tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-68604184223293595762024-03-23T03:18:00.574-07:00SITKAVORESNOURISHED BY NATURE IN SITKA, ALASKA...
GARDENING, FISHING, HUNTING, GATHERING,
PREPARING AND PRESERVINGFlorence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-90447251128428570732024-02-17T12:40:00.000-08:002024-03-11T15:21:07.749-07:00HALIBUT<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>HALIBUT</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaKgeSYux5oSq9iJ9H-LungiSylNMEQppEWhs18GNibO8xcHHX_HB8NJk7C6mKF4mhVaABoNY9kRwsfn32ypYDaHb3hJY12QX87B9OjG70HSqdkeGWKE3IOrP9r3bmH3coO3ty-fS9WbWSZ9RrrkssKnOQlGs0J7-SMY8RLJU2_jiqOYvtewA-xrJsHn8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgaKgeSYux5oSq9iJ9H-LungiSylNMEQppEWhs18GNibO8xcHHX_HB8NJk7C6mKF4mhVaABoNY9kRwsfn32ypYDaHb3hJY12QX87B9OjG70HSqdkeGWKE3IOrP9r3bmH3coO3ty-fS9WbWSZ9RrrkssKnOQlGs0J7-SMY8RLJU2_jiqOYvtewA-xrJsHn8" width="320" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">"Look Mommy. I found a little fish in the river!"</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbkthH_8E6OBjc--a96KFYW2nyDYoWKmsprbJ9_gKd9QerSue_86HQTG0gjNxfZmDA6akQyaGBbC1z87fIBbYNkBSV11SX0re-FyyG13PMXPgA6TQHeat6A7H4slK3iqammBaxmAAg7GEa_I06-phQRgp5dXAZ4l69cQhcw4NF8tZCRaUJbsAf9hTy0Zg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2596" data-original-width="1497" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjbkthH_8E6OBjc--a96KFYW2nyDYoWKmsprbJ9_gKd9QerSue_86HQTG0gjNxfZmDA6akQyaGBbC1z87fIBbYNkBSV11SX0re-FyyG13PMXPgA6TQHeat6A7H4slK3iqammBaxmAAg7GEa_I06-phQRgp5dXAZ4l69cQhcw4NF8tZCRaUJbsAf9hTy0Zg=w368-h640" width="368" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: left;">That was the smallest halibut any of us had ever seen!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: left;">She lowered it down into the river and it swam away.</span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div>There were so many wonderful surprises when our family camped in Sea Lion Cove on the northwest shore of Kruzof Island so many years ago. </div></span><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"></td></tr><tr></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhghQ39YZ8pokToHVTfZ_YUKkdiAafcp_J0727mm7blH1gRl7f9XtAxKNrcN48LepINzuQn5I91ZKO6oAIXCWQhyP_kQkFeRhyCz-OpiraoAAWQwkvcB1aLyikmuzVo6ZDjdCQWWiRxyYoCz67w__0q6A6IshmWg8r4-6tCUQgpdtBDtz4sp8jrikomXKg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1674" data-original-width="2576" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhghQ39YZ8pokToHVTfZ_YUKkdiAafcp_J0727mm7blH1gRl7f9XtAxKNrcN48LepINzuQn5I91ZKO6oAIXCWQhyP_kQkFeRhyCz-OpiraoAAWQwkvcB1aLyikmuzVo6ZDjdCQWWiRxyYoCz67w__0q6A6IshmWg8r4-6tCUQgpdtBDtz4sp8jrikomXKg=w640-h416" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJdcRZxWk1tHe-5Ln9qaRTruNGzlwPXrAqpQ2J8lWbeoeUTyWw1V-jMuXnAkASLj9soK4BgG_UFf0tsJlGQ0qKayOLPcJvhPx9lUXIPt4ZiU34tGnxhNY_mOiiwtTS4le7bpSeTHkaBwLzamqorqz5uhCRVKLpPqQlb7EB62yokuYq5mMS5PqJ0Wii0ZA" style="font-family: verdana; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2087" data-original-width="2015" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiJdcRZxWk1tHe-5Ln9qaRTruNGzlwPXrAqpQ2J8lWbeoeUTyWw1V-jMuXnAkASLj9soK4BgG_UFf0tsJlGQ0qKayOLPcJvhPx9lUXIPt4ZiU34tGnxhNY_mOiiwtTS4le7bpSeTHkaBwLzamqorqz5uhCRVKLpPqQlb7EB62yokuYq5mMS5PqJ0Wii0ZA=w619-h640" width="619" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYPBcqWz948sI-p-8yvPxBuj-ztMKA2IX_-idPpfleE9Ci3s0y0WANkmzkKjQvjTP_WhOej042nTSNON60VDRQaks0De2xVRHQl_ScRsWGTmjrfXWPwVPaDZi1xvhCSgNkcbS_w7Wpn19xBFNky6meWO_drATwphsehYXhotfhAUMMx7IHSjhEKS8YAeI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3271" data-original-width="2080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhYPBcqWz948sI-p-8yvPxBuj-ztMKA2IX_-idPpfleE9Ci3s0y0WANkmzkKjQvjTP_WhOej042nTSNON60VDRQaks0De2xVRHQl_ScRsWGTmjrfXWPwVPaDZi1xvhCSgNkcbS_w7Wpn19xBFNky6meWO_drATwphsehYXhotfhAUMMx7IHSjhEKS8YAeI=w408-h640" width="408" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5Nq69VBgkd7qmtZ6klKyjTgvbkS63oazbYrwDJGGNj15pEYPHDqjK0RSQU9v53msBRw077cHs9zulhWwSQBVlKmA_rklZsPStbFuJR-5WN7uxmzBcZ29u_K0kSyAeN40igkpevAcNzwk8uJQJzuBKkdGiYjegtl5ra-OwBUBAdugpCjfODwlMgdb1iFw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1834" data-original-width="2582" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg5Nq69VBgkd7qmtZ6klKyjTgvbkS63oazbYrwDJGGNj15pEYPHDqjK0RSQU9v53msBRw077cHs9zulhWwSQBVlKmA_rklZsPStbFuJR-5WN7uxmzBcZ29u_K0kSyAeN40igkpevAcNzwk8uJQJzuBKkdGiYjegtl5ra-OwBUBAdugpCjfODwlMgdb1iFw=w640-h454" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div></span></span></div><div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>PACIFIC HALIBUT</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">(Hippoglossus stenolepis)</span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I lived most of my early years in a family of nine on the east coast of Massachusetts. Our home was just above a pebble beach. That's me in the bow.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqy0seehpTIuE8IJdQ46yCbTSIJ-2iJ3Hyc_vur7MZ6TKDIOWGEuH_fT1xnu5bkLT_P7sXAb-BbU5kVDicMQhiCZVPVvLj8qdyjrDU62cfdZOak2prElZyNTzOpp_TKNSTh2PGWoYPmfqLigwuJrMxCMiAeFWrSlMK6HBKZCTue2SM7-VrqplajMIPM6k" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="510" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqy0seehpTIuE8IJdQ46yCbTSIJ-2iJ3Hyc_vur7MZ6TKDIOWGEuH_fT1xnu5bkLT_P7sXAb-BbU5kVDicMQhiCZVPVvLj8qdyjrDU62cfdZOak2prElZyNTzOpp_TKNSTh2PGWoYPmfqLigwuJrMxCMiAeFWrSlMK6HBKZCTue2SM7-VrqplajMIPM6k=w640-h502" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SIBLINGS AND COUSINS 1953</td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">No surprise that we all harvested seafood. We ate lots of clams, cod and that plentiful flatfish named flounder.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Flounder were fun to catch, manageable in size and so easy to filet.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5oHl_g8oJd7D22fHJqAQcdtS6OlknzeEdtTOezB4HTjW8Iohhhli_hjL-J0ypM-Llw7A8zkuYrXljSvNtrGs-l8tLY2kHdHnxixMupPZIRGxnC8G1UAZBNIrz1pQLEBcNB0qkVohMudnzbxijWS7HXZHv1Jj8WPiwYdyAlc4M9EblneJQKZwBvT1FWQ0" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="620" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh5oHl_g8oJd7D22fHJqAQcdtS6OlknzeEdtTOezB4HTjW8Iohhhli_hjL-J0ypM-Llw7A8zkuYrXljSvNtrGs-l8tLY2kHdHnxixMupPZIRGxnC8G1UAZBNIrz1pQLEBcNB0qkVohMudnzbxijWS7HXZHv1Jj8WPiwYdyAlc4M9EblneJQKZwBvT1FWQ0=w640-h460" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> photo by Boston Herald</td></tr></tbody></table><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Fast forward to the first of my nearly fifty years living in Sitka, Alaska on Baranof Island. It was 1975 and I was age 26. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">My husband and I were in a skiff rocking and rolling in swells off of nearby Biorka Island. We had recently purchased a sturdy rod and reel. We took turns reeling in something surprisingly heavy. As time went by, we were not sure if we were hauling up a fish or if we had caught the bottom. After what seemed like forever, our eyes bugged out! </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">We both gasped!!!</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"> </span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A huge, wide, flatfish floated up into view from the deep. It looked like a monster flounder. But no, it was one of the largest of the flatfish species... halibut. Our very first halibut! </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Because of the enormous size, there was no hauling that halibut into our skiff. We were able to frantically club it and slide a rope through its mouth and gills. We slowly towed it alongside the skiff back to the distant dock. What an anxiety riddled thrill!</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">We do not have a photo of that halibut. T</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">he photo below is similar in size. The lovely young lady is 5'9"</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzF6_z1TUi8a8w14QeETOg0zmt8kveV-53dXxvqGp_DQMOXUK5QEtIkFIV4rwEWnWUmVcVq3LIG1V1-N5Qs_CljNtCv4RPeKw6l2nSx_7ZnuQqhcbo5BbEpdGEBlwUn-OjYfb7sP6ri-pR-inLb1JnSZtw7GwteZ2qVkAHvVrwZy__qJmv4hcuQi3kgA4" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2526" data-original-width="2901" height="557" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjzF6_z1TUi8a8w14QeETOg0zmt8kveV-53dXxvqGp_DQMOXUK5QEtIkFIV4rwEWnWUmVcVq3LIG1V1-N5Qs_CljNtCv4RPeKw6l2nSx_7ZnuQqhcbo5BbEpdGEBlwUn-OjYfb7sP6ri-pR-inLb1JnSZtw7GwteZ2qVkAHvVrwZy__qJmv4hcuQi3kgA4=w640-h557" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> photo by R Uber</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">So according to the handy guide in the back of this tide book, the above halibut probably weighs in at around 150 lbs!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKTOVCoD3WhK4bPt4PZ7YhHB-tZcZtyjGvhuAVzD5sNIUtAcQKhPqG5KeVOYTfgPIagBpuaUWdldFiz1VpKQrgKPTi8NEcD5Kkyv6RvkA352O9Ha1c4pOAh0AqyQr6GvkUo3UGqhGuinoLiQhP-b4dELtbJ3Cg4KPPoFP3cczkwhWZw5gYPK4wzovEk-U" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiKTOVCoD3WhK4bPt4PZ7YhHB-tZcZtyjGvhuAVzD5sNIUtAcQKhPqG5KeVOYTfgPIagBpuaUWdldFiz1VpKQrgKPTi8NEcD5Kkyv6RvkA352O9Ha1c4pOAh0AqyQr6GvkUo3UGqhGuinoLiQhP-b4dELtbJ3Cg4KPPoFP3cczkwhWZw5gYPK4wzovEk-U=w480-h640" width="480" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6KH-o0k4Yt6EUTx39agI2dYdxJnaCmFTYPXGoyvoj1Z6Z-N1se4fENdbMcQ8cQraOUg7eXJqXdPLReAopSvjS-Mz2-g0s7YhUKMIuPFqkdPgnP489coHZAeLik8Fmfv63iRfLzJcUEH4EAi-gSqnNfmwfN0Csrp8pxk4WqB89krQSPBImsL2khjxHBwU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6KH-o0k4Yt6EUTx39agI2dYdxJnaCmFTYPXGoyvoj1Z6Z-N1se4fENdbMcQ8cQraOUg7eXJqXdPLReAopSvjS-Mz2-g0s7YhUKMIuPFqkdPgnP489coHZAeLik8Fmfv63iRfLzJcUEH4EAi-gSqnNfmwfN0Csrp8pxk4WqB89krQSPBImsL2khjxHBwU" width="180" /></a></div></div><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Compared with Atlantic flounder, Pacific halibut have been exciting to catch, often unmanageable in size and so easy to fillet.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;">THE LIFE OF PACIFIC HALIBUT </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: left;">Halibut spawn during the winter months in deep waters</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: left;">when they are around 10 years of age. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: left;">Each female produces as many as </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: left;">four million eggs! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Once fertilized, eggs hatch into larvae about two weeks later. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">These larvae drift in ocean currents to shallow, coastal waters for nourishment.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It takes about 6 months for the larvae to grow into inch long fish. This is when the eyes gradually share what becomes the dark top side of the fish. The bottom side of the fish gradually turns white.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">In the first three years of life, halibut feed on plankton and then increasingly larger food including all kinds of fish and shellfish while migrating great distances.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Halibut live as long as 55 years. The largest of halibut are the females weighing as much as 450 pounds. Males are typically under 100 pounds.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIKfAaElmgf2piF4PSHACQGia_2J4sK6mcH2J71Lu_1BXT6jzM2rii1mQybieV8RwhzAV9QxdPcwNavphncLbNo-GK1Zi2vAMaQnkvhRka_-g1y-R0doyq88FglJwlTJEUwviS7ZOEovquDvDj-o8lEpnIZPvhOCVpRli3TuP3O4QUKQfq68MoEjYZOUU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1000" data-original-width="1272" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIKfAaElmgf2piF4PSHACQGia_2J4sK6mcH2J71Lu_1BXT6jzM2rii1mQybieV8RwhzAV9QxdPcwNavphncLbNo-GK1Zi2vAMaQnkvhRka_-g1y-R0doyq88FglJwlTJEUwviS7ZOEovquDvDj-o8lEpnIZPvhOCVpRli3TuP3O4QUKQfq68MoEjYZOUU=w640-h504" width="640" /></a></div>This halibut was swimming around above lots of pink salmon returning to the mouth of a river in August. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The photo was taken from a road bridge.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>FISHING FOR PACIFIC HALIBUT</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>SPORT FISHING</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The Alaska Department of Fish and Game </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Division of Sport Fish in Sitka, Alaska </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">issued a WILDLIFE NOTEBOOK SERIES which includes Pacific Halibut</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">by Tamara Smid 1978</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">by Mike Bethers 1994</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxjinWyZ-ZgPPtu7WbAny0V89SqbJbPZpJ_JWFEBoPV38mxX69vKsinF-tFsrCOOpNxJn7ySZsbvkraZ4REzzOD7JLlmI1w_3R6Tu6ffKW4ZxkBTr1EONdBhZ_Zm2O8S-U5U5Q7ynwfoz3O04ArZeOVeZaIKZjqHEVFcrGly2o3nrNScR85TtNV--u6o4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgxjinWyZ-ZgPPtu7WbAny0V89SqbJbPZpJ_JWFEBoPV38mxX69vKsinF-tFsrCOOpNxJn7ySZsbvkraZ4REzzOD7JLlmI1w_3R6Tu6ffKW4ZxkBTr1EONdBhZ_Zm2O8S-U5U5Q7ynwfoz3O04ArZeOVeZaIKZjqHEVFcrGly2o3nrNScR85TtNV--u6o4=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> and the outstanding</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">SITKA AREA SPORT FISHING GUIDE </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">by Artwin E. Schmidt</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">copywrite 1996</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdQAlAuXqCZGOnU44007misdeOhPG8Kmj7vt7R9s_VIFtq7RKGEqznKDl10dGjImKULZeFmRgUXY6hyEq7-f1-hUbPn0ntoPC5bgHAdjR0JhOLGqWWAmxaQbfm8ZivSVnolwf2jRWUfITTlA8uZisJo96xUOT7ppOocI8djvz-IBb6qsgjWNWEik5zL_g" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdQAlAuXqCZGOnU44007misdeOhPG8Kmj7vt7R9s_VIFtq7RKGEqznKDl10dGjImKULZeFmRgUXY6hyEq7-f1-hUbPn0ntoPC5bgHAdjR0JhOLGqWWAmxaQbfm8ZivSVnolwf2jRWUfITTlA8uZisJo96xUOT7ppOocI8djvz-IBb6qsgjWNWEik5zL_g=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I encourage anyone interested in catching Pacific Halibut to read up before heading out. The above handouts have been invaluable.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">And, no question that it makes sense to go out fishing with experienced fishermen. No matter how long I have been fishing and how much I think I know, I continue to learn new and fascinating fishing information and skills from insightful locals. