 Photo and article by Donna Iverson
The blue-purple trumpet-shaped flowers begged me to take a closer look. The plant was sitting on a table full of colorful annuals at the Zandstra Farm stand near Hudsonville. “Wishbone Wishbone” chanted the farmer behind the counter. “Look closer at the petals and you will see a small wishbone,” he said. Focusing in, I saw an upside down miniature wishbone embedded in the center of the blossom. That’s why it’s called the Wishbone plant, the farmer said. And when the flower is pollinated, the wishbone breaks, he added. Well, I had to check that out for myself. So home it came and given a sunny spot on my apartment deck. In less than a week, the largest flower had a broken wishbone. As I hadn’t seen any butterflies on the deck, I figured it must have been pollinated by one of the many bees that have been buzzing around of late. Does that bring the bee good luck, I wondered? Sort of like when breaking the turkey wishbone is thought to bring good luck to the person who ends up with the larger half? The Wishbone flower’s scientific name is Torenia fournieri and it is a native to Asia and Africa. There are trailing and upright varieties with names like Catalina Gilded Grape, White Linen, Moon Purple, and Kavia Rose. An annual, it prefers morning sun and afternoon shade and does well in rock gardens, window boxes, and along garden edges. It is not invasive or toxic to animals. Hot humid weather is to its liking. Both bees and hummingbirds will pollinate it and deer avoid it. The plant is named after a Swedish botanist, Olaf Toren, who was a chaplain in the East India Company during the 1700s. Garden tip: All warm-season plants including tomatoes, squash, peppers and melons can be safely planted in June
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 Photo and article by Donna Iverson If you want a flowering plant that:
Then be on the lookout for Gazania, commonly known as the African daisy. Every spring, I plant something that I have never grown before..something that catches my eye. This year, I spied the colorful petals of the Gazania plant at the Muskegon farmers market. Trays of these seedlings covered a counter at a stall featuring plants grown by Dianne Snow of Coopersville. Filling my basket, I carried them over to my community garden bed and carefully dug them in. My bed contains both vegetables and flowers in an effort to create a potager. A potager is a garden that is both productive, ornamental and very French. A member of the Aster family, Gazania comes in the warm colors of red, orange, yellow, pink and cream. There are also variegated varieties. It grows to about 10 inches tall with 4 inch flower heads that close at night and on cloudy days. Deadhead for continuous bloom. It is best purchased as seedlings unless you have a greenhouse or indoor sunny windowsill to grow from seed during the winter. Add it to a rock, xeriscape, or Mediterranean garden. It also grows well in pots and hanging baskets. Varieties have names like Sunbathers, Daybreak, and Kontiki Violet. Gazania is named after a Greek-Italian scholar of the 15th century named Theodorus of Gaza. On the downside, Gazania is not a native to our area but it is not invasive and although technically a perennial, it will not survive our cold winters and thus should be treated as an annual.  Article by Donna Iverson. Photo by Mary Tupper. No, not that kind of pot. Sorry to disappoint. We’re talking terracotta pot gardening, Terracotta pots, which translates from the Italian, as “burnt earth” is instantly recognizable by its reddish brown color. These fired clay pots are heavy, unglazed, and have a small hole in the bottom for drainage. The red color comes from the iron oxide that is released during kiln firing. The advantages of gardening with terracotta pots are many. In my opinion, first and foremost is aesthetic appeal. The colors of red and green, being opposite on the color wheel, makes plant leaves pop out against the earthy colored pot. And terracotta gives an ancient natural look to your garden. Terracotta comes in many shapes and sizes and can be bought with matching terracotta saucers. Compared to other plant pots made of plastic, metal, glazed clay, or porcelain, they are also relatively inexpensive and widely available. These pots are heavy and won’t blow over on your patio or deck. They have excellent drainage and the pots are porous allowing both air and moisture to be exchanged with the outside. In effect, the pots breathe. They are also recyclable. On the downside, they do need watering more often although some plants prefer a drier medium, like succulents and Mediterranean herbs. But your vegetables will be happy growing in terracotta pots also, with many a tomato finding a happy home there. Plus they can be easily moved around to accommodate changing conditions and easily replanted if needs be. Come fall, they can be brought inside. When buying a terracotta pot it is good to soak them overnight so that the clay doesn’t wick water away from the soil. If after a few years they develop a white stain, the pots can be soaked in vinegar water to remove it. A neat trick when filling your pots with plants is to insert a coffee filter in the bottom so that the potting soil doesn’t leak out through the bottom hole. You will find many terracotta pot shapes and sizes. There are tiny pots smaller than teacups and large pots that you may need help lifting. The standard terracotta pot is as tall as it is wide. English style pots have slanted sides and a rim, while Italian pots are rimless and have only slightly slanted sides. There is a pot form called Long Tom which is tall and rimless and diminutive pots that are only half as tall as wide and are used to plant bulbs. Most of our terracotta plants are imported from Europe or Mexico although there are a few American pottery manufacturers who produce them, like Marshall Pottery in Texas https://marshallpottery.com If you are a beginning gardener or a seasoned one, adding a few pots of plants, whether flowers or vegetables, to any patio or yard makes a great visual statement and will provide you with much summer pleasure.  