Photo and article by Donna Iverson Orange, yellow, green, purple, cream.. ..these are the colors of cauliflower that you can now find at your farmers’ market and in some West Michigan gardens. These colorful cauliflower are not genetically modified (GMO) or chemically altered. They have been found naturally in various areas of the world, and in some cases crossed with the traditional white cauliflower creating a hybrid. The orange cauliflower, for example, was found in Canada around 1970. It’s orange color is due to the extra beta- carotene, up to 25% more than the traditional white cauliflower you may be most familiar with. Similarly, the purple cauliflower is high in anthocyanins, an antioxidant found in red wine. The origin of the purple cauliflower is not known, although it is found in Italian recipe books in the 1940s. In Italy, the purple cauliflower goes by fanciful names like Sicilian Violet and Violet Queen. All the colorful cauliflower heads are higher in nutritional value than their plain cousin, the white cauliflower. Maybe because of the multi-colored attraction, sales of locally grown cauliflowers have increased by 70 percent in recent years. As for growing it yourself, the seeds are available from heirloom seed catalogs, like Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company in Missouri. But be forewarned, cauliflower has a long growing season, almost four months, and it requires rich soil, abundant moisture and cool weather. If you're lucky, you might find seedlings for transplant at your neighborhood nursery in the spring. Personally, I was never a fan of cauliflower until it began selling as a substitute for potatoes and rice. Once I found cauliflower hash browns in the freezer section of my local grocery store, I was hooked. From there I graduated to making my own hash browns from the multitude of colorful cauliflower heads available. And next summer, I plan to buy some purple colored cauliflower seeds and give it a try in the garden. And for you math nerds out there, cauliflower heads are a study in fractals. The green headed cauliflower, for example, exhibits the logarithmic Fibonacci spiral. And if any of you know what that means, I would appreciate a layman’s explanation.
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Photo and article by Donna Iverson As winter approaches, red berries on evergreens catch one’s eye ....especially on yew bushes. However the berries, as enticing as they appear, are highly toxic and it is one of the reasons the yew could be thought of as the perfect Halloween tree. In true Halloween style, the yew has been associated with magic, longevity and the underworld. The leaves, branches and berries are all highly toxic and have earned it the name of Tree of Death. In ancient times, branches were brought to gravesites of newly departed to guide their way to the next world. Yew is one of the oldest of trees, if not the oldest tree on the planet dating back nearly 10,000 years. Yew is also considered a sacred tree often planted in churchyards, graveyards and pagan tree groves. You can still find yew trees in churchyards and old cemeteries, right here in Western Michigan. Today, the yew is valued as a landscape plant and by cabinet makers for its wood. As a landscape plant, yew makes a great hedge that can be box shaped and needs little other attention. Four to six feet tall, yew grows horizontally by the same amount. There are both native and European varieties. The English yew is taxus baccata; the American yew is taxus canadensis. The native yew grows in northern Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota and north of the border in Canada. The wood of the yew is prized for use in cabinet making, lutes, and the creation of longbows. In the Paleolithic and Bronze ages, longbows were made primarily of yew, from a single piece of wood. The oldest longbow ever found was discovered in the Alps and dates back to circa 2600 BC. Made completely of yew, it was the bow used by Henry VIII, for both warfare and hunting. Today a yew longbow could cost you well over $1000. Ironically, even though yew is highly toxic, the bark and needles were used by ancient shamans for healing. The theory was that if what didn’t kill you, could heal you. Over the years, yew compounds have been used in the treatment of diphtheria, tapeworms, swollen tonsils (tonsillitis), seizures (epilepsy), muscle and joint pain (rheumatism), urinary tract conditions, liver conditions and even cancer. Still, a major warning ..do not try this at home. As recent as 2014, the yew was celebrated at the Poblet Monastery in Spain at the International Yew Conference. Participants gathered with the purpose of protecting the yew, as like many trees, it’s survival is threatened. Local nurseries carry yew bushes for purchase although finding the native yew species may require an online search. Photo and article by Donna Iverson