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>GEAR</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">We make sure to have sturdy rods </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">handy whenever</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">we head out on a boat</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjF6_JuIhg_2oOhYpTgy6v0yCpNZeZcaXNnD023nWRHVnRjCG3uROQw7vuelbBV4sOnHqE7VqdMJF0qxG-bRZpLLjt_dSN4KwIvU1DTK_qOXrP1HVMNApKnpQw_uObeyqao1gNiNm07f361izRK6o1Q2RdjzMFEWcZfVkDpKKRM8AjSOe9qsj_oSXanqIE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjF6_JuIhg_2oOhYpTgy6v0yCpNZeZcaXNnD023nWRHVnRjCG3uROQw7vuelbBV4sOnHqE7VqdMJF0qxG-bRZpLLjt_dSN4KwIvU1DTK_qOXrP1HVMNApKnpQw_uObeyqao1gNiNm07f361izRK6o1Q2RdjzMFEWcZfVkDpKKRM8AjSOe9qsj_oSXanqIE=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> and sturdy reels with up to 100 pound test line</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9cdLHDMWjVtXPZh1kVbt2ue529nK5ykSLjFhLemCs74leYaDUsuXXlE-u1TeqJfmQFRHNbnX8nKEbSqITCBq0eGg-GPaaQpEVHQ6fKYxE7I3Vg3NnK6s6llqB1bBN3nsS4irkTKiF0hSyhCpg9cJ9a0VpiXo40gbQv-rTT7PVf9HzQVIDs1Ea4m2RXVI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh9cdLHDMWjVtXPZh1kVbt2ue529nK5ykSLjFhLemCs74leYaDUsuXXlE-u1TeqJfmQFRHNbnX8nKEbSqITCBq0eGg-GPaaQpEVHQ6fKYxE7I3Vg3NnK6s6llqB1bBN3nsS4irkTKiF0hSyhCpg9cJ9a0VpiXo40gbQv-rTT7PVf9HzQVIDs1Ea4m2RXVI=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"> a club</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpcdu-OQFHsBXnhX0oBmGfSM7WnIt6NXgoYtLzoOkhzjFO1j0DJz7iplnoj_QRE85QPkbVoBFnEcBaPXqt6k0-tt96NkO1HpqpfPd7sIo8BGHNXjyAzHnQ_BbxmO_qBurdIoPKuJqLtsS4nTGH8T1MlzV0gSOhyE3wdFDuCFRnoI1O0Ek9Xv4D7ferE_o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgpcdu-OQFHsBXnhX0oBmGfSM7WnIt6NXgoYtLzoOkhzjFO1j0DJz7iplnoj_QRE85QPkbVoBFnEcBaPXqt6k0-tt96NkO1HpqpfPd7sIo8BGHNXjyAzHnQ_BbxmO_qBurdIoPKuJqLtsS4nTGH8T1MlzV0gSOhyE3wdFDuCFRnoI1O0Ek9Xv4D7ferE_o=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">and a good supply of lures with accompanying weights and other relevant items:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUL-MD1v7ENCfB7vAxkmMqQv4yeDt-5W0fXy0lqROkg4xXnz-NR0FKC526yoR3DNFHFahCcGkZ4JeddPqMjeNcJAwo2FsmkDonyXcNzl-qhmIJl3QuTPg22I-YKS2MUbJrByPXp3Wg5mlpk6N-Y0loIQwYDJ8B1_VZrQPY4ZqlOO9HaWNmi-ial75nCkQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2121" data-original-width="3868" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUL-MD1v7ENCfB7vAxkmMqQv4yeDt-5W0fXy0lqROkg4xXnz-NR0FKC526yoR3DNFHFahCcGkZ4JeddPqMjeNcJAwo2FsmkDonyXcNzl-qhmIJl3QuTPg22I-YKS2MUbJrByPXp3Wg5mlpk6N-Y0loIQwYDJ8B1_VZrQPY4ZqlOO9HaWNmi-ial75nCkQ=w640-h350" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: xx-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: xx-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">We save salmon scraps in our freezer for bait and bring some of that along too. Lures seem to be more attractive with a shiny, smelly fish scrap attached to the hook.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">What else to bring along? </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">- a gaff hook</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">- a large net</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">- extra line</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Look what I found on a remote beach when I first moved to Sitka...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ8TvAQ0KCmGQ-lOAD-vamDkcpExh4q79sXrAl42Fby21Wj2EzP1TQZOm5uazbAIxJiOMa1bVj2dHSQm2y7-UTTfq_k0j8qc3wrozVADpyjnp3KfTihc5ychFkpNmxk7ZfsZlKQuQZN9iMryjCUoGqXlhKWDg8Sc7EYCPT_VRtjsi3exj3RfL54aqI858" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgJ8TvAQ0KCmGQ-lOAD-vamDkcpExh4q79sXrAl42Fby21Wj2EzP1TQZOm5uazbAIxJiOMa1bVj2dHSQm2y7-UTTfq_k0j8qc3wrozVADpyjnp3KfTihc5ychFkpNmxk7ZfsZlKQuQZN9iMryjCUoGqXlhKWDg8Sc7EYCPT_VRtjsi3exj3RfL54aqI858=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It wasn't something I had ever seen before. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">And then there it was in this remarkable print </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">by JoAnn George...</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvItGuSgyugamJTPU6zFWMWXwYl5UWavJ3qufl4P39P62zaKmnBh_0NycgHHv4PfcQ7FXj6v-1oxQIVrbLRylOgrA2AlnvJ0Q9NbdTCe48eQchesHlBxRFPpWgAkBahvOAvZa6Tq7MAmDAvuaG4zEWo6kNzvrYeMgiKjmH1JvkXaVvYwDOygqOlbGmY54" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhvItGuSgyugamJTPU6zFWMWXwYl5UWavJ3qufl4P39P62zaKmnBh_0NycgHHv4PfcQ7FXj6v-1oxQIVrbLRylOgrA2AlnvJ0Q9NbdTCe48eQchesHlBxRFPpWgAkBahvOAvZa6Tq7MAmDAvuaG4zEWo6kNzvrYeMgiKjmH1JvkXaVvYwDOygqOlbGmY54=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">WHEN AND WHERE </span></b></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">For several sensible reasons, we have done most of our boating during the fair-weather months April through September. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, I have always been susceptible to seasickness in rough seas. From what I see and hear, I am not alone with this issue. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Even in summer the outside waters of Southeast Alaska are often rough. Consequently, we limit venturing into outside waters to the rare, calm days. Otherwise, we have what seems like unlimited inside waters and bays available to us. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHSZ4kb3bMQzE8ia9q2tA0eEIHa_Uq0oHQkkU38Lg75ToXfQFdI4nrfvylYNimQJvNnrWKnA7ULr7F1OVGcrUcD0FeI0D2Q787LI6DpKFL8ObMfs3yzpuI_kQxGSoCf4yYsrgIADH84dH-PZR3AZbXkH77feShifi49Q2VjMv4HBmvKoQ_iLu__83gNFo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3360" data-original-width="2103" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhHSZ4kb3bMQzE8ia9q2tA0eEIHa_Uq0oHQkkU38Lg75ToXfQFdI4nrfvylYNimQJvNnrWKnA7ULr7F1OVGcrUcD0FeI0D2Q787LI6DpKFL8ObMfs3yzpuI_kQxGSoCf4yYsrgIADH84dH-PZR3AZbXkH77feShifi49Q2VjMv4HBmvKoQ_iLu__83gNFo=w400-h640" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once we had gained some experience sport fishing for halibut with people who knew what they were doing, we found that fishing around slack tides was wise. Halibut tend to feed during slack tides when the strong currents subside. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Because halibut often hang out on the ocean bottom near rock piles and drop-offs, we drop our baited lures in and around such locations. We jig (bounce) the lure on the ocean bottom to attract attention. In general, we catch halibut in waters around 15 to 50 fathoms deep (depths around 100 to 300 feet). So t</span></span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">he best depth for fishing for halibut simply depends on the ocean depth in the location you choose to fish.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"> Thank goodness for GPS and depth finders. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">It's a good idea to drop an anchor if you catch a halibut and want to stay put to catch more. We make careful note of successful locations in our boat log book.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>HOW MANY HALIBUT?</span></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The number of halibut we are allowed to catch when sport fishing might</span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">change from one year to the next. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Pick up a copy of the annual</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;"> <b>SPORT FISHING REGULATIONS SUMMARY</b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b> SOUTHEAST ALASKA</b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJLF5vl2R7nWP2Iil75qZtnAcYVe4ZQNbjX5sr3zW-WvI6s_q38WWP0EIjeOiLOsBWxIBdHHLu9i-WjCQi-M99FPrSd00fYNZx1EezKfc4c5malhMz096XUPnirt-tFHL1GlQB-ZqzmHMu00H0SS1RspQNqcipiZ79e-Fk6HrJQimgfedNawlsoxmsnG8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjJLF5vl2R7nWP2Iil75qZtnAcYVe4ZQNbjX5sr3zW-WvI6s_q38WWP0EIjeOiLOsBWxIBdHHLu9i-WjCQi-M99FPrSd00fYNZx1EezKfc4c5malhMz096XUPnirt-tFHL1GlQB-ZqzmHMu00H0SS1RspQNqcipiZ79e-Fk6HrJQimgfedNawlsoxmsnG8=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /></b><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">These are available in the office of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and from various marine supply stores around Sitka.</span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Locate the page with a section specifying </span><span>HALIBUT</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">:</span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: x-large; font-weight: 400;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzwAJyyZBMHDFSdlD4fHA1jz2oggAax6W3WhVkotZyGtj70aMt5vXSGLnPhTCr1DcP0VX5wUHPMOvw6hhBdkAECCWAqkzOTrcN3xtok0VLmYjMBfqPkP32lmCybe4zA48jK1dj3XoIKrPV7wHeHNcmFHboRKxrDN0vx9DGILffNFXd8C8gZTfOSahi9HY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzwAJyyZBMHDFSdlD4fHA1jz2oggAax6W3WhVkotZyGtj70aMt5vXSGLnPhTCr1DcP0VX5wUHPMOvw6hhBdkAECCWAqkzOTrcN3xtok0VLmYjMBfqPkP32lmCybe4zA48jK1dj3XoIKrPV7wHeHNcmFHboRKxrDN0vx9DGILffNFXd8C8gZTfOSahi9HY=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">Be sure to read the entire section about </span><span>HALIBUT</span><span style="font-weight: 400;">. </span></span></b></span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">It includes many important issues including:</span></span></b></span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></b></span></span></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; font-weight: 400;">- Fishing for halibut closed January 1 - January 31</span></span></b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><span style="text-align: center;"><span><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">- </span></span></b></span></span></span><b style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">No size limit.</span></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">- 2 halibut per day.</span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">- 4 in possession.</span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><br /></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;">I recommend also reading a current copy of </span></span></b></span></span></span></div></div><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>NOAA FISHERIES </span></span></b></span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Alaska Region</span></span></b></span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Regulations Summary</span></span></b></span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>and Frequently Asked Questions</span></span></b></span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><span> </span><span> </span>for Unguided Pacific Halibut Fishing in Alaska</span></span></b></span></span></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span><span style="font-weight: 400;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjya5uS9RxWwzMBTmWrRxryrW3GGYU0AAgBxjz29nBBp8ChrOaty_b4Rg2csf2zCv1KwP4vecxzywRq2KAXohaTWOZQsMSyIGoF8WodW_LrK7sYGvlcNEVVNOtQV1kKnIg-hYb0zR3m5-0hPP25NRejwfC04Yq7ji73GhBJioxKVkPsdkLtaijDCgFjyVM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjya5uS9RxWwzMBTmWrRxryrW3GGYU0AAgBxjz29nBBp8ChrOaty_b4Rg2csf2zCv1KwP4vecxzywRq2KAXohaTWOZQsMSyIGoF8WodW_LrK7sYGvlcNEVVNOtQV1kKnIg-hYb0zR3m5-0hPP25NRejwfC04Yq7ji73GhBJioxKVkPsdkLtaijDCgFjyVM=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /></span></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIPtIA8EzT9hQix4tl_s8pXKIeIL9gLma4XglC3t5nmfziK3XxUB-DtcWx96KQl56q9in_F9KyGpgSFJS8SkH5w_N5ak5r46p2rFPaDvafeLitsFfm5RLZ17q0SP1oNKNDh0Rd9dqOrrNhcbr2ivX1vqMq35BAfT-onjUoIuvRK2InV3kB5PLBtxsaC30" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgIPtIA8EzT9hQix4tl_s8pXKIeIL9gLma4XglC3t5nmfziK3XxUB-DtcWx96KQl56q9in_F9KyGpgSFJS8SkH5w_N5ak5r46p2rFPaDvafeLitsFfm5RLZ17q0SP1oNKNDh0Rd9dqOrrNhcbr2ivX1vqMq35BAfT-onjUoIuvRK2InV3kB5PLBtxsaC30=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>LONGLINING </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">What a surprise! I was so grateful! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">About 15 years ago my son brought me an unusual mother's day gift. He knew I had grown comfortable taking our old 32 foot Grand Banks cabin cruiser out on my own. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8UOpf0EN6WRsigktDW59rHcW_3ETFdcTa5Qy7gwv711bsqi-OgnKxyvSX4UJXcF2oyI7V4u2vNDt--fYqpy_3RmKIvj-gtZIbdX5rM4OY-v-17ZKTn6rGuCsV8Td1WVCnl3B8uiddAYWtu10gRJnnRyk0DtjdNLxAAQ_hM1LQuO3I50nTt6F9wjlXIL8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8UOpf0EN6WRsigktDW59rHcW_3ETFdcTa5Qy7gwv711bsqi-OgnKxyvSX4UJXcF2oyI7V4u2vNDt--fYqpy_3RmKIvj-gtZIbdX5rM4OY-v-17ZKTn6rGuCsV8Td1WVCnl3B8uiddAYWtu10gRJnnRyk0DtjdNLxAAQ_hM1LQuO3I50nTt6F9wjlXIL8=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">He said he wanted to help make my halibut fishing excursions more enjoyable and efficient. </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">So, he put together a halibut skate for me in a tub.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4DMSUXZaXUkVQ4FRzpgs4qowSNx0mSB3cXdfCw-8KCMDAh-mZ-t6gAAnsdSJ8lT6qVE67NXajRbx6kpf39NDUjaHzzdSmXxHw0KxsMvLY4IuSqnvP_vk4-oKLQXI0vf67mTMM57gi_BMFgim4lo8UMFPlX_q19QjUebsK3qhT3rAsPLwbALFADt0pANU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2928" data-original-width="3103" height="605" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4DMSUXZaXUkVQ4FRzpgs4qowSNx0mSB3cXdfCw-8KCMDAh-mZ-t6gAAnsdSJ8lT6qVE67NXajRbx6kpf39NDUjaHzzdSmXxHw0KxsMvLY4IuSqnvP_vk4-oKLQXI0vf67mTMM57gi_BMFgim4lo8UMFPlX_q19QjUebsK3qhT3rAsPLwbALFADt0pANU=w640-h605" width="640" /></a></div><br />Soon after receiving this welcome gift, I wanted to acquire whatever I needed to legally catch halibut longlining with my nifty new skate.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>What I needed was a </span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span> </span><span> </span>SUBSISTENCE HALIBUT REGISTRATION</b></span></span></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>CERTIFICATE<span> </span></b></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">also known as </span><b style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;">SHARC</b></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-align: left;"><b style="font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><br /></b></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivZnmFQXZ3PfJqPTim8jRscwn8cEbLt6faYgFPMB9ZfMC-tuZvDYxxGEi25inc6zB07HOFprxqjYttvKg6xzXzilX2gU_zLfc9HGD8axTqEQvFDOPvQzsz5A0hcGiGSzLQmCn2g1Tt9Rd9W3WxX9ooof_EbO0D8pOR4kztGH_8DBOPKk-7zVgCy0SYFf4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2580" data-original-width="3250" height="509" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEivZnmFQXZ3PfJqPTim8jRscwn8cEbLt6faYgFPMB9ZfMC-tuZvDYxxGEi25inc6zB07HOFprxqjYttvKg6xzXzilX2gU_zLfc9HGD8axTqEQvFDOPvQzsz5A0hcGiGSzLQmCn2g1Tt9Rd9W3WxX9ooof_EbO0D8pOR4kztGH_8DBOPKk-7zVgCy0SYFf4=w640-h509" width="640" /></a></div><br /></b></span></span></span></div></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">To apply for a <b>SHARC </b>contact:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Region</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">P.O.Box 21668 </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">Juneau, Alaska 99802-1668</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">phone: 1 (800) 304-4846</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">email: RAM.Alaska@noaa.gov</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">online:</span><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span><span style="font-size: large;">the Alaska regional office of NOAA Fisheries</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">https://alaskafisheries.noaa.gov/fisheries-applications</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">It will be useful to review a current copy of the 8 page frequently asked questions about the Alaska Subsistence Halibut Program.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I made a copy to have handy on our boat.