Daffadowndilly

Daffodil – March’s birth flower

She wore her yellow sun-bonnet,

She wore her greenest gown;

She turned to the south wind

And curtsied up and down.

She turned to the sunlight

And shook her yellow head,

And whispered to her neighbour:

"Winter is dead."  A. A. Milne

Representing Chivalry or Regard, these welcome spring bulbs offer all shades from white to intense sunshine yellow. Some know them as daffadowndilly , jonquil and Narcissus. They belong to the genus Narcissus of the amaryllis family, with no native members in Nova Scotia. Narcissus is a Greek word, meaning narcotic and shared in mythology by the youth who fell in love with his own reflection.

As garden favourites they have been reportedly cultivated since earliest days of gardens, gaining popularity since the 1600s, with plant breeders. There are thousands of cultivars available and the Netherlands has built an industry around the provision of these and other spring bulbs. The plants contain alkaloids, rendering them toxic if ingested although that property is currently being exploited in the development of a treatment for dementia due to Alzheimers disease.

Serving as the national flower of Wales, daffodils also represent various campaigns for cancer fund-raising, in Canada associated with the month of April.

Wolfville daffodils, photo by Stephanie Smith

Daffodils, anon.

Edible wild weeds, leaves and flowers

February is a good time to start thinking about adding fresh wild edibles to salads. What??? Oh yes, even the flower of the month, the Violet is edible. Native violets begin flowering in March as small pools of woodland meltwater collect in sunny depressions.

e Violet or English Violet, and Johnny-jump ups can all be added raw to spring salads of mesclun. Just be sure to pick off the green stem and sepals beneath the flower. For years, European bakers sugared fresh violets in fine sugar after dipping in egg white or lemon juice and added them to frosted cake.

Unrolled leaves of the Clintonia, tasting like cucumber, are a crispy salad ingredient. Garden sorrel leaves are a tart bitter ingredient that some prefer to the mustard greens found in mesclun. All are free to pick, being mindful of source, found in the spring, even on lawns. Other edible plants appear soon after snow melt: the chickweeds and stitchworts, the leaves of Clintonia Lily and even the weedy garden sorrel.

Chickweed the name came to us from the Middle Englishchiken wede. Most often referring to Stellaria species, they are relished by domestic fowl, hence the name. Try these small soft common plants in a salad (the smoothStellaria species) or steamed as a green (the hairyCerastium species). Stitchworts allegedly ease pains in the side. Most words using -wort as a suffix, were commonly used to cure illnesses.

For those whose backyard is over run with Sheep Sorrel, here's a reason to love this weed:

Sorrelade

Gather 1 pound of plants before flowering. Remove bruised leaves and roots. Wash under cold water. Bring 5 cups of water to boil, add 1c. of sugar, stirring until it dissolves. Shred sorrel leaves and add to the pot. Boil a few minutes, remove from heat. Let step for a couple of hours. Strain mixture and rchill for 2 hours. Add 20 ounces of soda water. Serve over ice. As good as lemonade.....plus rids the yard of the unsightly patches.

Chickweed, photo by Ross Hall
Clintonia lily, leaves, photo by David Mazerolle
Mouse-ear Chickweed, Cerastium pumilum, photo by Martin Thomas
Sheep Sorrel, Rumex acetosella, photo by Martin Thomas
Johnny-jump-ups, Viola tricolor, photo by Martin Thomas

My luve's like a red, red rose*...

Valentine flowers

Red roses have been the quintessential symbol of love and therefore Valentine’s Day. Associated with romance, beauty and perfection they are also expensive.  More recently, blooms such as the Gerbera Daisy are given in February. Their bright colours denote a cheerful beauty, innocence and purity.

The classic tulips are also available as cut flowers. More affordable, these are an alternative to roses, but keep pets away from them.  Tulips stand for perfect love and convey comfort and warmth.

While many varieties of lilies are available, the safest is the Peruvian Lily, or Alstroemeria. Safe for pets, they also convey the safer message (for some) of friendship and devotion. Multiple flowers per stem can quickly fill a vessel and their unusual soft colours add subtle highlights to a corner.

* Robert Burns

1908 postcard, scanned by Marian Munro

1910 postcard, scanned by Marian Munro

 Alstroemeria, photo by Marian Munro                                   

Witch's broom

One popular inquiry I receive during the winter months concerns odd growths on conifer trees, especially fir and spruce. These are called witch's brooms. They are a form of fasiculation or plant cancer. They may have the appearance of a small tree growing inside a large one, or a ball of twigs. Either way, they comprise a bundle of twigs with short internodes.

A series of causes may be identified: most of which kill the terminal bud of the affected branch. Fungal infections, mite attacks, dwarf mistletoe or even environmental conditions may all result in the formation of this curiosity on a variety of leafy trees or conifers. In our spruce and fir it is almost always the Dwarf Mistletoe (shown) to blame.

This tiny parasite produces no chlorophyll. Rather it is a true parasite, living off the avails of healthy trees. Usually, the host trees continue growing, but with the brooms attached.

Does anybody have a picture of a witch's broom they would like to share?


Dwarf Mistletoe (Arceuthobium pusillum) Photo by Sean Blaney

witch's-broom, Photo by Marian Munro

February's violets

Few people would not recognize the flower representing our coldest month – the violet, cousin to pansy. Violets convey faithfulness, wisdom and hope. In Victorian Britain gifting someone with violets meant that the giver would always be true.

Violets come in purple for sure, but in Nova Scotia they are also white or yellow or a combination of those colours. Early spring arrivals, these plants also produce flowers we rarely see and that never open, amongst the leaves.

Pansies, a hybrid grown as an annual, will often revert to one of their parent species, Viola tricolor, best known as Johnny-jump-ups. These hardy little plants boldly appear following a season of pansies.

Top photo is Viola sp. Lower photo is Viola tricolor, Johnny-jump-up. Both by Martin Thomas.

Photo above is a Johnny-jump-up photo by Andy Dean.