Zinnias will grow in poor soil and need little watering. The seeds sprout quickly and reliably to produce beautiful colorful flowers that bloom into fall. And they will grow in a weightless environment. That’s right. They are grown on the international space station. And whether you are a beginning or experienced gardener, you can depend on zinnias to beautify your garden or yard with every color in the rainbow except blue. A member of the Aster family, zinnias are native to the southwestern United States. In its native form, the zinnia is a small yellow or orange perennial flower with single petals. Because of that, the zinnia was never popular with American gardeners until as late as the 1920s. It was then that a horticulturist John Bodger hybridized the zinnia producing zinnias that were oversized and double-petaled. These giant zinnias competed in showiness with the rose and dahlias. With that modification, Zinnia seeds sold off the shelf and remain popular today. Plant zinnia seeds in May and they will produce annual flowers throughout the summer until frost. Zinnias also make long-lived cut flowers, lasting in a vase from seven to twelve days. Heat doesn’t bother them and they will flourish in a xeriscape garden. Zinnias also are a great addition to a pollinator garden attracting butterflies, lady bugs and hummingbirds. They deter whiteflies and are not toxic to dogs, cats and horses. As far back as the 1500, the zinnia was grown by the Aztecs, and was brought to Europe around that time by the Spanish. In 1798, the first zinnia seeds were offered for sale to colonists, but never gained popularity for another one hundred years. The zinnia is named after Johann Zinn, a German botanist who first described the plant in scientific literature in the mid-1700s. There are about 20 zinnia species, most of them with the larger double-petals with names like Canary Bird, Cactus Chrysanthemum, and Persian Carpet. The petals are edible and the seeds reportedly can be used to make tea. But caution should be used, as some people may be allergic. If you have children, zinnias are a perfect flower to grow as they quickly result in a bed of flowers that would delight any youngster. Order or buy seeds as soon as they become available in the spring. Photo and article by Donna Iverson
If you saw them, even close up, you might assume they were sunflowers. Even some experts can’t tell the difference. Before frost, the leaves, stems and flowers of sunflowers and Jerusalem artichokes look almost exactly alike. But after the first frost, when you dig up the roots, you would find that unlike sunflowers, Jerusalem artichokes have edible tubers. These small tubers look like knotty potatoes but taste more like artichokes. Hence the name. As for the Jerusalem part, it is possible that the Puritans tagged them such in reference to their settlement in the new world which they called the New Jerusalem. The first written reference to Jerusalem artichokes was recorded by Samuel de Champlain in 1605 when he found them growing on Cape Cod. The plant may have in fact originated in the Ohio Valley and eventually became a major food source for the Lewis and Clark expedition as they headed west in 1803. Of course, long before the settlers arrived, the Native Americans were cultivating Jerusalem artichokes alongside beans and corn. As for growing them, not much is required. They thrive in any soil, need very little watering, and are resistant to most harmful insects and plant diseases. Best grown from tubers and not seeds, can find these tubers at your local nursery. Or, order them from the seed catalogs. Treat the tubers like potatoes because like potatoes, they are considered a root vegetable. They can be baked, boiled or added to soups or stews. Be sure to remove the stringy roots from the tubers as they are toxic. Unless you are an expert forager, best to peel the tubers before cooking. Low in the glycemic scale, Jerusalem artichokes are high in iron and other minerals. As a landscape flower, they can provide a wind break or just a lush backdrop to your flower bed. They can become aggressive, and are difficult to eradicate once they become established. They grow to a height of 10 feet. In an emergency or during a food shortage, Jerusalem artichokes could provide a family with a healthy vegetable. The tubers can be left in the ground all winter, and harvested as needed. Personally, I value Jerusalem artichokes more as flower than a food but as I get more and more interested in foraging, that may change. |
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