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF2d3pbhX9e5AjvoT8qM2h6uU_GOE8KQMeSMVFxhSW7x0zsw01ttL6j9wZj4ox6Dw2faKW71Ii4IJ3SNbo1p4i5Vdx1Blr6zQMCTZ_TXC8oP1f6eJtpTaZ-BO4NlZoC-q1Qwa4H9j_RWz3RvNUoru-Icqptd1DTKGTYfcHZDbxn10RZF8DO-i0pukO0hE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhF2d3pbhX9e5AjvoT8qM2h6uU_GOE8KQMeSMVFxhSW7x0zsw01ttL6j9wZj4ox6Dw2faKW71Ii4IJ3SNbo1p4i5Vdx1Blr6zQMCTZ_TXC8oP1f6eJtpTaZ-BO4NlZoC-q1Qwa4H9j_RWz3RvNUoru-Icqptd1DTKGTYfcHZDbxn10RZF8DO-i0pukO0hE=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our neighbors in the boat harbor are admirably knowledgeable and experienced... especially about fishing. </span></span></span><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">So thoughtful. When they catch halibut, they often share. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY_tCDC6xaLYqVYPof_NmJAX6DGoAaq8oS6InwaKAcx2eu1f199nB8E8kykSCZr9lDlF_MrF6eJkzcCRlGx6AC1W0v9XPaVrTWaBLPQOFKSOIzlvbql45tF_I_GDGiCbFMEwfY9LmwRCGMMdcs9IqURYWHboB4GFZbhGreiZ-gROnj31ENjHxRHUPdco8" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1424" data-original-width="1030" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhY_tCDC6xaLYqVYPof_NmJAX6DGoAaq8oS6InwaKAcx2eu1f199nB8E8kykSCZr9lDlF_MrF6eJkzcCRlGx6AC1W0v9XPaVrTWaBLPQOFKSOIzlvbql45tF_I_GDGiCbFMEwfY9LmwRCGMMdcs9IqURYWHboB4GFZbhGreiZ-gROnj31ENjHxRHUPdco8=w464-h640" width="464" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> photo by K. Haley</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I asked them for advice about setting a skate.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here is the diagram utilizing some of the information they shared:</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaC9irNLK6gGfojn1T1cAFeoGbwBy9ZS2rP64H1FylhfOHyrWJ8nFL-lUcnws8BPkcnkwQxT4D5zKMNpQswLC11CRwmm-6Yg3RnmSAk0WUfWh_XNbQtIF9Ozxb-cTM-e0BxfDKWy1jIYNl9EAdU4w0LigeL-tUyACE78izv05OL2xsxY9adsnG-WtfO10" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2614" data-original-width="3024" height="553" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiaC9irNLK6gGfojn1T1cAFeoGbwBy9ZS2rP64H1FylhfOHyrWJ8nFL-lUcnws8BPkcnkwQxT4D5zKMNpQswLC11CRwmm-6Yg3RnmSAk0WUfWh_XNbQtIF9Ozxb-cTM-e0BxfDKWy1jIYNl9EAdU4w0LigeL-tUyACE78izv05OL2xsxY9adsnG-WtfO10=w640-h553" width="640" /></a></div><br />The depth for setting the ground line will vary depending on the location. Sometimes shallower, sometimes deeper. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>CATCHING HALIBUT </b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span> </span><span> </span>WITH MY HALIBUT SKATE</b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">I headed north of Sitka with my new halibut skate, a friend and my dog. We planned for a few days of fishing and gathering greens. After about 8 hours (my boat is slow) we stopped to do some fishing. After jigging about ten minutes, my friend was thrilled to catch her very first halibut... sport fishing with a rod and reel. It wasn't all that big, but it was a keeper.</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">And then, what do you know? A man with a smiling, familiar face just happened to be passing by in his Boston whaler. And he just happens to be one of the most successful fishermen I know. </span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">"Will you help us set my new halibut skate?" </span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">Yes!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">We anchored in a familiar, protected bay. After we baited up the hooks on the skate, the two in the photo below headed out in the whaler. We use fish waste for bait... in this case cut up heads and tails of salmon and black cod. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">The first buoy was anchored at a depth of about 75 feet just outside the entrance to the bay. Slowly progressing into deeper water, the longline with baited hooks was lowered. The second buoy was anchored at a depth of about 250 feet. It was quite late in the evening when this was accomplished.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">Very early next morning they again used the whaler and went off to haul up the skate. They were not close enough for me to see if they hauled in any halibut. As they approached and I could see inside the whaler, I started jumping up and down and squealing like a little kid! Pretty thrilling. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4PJ7DyK_YTWGg4y7ZvHx6Sa8XlgiwRT0bu8r4xb4HYyAA6eB-jGW7IgFp16bqERcDwklSrdyi293gj0aHN-6ORKHeqIJtN0mPyuhgioR9C7SdRm_UspKcyEjRmnq5r2oDTSS2qFqIp0byq3gCFCuCaLs8TeRXxU-MY371aWpcCigDrZMXCaIFwOq5E0o" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj4PJ7DyK_YTWGg4y7ZvHx6Sa8XlgiwRT0bu8r4xb4HYyAA6eB-jGW7IgFp16bqERcDwklSrdyi293gj0aHN-6ORKHeqIJtN0mPyuhgioR9C7SdRm_UspKcyEjRmnq5r2oDTSS2qFqIp0byq3gCFCuCaLs8TeRXxU-MY371aWpcCigDrZMXCaIFwOq5E0o=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"> <b> </b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>CLEANING HALIBUT</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">As mentioned earlier, cleaning halibut is simple. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;">The flat shape of this fish simplifies cutting filets.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnEyjw8c54PPm1WgKy_jl4m0CrhoD6En7qQYLOUUhdnqaSpl9trnld3TJUTOAE6OS3V4U16sZF4ZiLGffW30gdc6haF5GfV-nh4N96MOOkxyDslIUli3vCdvw3ipsYjV37iJ7Shw3qchyA1j6cpI9IXzaR7zw2PjHf3rmHRC5Q1LH5sKGHMZX3keTGODA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="4608" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhnEyjw8c54PPm1WgKy_jl4m0CrhoD6En7qQYLOUUhdnqaSpl9trnld3TJUTOAE6OS3V4U16sZF4ZiLGffW30gdc6haF5GfV-nh4N96MOOkxyDslIUli3vCdvw3ipsYjV37iJ7Shw3qchyA1j6cpI9IXzaR7zw2PjHf3rmHRC5Q1LH5sKGHMZX3keTGODA=w640-h348" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>photo by D. Corbell</td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Two filets are easily sliced in a scraping fashion from the top dark side of the halibut and two filets from the white bottom side.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1D0MS_3fObzGK6q8LfZvaZxhX7giynOHsg_visex1OX2i4IOe3A3X3PwCiXzziELiD4s15BGajXQoDUIDlD9C9q_qODuIKdnfcX7lg7VFyF_YTcY4rFsWjcuJ91EAe0bafFgDfufgSBMhhbsy4j9Td0DiPvokQuj7BQ5J_X2cJfd4Wg3sGJoicI99zyE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1D0MS_3fObzGK6q8LfZvaZxhX7giynOHsg_visex1OX2i4IOe3A3X3PwCiXzziELiD4s15BGajXQoDUIDlD9C9q_qODuIKdnfcX7lg7VFyF_YTcY4rFsWjcuJ91EAe0bafFgDfufgSBMhhbsy4j9Td0DiPvokQuj7BQ5J_X2cJfd4Wg3sGJoicI99zyE=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div><br /></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And don't forget to slice out the cheeks</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">from the heads. Choice food! A delicacy!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span><br /></span></b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> </span>COOKING HALIBUT</b></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are so many delicious recipes for halibut! It is such a firm and meaty fish.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">The all time favorite halibut dish in our home has been</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>CRISPY HALIBUT</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span>SIMPLY DEEP FRIED</span> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">- Heat oil in a deep fryer to about 375 degrees </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> or set a pot on a stovetop burner to medium high </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> heat with about 3 inches of vegetable oil. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> I prefer </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">avocado oil</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">- Cut halibut into any size you prefer.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> I usually cut each piece approximately </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>2" wide 2" thick 4" long</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">- Using a clean cloth towel or paper towel, pat the </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> pieces dry.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">- Coat the pieces with white flour.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">- Drench the pieces in beaten egg.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">- Press the pieces into panko.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">- Drop 3 or 4 pieces into the hot oil and cook about 2 </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> minutes on each side.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">- Set each on a brown paper bag or paper towel to drain</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> off any excess oil.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">We like to eat our crispy halibut served with coleslaw <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2IAimad52xWY4Wq42OegJKVhhF6YIhi2m7-manIlfWXeavey3WnQL-UlmZ84hLayBk24Cq85H7v9Txa759iWoW41oZsuolkbovUANqIEfQqZh9xkmmi_sYtZ7hCmXMka0ChFBo-TqvtafAYR-9tRZaEBvTtdByRXCfo7Im_61UW66ybk5mF9w3bvdbFI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2562" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh2IAimad52xWY4Wq42OegJKVhhF6YIhi2m7-manIlfWXeavey3WnQL-UlmZ84hLayBk24Cq85H7v9Txa759iWoW41oZsuolkbovUANqIEfQqZh9xkmmi_sYtZ7hCmXMka0ChFBo-TqvtafAYR-9tRZaEBvTtdByRXCfo7Im_61UW66ybk5mF9w3bvdbFI=w611-h640" width="611" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">or served with potato salad</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZ3_KIG_nI8sNRCs79YMCVjz4Ngf1Hk-LtsxEhTZDSTsG_wpvQm2DinOs2jl5R8cBsQ7XtAFyePK4KQ9bvZt9h5RRqP1d7KmBkSDVzsNDQdnmR6Mnu0zKyxeXTs1onNMDINIQGM0_yAozb6y0jaYH3EG4JzCIGKLnJUTinneQqjhcFk8j5rWsjeo6IvMs" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2815" data-original-width="2102" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhZ3_KIG_nI8sNRCs79YMCVjz4Ngf1Hk-LtsxEhTZDSTsG_wpvQm2DinOs2jl5R8cBsQ7XtAFyePK4KQ9bvZt9h5RRqP1d7KmBkSDVzsNDQdnmR6Mnu0zKyxeXTs1onNMDINIQGM0_yAozb6y0jaYH3EG4JzCIGKLnJUTinneQqjhcFk8j5rWsjeo6IvMs=w477-h640" width="477" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">or served with asparagus and a lemon sauce</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXYBnpJXxYDze9DBx2XQZ4Z2FQgbssTM9snhQTxeIP3MIAKoE3d4gbaF7K6rN9Og55WBO5kUzLBvEaQcTRj4q1oN9Zi4QbuYy_TFemkxIPs5VF-hmM4aJk3glazSanU4ebCfoPlf8ewpVweP8_LGKFmLaUl-cJ7WJNVBynSq7SnGkxH7V4WsnZyNqOQ_k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2898" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhXYBnpJXxYDze9DBx2XQZ4Z2FQgbssTM9snhQTxeIP3MIAKoE3d4gbaF7K6rN9Og55WBO5kUzLBvEaQcTRj4q1oN9Zi4QbuYy_TFemkxIPs5VF-hmM4aJk3glazSanU4ebCfoPlf8ewpVweP8_LGKFmLaUl-cJ7WJNVBynSq7SnGkxH7V4WsnZyNqOQ_k=w541-h640" width="541" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="text-align: center;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">Another favorite is my version of</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>HANUS BAY HALIBUT</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">- Cut about 2 lbs. of halibut into bite sized chunks.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">- Drain three or four cans of mushrooms </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>or </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Chop up about</span> <span style="font-size: large;">three or four dozen fresh mushrooms. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"> Saute the chopped fresh mushrooms in butter </span><span style="font-size: x-large;">or oil. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">- Cut up a head or two of broccoli into bite size pieces.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Stir the above ingredients together in a bowl and spread them out in the bottom of a large glass or metal baking dish</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-ju1xzNV1Z-3Bc7jmchdJYkHw1I4XKifeieQ4Yys7d3tYnw412YZNP48yN8jHLV6t7ch2f2lG89dj8AudBqm7gn8XasxhAkQQdSMDhsjiesP9p0ySRInPiVrNkfIPHz6qa7s5IQNe2hLulrWJ0b9UlNmlkKoiz_zxzcVVSJoAHr7neH8BajSzmtk3Ygw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg-ju1xzNV1Z-3Bc7jmchdJYkHw1I4XKifeieQ4Yys7d3tYnw412YZNP48yN8jHLV6t7ch2f2lG89dj8AudBqm7gn8XasxhAkQQdSMDhsjiesP9p0ySRInPiVrNkfIPHz6qa7s5IQNe2hLulrWJ0b9UlNmlkKoiz_zxzcVVSJoAHr7neH8BajSzmtk3Ygw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">NOW TO MAKE THE SAUCE</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">you will need : 1/2 cup butter</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> 1/2 cup of white flour</span><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> 3 1/2 cups milk</span><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> 1 tablespoon of garlic powder</span><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> 16 oz of sharp cheddar cheese-grated</span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> 1/2 to 1 tablespoon of hot sauce</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> (I use Frank's RED HOT)</span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span>- Melt the butter in a medium sized sauce pan.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span>- Blend in the flour.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span>- Stir in the milk.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span>- Add the garlic powder, hot sauce and shredded</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> cheese.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span>- Stir continuously over medium heat until the cheese is</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span> all melted and the </span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: x-large;">sauce has thickened.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Pour the sauce evenly over the fish and vegetables in the baking dish.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span>Bake at 350 degrees for about 50 minutes, uncovered.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span>It will look like this:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYNm9Yv3YFTpaPn0cCi9Ao2S2tZo3P-_nv6B8hspsurPR4etNWo_nS1CmjSlrgZkwbv91itSIo4TXAMBqbonkKt5Kjffi2myl3zgCjK6443OHHBEHGafHHbRQ17TVdFjEGrDRaCi5dt49U4DhYCPNy6JKTXJ-ClFIAxP_DznlCqJg6t78CadmY5Aq8-8U" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjYNm9Yv3YFTpaPn0cCi9Ao2S2tZo3P-_nv6B8hspsurPR4etNWo_nS1CmjSlrgZkwbv91itSIo4TXAMBqbonkKt5Kjffi2myl3zgCjK6443OHHBEHGafHHbRQ17TVdFjEGrDRaCi5dt49U4DhYCPNy6JKTXJ-ClFIAxP_DznlCqJg6t78CadmY5Aq8-8U=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;">THIS DISH IS DELICIOUS SERVED WTH RICE.</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>HALIBUT CHEEKS</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SAUTEED</b></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">TO SAUTE IS TO FRY LIGHTLY </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">IN FAT OR VEGETABLE OIL </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">IN A SHALLOW OPEN PAN.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Here are 4 halibut cheeks that had been cut from halibut heads, rinsed, vacuum sealed and frozen. Once thawed, I rinsed in cold water and patted dry with a clean kitchen towel. Rolled in flour:</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMPXgbFmvVsH7MUe4FAQNA7jwMp2qMWZEXdTJRkcS-ced4nFhkjj70TfhhQIJi2BW7xIKZ1LJ8_QmGUFGAdFeE-PXdEg2d3y92t3nU-c_Wje_lHvK1uFjyMx1MAI5iylRTKi6dR_JpBbAZQj_XPBACATYcnz1ve1FJ5p_XAHW7QHsJ97hWP5D5NqEi_pk" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMPXgbFmvVsH7MUe4FAQNA7jwMp2qMWZEXdTJRkcS-ced4nFhkjj70TfhhQIJi2BW7xIKZ1LJ8_QmGUFGAdFeE-PXdEg2d3y92t3nU-c_Wje_lHvK1uFjyMx1MAI5iylRTKi6dR_JpBbAZQj_XPBACATYcnz1ve1FJ5p_XAHW7QHsJ97hWP5D5NqEi_pk=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The oil, in this case avocado oil, was heated on the stovetop to a medium high temperature. The cheeks were then dropped in and cooked about 3 or 4 minutes on each side... just enough to cook through while giving the outside of each side a lovely, golden crisp. Palatable and delicious.