 |
by Laurel Hopwood
 When I met ethnobotanist Peter Gail, he said to me, “People
are always talking about what not to do. I like to talk about what
to do.” He spoke excitedly about dandelions, a topic that
makes some people shudder. When he said that according to the U.S.
Department of Agriculture, dandelions are one of the top five
nutritious plants that a person can eat, he had me hooked. I couldn’t
wait to read Gail’s book, Dandelion Celebration, A Guide
to Unexpected Cuisine, and learn techniques for collecting
and preparing dandelions. Thoughts of dandelion omelets and dandelion
lasagna made my mouth water. No trip needed to the store for food
grown in Central America.
I decided to transform my front yard
into a museum. I purchased American made animal figures made from
recycled car parts and painted a sign that reads, “All one
in the eyes of nature.” But I also wanted edibles, so I left
an area for a strawberry patch. I watched my husband flex his muscles
(that we didn’t know he had) rototilling a space. After
adding the recommended materials for healthy soil, I planted strawberry
plants. The harvest has been overwhelming. Now we eat strawberry
pies all year.
My cousin Sally was visiting from Washington state
and upon seeing the 8,000 square feet in my backyard, exclaimed, “You
can have a potato farm.” I tried explaining that my canine
family has claim to the back yard. That’s OK. That’s
where I get my exercise and hormonal regulation by pushing a manual
push lawnmower. I can hear the beautiful harmonic tones from birds.
I can chat with my neighbors. One summer my husband and I did a
manual mower “save.” We collected these poor inanimate
souls from treelawns that were put out for trash collection and
gave them away to Sierra Club members. I imagine a day when all
people are merrily pushing their manual mowers.
My dogs don’t
prefer a lush lawn, but I understand that some people do. I asked
Alec McClellan, owner of Good Nature how his organic system works.
He said that using organic materials helps to increase the plant’s
natural defense system. These organics encourage healthy soil,
full of worms and microbes.
I’ve been hearing that more people
are moving towards garden planning with native plants and I wondered,
what is so important about planting native? I learned that once
established, native plants better withstand variations in local
climate such as droughts and freezes. They tend not to run amok
and invade natural habitats the way exotic invasive plants often
do. Native plants generally require less effort in pest control.
They stabilize soil and reduce erosion and more effectively filter
storm water than exotic plantings. And, this is my favorite, native
plants promote biodiversity, offering the food for birds and butterflies.
 I
asked my friend David, a.k.a. “the naturalist guy,” which
natives he recommends for this area. Here’s his response:
Great white trillium and other trillium species for under trees.
Mayapple, prairie shooting star, voilets work well in the sun or
shade. Trout lily grow well in semi shade or sun. Virginia bluebells
and wild hyacinth love damp ground in sun or shade. Prairie phlox
and Ohio spiderwort are sun worshippers.
I continued to pick David’s
brains. How about native trees? Here’s his response: White
oak, red oak, pin oak, red maple, sugar maple, silver maple, flowering
dogwood, redbud, river birch, shagbark hickory, and bitternut hickory.
If there are problems, Alec, the Good Nature guy probably has the
solution.
Warm weather brings anticipation of visiting my friend
Mari, whose backyard is an incredible array of organic crops. Her
young son, Ian, has been educating me about which insects are
the beneficial ones. It’s heartwarming to see his healthy
skin glow as I watch him eat the bounty of the harvest. Mari advises
against using seeds which have been genetically engineered. Ian
also experiences the joy of picking from established fruit trees.
I would love to see every elementary school include hand-on classes
on growing native plants and organic food!
I’m getting hungry
now. It’s time to munch on locally grown real food.
Resources
Fresh
fruit: Anyone can learn where fruit can be picked by visiting
www.pickyourown.org/OHcleveland.htm.
Seeds: Some choices
for non GMO seeds might be Cook’s Garden, Johnny’s
Selected Seeds, The Natural Gardening Company, or Seeds of Change.
Local
produce and animal products: Community supported agriculture
farms are springing up in NE Ohio. Farmers Markets are also popular
places
to purchase locally grown produce and animal products. For locations,
visit www.thefarmlandcenter.org/Farmers-Markets-NEOH.htm
Native
Plants: The Cleveland Botanical Garden offers a free horticulture
hotline, which may be reached by calling 216.721.1600, ext 140.
Purchasing
native plants plants: www.prairienursery.com (800-GRO-WILD),
www.ohioprairienursery.com (866-569-3380
or 330-569-3380), and www.envirotechcon.com (740-743-1669).
|
|
