking up, nuzzling nectar from Oregon grape, flowering currants, and early cherries. Some of the overwintered kale is starting to bloom and though I cut most back to promote luxuriant side shoots, I always leave a few to flower for the early pollinators. I’ve found the flowers of all greens and herbs to be highly attractive to a pleasing variety of pollinators, from natives to European honeybees. Even so, I recognize that native critters prefer native plants (reasonably enough), so I’m planting more PNW natives every year, including nectar and fodder plants that support butterflies; might as well give those dratted Cabbage Whites some competition!

My tiny lot lacks room for a pollinator meadow, but even a single plant of native species is clearly a draw, as any sunny day demonstrates. Though my new neighborhood has been developed for over 60 years, a pleasing number of natives still appear, from that encroaching Oregon grape (hard to control in a small space) to the lovely bleeding heart (Dicentra formosa), with its lacy, silvery green foliage and tender pink blossoms, which remind me of party dresses from England’s Regency period. A neighbor and I share a redtwig dogwood, another terrific pollinator pleaser and a host plant for Spring Azures, Coppers, Hairstreaks and Blue butterflies. This spreading shrub definitely needs some restraining to keep in bounds but I love the glowing red stems in winter and the cheerful, chirping birds it shelters in spring.

Notable Natives For Butterflies

Even small gardens like mine have room for some Coast Rock Cress (Arabis blepharophylla). It’s mainly found along rocky sea coasts in its native California but has long been popular in Europe, where numerous color forms have been selected and named over the years. This cute little cress makes neat mounds of soft green foliage studded with deliciously fragrant, rosy flowers in spring, rich in nectar that will attract flocks of Orange Tip and other butterflies. Inland, this sweetie needs more moisture than in coastal areas, as well as some protection from hot afternoon sun.

I’m also fond of pussytoes, adorable little meadow plants that provide nectar for a number of native pollinators as well as fodder and shelter for Painted Lady, Angelwing, Fritillary and Checkerspot butterflies. The West Coast boasts a number of native Pussytoes, and I’m growing Antennaria dioica (now called A.d. var. corymbosa) partly because it’s endangered in Washington State. Still fairly common in California, this tidy little perennial makes a pretty and popular addition to any pollinator meadow or butterfly way stations. Another aster cousin, silvery little Pussytoes thrives in meadows and open woodland settings as well as in gardens.

The Toughies Can Take It

Another persistent native that pops up on its own is Western Pearly Everlasting (Anaphalis margaritacea). Ideal for rough areas and newly planted pollinator meadows, it tolerates poor and polluted soils, drought, and almost total neglect. Native across North American and Asia, this tough little perennial aster cousin is an important host plant for Painted Lady, Angelwing, Fritillary and Checkerspot butterflies. The stems and foliage undersides are covered with silvery fuzz and the slim stems are tipped with clusters of small chartreuse flowers densely surrounded with papery white bracts. Though too often scorned as a weed, I personally enjoy seeing it alive with pollinators in summer, and flower arrangers appreciate the dried flower heads, which remain handsome for months and are often used in dried flower wreaths.

Perennials meadow cress (Cardamine pratensis) has made its way around the world, with circumpolar distribution, so no surprise to find that it’s another toughie that can make itself at home in a wide range of situations. It has plenty of kin throughout the Pacific Northwest and into Northern California, all of them highly attractive to pollinators and valuable host plants for butterflies, including Sulfers, Whites and Orange Tips. The small flowers are cute rather than gorgeous but they get way more bee and butterfly visits than bigger, gaudier blooms can boast. Meadow cress thrives best in moist meadows and in gardens with decent soil and regular watering.