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Served with</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span><span>seasoned,</span><span> roasted broccoli</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1or5D585jFLrTAvDQgHOsgVLqWYLEoG3JfD9-QtnW-SUouRyt98X6XqwgnXQr_9zeTlVUplyMFAgfDpTofxXCmKtTQBgyAK2An9UQCJuNOacmRW9PHhxxiv3BioCZ4bnCfsn0-6QXSbKc0EsYNMuqkbE-oaa88akpy5BrQHQqaeXt_8et4fKL9_kimg4" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj1or5D585jFLrTAvDQgHOsgVLqWYLEoG3JfD9-QtnW-SUouRyt98X6XqwgnXQr_9zeTlVUplyMFAgfDpTofxXCmKtTQBgyAK2An9UQCJuNOacmRW9PHhxxiv3BioCZ4bnCfsn0-6QXSbKc0EsYNMuqkbE-oaa88akpy5BrQHQqaeXt_8et4fKL9_kimg4=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>WISHING YOU SUCCESS </b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>FISHING FOR HALIBUT!!!</b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span style="font-size: large;">HERE ARE A FEW INSPIRATIONAL PHOTOS:</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiw-8ZonLA7qTAt5i0BbyaGbZ5vKdA4Kh0qoZ5-Z1FrDdXqridfOYUehPSdd0Th_srJuXFj8BuGoXE-ljUZnlg_IS_45nc__4i4BwbgTDkKq8ixrIMbz0n_7gX3M4RcHJ0t4IWXlY9AcnO_m4jcXRGdT7XR4hqQb5I7AjvqSCSunqWSQGEjDsXOJGGfU74" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1815" data-original-width="1190" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiw-8ZonLA7qTAt5i0BbyaGbZ5vKdA4Kh0qoZ5-Z1FrDdXqridfOYUehPSdd0Th_srJuXFj8BuGoXE-ljUZnlg_IS_45nc__4i4BwbgTDkKq8ixrIMbz0n_7gX3M4RcHJ0t4IWXlY9AcnO_m4jcXRGdT7XR4hqQb5I7AjvqSCSunqWSQGEjDsXOJGGfU74=w419-h640" width="419" /></a></div></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzvgG6QFjSFQy53Hx0pXHQSJENQN4RiMOltyTK3nQtTI6WqBJNLLPG-rpjaA9TGUVbii-hNSP6IUb4iK87RH6Tl9g7oYPwotqHcVW1877-ptuvkYZH0Clm8aDRSA3LExR7ds0I6BnHwSB3E5Ugjcpwu_td_JJWdVMbITDmB2I9Fwh3tPpahAbdU0Ob-jo" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1324" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgzvgG6QFjSFQy53Hx0pXHQSJENQN4RiMOltyTK3nQtTI6WqBJNLLPG-rpjaA9TGUVbii-hNSP6IUb4iK87RH6Tl9g7oYPwotqHcVW1877-ptuvkYZH0Clm8aDRSA3LExR7ds0I6BnHwSB3E5Ugjcpwu_td_JJWdVMbITDmB2I9Fwh3tPpahAbdU0Ob-jo=w523-h640" width="523" /></a></div><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEierUNeuu95TQYmeo7AMOM7SdLcpKh-0U3YPOExEe_1TEtPe5elS9MDxbYDsux7AtUVQJbrDrWmLD0B1i0OgO0Wj5mNcrd3unmIRj-cFU8SD0G-QV7FepufembsKjYnJ73Y2zntBzKhppCotIP6aIzzyvmUpkSmTvo1i6EJFg4z2YxESySrkmJdYS0RU-k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1188" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEierUNeuu95TQYmeo7AMOM7SdLcpKh-0U3YPOExEe_1TEtPe5elS9MDxbYDsux7AtUVQJbrDrWmLD0B1i0OgO0Wj5mNcrd3unmIRj-cFU8SD0G-QV7FepufembsKjYnJ73Y2zntBzKhppCotIP6aIzzyvmUpkSmTvo1i6EJFg4z2YxESySrkmJdYS0RU-k=w475-h640" width="475" /></a></div><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqKmVpreIZuFYbY3HcpZhwQzAEfOW6EFMsW131L006giA9OazhsNYATQYxFuDLkozsnf0KxSL17GeEpIBbbaggchpOZ4f4YfvQSRd79FUo3eNM1wsCdTfxWr5F3V_rtFOCiwlYc_wv2mJ0SbPKbToISDQ83UTdT9W5Ek7VAtikEfr8e5S3wzhiTI-Oi50" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2985" data-original-width="1862" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhqKmVpreIZuFYbY3HcpZhwQzAEfOW6EFMsW131L006giA9OazhsNYATQYxFuDLkozsnf0KxSL17GeEpIBbbaggchpOZ4f4YfvQSRd79FUo3eNM1wsCdTfxWr5F3V_rtFOCiwlYc_wv2mJ0SbPKbToISDQ83UTdT9W5Ek7VAtikEfr8e5S3wzhiTI-Oi50=w400-h640" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3MAPwkityRYk_xuS0J_Rvry25s2sr0pAuPdYJIgdE_zojFKaNpTGGYKKFnRfMaAm7Oc87pyHxFTYJWpwcAcBB7PER2PT3dyHPQo3eoITmNVJd038VH34NgoqvBENsYCDmFhzez9hjguD_53IliigxPEqspG8Af98sldF0XowqBj8xoYFuWkrC52_Y-nM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2363" data-original-width="1735" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh3MAPwkityRYk_xuS0J_Rvry25s2sr0pAuPdYJIgdE_zojFKaNpTGGYKKFnRfMaAm7Oc87pyHxFTYJWpwcAcBB7PER2PT3dyHPQo3eoITmNVJd038VH34NgoqvBENsYCDmFhzez9hjguD_53IliigxPEqspG8Af98sldF0XowqBj8xoYFuWkrC52_Y-nM=w469-h640" width="469" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiX8m2nvJIL_FQ-mCbeUI3wM-3Zuqq4eSmhm_pqmQN01E7R_UH_1YvXRt4XojStkLdi37kfkEEHGa071hkD0wplr7KhtKgbw9Lp_8Y7njQpCVyaEdsEUd0aWUq6xXwJNRx3-BEKhKl-HPk1LV88zgjmCw0SYu4lO0D9EpNwQy8kET7de-H0bf5nKZFpYPU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3907" data-original-width="2679" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiX8m2nvJIL_FQ-mCbeUI3wM-3Zuqq4eSmhm_pqmQN01E7R_UH_1YvXRt4XojStkLdi37kfkEEHGa071hkD0wplr7KhtKgbw9Lp_8Y7njQpCVyaEdsEUd0aWUq6xXwJNRx3-BEKhKl-HPk1LV88zgjmCw0SYu4lO0D9EpNwQy8kET7de-H0bf5nKZFpYPU=w440-h640" width="440" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6bqT6FjxZPJ69h9QlxydDdpikrcXUEKtcfpMfVymFAnahJu-u022RS2nX8SPH5pcgWtSanSvXQGabNj9qwtYfUG5L6G2h2U2YKWj0a04Qi7LOLvyLyK8UZ6TM1YfMEBTfx2p2WIns0ks3PdpG0OLz5hkwlkCGFMJeBbLTpokVJUOGKweFtLUjuDD3e50" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3728" data-original-width="2643" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi6bqT6FjxZPJ69h9QlxydDdpikrcXUEKtcfpMfVymFAnahJu-u022RS2nX8SPH5pcgWtSanSvXQGabNj9qwtYfUG5L6G2h2U2YKWj0a04Qi7LOLvyLyK8UZ6TM1YfMEBTfx2p2WIns0ks3PdpG0OLz5hkwlkCGFMJeBbLTpokVJUOGKweFtLUjuDD3e50=w453-h640" width="453" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HOWDY NEIGHBOR!</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMl3euyGLdDLM0zmxBe3UZZVadDsDG9eCWW-i7djvH18VitzBybbR2KAO1_nc1F5axt6o6kI2Z-6PXA1lCZb1Rztq3InHO9QqOzi13ZWA0RLnLbG3UCCX-7U0RyHtUVe2Ub9bTS40rAosUjlEmnBTtZeF9tYfoXqAE2ndQPTnVy_z7tyWQQ_FbX9hwGWQ" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhMl3euyGLdDLM0zmxBe3UZZVadDsDG9eCWW-i7djvH18VitzBybbR2KAO1_nc1F5axt6o6kI2Z-6PXA1lCZb1Rztq3InHO9QqOzi13ZWA0RLnLbG3UCCX-7U0RyHtUVe2Ub9bTS40rAosUjlEmnBTtZeF9tYfoXqAE2ndQPTnVy_z7tyWQQ_FbX9hwGWQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WOULD YOU LIKE A FILET?</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div></span></span></span></div><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span><p></p></div>Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-37965244419188201202023-12-20T12:30:00.000-08:002023-12-21T12:06:57.033-08:00SEA CUCUMBER<p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Spend a little time with a sea cucumber...</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLS8fID4PE2oaCjFB7lTZpIDIspysqgAQYaV-mYV4jH3FeKU9tP2a0fnPU2dZd_M7un7djV_qN1jgnnaQSNFLUVo9JqrskVtRlRujgXxkQuvUMExqoFwNQyjrQ_LFQYA47cQ_-inSMXY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1805" data-original-width="1454" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLS8fID4PE2oaCjFB7lTZpIDIspysqgAQYaV-mYV4jH3FeKU9tP2a0fnPU2dZd_M7un7djV_qN1jgnnaQSNFLUVo9JqrskVtRlRujgXxkQuvUMExqoFwNQyjrQ_LFQYA47cQ_-inSMXY/w515-h640/IMG_0682.jpg" width="515" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ...and you are sure to be dazzled. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"> There is so much more than meets the eye!</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The first time I encountered a sea cucumber was when I was on the prowl for abalone. The tide was super low, an early morning minus tide in the summer of 1978. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">I mentioned my discovery to a friend who was working in a fish processing plant. A few weeks later that friend came by for</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> a visit and brought me a gift. She handed me a</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">pack of cleaned, frozen sea cucumbers. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I have to admit that I pretty much wasted that pack of sea cucumbers in my attempts at cooking. Next minus tide I eagerly harvested several sea cucumbers. Again I ended up failing with the cooking. Overcooked, rubbery and tough. Cleaning and cooking sea cucumbers were both challenging and mystifying for me. Consequently, I decided to forget about sea cucumbers for a while.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quite a few years later I came across an informative technical paper about sea cucumbers </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">while browsing in our public library. The library had a copy machine available to patrons, so I made a copy.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">You can click on images to enlarge.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeGc-Y1KB-3YmZEbpeXDglsg3sffSdrd7zKJ1OYMF4TxR-WErCzoHekS3jQk6LHHDrPYl89LQQFQ6q7an2WloQF-h_KLpAPev3nyOMa1eCXQoXWJvE-bQLULQ6jEdZOJCJ2TOreW_3hw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1621" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmeGc-Y1KB-3YmZEbpeXDglsg3sffSdrd7zKJ1OYMF4TxR-WErCzoHekS3jQk6LHHDrPYl89LQQFQ6q7an2WloQF-h_KLpAPev3nyOMa1eCXQoXWJvE-bQLULQ6jEdZOJCJ2TOreW_3hw/w507-h640/IMG_3015.jpg" width="507" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> The 43 pages are loaded with interesting facts.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRUu28lhXZmzlP59LTQuoeodL5twhqyxeXjK9ICof3GYDhzXnpuWMT3bf9BaS_1E2Dc0jbugcrqFeVgrlfKAGcE15Uw8HWQudqcbHwmzZc4PQ39ksKACxi6oUdkVp_lwCXK_-e_e0_hk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1736" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRUu28lhXZmzlP59LTQuoeodL5twhqyxeXjK9ICof3GYDhzXnpuWMT3bf9BaS_1E2Dc0jbugcrqFeVgrlfKAGcE15Uw8HWQudqcbHwmzZc4PQ39ksKACxi6oUdkVp_lwCXK_-e_e0_hk/w541-h640/IMG_3017.jpg" width="541" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">My interest in sea cucumbers was renewed! </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Since discovering and reading the technical paper, </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I have acquired additional information about these unusual ocean creatures by way of research, observation and local knowledge.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Although more than 1500 species of sea cucumbers have been discovered in intertidal ocean waters around the world, let's focus on the most common of the species available here in Sitka and Southeast Alaska waters. Both subsistence harvesters and commercial divers target the </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Red Sea Cucumber</span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">(Apostichopus californicus)</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">formerly known as</span></b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>California Sea Cucumber</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><b>(Parastichopus californicus)</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued a profile of the Red Sea Cucumber. I am including some of the information from that profile in this post along with information from the technical paper noted above.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Experienced local subsistence harvesters aren't likely to share their hot spots, but they are another great resource. Rather than learn the hard way, it saves a lot of time and frustration to learn and get advice from the experienced.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The Red Sea Cucumber is commonly found in ocean waters from the Gulf of Alaska all the way south to Baja. The sea cucumber is an echinoderm so is related to star fish and sea urchins. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggX8rzWGtjN4_lqJiECdK_AN2SUZ9nCXCiRZEyGoDDdW-nY9CcfJ-_L1pHTlIV-Gck5QrDNrRl5N3_PqW2CEYne0VMiYdoQ_XrvfIEMdL2-E67CABBY3NWwR71nmObkryeGMnn-D07dU-s8SPUypSolpD7cf1N7_gdTbOd10ll_VB8Rvxct3PH9QEvwJE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="640" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggX8rzWGtjN4_lqJiECdK_AN2SUZ9nCXCiRZEyGoDDdW-nY9CcfJ-_L1pHTlIV-Gck5QrDNrRl5N3_PqW2CEYne0VMiYdoQ_XrvfIEMdL2-E67CABBY3NWwR71nmObkryeGMnn-D07dU-s8SPUypSolpD7cf1N7_gdTbOd10ll_VB8Rvxct3PH9QEvwJE=w400-h300" width="400" /></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggX8rzWGtjN4_lqJiECdK_AN2SUZ9nCXCiRZEyGoDDdW-nY9CcfJ-_L1pHTlIV-Gck5QrDNrRl5N3_PqW2CEYne0VMiYdoQ_XrvfIEMdL2-E67CABBY3NWwR71nmObkryeGMnn-D07dU-s8SPUypSolpD7cf1N7_gdTbOd10ll_VB8Rvxct3PH9QEvwJE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEauVCATWcbZ-uh7NtcF1gog9pmLhkDuvn_LY-PRpMxPP2wTS7hGiUJK7u6b_PTU_dEfMfkpn5GxDUSVxNjD4lStmoNbgfruEL31keGfWk_-aoMb_ZIMY5N3ttsALkG9YRNU76HJqB5WRQH8hg8GWBoVyTqFVPRJODrg0MKNPC-qUAYS9an91kgaTu0S0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1292" data-original-width="1320" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjEauVCATWcbZ-uh7NtcF1gog9pmLhkDuvn_LY-PRpMxPP2wTS7hGiUJK7u6b_PTU_dEfMfkpn5GxDUSVxNjD4lStmoNbgfruEL31keGfWk_-aoMb_ZIMY5N3ttsALkG9YRNU76HJqB5WRQH8hg8GWBoVyTqFVPRJODrg0MKNPC-qUAYS9an91kgaTu0S0=w421-h392" width="421" /></a></div><br /></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">There is a mouth at one end of the sea cucumber and an anus at the other end. The mouth has unusual tentacles resembling cauliflower florets!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQrn5R6dpwyEbSKSH2twIriQ73kzp1dUkZrRFJt-Zh9sQhpS-48-p1N3U2Wjpy8ikMyWmWLYtlEF4Zhyf9ief9iDer7rDqQi0GM4zfioocm7seyi48rVvTZxirwhNIs-I0NP8x-BzLwwN2_BbmxcRahGBUPJpnnNFvX9U3SAMnXKm2dlOn4iXqJgm1c2k" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1541" data-original-width="1256" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgQrn5R6dpwyEbSKSH2twIriQ73kzp1dUkZrRFJt-Zh9sQhpS-48-p1N3U2Wjpy8ikMyWmWLYtlEF4Zhyf9ief9iDer7rDqQi0GM4zfioocm7seyi48rVvTZxirwhNIs-I0NP8x-BzLwwN2_BbmxcRahGBUPJpnnNFvX9U3SAMnXKm2dlOn4iXqJgm1c2k=w523-h640" width="523" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The slow moving sea cucumbers are detritus feeders. This means they pull out algae and other organic matter from the mud, sand and silt that they ingest through the mouth. The waste matter, shaped like tubes, is expelled through the anus. Poop!</div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpAYh52WUvCKTqpdmJtMLrPb3JX-j8xVtZELV_-jPL1p7kfkmJW57r4PmhFRh8PLLAE7NqrwLw9outJ3W_F9ufoWWmi17Kus3MnPyhSw7vDkRv6zC5CM_484oF-spFg1dIIaTZu7_4PehA0e2xG2ePvzjYp1OnMrcdCTPRiZ88rCEXGbIi_Q-MVpq67tI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2203" data-original-width="2051" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhpAYh52WUvCKTqpdmJtMLrPb3JX-j8xVtZELV_-jPL1p7kfkmJW57r4PmhFRh8PLLAE7NqrwLw9outJ3W_F9ufoWWmi17Kus3MnPyhSw7vDkRv6zC5CM_484oF-spFg1dIIaTZu7_4PehA0e2xG2ePvzjYp1OnMrcdCTPRiZ88rCEXGbIi_Q-MVpq67tI=w595-h640" width="595" /></a></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br />Rows of tube feet are on the underside with larger cone shaped soft spines on the upper surface.</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsKiyUWvRo1e-wvaboPtmGDIr-p90TV6fVG08FH_bK6jVZiqEOYXIHGAQsYu6o1SA1bC0UMwvYmHwbuuEROVt1jRpY7hvqIONZSxtZSKHCPLIqM19CgPKPz-mpO2AEvCPiOEIqoZKfvuhYrsgDwOyYl_4thSG5M1ll1DgJfaqJ1jLY563yXmQZFCCzYYA" style="font-family: -webkit-standard; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgsKiyUWvRo1e-wvaboPtmGDIr-p90TV6fVG08FH_bK6jVZiqEOYXIHGAQsYu6o1SA1bC0UMwvYmHwbuuEROVt1jRpY7hvqIONZSxtZSKHCPLIqM19CgPKPz-mpO2AEvCPiOEIqoZKfvuhYrsgDwOyYl_4thSG5M1ll1DgJfaqJ1jLY563yXmQZFCCzYYA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>HARVESTING</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">As typically happens</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">, we were looking around in the shallows of a bay at low tide. Our giant dog, Pearl, seemed mystified as she encountered sea cucumbers.