Hi Bev and welcome to Mid-Atlantic. Sounds like you have a lot to offer. Have you tried violets, you can make violet jelly, there are several recipes on the net if you do a search.
Mid-Atlantic Roll Call
Welcome Bev. Good to have you here. We need all the Virginians we can get. ha-ha You just described how I felt when I first came here too. Such a welcoming and giving group of folks here. The majority of my computer time is spent on Dave's.
Looking forward to seeing you post some more. I find it very interesting that your focus is on edibles. That is a subject that I know very little about.
Ruby
Welcome, Bev,
Great to hear from the other side of Virginia. It's a great group we have here and it's always good to hear from more.
Betty
Welcome, Bev,
I was wondering if you have this Common Orange Daylily? Check out the link to the plant files and read the comments. Here are a couple of comments that talk about eating them. I am in the process of moving a good size planting of them and would love to send them to you or anyone else that is interested. Please D-mail me if you are interested and I will send them out.
http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/201/
the blossoms are delicious...... the species I think are the tastiest...... the overall effect is like zucchini...... let the plants bloom so they look pretty then at sundown go an harvest them....... clean them out to make sure there' s no bugs in them...... don't eat the stem..... fry them up like zucchini blossoms....... also you can stuff them with ricotta for a sweet treat sprinkle them with powdered sugar or honey and flavored water...... h mmmmmm .......
Since so little has been mentioned pertaining to the food value of this plant, I thought I'd mention something. The following is from The Encyclopedia of Edible Plants of North America by Francois Couplan, PH.D.
"Numerous Hemerocallis spp. are used as food in Eastern Asia, including H. flava and fulva.
The young roots are eaten raw. Older ones must be cooked.
The young shoots are edible raw.
The flower buds are eaten raw or slightly steamed. They are also pickled. They can be made into delicious omelets.
The expanded flowers are eaten raw, fried, or added to soups as an aromatic thickener. They are often dried or preserved in salt, and must then be soaked in water before using. Wilted flowers are added to soups and stews."
And Edible Wild Plants of Eastern North America by Merritt Lyndon Fernald and Alfred Charles Kinsey states the following.
"The fully grown buds or the freshly expanded flowers of Hemerocallis fulva immersed in a batter of beaten egg, milk, flour, and seasoning and browned like fritters in oil or butter are a delicious and quickly prepared vegetable. They require only five minutes (long enough to brown, turned twice, on each side). The fleshy tuber-like roots, borne in clusters like dahlia-roots, boiled in salted water, taste like a blend of sweet corn and salsify."
Very interesting Holly. I was wondering what we were going to do with all of these day lilies. ha-ha
Wow, thanks to all for making me feel welcome! Maybe the VA folks can all get together in the middle some time, lol!
Ladygardener, I don't have violets, and didn't know they could be used to make jelly! I'll check on the potential of growing them here. Thanks!
Holly, I have a bunch of Tiger Lillies and I had heard that you could eat the flowers, but I didn't know about eating all the other parts! I'll check into that some more. I believe the "Edible Plants..." book is on my Amazon Wish List... I'll double check. Thank you so much for the info!
The only flowers I've enjoyed have been calendula (tea) and dandelion (love dande root coffee, use leaves in salads).
See, I learned so much already today!! I love this site!!
Thanks again to everyone,
Bev
That Encyclopedia
is interesting and so thorough- I got it through my county library.
Sorry for the tardiness (so what's new eh?) - big ole welcome to you Bev!!!
Hi all,
I'm so glad to have found DG & now this forum too. I've been reading alot & trying to find my way around the website. My name is Debbie & I'm from Disputanta, Va. My family consists of my DH of 22 years & 2 sons; a 4 mo. old puppy (Petey Pie) & a 8 mo. old kitten (Mr. Jackson).
I need to be outside, hanging out in the yard, at least a couple hours every day, or my sanity goes haywire. All this rain has put a real burden on DH & sons. Thankfully I've been able to get outside the past 2 days. We recently completed & moved into our retirement home. I'm sitting on 2 acres of red clay. Please offer advice. So far I'm not making too many wise decisions in the way of planning my landscape (that 1 gal. barberry bush planted in Oct. has grown twice as fast as I thought it would & needs to be moved already). The grass seed isn't doing much in the clay but it's too expensive to topsoil it all. We just tilled for our vegetable garden & I can't wait!
I look forward to getting to know everyone & would love to participate in a plant swap in the central VA area. Thanks, debbie
Welcome Debbie. I get excited whenever I see more Virginians on here. Where exactly is Disputanta? I have never heard of it. I know what you mean when you say that your sanity is affected by the amount of time that you get to spend outside. I can certainly relate. The last two days have been ideal gardening weather.
You won't regret becoming a member of this great site. I have met some really wonderful people here. Again, welcome.
Ruby
Welcome Debbie, I also have some of that red clay. You need to visit the Soil and Composting Discussion Forum. You can get a lot of good information there. For the veggie garden a quick start could be close at hand do you have a truck and a horse stable near you?
Welcome, Debbie, nice to add another "Must be outside" gardener.