Monarch Munchies

By now, pretty much everyone knows that if we want to save the Monarch butterflies, we have to put some effort into planting their hosts. The West Coast has a number of native milkweeds, including Asclepias incarnata, A. speciosa, and A. tuberosa, all of which will support a number of native pollinators. Thus, I think they’re worth planting whether or not any wandering Monarchs might be passing through. West Coast Monarch visits have been in the decline but last year saw a truly remarkable upswing, largely thanks to a band of devoted gardeners in and around Brookings, Oregon, who preserved and nurtured a number of Monarchs, some of which turned out to be exceptionally prolific moms, each laying hundreds of eggs over time. Rather than leaving things to chance, local advocates collected all the eggs they found and hand raised the caterpillars on home grown milkweed. When the local gardens and butterfly way stations ran out of milkweed, gardeners throughout the region drove in buckets of leafy stems by the carload, keeping the baby boomers alive. Banded butterflies from these few original gardens were tracked into California and all concerned are hopeful that their efforts can make a positive difference in turning the tide.

Though not native to the PNW, I’ve been thrilled to see butterflies feasting on the nectar of Angelica gigas, a splendid Korean carrot cousin with huge, wine purple heads like Queen Anne’s lace on steroids. A short lived perennial, it self sows generously and provides a welcome uprising note with stalks that climb 4-6 feet into the air. The flowers are extremely attractive to many pollinators, including swallowtail butterflies, as are the equally lovely if smaller and lower growing blossoms of colorful Dara carrots, with wine red, raspberry or plum colored umbels. Even as I’m planting, I’m enjoying the hum and buzz of busy pollinators in my imagination; few things are more marvelous than a garden alive with the lively presence of pollinators and the beautiful flutterings of butterflies. Onward, right?

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Food Or Fodder

Posted on February 24, 2020 by Ann Lovejoy
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Awwww

Keeping Critters Out Of The Garden

As winter retreats, plump buds are opening on shrubs and trees and bulbs and perennials are waking up. This does not escape the notice of a horde of hungry critters, from raccoons and rabbits to rats, beavers, deer and more. Considering how fast woodlands and wild lands are being converted to housing and shopping malls, it’s hard to blame them for being drawn to our gardens, but it’s also hard to simply stand by and let them rip. Young, tasty ornamental trees and shrubs can be protected with wire cages until they’re large enough to outgrow the browsers’ best efforts. True, they are not very attractive, but neither are mangled plants. Since caging isn’t always practical, I’ve used several variations on a revolting elixir that discourages quite a few critters, especially when it’s fresh.

The most recent version of this concoction uses a lot of lemon balm because it grows all over the yard, as does peppermint, which is also quite an effective repellent. The soap acts as a surfactant (sticking agent) and the eucalyptus soap is fairly critter-offensive even on its own (peppermint soap works well too). Straining the glop through cheesecloth keeps the sprayer from clogging, and the ground up remains can be strewn around lettuce, strawberries or other critter-favored plants.

Critter Chaser

1 cup (about 10 large) garlic cloves, coarsely chopped
3 cups fresh lemon balm, lightly packed
2 cups peppermint, lightly packed
1 tablespoon Dr. Bronner’s Eucalyptus liquid castile soap
OR
1 tablespoon plain liquid castile soap
Few drops eucalyptus oil

In a food processor, grind garlic and herbs with a few tablespoons of water to a fine slurry. Add enough water to make it pourable and transfer to a gallon jug. Fill with water, add the soap and let stand overnight. The next day, strain through a large funnel lined with several layers of cheesecloth. Fill a spray bottle, then spray around the edges of the garden and on critter-nibbled plants. Refrigerate the gallon jug, and spray again every few days and/or after it rains.

Safeguarding Food

Edibles are another thing all together; if we want to grow a significant amount of food for our family, serious plot protection is definitely in order lest our food become fodder. Consider the fact that the average buck needs to eat five or six pounds of foliage, buds, and twigs every day in spring, which may require roaming over a hundred acres or more. Working that hard takes energy, which requires more fodder, and our lush gardens are simply too rich a food supply to pass up.

Yes, deer fencing that is both effective and long lasting is not cheap, but if we plan to grow and harvest much of our daily food, fence we must. It’s worth taking some time to investigate effective fencing materials and techniques, from double-fencing to peanut butter wire. Double fencing can trick (some) deer into thinking a site is inaccessible by creating a baffling space between two relatively low fences. Usually, this involves two five-foot fences five feet apart, a model both farmers and gardeners report (at least some) success with. A peanut butter fence partners electrified wires with bait, and according to the ICWDM,
“The peanut butter fence is effective for small gardens, nurseries, and orchards (up to 3 to 4 acres) subject to moderate deer pressure. Deer are attracted by the peanut butter and encouraged to make nose-to-fence contact. After being shocked, deer learn to avoid fenced areas.”

