Knowing Nature with Denny

Leaves are a fallin

Have you ever watched leaves fall off a tree? It is like watching time pass on a clock. Second by second, leaf by leaf. You might wonder how long it takes to bare a tree. Like time, when you are not focused on every second it has a way of passing quickly.

 

 

 

Just a few days ago this maple tree had turned from green to red. Deciduous trees turn colors in the fall as the nutrients in the leaves are absorbed into the trunk and roots to be stored. There they are available to be used as food during the winter and to grow new leaves in the spring.

 

 

 

 

Just a few days later most of the leaves are on the ground. There they will decompose and fertilize the tree, assuming that you do not rake them up and cart them off.

 
 Be amazed, Denny

Corn plant 'want-a-be'

I was weeding the garden this weekend. The corn is looking great, almost ready to flower, and I had just finished removing the weeds when my wife walks by and says "That's not a corn plant, that's a weed!"

Sure enough, perfectly in line with the row of corn plants was a Broomcorn Grass. So carefully had it planted itself at the end of the corn row, it appeared to be one of the crop. From my perspective, the only give away was that the Broomcorn was a runt compared to the other corn stalks.

Sometimes you just have to let nature be nature. I left the Broomcorn Grass to grow and show me what it can do.

Be amazed, Denny

Your local Farmer's Market

Do you know your local Farmer's Market? From small communities to big cities, local farmers, producers and craft people ply their wares direct to you, the consumer. There are no middle men. You get to talk directly to the folks who grew it or made it.

 
  
Many markets in small communities operate seasonally. From Paris to Seattle, many in larger cities are open year round. The Ballard Market in Seattle begins every Sunday morning at 10 am. Even in the dead of winter there is a large selection of seasonal produce.

 
 
These vendors live in direct contact with nature. Operating a small farm must be done in concert with the seasonal cycles. Most produce is grown organically and usually picked at the height of ripeness and nutritional value. Buying direct from a local market is the next best thing to growing it yourself. Yes, you will pay more than the mass produced, highly processed food that is available at the grocery store. It is a decision of quality verses quantity and though you may not buy all your food at the local market, you can be selective and enjoy one or two special meals per week.

 
 
I encourage each of you to become a part of your weekly farmer's market. It is more than just shopping, attending the local market is a social event. You will get to know your neighbors, develop relationships with local growers and learn a lot about what can be grown locally and what time of year things are available. This is an opportunity to know nature directly through the food you eat.

 

Be amazed, Denny

Wild Blue Iris, a rare Methow flower

Why are certain plants, which are commonly present in north-central Washington, appear to be absent in the Methow Valley?

Local botanists have searched the Methow in vain to find the blue camas, which is abundant elsewhere but never reported in the valley. Its cousin the white or death camas is frequently found. Native Americans prized the blue camas for its root. They feared accidently eating the white camas. Since the root is harvested in the fall, the blue camas had to be marked with a stick during the spring when it flowered.

Until last summer another 'unfound' flower in the Methow was the wild blue iris, Iris missouriensis. This species can be found in moist swales throughout Okanogan County, but no Methow naturalist had stumbled across this lovely iris.

Cindy and I often ride horses on the state land across the valley from our home. We had noticed the pretty blue flowers that bloomed each spring. Last spring our friend, Therese, was riding with us and we pointed out the field of flowers. She is a botanist for the local US Forrest Service office. Excitedly, she identified the flowers as the native wild blue iris. Therese has combed the valley and surrounding forests, but never encountered this iris.

Dana Visalli, editor of the Methow Naturalist, hiked up to the field and confirmed the find. He pointed out that colors close to the ultra-violet spectrum are seen more vividly by insects. The purple-blue color of the iris petal serves as a ‘nectar guide’ to attract insects as pollinators.

I never had a clue these flowers, which we enjoyed every spring, were so rare and special. What special plants and animals might be in your neck of the woods? Get to know them yourself. Take a class from a local botanist or biologist. Check out a field guide from your local library and take it with you on a walk. Stop frequently, observe and identify your natural world.

Be amazed, Denny

Great grandparent Gingko tree

I met this tree on a recent visit to Utrecht, Netherlands. Utrecht is a most fascinating city that was founded by the Romans 2,000 years ago. Narrow brick paved roads lead you along canals, open parks and through the city which still retains its old world charm. Utrecht was spared bombing during WWII so remains today as it use to be, unlike many European cities that had to be rebuilt. Cars are not allowed in the inner city and everyone bikes to and from. I started referring to Utrecht as the ‘medieval city of bikes’.

   
 
The University of Utrecht is one of the oldest and most prestigious in Europe. Originally founded in the heart of the old city it has largely moved to a sprawling campus outside of town.

We visited the University Museum, which is the location of the original university’s botanical garden, the observatory and one of the oldest chemistry labs ever discovered. The observatory is famous for its research to investigate the sun, solar activity and to calculate the exact time so mariners could set their clocks. Knowledge of the accurate time was necessary to plot your course using the sun and the stars. The Greenwich meridian also known as the Universal Time Meridian runs directly under the balance point of one of the telescopes.

 

'Medieval chemistry oven unearthed in subterranean chamber'

Outstanding in the botanical gardens is a Gingko Biloba tree which is said to be the oldest one still living outside of China. Truly a geriatric specimen at 250 years old.

This tree must have been planted as a baby in order to harvest its leaves. If you are thinking that this 250 grandparent is on its last legs, think again. These babies live to be over 2,500 years old. They did not begin to leave China until the 1700s. So relative to Gingkos in China, this one is still a baby.

Gingko Biloba

Gingko is one of the more popular memory herbs. Extracts of the leaves have been used by folks for centuries to improve blood circulation in the brain. It also contains antioxidants that neutralize dangerous free radicals. Gingko improves memory and alertness, keeping you in the know. Funny, I could not remember the tree’s name and had to Google it!

There are many plants which have been used historically as medicine. Many modern day drugs began as herbal products. A good example is Aspirin which was found in white willow bark and was the first discovered member of the class of drugs known as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. Today, synthetic aspirin is one of the most widely used medications in the world.

Isn’t it amazing the relationship that we have with the plant world. Food, medicine, cosmetics, clothing and even shelter are derived from plant products. In fact, if not for the oxygen that plants emit during metabolism, we would suffocate.

Be amazed, Denny