Photo and article by Donna Iverson Plants that self seed in unexpected places have always intrigued me. ...especially when they are hybridized flowers gone rogue. So when I spotted this sweet little nasturtium growing along the edge of a raised bed in my community garden, it gave me an idea. Maybe I could plant nasturtium seeds in sidewalk cracks, waste places and abandoned city lots. And more people could enjoy these mini “ life in the cracks” surprises. So I bought some Nasturtium seeds, which are large and round and easily pushed into the ground. In fact, Nasturtiums are a perfect plant for this undertaking. They will grow in sandy soil and need little watering or fertilization. Just the conditions we have here in West Michigan. And it turns out there is a name for what I’m doing...guerilla gardening. Of course, Nasturtiums are very happy in your yard or garden also. They are easy to grow, making them good plants for beginning gardeners and children. Seeds can be planted after the last spring frost about half an inch deep in the soil, and plants will reliably produce leaves and flowers in a relatively short time. Traditional flower colors include red, yellow, orange, and creamy white. There are many other reasons to plant Nasturtiums. Planting them near the vegetable garden can serve as an aphid trap, drawing garden pests away from the produce. Nasturtiums also attract bees, butterflies and hummingbirds if a pollinator garden is what you are after. And the trailing varieties will cover an unsightly wall or fence. A member of the mustard family, Nasturtiums are native to Peru and symbolize patriotism. This annual flowering herb will self sow and grows wild in our southern and western states. It’s name comes from the French word meaning “nose twister.” Popular varieties include Alaska Salmon, Orchid Flame, Cherry Rose, Purple Emperor, Black Velvet, Canary Creeper, and Bloody Mary. There is also a variety called Yeti, named after the ape-like mythical creature of the Himalayan mountains. Cooks and foragers will find many uses for Nasturtiums. All parts of the plant are edible including leaves, flowers and seed pods. It can be added to soups, salads, omelettes, and pizza. The lily-pad leaves make a tasty pesto and it is high in Vitamin C, iron and lutein.  Photo and article by Donna Iverson
There’s a lot to be said for chives. Whether in the garden, kitchen or medicine cabinet, chives get high marks. First off, you can grow it anywhere. Chives make a great edging for a flower or vegetable garden, can be grown on a deck, on a window ledge or even in an old coffee can. Wherever it is planted it will beautify the spot and protect nearby plants from harmful pests. Deer avoid it. Chives would be at home in a butterfly garden, a cottage-style garden, an herb garden, a flower garden, or a windowsill kitchen garden. It even likes growing in broken down cement blocks, like this one in a nearby community garden. A member of the onion family, chives closest relatives are garlic, shallots, scallions and leeks. It’s pinkish lavender flowers appear in late spring and are the mildest tasting in the onion family. Chives are one of the first plants to break ground in the spring. It’s stalks, called ramps, are edible as is the purple flower which is pretty much recognized by everybody. Chives are used to flavor fish, omelettes, soup, and who hasn’t had a chive garnish on a baked potato with sour cream? An ancient herb native to the New and Old Worlds, chives are high in fiber, vitamins A and K, is an antioxidant and contains choline, which relaxes muscles and can aid in sleep. As for attracting pollinators, chives draw both bees and butterflies. It is one of the top 10 plants for nectar production. Chives is one of the easiest plants to grow making it perfect for new gardeners, children, and anyone with a so-called brown thumb. It likes sun and well drained soil, but that’s about it for requirements. It can be purchased as a small plant at gardening centers and even in the grocery fresh food section. Heirloom organic seeds are also available from catalogs like the Seed Savers Exchange Heirloom Plants at https://www.seedsavers.org. There are many varieties of chives including garlic chives, sometimes called Chinese chives, which have a white flower and a garlicky taste. Fresh chives are so much better than dried chives, like the ones sold in small bottles at grocery stores. Even frozen chives retain their fresh taste. Historically, the Romani used chives for fortune telling and hung it around the house to ward off evil spirits. The Dutch feed it to their cattle to produce a unique milk flavor. So if you want an easy to grow plant, that attracts pollinators, is pest-repellant, is health giving and beautiful, chives fits the bill.  