Holly is right about compost, I live on a clay mound. I have been composting for years. Nothing goes to the landfill but invasive weeds. I add kitchen scraps (no meat, bones or dairy) used coffee grounds are great, I ever add paper from my shredder.
I killed many plants until I learned to take care of the soil first. I came from a area where you dropped a seed in the ground and it grew, so I had to relearn.
Also when you dig look for worms, If you can't find any, your soil is lacking in organic matter.
Happy gardening!
Welcome Debbie!
Welcome anybody I haven't welcomed yet ~~~~~~~~~~(I'm still high from many hours inhaling dirt fumes this weekend)
Hmmmm.........inhaling dirt fumes. What a way to spend the weekend. Wish I had been there. You have such a way with words. ha-ha Love ya Sally.
Ruby
Thanks everyone for the warm Mid-Atlantic welcome. I appreciate the advice & tips from you all. I'm headed over to the compost discussion forum now (and to think I had decided against composting). I think it'll be pretty cool to see some decent compost evolve from a pile of fruit & vegetable scraps.
Geeze, I can't wait to get started with everything, but I do need to get my priorites straight. I'll finish planting the few things I have then I'll have to do some serious soil amending.
Glad to be here, especially in this forum. I sure hope you don't mind answering some ("I can't believe she doesn't know that!") type questions coming from me. I feel like I'm gardening for the first time. But I'm plenty enthused about it!
With all the Debbies here, I've decided to go by my DG site name from now on. So thanks again everyone! davis
Don't worry if you think you have silly questions Davis. I have been gardening for several years now and a couple of weeks ago took a picture of a pretty red flower that had me stumped. I typed then that when I found out what it was, I would feel foolish. Well, a couple of people said it looked like a tulip to them. Ha-ha, as soon as the stem on the plant grew some, it was indeed a tulip. And yes, I felt foolish.
You have the new Daves's Gardener thrills. I felt the giddy way that you are feeling now, when I first began posting here. This has become the most important website that I visit. So, welcome and ask anything that you would like to.
Ruby
Davis,
I echo Ruby's remarks. I can remember (barely - I was in my early 20's) being sent to the basement of my grandma-in-law's house for onions and coming upstairs with a bad of tulip bulbs. Life's a journey, making it with dave's garden friends is very special indeed. Pam
Hi everyone
Name Bob, Age 68 , Married 23 years, Live in Magnolia Deleware, Wife Debbie ( a very nice person).
We live on about 1/3 acre in a trailer. The IRS liked the other place in PA. sooo they took it :( However I am not a doom and gloom person. They will be paid off this month after 11 years of fines and penalties plus monthly payments. Jody was the first person kind enough to invite us to the swap and we will go if our son does not come home from the air force that week. I think the date is June 7? This year is veggies, herbs, and elder berry bushes. Last year was kill the bamboo year. I bought the running kind (duh) and tried to contain it with a 3ft trench except not against the house. Well that stuff grew 22ft under the house and tried to come through the floor. The solution: 250 lbs of salt, injected it with Pro round up, a lot of hand digging and a few gallons of hi test gas. None can be found this year (knock on wood):) Gardening is fairly new to me and I am trying to grow things to eat because the Gmo food is not my style. Whoever heard of putting a flounder gene in a potato? My tomatoes should taste like a tomato not some dull red thing. I like to learn about healthy eating and growing organic. No Drs. for me and no pills except the herbs I brew. My education is ( they had to burn the school down to get me out of 3rd grade) :) This group is well rounded with a lot of happy people (I really like that). I wish everyone Love and good health.
Welcome Bob! That bamboo sounds awful & to think my husband had to talk me out of planting it. Phew! Glad you shared your story or I'd still be asking for it. Anyway glad to see you here & posting.
Thank You davis1676,
They (whoever they are) say that the clumping bamboo is ok. I really don't want to try any more:)
Welcome Bob, don't see many of you from DE. I was beginning to wonder if anyone gardened down there.
Hello everyone!
Name:net4tmi
Location: Severn, MD
Family: A husband of nearly 9 years and a daughter who will be turning 5 in May
Employment: Actively looking
Gardening Level: I will always see myself as a beginner though many of my friends and coworkers come to me for info and advice.
Gardening Focus: Birds (especially Hummers) and Butterflies.
I've planted many plants that say they are magnets for hummers, but we haven't seen many in the 6 years we've been here. It wasn't till last summer that we saw maybe 2 that came back on a regular basis to our feeder. Been trying to find someone to design us a garden/landscape but most companies want to design and install.
Well the answer to gardening here is 454 chevy , hemi, go carts and anything that will fly down the road fast.:) No one close to me gardens, so for info DG is the place. Some people do put those fake flowers on the lawn and the dogs pee on them too:) Thanks for the welcome flowerjen.
Bob--
First of all--WELCOME to this crazy, lovely bunch of people! Hang in with us and you will become royally addicted.....
Not sure what you call the "Clumping Bamboo"--but htis one here is called a "Nandina"--or, also "Heavenly Bamboo". It is a nicely contained, upright little shrub that makes flowers and then--red berries in the fall.