That Good Tutorial

The Internet Center For Wildlife Damage Management, a joint effort supported by four major universities, offers an impressive range of options as well as an excellent tutorial:

http://icwdm.org/handbook/mammals/Deer.asp

Where To Find Supplies

Rather than scope out the local hardware store, try farm supply companies such as Farmtek Grower’s Supply, which carries rolls of galvanized steel fencing that come in many heights. You’ll also need stout posts that can stand up to male antler rubbing.

https://www.growerssupply.com/farm/supplies/cat;15052;ft_livestock_supplies;ft_livestock_fencing.html

The National Wildlife Research Center recommends that deer fencing be 7-8 feet high. Very effective 8-foot fencing can be made with two tiers of 4-foot stockade wire, tightly strung between sturdy posts. Place smaller-mesh sections in the middle (deer nose height), strung closely together with cable ties or wire. Where rabbits and raccoons are roaming, place the smaller-mesh section of the bottom stockade wire at ground level to frustrate short critters and the small-mesh part of the top section mid-fence. Western ranchers use fence wire stretcher tools to keep tension even on wire fencing, which helps prevent deer pushing through. Look as well for stretcher-splicer tools, which reconnect broken wire to restore the integrity of wire-strung fencing after storm damage. Onward!

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Love And Lettuce

Posted on February 17, 2020 by Ann Lovejoy
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Gorgeous Greens For Health And Happiness

How are you feeling these days? Thought so. Me too. I met my new doctor last week and was struck by her gentle questions about my mental and emotional health. My appointment was on Tuesday and she said she’d already seen four patients that week with what she described as climate and/or political depression. Well, yeah. She’s talking with colleagues and hearing similar findings, and says our distress is symptomatic of a national epidemic.

Another national epidemic concerns food safety, perhaps most notably with Romaine lettuce, which has been fingered in several recent E. coli outbreaks. Though the government investigation is still ongoing, there are multiple possible causes for E. coli contamination, from water passing through areas where livestock is grazing to field contamination from wild animals and birds (not to mention humans; many growers haven’t supplied field toilet facilities, but that’s changing). This fits right into my own ecological grief; when even organic produce may not be safe, what can we trust? Happily, there’s a simple solution: Grow your own. One great thing about greens is that they can be grown in very little space, and many will flourish in containers on a balcony or deck where garden space is limited.

A Better Way

For me, container grown greens perform best in wide pots that aren’t too deep; three- or five-gallon pots rather than tree pots or huge, tall mother pots. Fill pots with potting soil or a container soil mix, and use fresh soil each year, recycling last year’s into the compost heap. Space your starts about a foot apart in each direction, or about 8 inches for mini head types, and you’ll be harvesting in a few weeks. Cut-and-come-again loose leaf types like ruffled, vigorous Red Dog and lime green Lollo Bionda will remain productive for months, while kales will winter over, staying productive until they bloom in spring. Head lettuces can be replaced with fresh starts after harvest, but I like to let a few bolting looseleaf lettuces bloom, since pollinators of many kinds find flowering greens irresistible. You can also toss a few blossoms into salads or use them to garnish soups, with a few snippets of chives, thyme, or oregano.

Since my family is very fond of Romaine lettuce, I’m planting old favorites as well as some new-to-me varieties. We love Outredgeous red Romaine, a lightly ruffled, perfectly textured variety that can be picked as baby lettuce in just a few weeks, but takes 6-8 weeks to head up fully. Gorgeous, crisp and juicy, compact Pomegranate Crunch is one of our favorites for flavor, texture and color. An intriguing companion, Lavalamp, is speckled and streaked with red and yellow and remains tender and sweet even when a little over-mature (ask me how I know). Because my space is very limited, I’m planting some mini head Romaines, including deep red Truchas, bronze-red Breen, and fresh green Dragoon, a n especially crisp variety that provide just enough for sandwiches or a salad.

