Gardening in Central Oregon

AN ODE TO THE DAFFODIL

        She turned to the sunlight

        And shook her yellow head.

        And whispered to her neighbor:

        "Winter is dead."

                          A. A. Milne

Oh, how we hope that is true.  How grateful we are to seeing the first glimmer of spring in the bright yellow daffodil blooms.

We also need to notice and show a little more respect for the first pollinator friendly flowers, the dandelion.  I can feel the shock waves coursing through the body of perfect lawn keepers.  How did we allow such an important example of a beneficial plant to become so maligned?

Taraxacum officinalis originally hailed from Europe.  The supposition is that it came to North America with the Pilgrims aboard the Mayflower, who brought the plant here for medicinal use and for its nutritional value.

Dandelion, is from the French dent-de-lion or teeth of the lion, referring to the shape of the leaves.  Dandelions are a horticultural nightmare as they have all the survival mechanism known to the plant world.  Including being a truly deer resistant plant; even Bambi in learning the ways of the world won't touch it. 

It is fun to read all the folklore tales of dandelions, but it is most important to realize how they serve as a great magnet for bees. Providing a food source early in the season is especially important for pollinating fruit trees.  Horticulturists advocate planting a few dandelions near your fruit trees.  If you still feel compelled to eliminate them, please just dig them out and resist spraying.  The message is--if you have fruit trees and you want fruit, share your landscape with a few dandelions.

UPDATE ON BEET PLANTING: (see blog from 4/8/23).  I soaked 10 beet seeds for 24 hours, just

using the tap water.  I planted them in the unheated greenhouse (soil temp. 42 degrees on 4/15/23).  I marked the row.  Next to the marker I planted about 20 unsoaked seeds, germination is listed as being 5-21 days.  I don't know why I didn't plant the same amount as the first row.  Think I was just excited about planting something!  I also planted a row of Oregon Sugar Snap peas, at the base of a trellis in the greenhouse, germination time listed as 10-15 days. 

There seems to be gardening temptations around every corner.  How can one refuse a plant that offers easy growth as well as being an excellent source for vitamin K?  I recently read an OSU Food Hero fact sheet on rhubarb and had decided to plant one this year.  In a typical 'hopeful' spring conversation a neighbor offered an emerging rhubarb seedling and I gratefully accepted.

Last year the neighbor gave me a bountiful harvest of rhubarb.  I found recipes that ran the gamut of everything rhubarb: ice cream sauces, jam, tea bread, muffins.  Needless to say, with lots of sugar.  The OSU fact sheet suggests using 100% orange or apple juice instead of water and adding spices such as cinnamon or ginger.  You could blend cooked rhubarb with berries, applesauce or banana to make a

smoothie.  Rhubarb muffins would include just a half cup of brown sugar and a half cup of unsweetened applesauce.  The one recipe I am looking forward to making is Chilled Strawberry Rhubarb Soup.  The recipe calls for using apple juice and water, with just a fourth cup of sugar.  Bowls can be garnished with chopped mint or basil.  

Rhubarb can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 3 weeks.  Remove leaves and throw away or add to compost.  Never eat the leaves, cooked or raw as they can cause severe illness.  Store in a produce bag. Freeze rhubarb for longer storage.  Cut stalks into pieces and spread on a baking sheet.  Freeze until firm, 1 to 2 hours.  Put into airtight containers labeled with the date and amount, use within 8 months.

I looked back to last year's garden journal and it had been noted that on Mother's Day we had snow, sleet and rain.  Keep your fingers crossed we won't have a repeat this year.