It does sucker somewhat and if you let it be--it will form several shrubs all around the priginal one. it is absolutely care free--thrives in hot and dry and all that.
What I like most about it is the way the foliage has a very perpendicular look about it. Also--very airy in appearance.....
Gita
Here it is by my neighbor's kitchen steps. This bush is many years old.....It DOES have some smaller bushes that have suckered from it. Don't know if you can see it....
Hi Bob
and net4, hello neighbor!
Seems like almost all of us think of ourselves as not-as good as we'd like to be~ what a bunch of humble gardeners. But like net4 said- I bet many of us are seen as more than average knowledgeable by the non DG world.
Hiya Bob and Net4tmi!!
Bob, I agree with you about the homegrown veggies, especially the tomatoes, and healthy eating!! I've found a lot of really good info and helpful folks on DG in the last couple of months here!
Net4tmi, we found a hummer feeder with a suction cup to stick onto the front window where we could watch the entertaining little critters often.
Best of luck to y'all with your projects!
Sundownr
That's because we know what we don't know!
Hi and Welcome to both of you. Bob, I just love your weed killing idea. I've got to show that to my husband Ric, he is still talking about planting some. Good luck with the organic veggies. There are a lot of people here at DG that grow organic vegetables. You might do well looking into raised bed gardening it is a high yield for a small space. I have a friend that grows all his veggies in raised beds.
Net4tme, You will find plenty of info on Butterfly and Hummer gardening here as well. If you haven't put out your feeder yet you want to do that now. They are in the area scouting out good eating spots.
happy- well put! LOL
welcome net4! Let me know if you find someone willing to design your landscape but lets you do the work. I'm in the same situation. I can't afford the labor, but I'd pay for the design. I have a hard time visualizing anything that ain't already there. :) I'm glad to see you'll be adding your 2 cents worth from now on. Take care.
Wow, you all make a person feel so welcome , that my heart dances with joy. Thanks for the warm welcome. Love and good health to you all.
Gita, that is some very impressive bamboo. That's the kind I needed.
Speaking of hummers: We bought about 30 barberry bushes to keep the teens from jumping over the fence and tearing the yard apart. When we got them the nursery man said these attract hummers like crazy (duh) the only thing they attract is the plastic bags that blow around in the wind, but they do keep the teens and dogs out (not the cats or rabbits)
Update: The other neighbor bought some fake indoor plants and put them on the lawn:) Now, if any of them start to water these plants we will be thinking of moving or getting a taller fence. Maby I should get some of those shadow people to look after their plants!!!
Bob, There are funny guys and funny gardeners, but hardly any funny guy gardeners. You are just what's needed here--a man with a sense of humor and a down-to-earth writing style. Welcome!
I agree with Pam, you are a funny guy. Love the fake plant stories.
Ruby
Well Ruby and Pamgarden maby being born April 1 has something to do with it? When I was born my Dad did the delivery and being an old farmer with bad vision he missed hitting my butt and gave my head a good shot. Therefore the brain cells got scrambled forever:) My Mother called me Babybubbs cause I looked like a big fat meatball .However 15 years later almost to the hour and delivered by my Dad along came my brother, but this time he hit the butt and not the head. My brother is quiet and keeps to himself Mom said Dad should have given him a shot on the head.:) That is a true story Believe it or not. Mom wanted a girl ( fooled twice) She loved us just the same.
And the joke was on who???? ha-ha I can tell that you are quite a character there bubbs. I can always use more laughter in my life. I have a girlfriend that whenever we are together it is interesting to see who wets their pants from laughing first. We should all have a friend like that.
What other forums have you found that are meeting your gardening needs? When I first started reading the forums, I stayed pretty much with the Mid Atlantic Gardeners Group. It took a while and then I began slowing visiting other topics. I have learned so much and met so many nice people here.
Looking forward to hearing more from you. See you around.
Ruby
Ruby, I just got this puter running after a slight crash. My time will be mostly spent with this group:) You are just a happy bunch of ( earth movers) same as me. I will be around here and not to be a pig and keep posting I will write a diary or journal after I figure how to do it. These will be about gardening and other stuff and even other stuff:) Thanks for the info. Bob
Bubbs, Don't feel piggy about posting, but do spread yourself around. You'll find folks on other forums are nice too. For example, when I was reading the FL forum (cause that's where I last lived), a nice gardener there noticed I was new and offered to send me some seeds for a butterfly garden. How's that for nice!
That was a great nice Pamgarden.
davis1676,
I had the same problem with landscape plans. I was trolling around some garden sites and found a look I liked. It had taken months to find the layered woodland look I was after. That particular idea came with a list of plants by area, being in 7A I got the best of SE & NE gardens. I measured the front of the property and put it on graph paper, then chose the plants I thought I wanted. I have modified the plan a few times as various nursery items have become available cheaply, and have the bare (and I do mean bare) bones in now. It has really made it very easy (finally!!!!) to get started. I think I'm done for this year (unless I find something else at a good price. Oh yeah, and there are those bare root trees I got at an Arbor Day event for free!!!!!! And the plant swap at Jody's, oh and the daylilies I want to move to the roadside, and ........ Pam
Pamspace