On Beyond Romaine

We like a lot of contrast in our daily salads, so I cram in as many textures and colors as I can into our greens patch. I especially like the Salanovas, which are utterly reliable and perfect for small spaces, as even in a narrow window-box, they reman productive for way longer than most lettuces. Of course I’m adding velvety, flavorful butterheads such as deep green Newham, which forms perfect, plump heads, and grass green Victoria, with tight, rounded heads like plump rosebuds. My grandkids love to pick and eat the fat little heads of Tom Thumb, a mini butterhead with tender, juicy leaves. Though I’m not a big frisee fan in general, I do enjoy tender, bitter-sweet Endive Frisee, especially if I remember to fasten the outer leaves over the inner ones to blanch them for a week or two. Curly Escarole Natacha blanches its own inner foliage and is as tender as any lettuce when young (steam or braise the older heads for a lovely side dish). Add an oakleaf or two, a few looseleaf types, and daily picking becomes an outright pleasure.

Most of my overwintered kale is still going strong, especially Black Magic, an especially compact form of dragonskin kale that fits well in small gardens. The long, narrow, iron-green leaves are even more delicious after a touch of frost, as are the ruffly, super crisp, blue-green leaves of Edibliss Italian Pink, which boasts beautiful hot pink stems and veins that sing in salads and stir fries. I’m still harvesting from Lacinato Rainbow, and my beloved perennial Kosmic Kale is going strong as well, producing masses of very tender cream and jade green foliage, come sun, come rain, come frost and snow. How does happiness fit into all this? For me, wellbeing and happiness come most readily when I’m in the garden daily, at least for the few minutes it takes to pick enough greens for soup or salad or whatever I’m making. Wellbeing and happiness spontaneously arrive when I’m making and feeding my family wholesome, beautiful food from my wholesome, beautiful garden. Food security is more than having access to food in emergencies (though these days, I feel like Red Alert could come at any moment). It’s also about feeling secure that our food is safe, nutritious, free from pesticides, nontoxic to pollinators and people alike. That feels sacred, maybe even holy. Onward!

Posted in Edible Flowers, Garden Prep, Health & Wellbeing, pests and pesticides, Soil, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Designing A Dream Garden

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Ann Lovejoy
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Lavenders are indispensable herbs

Herbs For Kitchen & Crafting

Dream assignment time! I’ve recently been asked to design an herb garden to surround a small craft cafe, a place where visitors can drink herbal teas, taste herb salts, herb butters, and herbed breads. The menu will change often but will always offer fresh herb omelets as well as daily soups and salads. In the crafting classes, people can make lavender wands and herbal sachets, bath salts, hand lotions, shampoos and body wash. What’s not to love? I’m already angling for a day job when it opens, assuming it ever does; this delicious idea is the dream child of a very busy woman. That’s so healthy! There have been several studies showing that accumulating the materials for crafting can be every bit as satisfying as actually making the whatever. If the cafe part of this dream project turns out to be just a hope for the future, the owner will still have a marvelous garden, filled with beautiful, fragrant and edible plants. Oh, and a beautiful gazebo, of course. Right?

Making up the lists of must-have plants has been delightful, not least because my own tiny garden doesn’t have space for some of my favorites, all of which I now get to use again. Like what? So glad you asked! For potpourri, cooking and crafting, we’ll need more than just the usual culinary herbs, though we’ll also have those in rich and wonderful variety. For fragrance and flavor we’ll also need roses and gardenias, meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) and santolina, as well as annuals from calendulas to salvias. We’ll also plant some Iris pallida and Iris germanica, not for their looks or scent but for their roots. Dried and finely ground (in a dedicated coffee grinder), they combine to make violet-scented orris root, a traditional fixative for potpourri and herbal sachets.