Photo and article by Donna Iverson Of late, the words “regenerative agriculture” keep popping up in gardening literature. Five years ago, the buzz word was “sustainable agriculture.” So what’s the difference? And what’s changed? Basically, sustainable agriculture is about maintaining the health of the soil while regenerative agriculture is improving the soil health to return it to its original quality. Sustainable agriculture aims at not making things worse. Regenerative agriculture seeks to rehabilitate the soil. As a gardener, I wonder what principles of regenerative agriculture could be applied to home gardens or community gardens. Digging a little deeper, I found that some of the principles are already practiced by gardeners like me, such as rotating crops. For example: not planting tomatoes in the same soil every year. Other principles routinely practiced are companion planting and avoiding the use of pesticides. Like regenerative farmers, I plant a diversity of veggies, herbs and flowers in my raised bed. Regenerative agriculture asks farmers to move away from monoculture, like planting all corn or soybeans, and instead plant many plant varieties, including heritage and native plants. One regenerative principle I don’t practice is not tilling the soil. Apparently tilling the soil has destroyed the health of many an acre of land in this country. Farmers have instead added chemical fertilizer to grow their crops. Now they are asked to forgo tilling and allow livestock to restore the soil with natural fertilizer during the off growing season. As a community gardener, I usually double dig my bed each spring before planting. This year I didn’t. Instead I will avoid chemical fertilizer by doubling down on compost. My local community garden has compost bins into which we throw dried leaves, grass and kitchen scraps. Mulching with organic compost accomplishes what regenerative farmers are attempting on a larger scale. But at our next gardening meeting, I may bring up the possibility of purchasing a goat to help regenerate the soil. On the other hand, I think I may be ahead of the curve, as I can already hear neighbors complaining. Guess some serious educating is in order. Baa, baa, baa.  Photo and article by Donna Iverson As the snow melts and the temperatures rise, I find myself scanning the ground for any sign of a bloom. First come snowdrops, crocus, and then hyacinth. The colors unfold in shades of white, blue, yellow and purple. Barely noticeable unless you look for them, these small spring flowers push up from the ground when everything else is still weeks away from budding. They have all the look of wild flowers and emerge from bulbs and corms planted in yard or garden in the fall. The regal dark purple Dutch or common garden hyacinth (Hyacinthus orientalis) blooms in March before the trees bud or the grass turns green. It is one of the easiest spring bulbs to grow and its flowers are so fragrant that the French incorporate it into their perfumes. When the Dutch got their hands on it, they bred over 2000 cultivars from this Middle Eastern native. In addition to dark purple, Dutch hyacinth comes in shades of blue, pink, yellow and even red. It is not partial to soil pH, needs no fertilizer and lives about three to four years. Squirrels and rodents love it but if you plant near daffodils, which they avoid, it may be protected. It is also a popular bulb for forcing on your kitchen windowsill in the spring. While the Dutch hyacinth is the most recognizable and popular, there are three other varieties that are less well known. They are the Wood hyacinth (Hyacinthoides hispanica) , the Grape hyacinth (Muscari armeniacum) and the wild hyacinth (Camassia scilloides), which is native to the Great Lakes region. According to my gardening Twin Lake cousin, squirrels devour her Dutch hyacinths while leaving her favorite Wood hyacinths alone. Found in open woods and along streams, the wild hyacinth is a member of the lily family unlike her cousins which are members of the asparagus family. But like her cousins, the wild hyacinth attracts pollinators including bees and butterflies and is heavily scented. Lucky the hiker who crosses its path in one of Michigan’s many woods and state forests.  Photo and article by Donna Iverson Two of the first spring flowers to emerge in March are snowdrops and crocus. As one of the first signs of spring, they make a welcome appearance, and are much heralded by pretty much everyone despite their diminutive size. After a long Michigan winter and a frigid February, crocus emerges while there is still snow on the ground. And although they look delicate, they are the hardiest of flowers, comfortable in temperatures well below zero. And once planted, naturalize in yards and fields, covering the ground with a blanket of white, pale lavender and iridescent blue blooms. Crocus bulbs are available in nurseries and garden centers in the spring. Officially called corms, the bulbs are best planted in early fall. If planted to naturalize in a grassy lawn, gardeners should resist mowing in the spring until the crocus leaves have turned brown. Once established, crocus will return year after year in larger and larger numbers. Deer, squirrels, and rabbits will leave them alone. As for pollinators, they are bee friendly. When planting avoid deep shade