Rosemary is blooming true blue right now. Many flowers are described as blue, when they are actually purple, like the rose “Blue” Girl! There are a handful of beautiful blue blooms…meconopsis, delphinium and ceanothus…these have colors to match the sky on a clear summer day. But Rosemary is about the sea. The name is latin for ‘dew from the sea’ and brings to mind the azure waters of the ocean on a sparkling day.
Rosemary is native to the mediterranean region and wants little to moderate water. If over-watered or over-fertilized the plants will become woody and unattractive. Wet, poorly drained soils in winter can be fatal to this plant. When we think it was the cold, it possibly could be the clay soil and poor drainage that winter-kills this plant. The leaves of rosemary are intensely fragrant and a little bottle of these leaves is probably found in the majority of kitchens across America. It can be used to flavor butter and added to lamb, pork and chicken, as well as a variety of vegetables.
Just the Facts Rosmarinus offincinalis Rosemary
Zones 8-10
Full Sun Little to Moderate Water
Attracts Flowers, hummingbirds and Bees
Evergreen, Culinary Uses
Height 1-8 feet (.3-2.5m)
Tolerates drought and deer
This week I attended the Miller Memorial Lecture by the esteemed botanist and conservationist Dr. Peter Raven, President emeritus of the Missouri Botanical Garden. I was captivated from the beginning to the end. Held on the University of Washington campus, the lecture lasted just over an hour. The title was ‘Conserving Plants in a Changing World’, but this dialogue was less about plants and more about our changing world. I was expecting more plant information, like when he spoke about the changes in plant growth in Missouri over the last several decades due to global warming. Hibiscus that used to die back, are now growing into trees, etc… Nevertheless, I was fascinated with his well-spoken words and profound message: The world is changing and we need to do something to slow down the negative impact our species is having on the environment.
He said that the inequalities between the western world and less developed countries are serious. He showed a photograph that I’ll never forget. A typical family, like you would find in America or Europe, and how much food they eat in a week. It was all spread out on a table and benches, filled with fruits, vegetables, breads, meats, cheeses, pizza….an abundance. Then he showed a picture of an African family and the food they consume in a week. A few sacks filled with grain, some fruits and vegetables. It wasn’t much, it was surprisingly little. The disparity between the two families was startling. It was a stark reminder of how much I use, how much I take and how much I think I need. Suddenly I didn’t feel like complaining about my small house and lack of resources. They suddenly seemed plentiful. Here are the images from the book The Hungry Planet.
Family in Chad, Food expenditure for one week $1.83
Family in Germany, Food expenditures for one week $500.07
Ecological Footprint
He stated that of all the living species on the earth, humans use 45% of the photosynthetic productivity and 55% of the fresh water. He joked that if one species would disappear (ours) extinction wouldn’t be so much of a problem! He discussed our ecological footprint, or the measure of humanity’s demand on nature. Our current footprint is over the earths bio-capacity, or we are using four times as much productivity as the earth has to offer. One site he referenced with further information is footprintnetwork.org whose opening page states, Do we fit on our planet?
Dr. Raven spoke about our dependence on biodiversity. All of our food and many of our medicines come from plants, yet in the United States 90% of our food comes from only 103 kinds of plants. There are many others that are not being utilized or haven’t yet been discovered. He stated that every species matters. Two thirds of the people in this world use plants for medicine. Willow was developed into aspirin, warfarin was first isolated from moldy sweet clover and is used as a blood thinner. But as we all know, besides helping us survive, plants also offer us simple beauty and spiritual refreshment. We need them!
Why are so many species disappearing so fast? Habitat loss, spread of invasives, hunting and gathering, global warming and deforestation, to name a few. Many of these have consequences that we never imagined, like droughts and wildfires from global warming and destruction of our forests from pests such as the emerald ash borer. The emerald ash borer is an invasive pest from asia which has killed between 50 and 100 million trees in North America since it’s accidental introduction only twenty years ago. He said that our nation has allowed science to become political, such as the discussion over global warming. Science simply presents the facts and tells what is happening.