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjE6OH1Iwjoyo7o9z2geLxgZ_JUmF8_BqcYkSNXHGkWopFvKP9jgDFHt0sqFK3kSYsyasB12ROPaxGK7txjFYt-MzfKbnXFc5EfiWt2SDv3nl7XONcD7lmUW4nRDloCvsf4SkqDmdHQBxpgbMdcKvluNzXIbVFvdtLwoFFCUuN4oBuK9zITDjWtKXdYZkM" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="3225" height="595" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjE6OH1Iwjoyo7o9z2geLxgZ_JUmF8_BqcYkSNXHGkWopFvKP9jgDFHt0sqFK3kSYsyasB12ROPaxGK7txjFYt-MzfKbnXFc5EfiWt2SDv3nl7XONcD7lmUW4nRDloCvsf4SkqDmdHQBxpgbMdcKvluNzXIbVFvdtLwoFFCUuN4oBuK9zITDjWtKXdYZkM=w640-h595" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>Several of the sea cucumbers were shallow enough for us to reach down and grab hold. The cucumbers out of our reach were easily scooped up from our skiff with </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">a long handled dip net. </span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">If gear is handy, we sometimes snorkel with a goody bag.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Wherever we have spotted a Red Sea Cucumber, there were often quite a few more nearby as seen below.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho3I0oDjYUn-B6pfFdZ15xSK3JkL_DqUXi9r5McmbKWX7ky-if_bzflFtHOcROuOGWigJyOj5fVG-laflcUrfJn0kd6Dd5ad_wIjDISY1BQvweLo-lKA4Gk4LfY3ZIjexau4eQRXfxtEGVFi2vCJXJ5M8z_uiWUzIoqqIL5y0aUw1fvy01WDoGoEkNetY" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3000" data-original-width="4000" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEho3I0oDjYUn-B6pfFdZ15xSK3JkL_DqUXi9r5McmbKWX7ky-if_bzflFtHOcROuOGWigJyOj5fVG-laflcUrfJn0kd6Dd5ad_wIjDISY1BQvweLo-lKA4Gk4LfY3ZIjexau4eQRXfxtEGVFi2vCJXJ5M8z_uiWUzIoqqIL5y0aUw1fvy01WDoGoEkNetY=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Each individual Red Sea Cucumber is not necessarily identical to surrounding cukes. The color varies including shades of red and brown with markings of black and yellow. </span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The size also varies. This red species of cucumber grows as large as 20 inches weighing around one pound. We always target the largest size... taking care not to harvest all of the largest from any one area.</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: x-large;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Do yourself and the sea cucumbers a favor and don't harvest more cucumbers than you will use. And, don't harvest more than you will have time to process in the near future.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Crowding too many sea cucumbers into a bucket when harvesting will likely cause problems.</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">As you gather, place a sensible number inside a clean bucket with cold ocean water.<span face="-webkit-standard"> </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">We like to place no more than a dozen sea cucumbers inside a five g</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">allon bucket filled with ocean water. (We always bring plenty of buckets along).</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: verdana; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW7S3DTU0ukujLTyTjCW9t50oHZ2NbdGZiomvLH_Ti0_WsY3KEmfAFVCXLScDG5EdXM4P3Kb0OrqK8jjno2znZdS8wVW2h_hGMepoJqraZsahT09LWjVG5QgUJHnSEUlK71nvcnx_-D0hHwQmlUv2fRUhg5YOU6tOuMYX2bhc8Y0X19NPQBw8Dg5w0ukU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiW7S3DTU0ukujLTyTjCW9t50oHZ2NbdGZiomvLH_Ti0_WsY3KEmfAFVCXLScDG5EdXM4P3Kb0OrqK8jjno2znZdS8wVW2h_hGMepoJqraZsahT09LWjVG5QgUJHnSEUlK71nvcnx_-D0hHwQmlUv2fRUhg5YOU6tOuMYX2bhc8Y0X19NPQBw8Dg5w0ukU=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br />If the harvested sea cucumbers are injured, damaged, mishandled, slammed around or crowded, the flavor may be ruined because of a defensive toxin sea cucumbers release. If this toxin is released by sea cucumbers into the bucket water, the flavor of the entire batch may become tainted and nasty. Sea cucumbers not only are known to discharge toxins but also discharge their internal organs when sensing danger.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>CLEANING SEA CUCUMBERS</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">We keep our sea cucumbers alive and well in cold sea water until we are prepared for processing. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Over the years we experimented with various tools. We were happiest with a simple approach. We use a knife and a cutting board of some sort. We do this work on the beach or the back deck of our boat where we can spray away any mess with a handy boat hose.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">After cutting the sea cucumber from about an inch below the mouth up to the mouth, we flip it around and </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">out come the internal organs and toxins.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuEyosY9BJaP2MzJQcxNleIUWy7YeexcKHbwYvXcZ74pwVv4raM9ZxGiEe1zGJKWXYqxi2Jc2ZPkK5Ny4HDmBWroWVmlYRApFpGNIeIcWkoqG8wENhvCtRwcBdZ2uQPQiHf-aLP-fBjhG7tgZn3H3MSs94gCbY6dXWc4nxRXQNLPcDXAUkdkK5887u2gw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjuEyosY9BJaP2MzJQcxNleIUWy7YeexcKHbwYvXcZ74pwVv4raM9ZxGiEe1zGJKWXYqxi2Jc2ZPkK5Ny4HDmBWroWVmlYRApFpGNIeIcWkoqG8wENhvCtRwcBdZ2uQPQiHf-aLP-fBjhG7tgZn3H3MSs94gCbY6dXWc4nxRXQNLPcDXAUkdkK5887u2gw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next we slice the entire underside open from one end to the other. When this is accomplished with all of the sea cucumbers we gathered, we rinse out the interiors.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoqQJSwHwUQwygBb1WR_COaXPckN8NpQ-0ExGnRw_VQn7fMaER0f__64bcGG-rrNZkx_-F_ajupibkcVGG16EiOspl61eOaOXd21ExDWY-bzFMBIGgRjgENH_y_frIee_3-Q-QvRMQCtFCvGCPZKsTufMDdToezotYuTHMKnOGvskgi9ZgR6pfurIazvw" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjoqQJSwHwUQwygBb1WR_COaXPckN8NpQ-0ExGnRw_VQn7fMaER0f__64bcGG-rrNZkx_-F_ajupibkcVGG16EiOspl61eOaOXd21ExDWY-bzFMBIGgRjgENH_y_frIee_3-Q-QvRMQCtFCvGCPZKsTufMDdToezotYuTHMKnOGvskgi9ZgR6pfurIazvw=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">For quite a few years we were inclined to utilize the interior muscles only. We would use a cutting board and slice across the layer of muscles just below the mouth. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh9OkzFP930LgQuRm2KSFN_3hkQ2HAf8VjcOMpWoxXY0f1u7zCZRmNSJ3E_jGp2DOHL4ZWu6em0vzGnSzW-YaBNGCAZdBXBUMBvhZgnsbehC3kYIJcHrRNdWAtLO-CRxKisJhjDgcTtqmMwLhduAT2nAEic_40qCnOd__SrTh-4x_JO00s--hpLM4oCrA" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2448" data-original-width="3264" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjh9OkzFP930LgQuRm2KSFN_3hkQ2HAf8VjcOMpWoxXY0f1u7zCZRmNSJ3E_jGp2DOHL4ZWu6em0vzGnSzW-YaBNGCAZdBXBUMBvhZgnsbehC3kYIJcHrRNdWAtLO-CRxKisJhjDgcTtqmMwLhduAT2nAEic_40qCnOd__SrTh-4x_JO00s--hpLM4oCrA=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Then we scraped the muscles away from the skin until we had enough to grab. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXvyFJGDRPx-m8FlD0P6pwSj87Hv9NnAYpWgXSqoDVOoNASkgqUtN0mVl2H5QBJqVYuV8l9UQzsrXoqwgZloh5VDqZ7tFge1p9-PKmjaSUZUCe4aOR4KGAfEWtg-BOyzRH8IVzoK3We_SG2dEbb2Ah1n5jYPTmwK40nQa3-28AyW5scVig549D6NKoRaE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiXvyFJGDRPx-m8FlD0P6pwSj87Hv9NnAYpWgXSqoDVOoNASkgqUtN0mVl2H5QBJqVYuV8l9UQzsrXoqwgZloh5VDqZ7tFge1p9-PKmjaSUZUCe4aOR4KGAfEWtg-BOyzRH8IVzoK3We_SG2dEbb2Ah1n5jYPTmwK40nQa3-28AyW5scVig549D6NKoRaE=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">When held firmly, the muscle layer would then pull away from the skin. We rinsed all of the muscles well and drained in a colander. We refrigerated to cook soon thereafter or freeze. </span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfiLzMuERoA6kfjIfAoPYvTcnOwdTWHz73C2FqYYatUHB1Q_JQtHsX4js16gJ2CClfXhYfOYahE-Z0m_DBhCsk5UUx8QGrZuLxhUEgtY-OPxNglL2n0CWbh6Jtp5E50jcrlYwGoPxl_OrUH1uaGv2YdhvIfVePc4u_tQjl7D76WjRivr8Yu73IFOwvyf0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgfiLzMuERoA6kfjIfAoPYvTcnOwdTWHz73C2FqYYatUHB1Q_JQtHsX4js16gJ2CClfXhYfOYahE-Z0m_DBhCsk5UUx8QGrZuLxhUEgtY-OPxNglL2n0CWbh6Jtp5E50jcrlYwGoPxl_OrUH1uaGv2YdhvIfVePc4u_tQjl7D76WjRivr8Yu73IFOwvyf0=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">After cleaning, all of the guts and skins got tossed back into the ocean.</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>COOKING SEA CUCUMBERS</b></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">A local subsistence harvester, Steve Johnson, wrote up and posted a useful summary last year about YEIN. YEIN is the Tlingit word for sea cucumber. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">YAANUU is the Haida word for sea cucumber.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Steve wrote that his favorite methods of cooking YEIN are to sauté, fry or grill. Whichever method you choose, take care not to overcook or it will be tough to chew. My own experience to prevent overcooking, whatever the method, is to cook briefly at medium high heat. I learned over the years when cooking most any seafood it was better to risk undercooking rather than overcooking. I haven't found a way to correct overcooked food. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Below is a recipe I use for deep frying sea cucumbers. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Because I often found myself preparing meals for several family members and friends at one time, I experimented with challenging foods. So as not to overcook and ruin sea cucumbers, I tried cooking them similar to one of the methods I use for abalone.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Place the muscle meat from a dozen or so sea cucumbers (depending on how many people being served) in a blender along with an egg. Blend until it looks like pancake mix. Transfer to a bowl:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2lWsBHu1iqw_sIjv5eFksET_xvFKSqqNUqL2DYBOqlN3vVD_4KZbR4apBoOKdlNwfQhMc9GApwyJAN05q8KO-8Hh6GpdUDEPlS7NUNNCjDGm6hYWrQFQQf2KBUjfjYe89_LJrPykD92VMseF1G_IF7hgAIVM2oQtCr2J3tGNvUHDTbK8eMJVscZE-JcE" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2848" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2lWsBHu1iqw_sIjv5eFksET_xvFKSqqNUqL2DYBOqlN3vVD_4KZbR4apBoOKdlNwfQhMc9GApwyJAN05q8KO-8Hh6GpdUDEPlS7NUNNCjDGm6hYWrQFQQf2KBUjfjYe89_LJrPykD92VMseF1G_IF7hgAIVM2oQtCr2J3tGNvUHDTbK8eMJVscZE-JcE=w549-h640" width="549" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Add 2 or 3 tablespoons of flour and stir well to thicken it up a little.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Heat up an inch or two of vegetable oil in a saucepan. I prefer avocado oil. Heat to medium-hot heat around 375 degrees. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Take a good sized spoon full of the mixture and drop it into a bowl of bread crumbs:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-_raNISI3sX3gXOTMJTlXn1W-4TOQK67ixS7d1ShhILlxHJs3ufnjqGTNuWOSjZrcyO3sIiKDjGPyQcJ9_WK864BvM3T3x9LXm_AbyX3i6dZ1qXYUa442Bpg28bv_NIgT2BedPG8KzANZ9u7zWOEbgQEM2gW4JF8JcQMS1xaR_QqTiHLL20gx2YRzzIQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEh-_raNISI3sX3gXOTMJTlXn1W-4TOQK67ixS7d1ShhILlxHJs3ufnjqGTNuWOSjZrcyO3sIiKDjGPyQcJ9_WK864BvM3T3x9LXm_AbyX3i6dZ1qXYUa442Bpg28bv_NIgT2BedPG8KzANZ9u7zWOEbgQEM2gW4JF8JcQMS1xaR_QqTiHLL20gx2YRzzIQ=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><br />Press and flatten it into the bread crumbs on each side. Do this 4 or 5 times. Then drop all of the 4 or 5 small patties into the hot oil. Cook them about two minutes on each side until golden brown. Lift them out onto something like a paper towel or a brown paper bag to drain any excess oil.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOXNl4GlmEiuadACm14T4X3E-dpO6tQC9BuWxzXpNKgIlyYdCg92owQLxaU2iN8eAY063EEZHqORMh9Bb_mBCYzePMeUU7vFDHJBSyCxY392mhbCzTaKW8PZMUc1bn2AVWD41LF01Nx4nCB4UfMPTNVB5C2MVivQW_nfv3DWuRj-Es4j-mJS5k2wOpDms" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiOXNl4GlmEiuadACm14T4X3E-dpO6tQC9BuWxzXpNKgIlyYdCg92owQLxaU2iN8eAY063EEZHqORMh9Bb_mBCYzePMeUU7vFDHJBSyCxY392mhbCzTaKW8PZMUc1bn2AVWD41LF01Nx4nCB4UfMPTNVB5C2MVivQW_nfv3DWuRj-Es4j-mJS5k2wOpDms=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Repeat until you have used up all of the blended sea cucumber mix in your bowl.</div><br />Serve with favorite side dishes or salads:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipE3KhCfcpOLdO13JCbgqrCjG7Qiu92bygYu77cg3DZS0dPcMYlAdXm_EuJHqM-7tihqLS5fBer1Wy8bSVOVGD5fSeuGxj2Fu8QCWlH2IrSLJFTU3WtO8CkJxigwFbuOYoSR00dBmGHK-5yEjCrk7CfJaLMRYqhPukeafEYQk5rHqPT1F_SSulRRrU3Uc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEipE3KhCfcpOLdO13JCbgqrCjG7Qiu92bygYu77cg3DZS0dPcMYlAdXm_EuJHqM-7tihqLS5fBer1Wy8bSVOVGD5fSeuGxj2Fu8QCWlH2IrSLJFTU3WtO8CkJxigwFbuOYoSR00dBmGHK-5yEjCrk7CfJaLMRYqhPukeafEYQk5rHqPT1F_SSulRRrU3Uc=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;">Delicious!</div><br /></div></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>DEHYDRATING SEA CUCUMBERS</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">After quite a few years of taking advantage of the muscle meat only, I decided to try dehydrating not only the sea cucumber muscles but also the skins. Once dehydrated and powdered with a blender, I knew the powder would be easy to incorporate into </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">teas, soups and other foods. </span></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">My first attempt at dehydrating was successful with the batch of muscle meat I used. After spreading the raw muscles meat out on the 14 stainless steel shelves, I chose to dehydrate them at 105 degrees. After 15 hours they were thoroughly dehydrated.</span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNbH6WSPW6spZmEVyVYixHSdW9wN3NKK3Hq6W7sDABgMBhQZmfuFQlYNRoS37xC9VtqcwkaB5216hnmzK0EbmaX-9qUtia3nQrAgyvqL412X5ydIgL6YUby4M88eFHADZ773QnRaHBpL1BGSGZrkGWPsIEC4MAMC0LMS0EfiIeCisiK7y3kjnZXIL9sAc" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgNbH6WSPW6spZmEVyVYixHSdW9wN3NKK3Hq6W7sDABgMBhQZmfuFQlYNRoS37xC9VtqcwkaB5216hnmzK0EbmaX-9qUtia3nQrAgyvqL412X5ydIgL6YUby4M88eFHADZ773QnRaHBpL1BGSGZrkGWPsIEC4MAMC0LMS0EfiIeCisiK7y3kjnZXIL9sAc=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br />Each section of muscles dried crispy and was easy to lift up in one piece off of the shelves.</span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiikYslESfmlHZwrEgKz3yXtxJnPxGZRkTbfF0u63O5jV5UB7-R9WuoxY4UO3Ydf6INJvwPQTy8hbaTdUwDp7INzgDdzaL5V6ruKvUNsQrKOl6g8KHjHu2D1JG0TDN6lpe4BrAVhizcK6H6xPXtvGz94V-o3VGsBQVFJ5z1Ww6RaQ2v4MVAGSbnr7WGBRU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3264" data-original-width="2448" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiikYslESfmlHZwrEgKz3yXtxJnPxGZRkTbfF0u63O5jV5UB7-R9WuoxY4UO3Ydf6INJvwPQTy8hbaTdUwDp7INzgDdzaL5V6ruKvUNsQrKOl6g8KHjHu2D1JG0TDN6lpe4BrAVhizcK6H6xPXtvGz94V-o3VGsBQVFJ5z1Ww6RaQ2v4MVAGSbnr7WGBRU=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Next I intended to spread the waiting, refrigerated sea cucumber skins on the dehydrator shelves. I had trouble getting them out of the colander. They were slimy and mobile and had attempted to escape through the holes of the colander. Amazing and weird! Sections of the cucumber skins slid through the colander holes and had expanded making it difficult to pull them free. </span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlgTzZKSB_UnIFaASElVuUqD0CeCbMByx9Z7PfLTw5C-EzztQK1NQolHctl5ZuyQsHTUqaBJMI_xKba8ZSmMau7p9sXY8-UlE8lrY0PW1WdtHgCjgzngmbLhguLi1-rfDo9hJ9zQ5GCvlhmQaRvthvUcqzzTPpo6dDoRlnIrQ-tcsqvpcREcS_8V6CrHI" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhlgTzZKSB_UnIFaASElVuUqD0CeCbMByx9Z7PfLTw5C-EzztQK1NQolHctl5ZuyQsHTUqaBJMI_xKba8ZSmMau7p9sXY8-UlE8lrY0PW1WdtHgCjgzngmbLhguLi1-rfDo9hJ9zQ5GCvlhmQaRvthvUcqzzTPpo6dDoRlnIrQ-tcsqvpcREcS_8V6CrHI=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br />After struggling with this a while, </span><span style="font-size: large;">I remembered something I had read. I sat the entire colander in very hot water for a while, stirring a few times, to release them from the colander. People who know better first soak the skins in hot water, then dry and dehydrate. For me, this was one of those 'learned the hard way' issues I mentioned. </span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once dehydrated, both the muscles and skins were easily pulsed into powder with a blender. Forty sea cucumbers produced 1/2 pint of muscle powder and a full pint of powdered skin. I kept them separated to compare the taste. Both have what I found to be a pleasant, strong, ocean flavor.