Dual Duty Herbs

Most of the herbs we’ll be using can serve both as culinary treats and as ingredients in all sorts of useful concoctions, from sachets to body care products. I hope it doesn’t need to be said that no pesticides can be used in an edible garden, or one designed to attract pollinators. Right? Please say yes. Thank you. My friend’s first request was for especially fragrant and flavorful lavenders. English lavenders (Lavandula angustifolia) make good border plants; compact and mannerly, they’re long blooming and produce the most potent essential oils. Of these, I’m especially fond of Cedar Blue, Hidcote Blue, Munsted and Vera, all excellent performers. So-called French lavenders (L. x intermedia) need heat and dry, well drained soils to give of their best, which makes them great candidates for warm-winter regions. Phenomenal, Grosso, and Provence are my top angustifolia picks, along with Fred Boutin, an especially long-stemmed form that’s fabulous for crafting.

I’m extremely fond of rosemary, not least because of the old Italian proverb; where rosemary flourishes, the women rule. Where the
herb garden needs a strong upright to mark a corner, we’ll use Tuscan Blue rosemary, a tall, slender form with bright blossoms that dry well and retain much of their color and scent. Spice Island is a pungent rosemary that’s prized for cooking, as are Perfect Skewer and Barbecue. Blue Gem has soft, azure flowers and a vivid flavor that’s popular in cocktails, while Sudbury Blue might be the most aromatic of all, great for bread and herb salts as well as crafting. We’ll be using vigorously trailing, prostrate rosemaries to cover an unfortunate rock wall, notably Benenden Blue, Huntington Carpet, Santa Barbara, Irene, and tender but tasty Corsican.

Must Have Mints

Mints definitely get a bad rap and it’s true that they can race around a garden, but they’re also useful, beautiful, and delicious. Ask a bee or pretty much any pollinator about mint and you’ll get enthusiastic approval. My new garden was initially infested with a gang of thugs, from implacable bishop’s weed to bindweed to sweet woodruff and mint. Relentless weeding has the first two under control (I think), and I’ve chosen to let sweet woodruff run in a shady area. The mints turned out to be delicious so I’m using them to fill several hard-to-reach spots. They also make terrific little shovels, breaking up hardpan by delving deep, so my heritage mints are also hard at work in a couple of extremely compacted places where I’ll eventually grow raspberries and blueberries. We’ll definitely plant mints in large containers for the cafe garden: For herb teas and cookery, Butter mint has a soft, lush spearmint flavor, while Chocolate combines a peppermint bite with velvety milk chocolate. Julep and Kentucky Colonel are classic tea and cocktail mints, while spritely Swiss Ricola is used in the classic cough drops. US native Mentha spicata offers a smooth spearmint flavor, while brisk Orange Bergamot blends mint and citrus notes, perfect for iced or hot teas.

For herbal teas, German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) is an essential master ingredient, the perfect blender with almost everything. Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria) is another; this pretty US native with gently fragrant flowers and foliage likes moist meadows but makes itself at home in gardens too. Thyme is another necessary ingredient in teas, herb salts and butter blends, potions and lotions. I chose aromatic French Summer and Lemon Variegated, both wonderful in savory dishes, and English thyme for teas and salad dressings, as well as Red Creeping for covering that pesky wall. Sages like Berggarten and Holt’s Mammoth add brisk notes while Pineapple and Honeydew Melon sages offer sweet flavors and scents.

Living The Dream

Though work is barely starting on the garden, I can already dream into it, so much so that I’m sometimes surprised when I see only soil and rocks on the site. In my mind’s eye, I’m smelling the roses and honeysuckles, seeing washes of color from calendulas and salvias, watching happy bees browse on borage and lemon balm, lemon verbena and oregano, sage and santolina. It’s important to keep our dreams alive, especially when it’s impossible not to feel dread and so much grief because our nightmares are coming to life as well. When we feel depleted and distressed, we need to nurture and revel in every source of renewal and resilience we can find, for ourselves and others. So let’s sit down for a minute and fully relax. Join me in a cup of tea and dream with me of roses and hummingbirds, of bees and blossoms and bright warm days. Onward, right? Because the only way through is through.

 

Posted in Cooking Schools, Edible Flowers, Garden Design, Health & Wellbeing, Native Plants, Pollination Gardens, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , , , , , | 3 Comments