I’m sending photos of an uninvited guest that appeared in our garden. It wasn’t hurting anything so we let it grow. The first bud opened and displayed a pretty yellow flower. It only stayed open for a few hours. Weeks later it reopened with the feathery seeds. It was really impressive. We plucked the seeds and destroyed them because now we think it is a hybrid dandelion. What do you think?
I wish everyone would send me good clear pictures like yours. The photos show a tall (12- to 15-inch bloom) yellow dandelion-type bloom, with sharp-looking edges. It is not a hybrid, but another species, the huge sunflower family of plants.
Yes, indeed that’s a good question, is it a plant or weed? Meaning is it just a weed or is there some use for it? That would depend where in the U.S. you live, I guess. In some parts of the country they call it “the oyster plant” because supposedly the root when cooked tastes somewhat like oysters. Here in we’d probably call it a weed.
The following is a quote from a paper by University of Montana Extension Service, Jane Mangold, MSU Extension invasive plant specialist, and Allison Lansverk, research assistant: “Western salsify (Tragopogon dubius), also known as goatsbeard or yellow salsify, is an exotic plant of the Asteraceae family that can be weedy in rangelands, pastures, Conservation Reserve Program lands, and roadsides throughout North America. The name “salsify” means “a plant that follows the sun,” aptly named because open flowers point toward the sun and follow it across the sky, often closing by late morning or early afternoon.” You are wise not to allow it to increase, you could have ended up with a yard full of salsify, along with all your neighbors as well!
I’ve been told that I can save peony flowers in my refrigerator. I would love to learn how. I think it’s too late this spring to do it, but how early should I do it next spring?
Professional growers have developed methods that preserves them for long periods of time in cold storage. It’s complicated, and involves an expensive setup for us home growers. But we can keep them in our home fridge for a few weeks.
You need to harvest them when the bloom is well into bud stage, but before they begin to open; it’s best to do this in the cool of the morning. Cut low on the stem. Bring into a cool room. Wrap each cut end in a wet paper towel. Then place the wet paper towel and stem into a plastic bag to keep it damp while in storage. Wrap the whole flower in newspaper. Place in a cold (not freezing) part of the refrigerator; leave well-wrapped for several weeks. When ready bring out, unwrap, and place in a deep vase of cool water and a day or two at the most they will open.
I was given a clematis and thought I would like to place it at the base of a 3-year-old crab apple tree. The tree is about 5 feet tall. It’s situated in a nice sunny spot. The clematis root system will be shaded by a thick clump of crocosmia growing to the northwest of the crab apple trunk. Do I need to remove some of the crocosmia, or will it get enough sunshine with them there?
I really don’t think you need to worry one way or another about it being shaded; the shade will be shifting as the daylight goes on.
Keeping the root area shaded is a debatable matter from what I’ve heard. I have heard growers say the clematis root area doesn’t need to be kept in cool shade. Most garden books plus nursery catalogs say more often than not that it does. I’ve spoken with nurserymen and growers who say there is no way they have time to plant a little something in front of each clematis root to keep it cool. Some of these same growers tell us to deadhead the faded blooms. My friend Debby Fisher, owner of Silver Star Vinery, tells me to deadhead and not worry about shaded roots.
Celeste Lindsay is a WSU-certified master gardener. Send questions to mslindsay8@gmail.com.