</span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKleWEtfrw9S16K31lM0YXm-rbfR5Yg8-M5EFA4DkrsgAgIeIIfmpCANd5Cz39xtfETFSozCVswf2-5BqePVdnnQH8QKCetndFP9ZF66UxLmswc1Dm9tguzFND5Sh5w22PS6Y2cq6BKY5wuGCZ6gkdtJe3SfjVOWxRuc5ylqMOfSVE3MZvdU3opWAJxKU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3024" data-original-width="4032" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgKleWEtfrw9S16K31lM0YXm-rbfR5Yg8-M5EFA4DkrsgAgIeIIfmpCANd5Cz39xtfETFSozCVswf2-5BqePVdnnQH8QKCetndFP9ZF66UxLmswc1Dm9tguzFND5Sh5w22PS6Y2cq6BKY5wuGCZ6gkdtJe3SfjVOWxRuc5ylqMOfSVE3MZvdU3opWAJxKU=w640-h480" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Several sources have suggested that sea cucumbers, the muscles and skins, are highly nutritious providing unusual health benefits. An article written by Laine Welch dated September 2017 in the CAPITAL CITY WEEKLY was titled: </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">SEA CUCUMBER COULD CURE CANCER </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHuLKQUve0HOeMleOT5TmiMGG3q_okKK4uN5eaVl3T0QLDGIWDBhXhvpFpUK-nysjO7AwrvAv7EXJD82K2KMgKSpOSC5eDjPgYiBFE5vwlY6mSf8CT_6-9D1w_sy7lXeWeJoVSpFQmOK10t0N8Bn-WXfCbIeFlonRH3TVn4b0wiqG8peXmTgqANGNAymg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="3426" data-original-width="1508" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjHuLKQUve0HOeMleOT5TmiMGG3q_okKK4uN5eaVl3T0QLDGIWDBhXhvpFpUK-nysjO7AwrvAv7EXJD82K2KMgKSpOSC5eDjPgYiBFE5vwlY6mSf8CT_6-9D1w_sy7lXeWeJoVSpFQmOK10t0N8Bn-WXfCbIeFlonRH3TVn4b0wiqG8peXmTgqANGNAymg=w283-h640" width="283" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">If you are interested in learning about possible health benefits of sea cucumbers, I encourage you to do some research to find any additional information and updates made available since the above article was written. </div></div></div></span></div></div></span></div></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>BABY SEA CUCUMBERS?</b></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large; text-align: left;">About ten years ago we were in a protected bay gathering some sea cucumbers in the middle of June. Up a little higher on the beach from the submerged full grown sea cucumbers were thousands of what looked like tiny baby sea cucumbers.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNh65Wxs8qEMMKy7VqL8ZprzTFfCcUumy7Iz7vEyLy2kws7wUQQWBs0Ss1AgwEU92k8RiMP6k_8QEeRsw_gjOLCORdetf8szjB2iKhUWz_IhSVSl8fO7ovqLfpHDhYmyQd6J9P3uxLwU9V3DDDAeMx7HtTRo3gRsAuywD70wBPeKi-IJAltGrd1eM3zp0" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2399" data-original-width="2974" height="515" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhNh65Wxs8qEMMKy7VqL8ZprzTFfCcUumy7Iz7vEyLy2kws7wUQQWBs0Ss1AgwEU92k8RiMP6k_8QEeRsw_gjOLCORdetf8szjB2iKhUWz_IhSVSl8fO7ovqLfpHDhYmyQd6J9P3uxLwU9V3DDDAeMx7HtTRo3gRsAuywD70wBPeKi-IJAltGrd1eM3zp0=w640-h515" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">They were clustered among the seaweed, barnacles, mussels and rocks.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhL0T4_qJnT-1QNLc32Pi5p5RKm7U7A2wbPXe1VBOYBY32gJoNGOf2Ya6UdE4mtT-mSWjkSf0ViKEI6Ko3ZgocYSKoB6MPWfXpSdGtdfqBYkw3NMC4kwRMs1OYFN2JPJn69BhMuQocm6I_V27gu2MLfL5jQCn9k2Y0B44-YPzBw21xbnFiW_PJzMiBqW9s" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2640" data-original-width="2172" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhL0T4_qJnT-1QNLc32Pi5p5RKm7U7A2wbPXe1VBOYBY32gJoNGOf2Ya6UdE4mtT-mSWjkSf0ViKEI6Ko3ZgocYSKoB6MPWfXpSdGtdfqBYkw3NMC4kwRMs1OYFN2JPJn69BhMuQocm6I_V27gu2MLfL5jQCn9k2Y0B44-YPzBw21xbnFiW_PJzMiBqW9s=w525-h640" width="525" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">A lovely sight to see.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Over the years we have seen a good number of sea cucumbers in various protected bays. Sad to say it sounds like the numbers have declined in some locations... particularly in southern Southeast Alaska waters. Because of the reintroduction of the sea otters several decades ago and several other issues including over harvesting by humans, the decline in the numbers of sea cucumbers is not surprising. Sea cucumbers are such a delicacy!</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>WOULD YOU LIKE TO HARVEST SEA CUCUMBERS?</b></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">You will need to acquire an ALASKA SPORT FISHING LICENSE </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">if you are a <b>resident</b> 18 years and older or</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">if you are a <b>nonresident</b> 16 years and older.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Sport fishing for sea cucumbers with an ALASKA SPORT FISHING LICENSE enables you to gather sea cucumbers anywhere anytime without restrictions. Use any gear you choose including scuba and snorkel gear.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Without an ALASKA SPORT FISHING LICENSE, a <b>resident</b> is welcome to gather sea cucumbers anywhere anytime under subsistence guidelines. However, there is a restricted area in Sitka Sound where subsistence gathering of sea cucumbers is not allowed with the use of diving gear... not scuba nor snorkel gear.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1maHiHTcptFV7ebupkfOR9Uhnex-tinXAg_KPBRz40yHMJRroqo-TEyOltGrC8XdD9MuuZQ0C50BlWotkKUYb6TcZl3qCf_pG7awGpVr07_dgUO7JZxsgvm__AjkPcFGOAsbsE8ZPMZTJF9CwerJKymvSY7h8_5zKWGQAjrqDs5gIXj_GQxjU0wESyn8" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="4032" height="194" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi1maHiHTcptFV7ebupkfOR9Uhnex-tinXAg_KPBRz40yHMJRroqo-TEyOltGrC8XdD9MuuZQ0C50BlWotkKUYb6TcZl3qCf_pG7awGpVr07_dgUO7JZxsgvm__AjkPcFGOAsbsE8ZPMZTJF9CwerJKymvSY7h8_5zKWGQAjrqDs5gIXj_GQxjU0wESyn8=w640-h194" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div>Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-21066764439315739732021-03-31T17:17:00.002-07:002021-03-31T17:45:53.873-07:00FLOWERS - GROUND COVERS<div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyQiyjp5Usx9oFRiMWlKKz0ysxXUqkX9lQrmth50RVQenSG36PJ07DV1s7Eddqwto-a1ieN4C5JhKtFboK6FpCrGiLpdyZALcNIN_bKQ0o64hrDOX1_v3aotq7p7oOBEETkVV8go0RhU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1181" data-original-width="2048" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfyQiyjp5Usx9oFRiMWlKKz0ysxXUqkX9lQrmth50RVQenSG36PJ07DV1s7Eddqwto-a1ieN4C5JhKtFboK6FpCrGiLpdyZALcNIN_bKQ0o64hrDOX1_v3aotq7p7oOBEETkVV8go0RhU/w640-h370/DSC04560.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div></div></div>
<br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">My definition of a GROUND COVER is any low growing perennial plant that spreads out, a little or a lot, and maintains a healthy, dense cover throughout the season. Once established, ground covers only require a bit of fertilizer in spring and, of course, a little weeding. I can't help but admire and appreciate the tenacity of ground covers. So many reappear year after year requiring so little effort on my part.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsravSAedsVoEoiB_FnuNYLWssAj_7FAeFdOzd7R-XLOph58ylfz-_0ssrmr4W3zvkt0ECZRSea-gfXTg9kQCxC6ZmtospnrVfQwPiG6OWoD8m9looz0mN9SMNmdUw4X_0qU2duM_zzk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1566" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWsravSAedsVoEoiB_FnuNYLWssAj_7FAeFdOzd7R-XLOph58ylfz-_0ssrmr4W3zvkt0ECZRSea-gfXTg9kQCxC6ZmtospnrVfQwPiG6OWoD8m9looz0mN9SMNmdUw4X_0qU2duM_zzk/w491-h640/DSC00526.jpg" width="491" /></a></div><br /><br /><br />We are fortunate to have a lot of workable ground around our home. As with most property in this part of the world, it did not start out that way. An immense amount of energy went into clearing, terracing, stacking wall rock, soil building and soil enrichment. After decades of dedicated labor, most of the ground around our home has transformed into vegetable gardens, flower beds, berry patches and areas with fruit trees. Round and about all of this are perennial flowers and lots of ground covers. The ground cover plants fill openings in rock walls, border many flower and vegetable gardens and spread in low lying corners and spaces. Ground covers are not only attractive, but they also help reduce erosion from our heavy rains.</span></div><div><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Below are the names and photos of plants we have successfully included in our gardens as ground covers. These plants are listed alphabetically according to the most commonly used names...</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span><div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">AJUGA (BUGLEWEED)</span></div><div style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Ajuga reptans</span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTp4uaSPzN8kpe9FfE_ftmy7yz_9LeesPqarQ_pDm3W6DETUuzjc21u2DRuoikG5_W-9kd9H-cfmN5a-KrBVZImekjK47qA7ZGr25iAjiZ5uuuP6F86GQ-x8b0RrWL8PazSihh0E6930/s2010/IMG_6908.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2010" data-original-width="1469" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlTp4uaSPzN8kpe9FfE_ftmy7yz_9LeesPqarQ_pDm3W6DETUuzjc21u2DRuoikG5_W-9kd9H-cfmN5a-KrBVZImekjK47qA7ZGr25iAjiZ5uuuP6F86GQ-x8b0RrWL8PazSihh0E6930/w468-h640/IMG_6908.jpg" width="468" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The colorful foliage is a delight in itself before bursting with a profusion of purple.</span></div></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOyRxLwanljQVpqXfoAn8PZ6br3HQXaNP3kfiha9AOOt1DiDxzdbWEe-9mEzp7vrLJGWcYfGwAq_DRHK7HC91SVWjGxnN6OCn9YPTlAsdi81PGQ_Q_DBMuMk3IUM8W6AQ8m1z_oaWbi0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOyRxLwanljQVpqXfoAn8PZ6br3HQXaNP3kfiha9AOOt1DiDxzdbWEe-9mEzp7vrLJGWcYfGwAq_DRHK7HC91SVWjGxnN6OCn9YPTlAsdi81PGQ_Q_DBMuMk3IUM8W6AQ8m1z_oaWbi0/w640-h480/DSCN4014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">This variety of Ajuga has endured for decades!</span><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nCQVvgyQfJpWPZZUj1kBCAcgSQ3RygJNZxL-0WoPp5Kco-mZ3m3LTy9zvizyIkKDGPzCPB1CIc0trXgs04Ypo3ih2sCWckhdeMK4mZejrpRMXl3MJaX16-1C587lTao7WctAXp2kmb0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1450" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6nCQVvgyQfJpWPZZUj1kBCAcgSQ3RygJNZxL-0WoPp5Kco-mZ3m3LTy9zvizyIkKDGPzCPB1CIc0trXgs04Ypo3ih2sCWckhdeMK4mZejrpRMXl3MJaX16-1C587lTao7WctAXp2kmb0/w453-h640/IMG_1423.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">ARABIS (ROCK CRESS, SNOWCAP, WALL CRESS)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Arabis Alpina 'Snowcap'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkS9qrsFzfRljYxbrYL34sWb-XmKCrjmJZu8Uk13kBSpplLsXdW4eDgKXdUu0EXsmb09AXAlvCW1bA7Zb9hI0Hp_oSj_WR8faFJuvvBLXQto7bmTi1SjPue9xWVWH6ia5n9FrjFGUb0rU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1520" data-original-width="1518" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkS9qrsFzfRljYxbrYL34sWb-XmKCrjmJZu8Uk13kBSpplLsXdW4eDgKXdUu0EXsmb09AXAlvCW1bA7Zb9hI0Hp_oSj_WR8faFJuvvBLXQto7bmTi1SjPue9xWVWH6ia5n9FrjFGUb0rU/w640-h640/DSC04565.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It was impossible not to notice the white ground cover filling and surrounding the rock walls bordering Dave Harnum's home. So plentiful and vibrant! It was nearly four decades ago that Dave generously dug up and handed over several large clumps. Dave's WHITE ARABIS has been growing in our gardens ever since. </span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">Years later, I started about two dozen ARABIS plants from seeds in 4" pots. I planted them in the newly renovated upper area in the photo below. Seeds dropped and the lower row grew below the original upper plants. This is how it looked by late spring of the third year.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NRsB1-KWQoLSOTXMvciHOA_nhybzhwFhWnEuV7RStD_MbjCFlUiMnvwkG27CH_16UHk3QzHaQbqki5nAMD8u-YcNWrBXNsQNJgXWXKF6V41p2KGtEtRW3QiB9O8xnTbm_UnDeEa4pwc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="2048" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9NRsB1-KWQoLSOTXMvciHOA_nhybzhwFhWnEuV7RStD_MbjCFlUiMnvwkG27CH_16UHk3QzHaQbqki5nAMD8u-YcNWrBXNsQNJgXWXKF6V41p2KGtEtRW3QiB9O8xnTbm_UnDeEa4pwc/w640-h402/img045.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">ARABIS is usually in full bloom throughout the month of May. We were doing some May weeding in the photo below. Notice the black cloth? We sometimes temporarily lay a black construction cloth over some of our garden pathways to hold back weeds. </span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfcIXutSDFXiZK1HVBJByCdoFZu3taV-Mcq6BOYDhVa7MaafwPzRjIYX51SyWV2MgbEdwTYU82tYTAIuvAKjxnQzDWE6s3UZvBwKvHo01J-eLHShvIST63A_oJtixa8Azy6RUBDZrTq8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1302" data-original-width="2048" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDfcIXutSDFXiZK1HVBJByCdoFZu3taV-Mcq6BOYDhVa7MaafwPzRjIYX51SyWV2MgbEdwTYU82tYTAIuvAKjxnQzDWE6s3UZvBwKvHo01J-eLHShvIST63A_oJtixa8Azy6RUBDZrTq8/w640-h406/DSCN3985.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">ARABIS plants drop mature seeds like crazy. The seeds are so tiny and lightweight that some apparently get blown around a bit. Seeds sprout on their own and new plants appear each spring below healthy plants and in random locations throughout the gardens. We always seem to have plenty of little WHITE ARABIS volunteers for sharing. They are usually simple to remove and are not intrusive.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYlgf-sh-YJT04Q6K_3A8ab_cPQcbj8UXQOAsbqc4VKJiXup6NQDplT4dL_pFL_yVyE_QvPllX4J7QiE3oyEpHQiM2h51ZDwo_lTcdMlkk-gGgs1Vab7ITOzS_Ol6Ap8mQYWmtkFvACI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2008" data-original-width="2048" height="627" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJYlgf-sh-YJT04Q6K_3A8ab_cPQcbj8UXQOAsbqc4VKJiXup6NQDplT4dL_pFL_yVyE_QvPllX4J7QiE3oyEpHQiM2h51ZDwo_lTcdMlkk-gGgs1Vab7ITOzS_Ol6Ap8mQYWmtkFvACI/w640-h627/IMG_0917.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I love it when seeds drop down from the ARABIS growing in some of our tallest rock walls. Instead of waterfalls, we have flowerfalls.