areas, but otherwise the corms can be planted just about anywhere in the garden or yard. A member of the iris family, crocus are native to the Alps, the Mediterranean, North Africa and the Middle East. According to Wikipedia, there are 90 species of crocus including the snow crocus which is the earliest to bloom. Unfortunately, they are poisonous to people and pets. So no nibbling. Recently, a Farmers Almanac article mentioned crocus in an article about phenology, the art of looking to nature as a planting guide. Following the phenology principles, the best time to plant radishes, parsnips and spinach is when the crocus are in bloom. Wait till the forsythia bloom to plant peas, onions and lettuce. When daffodils bloom, it’s time to plant beets, carrots and chard. Potatoes are best sown when the dandelions flower. Not surprisingly, crocus symbolizes rebirth, new beginnings and the cycle of life. It brings joy and cheerfulness to its many admirers. In Greek myth, a young man named Crocus was granted immortality by the gods who turned him into the crocus flower. Check out the many crocus myths at https://www.atozflowers.com/crocus-flower-meaning-and-symbolism/ Garden note: consider not cleaning up your yard and garden until temperatures are consistently about 50 degrees. Butterflies and other pollinators are wintering over in leaves, dead plants and twigs. Removing the debris could mean their demise.  Photo and article by Donna Iverson While I’m a dedicated community gardener, I’m a forager at heart. Any outdoor space is game, even the local farmers’ market. So recently when I spotted this odd looking vegetable in a farmer’s market bin, I inquired of the vendor, “What is this?” “Celery root,” he replied. Say what ?? Searching my memory banks, I realized that I had heard of it but had never actually seen it. And I didn’t expect it to look like a rotted turnip. The farmer proceeded to extol its virtues and how it could be diced and roasted, added to soups, or grated into a winter salad. He didn’t have to sell me. I was sold at first sighting. Although it is biologically related to celery, it is not the root of the common celery plant. Neither is it native plant, but rather it is indigenous to the Mediterranean basin. Harvested in winter, its closest veggie relatives are carrots, turnips and parsley. And while it requires a long growing period of about 120 days, celeriac root can be grown from seed in Western Michigan. Baker Creek Heirloom seed catalog describes it as a “moisture loving Old World crop grown since antiquity. In the early 1900s celery root was the third most popular item in New York City restaurants,” the catalog reads. The first most popular items being coffee and tea. Celery root (Celeriac) requires preparation before cooking. Begin by scrubbing the bulb from top to bottom and then remove the outer brown skin. While online directions recommend the use of a veggie peeler, I found that I needed a sharp paring knife. Then depending on the recipe, you can slice or dice it before cooking, or grate it for a salad. As it is low in carbohydrates, it can be mashed with potatoes or used as a mashed potato substitute. I cubed it and added it to homemade vegetable soup which gave it a unique and pleasant flavor, vaguely reminiscent of celery, apples and walnuts. As for storage, it can be kept for six to eight months in a cool dry place, like a basement. Chef Rick Martinez of Bon Appetit calls it his “favorite vegetable. And if you can get by its ugly appearance, it is beautiful on the inside.” As for me, I doubt I will be growing it in my community gardening bed, but will definitely purchase it as often as I find it at my neighborhood farmers’ market.  Michigan's State Tree: The White Pine Photo and article by Donna Iverson
It’s the annual statewide tree sale in Michigan, including at the Newaygo Conservation District in Fremont. Up for sale are many conifers including jack, red and white pines and red and white cedar, all of which are native to the state. White pine is the state tree, chosen back in 1955. The white pine covered most of Michigan until the lumbering era in the 1800’s saw the cutting down of 99 percent of the stock. A major route for logging ran down the Muskegon River from Newaygo to the Muskegon lumber yards. From there, the logs were shipped across Lake Michigan, mostly to Chicago So here’s a chance to help restore the natural habitat. Wildlife and birds will benefit too. The white pine provides shelter for beavers, hares, porcupines and squirrels as well as nesting for woodpeckers, grackles, nuthatches and chickadees. For information on ordering, go to http://www.newaygocd.org/order-form-and-tree-information.html There you will find a downloadable order form with information and prices on the trees for sale. Newago conservation offices are located at 940 Rex St in Fremont. The office may not be open due to the pandemic so you may want to call ahead to make an appointment if you wish to speak to a conservation officer in person. The phone number is 231,924.2060 x5. If you prefer email, it’s newagocd@macd.org Based on the information provided, it sounds like delivery is possible for approximately $20. Almost all the conservation districts in the state are holding an annual spring tree sale, so if you don’t live in Newago, check out your local county’s conservation district website. |
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