Dr. Raven disclosed that there are 375,000 plant species named and 75,000 awaiting discovery. I’m not sure how scientists came up with that number, but I believe it. There are many living things in this world still undiscovered, terrestrial and in the oceans. To help preserve biodiversity and save plants there are many things that we can do.
Set aside natural areas as reserves, especially those with altitude changes.
Go out in the field and learn more.
Preserve endangered botanical species. Traditionally we would grow plants and put them out in nature. Now seed banks are becoming popular because of climate change. Seattle has the Miller seed vault.
Conserve energy and consume less.
Teach children about the wonder of nature and biodiversity.
Limit global warming.
Use alternative energy.
Even though I have heard this message before, Dr. Raven spoke with such intelligence and passion that I look at the world differently now. I’m ready to pick a few of the suggestions above and make a few changes in my life. Which ones will you pick? He closed with this quote:
The world provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed. —Ghandi
At a coastal garden I saw this very efficient and creative use of local materials, a garden fence made out of driftwood. I thought it was beautiful, and now I want a garden at the beach!
This variety of blueberry is one of the best. Reka has a sweet and rich flavor. It produces lots of berries even when young, and even when in a container, like mine. Reka was developed in New Zealand for it’s vigor and adaptability to a wide range of Northern climates and soil types. Berries are medium in size and delicious. Tomorrow, blueberry pancakes! What is your favorite blueberry?
Take those leftover cans and turn them into a garden! For this activity all that is needed is a can, a little paint, a few vegetable starts and some creativity. For plant markers we made birch bark flags and wrote the names on them with a permanent marker. Add sun, water and soil and little gardeners can grow their own food!
Vegetables Garden in a Can
Birch Bark Plant Marker
An optimist is the human personification of spring. ~ Susan J. Bissonette
I recently received a scrumptious catalog in the mail from Territorial Seed Company. They’re out of Oregon and I’ve had fun going through it and planning my small garden plot. Not having full sun, I’m planning on a salad garden, with leafy greens and an herb garden. Some of the things from the catalog that piqued my interest were (and I am not making these up…they are in print, check for yourself!) Crisp Mint Lettuce, Flashy Trout’s Back Lettuce, Drunken Woman Frizzy Headed Lettuce, Red Velvet Lettuce, Ruby Streaks Mustard Greens, Kyoto Mizuna Mustard Greens and Magenta Sunset Swiss Chard. Suddenly I really want a salad!
For fresh flowers, fruits and vegetables, Pike Place Market in Seattle is the best! We went there New Year’s Eve day. I gazed lovingly at all the flowers, salivated at piles of fresh vegetables and fruits, bought a warm woolen hat handmade by Tibetan refugees in Nepal, greedily gobbled miniature donuts with my kids, looked at the gum wall with a slight feeling of nausea and watched the salmon fly.
Falaroy the elf discovered a small patch of vegetables still growing in December, after the seeds were planted in May. Allium all around! He knew this must be a powerful plant to survive through freezing temperatures, multitudinous slugs and an onslaught of weeds and fallen leaves. He’s going to cut a few leaves to store in his belt pouch. They might be handy to season the kohlrabi stew or drive away the snalabies, which are always slithering around looking for an elven meal.
I like this garden I drove by on Bainbridge Island. It has horizontal space, typical two dimensional boxes, but also adds in a vertical space, providing an opportunity for plants that might trail and spread to instead travel up and out (peas, tomatoes, pumpkins). It also gives support and an area to tie down tall unstable plants (flowering perennials, floppy shrubs). And with gates that could be shut, it keeps out unwanted animals (deer and dogs). I think it’s a very useful and attractive design and hope that I can see it during the productive summer months.
Trying to squeeze a few more fresh salads out of the season? A simple cold frame can help. Often made from recycled materials, they can protect tender plants from heavy rains and frosty nights. I took this picture at the Seattle Flower and Garden show this year (no, that’s not my yard!).
Rosemary is blooming true blue right now. Many flowers are described as blue, when they are actually purple, like the rose “Blue” Girl! There are a handful of beautiful blue blooms…meconopsis, delphinium and ceanothus…these have colors to match the sky on a clear summer day. But Rosemary is about the sea. The name is latin for ‘dew from the sea’ and brings to mind the azure waters of the ocean on a sparkling day.