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8y_dKMRyFJLTTOc_BC8NjIaDMgpe6fnkK8s7xMTmfcvKu9tGKuJ0jBKI2tpb8ITibAueYRVbhWNqsWg2RVcl3weqKL_nGKGVvu3Q_TSWIVbXHIplndjCf7NjaNGFibALxdKTkAi40jQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2548" data-original-width="1234" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-8y_dKMRyFJLTTOc_BC8NjIaDMgpe6fnkK8s7xMTmfcvKu9tGKuJ0jBKI2tpb8ITibAueYRVbhWNqsWg2RVcl3weqKL_nGKGVvu3Q_TSWIVbXHIplndjCf7NjaNGFibALxdKTkAi40jQ/w309-h640/DSCN3955.jpg" width="309" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">No question that ARABIS is a good choice for Sitka gardens. Look at how dense the flowers have grown. This seems to occur regularly in the rock walls built with vegetable beds above. The fertile soil in the vegetable beds apparently leaches down and nourishes the plants growing in the walls. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh145lqqmwWnIcZqdFsFHwtL2Hf_rvibhLKRZGXyPz5qhjXBHevnvecG9z7IfHGAxbB_3ocay2Ri4jTHpLOk95X2aw6rK4IMFVueWLiPA1mkSJ_zqZQ-lPaNVO7Jy3qO3FczWCxfBiwMmE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1490" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh145lqqmwWnIcZqdFsFHwtL2Hf_rvibhLKRZGXyPz5qhjXBHevnvecG9z7IfHGAxbB_3ocay2Ri4jTHpLOk95X2aw6rK4IMFVueWLiPA1mkSJ_zqZQ-lPaNVO7Jy3qO3FczWCxfBiwMmE/w467-h640/DSCN3977+2.jpg" width="467" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;">After about a month of bloom, the ARABIS petals die off and drift away from the plants. Tiny seed pods begin to develop. They resemble pea pods. The green leaves of the ARABIS remain quite attractive and healthy as the plant grows and spreads itself throughout the summer and into fall.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">We have also grown ARABIS in various shades of pink.</div><div style="text-align: left;">Sad to say they have never been as exuberant as the white:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">Arabis x arendsii 'Compinkie'</div><div style="text-align: left;">Arabis alpina 'Rose'</div><div style="text-align: left;">Arabis blepharophylla 'Spring Charm'</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">ARMERIA (SEA THRIFT)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Armeria 'Dusseldorf Pride'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoJi9q04PKdzxntQcxZeqDcvWlgWpyvLf41H46rkZ0hiLhwPHupitgWMvXdKskPA-qpjNdhcwhzrtLruVuAtpSUZ2nts0QX9p4zEzjrQ9dVOb5QjdTJsnsQUn6OxCyepyvKFkorb_oXo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1684" data-original-width="2048" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigoJi9q04PKdzxntQcxZeqDcvWlgWpyvLf41H46rkZ0hiLhwPHupitgWMvXdKskPA-qpjNdhcwhzrtLruVuAtpSUZ2nts0QX9p4zEzjrQ9dVOb5QjdTJsnsQUn6OxCyepyvKFkorb_oXo/w640-h526/IMG_6961.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvjFrq5AvH8VLKOWDhSEpYKIcVyzRajWHXi5T_Y-5W7KYDw1db3rQPFXwqDPT90RcmreQKGzv2tlvowP-qTpsrWN3EgFAGG-loZx74aduPnBDTHy1J3XKIp49pOWgExUQtHQu16fcsbM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1519" data-original-width="2048" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtvjFrq5AvH8VLKOWDhSEpYKIcVyzRajWHXi5T_Y-5W7KYDw1db3rQPFXwqDPT90RcmreQKGzv2tlvowP-qTpsrWN3EgFAGG-loZx74aduPnBDTHy1J3XKIp49pOWgExUQtHQu16fcsbM/w640-h474/DSCN8069.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Although it is said to prefer sun, ARMERIA has held up well through the cloudiest and rainiest of summers!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It continuously blooms especially well all summer if you deadhead the spent blooms.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">ASTER</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Aster oblogifolius "Raydon's Favorite'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb70vC7F6wUFnhvjszUGqsQsA42-sSOfuH5AurwK611wsuuH7YdMfiR5UixHo55j8o6nXjcmZE1T_80pPuBe7-SWyn7vLEXljZVzsEHmWUWERo7lelNjb0dG4UV6F5mJMjdOPMSiNFjac/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1457" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb70vC7F6wUFnhvjszUGqsQsA42-sSOfuH5AurwK611wsuuH7YdMfiR5UixHo55j8o6nXjcmZE1T_80pPuBe7-SWyn7vLEXljZVzsEHmWUWERo7lelNjb0dG4UV6F5mJMjdOPMSiNFjac/w456-h640/IMG_4638.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>These ASTERS were a pleasant surprise. They arrived uninvited. Sometimes seeds or roots hitch a ride in with other imports. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3czP17EPIDDwngeQrm6rY7OVUsEjHD5unGmnwXrsjIf8KdcC72P9HfSlxcAX291GCx0ptdamOvQEdyUcUB3xkhjmhxurJaVYm-vBE2AtCzhsDX4mgxDl2IXVhjQ8z4g5y5Orgft0wzlY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2030" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3czP17EPIDDwngeQrm6rY7OVUsEjHD5unGmnwXrsjIf8KdcC72P9HfSlxcAX291GCx0ptdamOvQEdyUcUB3xkhjmhxurJaVYm-vBE2AtCzhsDX4mgxDl2IXVhjQ8z4g5y5Orgft0wzlY/w635-h640/IMG_4639.jpg" width="635" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Best to be thoughtful about where you plant this ground cover. Although attractive, this ASTER is quick to spread and is intrusive with roots that are difficult to eliminate.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7z124Cil9_2YhKbyQya4Yob5kyL_y3979ZYyyXMW3XSOfT8wR51jyRTGxmBDcqMkZUa8cDAwvxHw8euJ1pnXGdvyRAX88I3i9mzz8dZGYYF1DU_zrdTvR-jZ1rtd44Q77cj_dEN8Ric/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1981" data-original-width="2048" height="619" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy7z124Cil9_2YhKbyQya4Yob5kyL_y3979ZYyyXMW3XSOfT8wR51jyRTGxmBDcqMkZUa8cDAwvxHw8euJ1pnXGdvyRAX88I3i9mzz8dZGYYF1DU_zrdTvR-jZ1rtd44Q77cj_dEN8Ric/w640-h619/DSC03975.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">AUBRIETA</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Aubrieta x cultorum 'Novalis Blue'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-17EDjkbqlocxhKcgFQaHvJB6zTvkZk7yFZbtUr9VKkD71cHdWLz2xaalS6eVTU8ZKszlD7yh_mecvC1xF_YAnYm28MBvzmY1_x99Zci3ldVriAzruxPmoRyUKL4l98eXZfIT44rHeMo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1457" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-17EDjkbqlocxhKcgFQaHvJB6zTvkZk7yFZbtUr9VKkD71cHdWLz2xaalS6eVTU8ZKszlD7yh_mecvC1xF_YAnYm28MBvzmY1_x99Zci3ldVriAzruxPmoRyUKL4l98eXZfIT44rHeMo/w456-h640/IMG_6034.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I know. It is not blue. Sometimes it leans towards a shade of blue depending on the lighting.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">When my husband built a rock wall where our property meets the road, I thought it would be a good idea to plant something colorful in the spaces between the rocks. I found AUBRIETA 'Novalis Blue' for sale in 4" pots in a local plant shop. I bought a flat.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCZDco64gIKfWSZmA_1fSVDRxuJWXG0mCgq3yx8Sjfmhi6azhTzk-kVxmtFU1VXFDLvgEtVi-ehbGS0QZ37cFJ_qN3zJ7jIs4JsipcO1U6cb57oSQcItUc1U6pGf-_sf6SI2BZ-ZFAT8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="375" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbCZDco64gIKfWSZmA_1fSVDRxuJWXG0mCgq3yx8Sjfmhi6azhTzk-kVxmtFU1VXFDLvgEtVi-ehbGS0QZ37cFJ_qN3zJ7jIs4JsipcO1U6cb57oSQcItUc1U6pGf-_sf6SI2BZ-ZFAT8/w501-h640/58c1%255B1%255D.jpg" width="501" /></a></div><br />They were perfect in every way... except that the first few years they were plagued by slugs and aphids. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Hmmm. I am not one to pamper plants.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Come summer of the fourth year, I decided I would replace AUBRIETA with less needy plants. Surprise! Upon close inspection, there were no slugs or aphids! AUBRIETA must have overwhelmed the enemy somehow? The </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">AUBRIETA have remained healthy, fit and pest free for decades. <br /><br />Over the past few years, WHITE ARABIS has found its way into some of the spaces in the AUBRIETA wall. Both ARABIS and AUBRIETA begin to bloom in May. The AUBRIETA bloom endures quite a bit longer than the ARABIS.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZsC_1X9UGMLcxl3N1g_cPn_QEZL7Ww7WF71Br6YM9DykZ_svj8k7ScR3b4oeKRo2mu2xZA83dQ7NlHFlnH_UPvmfEyjfK_CVgUtAd-55qdXkK_Iw_flhJHxu_ey2Ze5HXHcE-uYUec4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1072" data-original-width="2934" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNZsC_1X9UGMLcxl3N1g_cPn_QEZL7Ww7WF71Br6YM9DykZ_svj8k7ScR3b4oeKRo2mu2xZA83dQ7NlHFlnH_UPvmfEyjfK_CVgUtAd-55qdXkK_Iw_flhJHxu_ey2Ze5HXHcE-uYUec4/w640-h234/DSCN3996.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">CARNATIONS (DIANTHUS)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Small flowers... packed with fragrance!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Dianthus caryophyllus 'Grenadin Pink'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJV2KXwMb8fa6Rr-RmR3tLPlZ8QV_C2hF0_yXTjL19QvzgiOqmF2MDgMpZSnoJ9CeYVqyh-pejksP4cOCxLrvPOVFYnjLXYunPGObsUeopC6FYnBcBusr8tdt9h_dXV9b9B6KHkjDfxU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2045" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkJV2KXwMb8fa6Rr-RmR3tLPlZ8QV_C2hF0_yXTjL19QvzgiOqmF2MDgMpZSnoJ9CeYVqyh-pejksP4cOCxLrvPOVFYnjLXYunPGObsUeopC6FYnBcBusr8tdt9h_dXV9b9B6KHkjDfxU/w640-h640/P1000749.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Dianthus chinensis</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zToCmLW7L91njX32PhLmFy0pJ2Pg-gQLN008phRVATZW8JZPLGETQHLKyEzXzCR_jnGJZv26kMtyBnTlJlNkfPLBvMaCqLPl5oP7IJNcP06mBA2pnNuXIprUEhCRJdZaO-rNz8OdyZY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7zToCmLW7L91njX32PhLmFy0pJ2Pg-gQLN008phRVATZW8JZPLGETQHLKyEzXzCR_jnGJZv26kMtyBnTlJlNkfPLBvMaCqLPl5oP7IJNcP06mBA2pnNuXIprUEhCRJdZaO-rNz8OdyZY/w480-h640/IMG_7037.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">What a surprise to see the small plant I stuck inside a space in a rock wall grow and spread so beautifully.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXw0FYg6lKZk1TQ1k1kaYEmw3zFmHQlzpPrsEamW240SS5W_86HmgKbU7h_nuCvIfGfko1M_45Q3C26sfnQO3ks5DeLqamuJHunIHWY-NMBg6-TfE5uthjTN1ceZbH4Baus5FDtaJVcI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1276" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZXw0FYg6lKZk1TQ1k1kaYEmw3zFmHQlzpPrsEamW240SS5W_86HmgKbU7h_nuCvIfGfko1M_45Q3C26sfnQO3ks5DeLqamuJHunIHWY-NMBg6-TfE5uthjTN1ceZbH4Baus5FDtaJVcI/w400-h640/IMG_6228+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Dianthus plumarius 'Clove Pink'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3t2EMcdi4-XZZt90ahl7aQQYMB8gbxyyUFUgyxegt4QeAsiX5Bvbx7mcdOlU997BUa90sfvvFpFimhFtB37fA8Ue9Kfg3ujMNyJcKrPm1oyethqKKYIH2l4pfdiYi167gl47zmKbCqw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="344" data-original-width="480" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh3t2EMcdi4-XZZt90ahl7aQQYMB8gbxyyUFUgyxegt4QeAsiX5Bvbx7mcdOlU997BUa90sfvvFpFimhFtB37fA8Ue9Kfg3ujMNyJcKrPm1oyethqKKYIH2l4pfdiYi167gl47zmKbCqw/w640-h458/a316%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">ENGLISH DAISY</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Bellis perrenis</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLduR6IEXCnUy7n7r3ELNHEp64sHNVqr_YFT1IiSCjMcT4xwzzK82MTbt1bTyGbo-jhqHeb_6XDzPyM4UnESEemlcj5uJMSF1prdsH5YjlsimlBJGgtWK9xJSRBa3rlVLmnymWc93bqA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1629" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPLduR6IEXCnUy7n7r3ELNHEp64sHNVqr_YFT1IiSCjMcT4xwzzK82MTbt1bTyGbo-jhqHeb_6XDzPyM4UnESEemlcj5uJMSF1prdsH5YjlsimlBJGgtWK9xJSRBa3rlVLmnymWc93bqA/w509-h640/IMG_3617.jpg" width="509" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7jZwgxij7UEfqC9CZKKT_pFe2Do_Q36g7SFjdt9MAxRIUp63p1w4qtByrs6tglzj-TeYenP5pe0wHiD7odOMAGcgiV5XNWcSUECSVCm7o4yrvIiBte6nvTvFBCkbuJiaA9HEau53DxQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1096" data-original-width="1583" height="444" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEic7jZwgxij7UEfqC9CZKKT_pFe2Do_Q36g7SFjdt9MAxRIUp63p1w4qtByrs6tglzj-TeYenP5pe0wHiD7odOMAGcgiV5XNWcSUECSVCm7o4yrvIiBte6nvTvFBCkbuJiaA9HEau53DxQ/w640-h444/IMG_4272.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br />Bellis perennis 'Pomponette'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBe-lTlvLxCFWlp00gp530vC7tG6fuV7QvVoY81wCJPtZTOc-rXekJoWQTofgKUV5er99SFsal647RWYijPpXaKDXe3jhW5wYT12b5wLpLK3FUi608bVJ-TPg8nrCl1GcHRqDgjgXZvo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDBe-lTlvLxCFWlp00gp530vC7tG6fuV7QvVoY81wCJPtZTOc-rXekJoWQTofgKUV5er99SFsal647RWYijPpXaKDXe3jhW5wYT12b5wLpLK3FUi608bVJ-TPg8nrCl1GcHRqDgjgXZvo/w640-h480/P1000539.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCqQgpec2XiNzUX7cS2kKhH_snqK4ncHhQ3FLOVcgdQs8Zwnp1IGc4E2IXJT4dDbqWIUungEMsQ6JaGJwYuFWNhlH40tjHhP2WwTKzmCbJ-3MEqv1Y0aADFj86IMn7gfLd4xVgmGht4Y/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDCqQgpec2XiNzUX7cS2kKhH_snqK4ncHhQ3FLOVcgdQs8Zwnp1IGc4E2IXJT4dDbqWIUungEMsQ6JaGJwYuFWNhlH40tjHhP2WwTKzmCbJ-3MEqv1Y0aADFj86IMn7gfLd4xVgmGht4Y/w640-h480/DSC04648.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNs1SZ6jxEQ8Ck3OQqviQSi6rih452YUFE8HebvBaYdc34ofHdqEk6tWU6DOwggCWibNmB8nJV11VRV78dZYfuymI1y19rHrjsta1NQG5VgeSZFNCenQgmPDflNd32gBHS1q0oMpjqcis/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNs1SZ6jxEQ8Ck3OQqviQSi6rih452YUFE8HebvBaYdc34ofHdqEk6tWU6DOwggCWibNmB8nJV11VRV78dZYfuymI1y19rHrjsta1NQG5VgeSZFNCenQgmPDflNd32gBHS1q0oMpjqcis/w640-h480/DSC04649.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />Some ENGLISH DAISY plants survive the winter. But even if they do not, the seeds drop and countless tiny plants show up each spring in its place. If there is an abundance of tiny, new plants, best to thin them out. Plant the extras in another location. Last year I used the extras to start a patch near the road under a rose bush. I am curious to see how they look this spring.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKCGWu4V96a22YLjGdBAs1qswmwLzyf8Y6aMrVTP-LilRi26-O0XeaFP__sFGyqHxdrmliY1_urgedeQjP18b2CIwNPZbNh1l3lgDZ2_ieFsdgYgN5DtoBUj0uuTJ-9jUJv5LIgxdmTE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1663" data-original-width="2048" height="519" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRKCGWu4V96a22YLjGdBAs1qswmwLzyf8Y6aMrVTP-LilRi26-O0XeaFP__sFGyqHxdrmliY1_urgedeQjP18b2CIwNPZbNh1l3lgDZ2_ieFsdgYgN5DtoBUj0uuTJ-9jUJv5LIgxdmTE/w640-h519/IMG_1595.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Also, if time allows, I often pinch off the first show of buds. This can give the plants a chance to amass roots, fill out and then produce a larger number of larger blooms.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">HENS AND CHICKS</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Sempervivum </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">We have had a wide variety of HENS AND CHICKS growing in our gardens. I lost track of the names but have a few photos to share. The flowers are often strangely beautiful on thick, tall stems:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZEac3G1rzLaVcdEipgnB4jsVx1_d60b0FvVUBcDuJ0DuqnO9g_QNfkVW5w2d-kNQJfic7ZP-d8xWCXQf9LhFxDDwtb-GYByzLOR4jfK_lT-tNNsbIki9AIS01CvFtCydYEsr11FhkDI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1691" data-original-width="2048" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWZEac3G1rzLaVcdEipgnB4jsVx1_d60b0FvVUBcDuJ0DuqnO9g_QNfkVW5w2d-kNQJfic7ZP-d8xWCXQf9LhFxDDwtb-GYByzLOR4jfK_lT-tNNsbIki9AIS01CvFtCydYEsr11FhkDI/w640-h528/DSCN3959.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLa9YiiEd5CmEcdeaM54cYarnxswa_xRenZYBt1XW1jj5C-LXBKSrLg2si5DX3vUskPgp_XLLZw7PqbRQbBbaBdMUjYYieO2RJvRBDKRzeHNQKtTjEi-wH5rLDkkm5Ci_gkTtKBZGkyU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDLa9YiiEd5CmEcdeaM54cYarnxswa_xRenZYBt1XW1jj5C-LXBKSrLg2si5DX3vUskPgp_XLLZw7PqbRQbBbaBdMUjYYieO2RJvRBDKRzeHNQKtTjEi-wH5rLDkkm5Ci_gkTtKBZGkyU/w480-h640/IMG_1643.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKkkXaiAz5vyFAfQokoH72M-f03qO1ImWmQrCipMxIAEBZH2athyphenhyphen4l28EQnSO6ui4kR_jB6FyQ3s1hx9xKT4PxsD1flYzgxBlbGtiUtiXdOxDyX-_gggr0l-MTy2r9Bpu0h2b6704a68/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwKkkXaiAz5vyFAfQokoH72M-f03qO1ImWmQrCipMxIAEBZH2athyphenhyphen4l28EQnSO6ui4kR_jB6FyQ3s1hx9xKT4PxsD1flYzgxBlbGtiUtiXdOxDyX-_gggr0l-MTy2r9Bpu0h2b6704a68/w480-h640/IMG_8145.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ux81Z3cLvluXiki20ZnvtQejGybcxKgllYKTticH_6Jyh3q6P0bEfyQHlQnMnI8N4knn4HFam4nmTTta02Kppr_dDiPeNQ-_Fh3QiI4E2dN_FdfUgH8d39Yj7PtggUmDIjLlCg47pWc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1812" data-original-width="2048" height="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ux81Z3cLvluXiki20ZnvtQejGybcxKgllYKTticH_6Jyh3q6P0bEfyQHlQnMnI8N4knn4HFam4nmTTta02Kppr_dDiPeNQ-_Fh3QiI4E2dN_FdfUgH8d39Yj7PtggUmDIjLlCg47pWc/w640-h567/DSCN4172.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kdCBY1BlvJl-mIBMc8J3j1i3UzzPGN-G5zf-o9UeqKT7qgkYn4hE3YpdaaCf8SZkl0JNegAT5JjWipaPkAVFfzMzCJirrcPqPBLTtQG-x7mdJ4onslJN5TCr54-0_A-_tjoe2Ht7x2k/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8kdCBY1BlvJl-mIBMc8J3j1i3UzzPGN-G5zf-o9UeqKT7qgkYn4hE3YpdaaCf8SZkl0JNegAT5JjWipaPkAVFfzMzCJirrcPqPBLTtQG-x7mdJ4onslJN5TCr54-0_A-_tjoe2Ht7x2k/w480-h640/IMG_2028.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Convallaria majalis</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvlu0e1MXtUiFu2RvAe47K8YtiNBG9C1RHvjlrJyXJI6si-_xNCf2AhwE5kECnJ77ZWVUlwJTZbwYlbzIhCjV2zmrrkxSBx2_J2zRbn5OKIk0rp_Ns3GC_u-Cnvsvfkl3KfjTwTrybjA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1953" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlvlu0e1MXtUiFu2RvAe47K8YtiNBG9C1RHvjlrJyXJI6si-_xNCf2AhwE5kECnJ77ZWVUlwJTZbwYlbzIhCjV2zmrrkxSBx2_J2zRbn5OKIk0rp_Ns3GC_u-Cnvsvfkl3KfjTwTrybjA/w611-h640/DSCN0461+2.jpg" width="611" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Clothilde Bahovec was a very dear friend. Sometimes she was quite bossy and, to my surprise, it didn't bother me at all! She was a no-nonsense lady who I grew to love the same as if she were a favorite auntie. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I smile thinking about it. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Anyhow, Clothilde and I collaborated regularly with do-it-yourself projects. We were deep into plans at her place involving the selection of various chicken breeds. We were eager to raise additional chickens not only for eggs but also for meat. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Clothilde had a huge patch of shade loving LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY growing in her yard. After we completed our chicken plans, she took me aside and told me I should grow some LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY along the shady pathway to my entry door. She dug up lots of the plants and told me to bring them home. <br />I followed her directions and planted them on the north side of the house under an overhang approaching our entry door. A few years later the plants had multiplied and filled in the entire area! We now have a lengthy stretch of LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY to pass by every summer. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwu8dEwHo-mb8EuuMd6zsxHuRa78uBScW_PLh9CsFrAj-nikAZDwQPIanN8l_HUOelPx-JfWS90FEvsf9gkr3md7omOWo8zoChmfSg6OdnruYbfAnOBsGGX13u5gXX4FKb-fZp057JbI0/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1678" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwu8dEwHo-mb8EuuMd6zsxHuRa78uBScW_PLh9CsFrAj-nikAZDwQPIanN8l_HUOelPx-JfWS90FEvsf9gkr3md7omOWo8zoChmfSg6OdnruYbfAnOBsGGX13u5gXX4FKb-fZp057JbI0/w525-h640/DSC04613.jpg" width="525" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY growing around and under PEONIES <br />and below a WISTERIA VINE.</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br />And what a delight it is to pass by LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY when it is in bloom! The light, fresh fragrance brings to mind youthful years when I would occasionally buy this one perfume named Muguet de Bois. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Muguet de Bois translates to LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Once established, LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY plants multiply. Each plant yields a stem of tiny, bell-shaped flowers. It is a unique experience being immersed in fragrance while picking these flowers in their prime. Makes me swoon.</span><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv5jfPDCJlMvDzsVd1QWt4oGaYeAraaouM_-ZzmmBrb4yZX49kTwm8mx4sC3XexM1BH4lGcc4axLJf9N94DfgQywFJDZzaih2BdpjhTjPe05jooeyNYYATnzrCSjnIrvIuFXmjf-iEHc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv5jfPDCJlMvDzsVd1QWt4oGaYeAraaouM_-ZzmmBrb4yZX49kTwm8mx4sC3XexM1BH4lGcc4axLJf9N94DfgQywFJDZzaih2BdpjhTjPe05jooeyNYYATnzrCSjnIrvIuFXmjf-iEHc/w480-h640/IMG_7963.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: large;">After filling a bucket or two, I make up several bouquets to share with friends, relatives and neighbors. I offer encouragement to set the bouquet bedside. I am pretty sure LILY-OF-THE-VALLEY induces sweet dreams.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pkoFo_v2R_VFJ3FBi5ZYUFWOo37AVZFiUU0Hqb_70zXtFTjkZKkA03JSoGyeiKbyygj9UiUEa-a6hqhFjdCF-wY6906Lz-iEEWXDjhrVhn7Zd-WN3ETtnbAJe6rELw5V0KXlE2X7iwM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1814" data-original-width="2048" height="567" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8pkoFo_v2R_VFJ3FBi5ZYUFWOo37AVZFiUU0Hqb_70zXtFTjkZKkA03JSoGyeiKbyygj9UiUEa-a6hqhFjdCF-wY6906Lz-iEEWXDjhrVhn7Zd-WN3ETtnbAJe6rELw5V0KXlE2X7iwM/w640-h567/IMG_6986.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><br />Of course I keep a few bouquets for our own home.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbR1x-EkQZz-M0xOWoXU7GQ0xAWp6hXSyS9A0gR8uhWB-9Azy_C-qehMFi_F8GuKg_bapdnuEH3ycyponp7wuvEiEKEoabMj7KL9SkH4lL3zwI55beAtiXhvNPo3KxuUfJNwzbEZhmAw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1235" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVbR1x-EkQZz-M0xOWoXU7GQ0xAWp6hXSyS9A0gR8uhWB-9Azy_C-qehMFi_F8GuKg_bapdnuEH3ycyponp7wuvEiEKEoabMj7KL9SkH4lL3zwI55beAtiXhvNPo3KxuUfJNwzbEZhmAw/w640-h386/IMG_1492.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div><div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">PERSICARIA</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">PERSICARIA AFFINIS</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Persicaria affinis grows well in part sun as well as shade. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It spreads gradually and is not intrusive.</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMZXmGOvC_XXUJAYz6FVZyeKdreClQUnb9eNYwGFDQiD8qD5WdboZyjMbYREfHwsjJjb4yqnRNsIHUQNDNo-6LzXCvA7UG-wq-8NK-ilw8S1n52P8KyikquBuccavXccuDDBJLuTxye0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1737" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbMZXmGOvC_XXUJAYz6FVZyeKdreClQUnb9eNYwGFDQiD8qD5WdboZyjMbYREfHwsjJjb4yqnRNsIHUQNDNo-6LzXCvA7UG-wq-8NK-ilw8S1n52P8KyikquBuccavXccuDDBJLuTxye0/w544-h640/DSC00642.jpg" width="544" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">PERSICARIA MICROCEPHALA</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91DjWC0mmrWWhAG2BaGxzyAVG0A4fP2uxJuBh1iyvpyEPDNXsCyaKVIyP30irNNWd2YZ9vHJ1jABKTIGHcsokyAiHM27RRTnjub26yKOjm4-qiseQBBuoTvXLcp6jrF1Gem-xeREEPHI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg91DjWC0mmrWWhAG2BaGxzyAVG0A4fP2uxJuBh1iyvpyEPDNXsCyaKVIyP30irNNWd2YZ9vHJ1jABKTIGHcsokyAiHM27RRTnjub26yKOjm4-qiseQBBuoTvXLcp6jrF1Gem-xeREEPHI/w480-h640/IMG_2440.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Persicaria microcephala, on the other hand, spreads rapidly and is extremely intrusive. It is difficult to eliminate roots if this ground cover intrudes where it is not welcome.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcigg2gjoke4ChLOQAqvTDuRUMlQTR38llPW5de1XggD0uDLtIpLDDX__Jt5wIe7Gtnx5x3luJF_nDeP3eaAEh9C-b3GF9fbfZK1i2uKcJx3bzRknw7WMVU5-mfG8_-U9gZYXfv9S10Yg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1634" data-original-width="2048" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcigg2gjoke4ChLOQAqvTDuRUMlQTR38llPW5de1XggD0uDLtIpLDDX__Jt5wIe7Gtnx5x3luJF_nDeP3eaAEh9C-b3GF9fbfZK1i2uKcJx3bzRknw7WMVU5-mfG8_-U9gZYXfv9S10Yg/w640-h510/IMG_2435.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Lucky for me, just by chance I planted it in a contained area. Three years later, it filled the area. It overwhelmed all plants in its path.</span><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelwzCfGDHkFgq6pY2IFPcnkGiP1j-kMiQz9MbmJWof2UeRevijzKPRhohsoDGDz57B6WBzJJFhl7s5l9RUrR29qDwibc6pIwcgXSEvDMc0q9lZbLZOz2LXVLpV57A6vT3AIIZS61qdp0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1069" data-original-width="2048" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgelwzCfGDHkFgq6pY2IFPcnkGiP1j-kMiQz9MbmJWof2UeRevijzKPRhohsoDGDz57B6WBzJJFhl7s5l9RUrR29qDwibc6pIwcgXSEvDMc0q9lZbLZOz2LXVLpV57A6vT3AIIZS61qdp0/w640-h334/DSCN8052.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Because Persicaria microcephala is a uniquely beautiful ground cover, it is irresistible to include it in gardens. But, it definitely needs careful placement. Probably best in a container.</span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">POLKA DOT PLANT (BETHLEHEM SAGE)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Pulmonaria saccharata</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaVW_1tMcLiq9_oti8Q-dwTBgwFkxhLNYtvZ7caJOAveU-v5uNvlIs6P-ifdbq55lE__BoaSE2Z8giPMks_tXRGbN9rPV1l3GQxjU9zS38SP902k-zD0iCfzC51vG2t4B1iqwA_6UM8A/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2006" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipaVW_1tMcLiq9_oti8Q-dwTBgwFkxhLNYtvZ7caJOAveU-v5uNvlIs6P-ifdbq55lE__BoaSE2Z8giPMks_tXRGbN9rPV1l3GQxjU9zS38SP902k-zD0iCfzC51vG2t4B1iqwA_6UM8A/w627-h640/DSC06200+2.jpg" width="627" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>The POLKA DOT PLANT is another welcome addition to gardens. It blooms early in the season. When the multi-colored flowers fade, the merry polka dot greens continue to grow and spread. Not intrusive.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxpBpcgvnCXJf6UH5KlQMrNCq66tNysaALygJi_VQZfbktvJfEUrsZlXgS97FcdRpsWMkGz7AwQYfwHxkN_sSkeDRRz8FRKJh5rMgPRnkZoY18bvffik2DXR7CixIlgaxkXFB75YxgYg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1555" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMxpBpcgvnCXJf6UH5KlQMrNCq66tNysaALygJi_VQZfbktvJfEUrsZlXgS97FcdRpsWMkGz7AwQYfwHxkN_sSkeDRRz8FRKJh5rMgPRnkZoY18bvffik2DXR7CixIlgaxkXFB75YxgYg/w485-h640/IMG_0771+2.jpg" width="485" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">SAXIFRAGE (ROCKFOIL)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Saxifraga arendsii</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYHNmEeJuMymt6n33lsz71XVTWBKCN_iGpuRa5zGp82TtkVoW76m_tB_gCruoW34VUVHE9Su0AX4Yr175li133Fe7bYlnXHSsDsDixe8xDefxmX4wPhlT10eAkIqwsl1QRp4Ites0zdY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1665" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpYHNmEeJuMymt6n33lsz71XVTWBKCN_iGpuRa5zGp82TtkVoW76m_tB_gCruoW34VUVHE9Su0AX4Yr175li133Fe7bYlnXHSsDsDixe8xDefxmX4wPhlT10eAkIqwsl1QRp4Ites0zdY/w520-h640/IMG_1388.jpg" width="520" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Three shades of Saxafraga arendsii in the photo below:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiU-DZ0xzbiyuWt0sVwdSIGC7E7SjTC7b2QS5-hYm7QaBH29qGBpB7XkDd1jRDi8XWD2UmkRaK31mpFmf03EMKzUlwyD05GmA7GY0WZdfQcL8q2MSdwohph8VO7pzE_Br_esNi6h3v4cg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="339" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiU-DZ0xzbiyuWt0sVwdSIGC7E7SjTC7b2QS5-hYm7QaBH29qGBpB7XkDd1jRDi8XWD2UmkRaK31mpFmf03EMKzUlwyD05GmA7GY0WZdfQcL8q2MSdwohph8VO7pzE_Br_esNi6h3v4cg/w453-h640/b748%255B1%255D.jpg" width="453" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Saxafraga urbium 'London Pride'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaOyvjLrzdJ8xoEAO0pFAVM5yVv95w1bBYgRdMPVqAyweZH_YC4H4KTXF0TVH_O6ae8202WprzTwAPlTOay17CDnl-g1PX8kxUUNltHAEfyKu-irPOoDjbYwZIn4S6SgTKOjg3_sHq8A/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1527" data-original-width="2048" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoaOyvjLrzdJ8xoEAO0pFAVM5yVv95w1bBYgRdMPVqAyweZH_YC4H4KTXF0TVH_O6ae8202WprzTwAPlTOay17CDnl-g1PX8kxUUNltHAEfyKu-irPOoDjbYwZIn4S6SgTKOjg3_sHq8A/w640-h478/DSCN3967.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>The leaves of 'London Pride' form a rose shape as seen above before sending out a stem of pale pink, tiny, star shaped flowers... <br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmgC2812U7inIp3ZJRmZkifJmLPNcYFKcwGkcEs7UaZFNYDxCBaVdvLTH1ecSNtA7ULmimJiVEmkk81cRIKN4IJVlm1CyzsyyGHZUJBh19SiANUrhTPjWE0_1KaBauRIt0Xim_vsg3Nc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicmgC2812U7inIp3ZJRmZkifJmLPNcYFKcwGkcEs7UaZFNYDxCBaVdvLTH1ecSNtA7ULmimJiVEmkk81cRIKN4IJVlm1CyzsyyGHZUJBh19SiANUrhTPjWE0_1KaBauRIt0Xim_vsg3Nc/w480-h640/IMG_1579.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">SEDUM (STONECROP)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Sedum Crassulaeceae 'Ruby Glow'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1A8JC6yFApITGZLMvpc340QWkrvG-cTrm6Jn5gzTnMmdOsupUzPYYXBckcYGVB2Oj6CIUGo6i7C6sEkQ2Cc6P6fn_urSuLUjZ3ST2FZpBCXZIoY3M7hyEpwZIHsv3zOTlZ5uz_PCmo0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="1304" height="591" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg1A8JC6yFApITGZLMvpc340QWkrvG-cTrm6Jn5gzTnMmdOsupUzPYYXBckcYGVB2Oj6CIUGo6i7C6sEkQ2Cc6P6fn_urSuLUjZ3ST2FZpBCXZIoY3M7hyEpwZIHsv3zOTlZ5uz_PCmo0/w640-h591/IMG_0116.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">'Ruby Glow' is named for the glowing flowers above so attractive to bees. Below on the left is the growth before 'Ruby Glow' blooms. Chives are on the right. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Both 'Ruby Glow' and Chives are edible.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6H2XAOZ0GjhlvQEOtU0aiSsvj9Fis_f4Chp5TmdVo7_v2P6Ww1scKUHYR4IaohSlSdXFBzMzeUN9o5Ny80WZGFHEo6q505bK_XdmEEd03mJzmec5dfVIexytkGq9qdnM8Ym6Z0Yc0-kI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="2048" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6H2XAOZ0GjhlvQEOtU0aiSsvj9Fis_f4Chp5TmdVo7_v2P6Ww1scKUHYR4IaohSlSdXFBzMzeUN9o5Ny80WZGFHEo6q505bK_XdmEEd03mJzmec5dfVIexytkGq9qdnM8Ym6Z0Yc0-kI/w640-h368/DSCN0485.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Sedum rupestre 'Angelina'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvD9BAQQgUUvbE23tHPjVc-0NgVspC2P3qrrW8flzGjA5g1gpkmzEyZdn5A7V6vrs56U68xS2y4UpF4O-tyh90lPQFydO7i7VlYVAmKfvBLkxJZUi1_j6qQcxQboI1f5OxO435rUy4wo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1828" data-original-width="2048" height="571" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKvD9BAQQgUUvbE23tHPjVc-0NgVspC2P3qrrW8flzGjA5g1gpkmzEyZdn5A7V6vrs56U68xS2y4UpF4O-tyh90lPQFydO7i7VlYVAmKfvBLkxJZUi1_j6qQcxQboI1f5OxO435rUy4wo/w640-h571/DSCN3983.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_FxBQv3UBx5VEJ7Vvl_ubewtsQ2kbHHeG6PqSAE-vp2kNKfaNVrTsh8T4fX1A-037djz4F3kY0Ey73aTyLeI8AloArOOszkz0u-peFsKSXw6SDbJi6z-IRJDcnqmIZH6gJqt3FnVb8o/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1642" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR_FxBQv3UBx5VEJ7Vvl_ubewtsQ2kbHHeG6PqSAE-vp2kNKfaNVrTsh8T4fX1A-037djz4F3kY0Ey73aTyLeI8AloArOOszkz0u-peFsKSXw6SDbJi6z-IRJDcnqmIZH6gJqt3FnVb8o/w512-h640/IMG_2881.jpg" width="512" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>'Angelina' maintains fall colors all through winter and into spring.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qN-nt7VuNur5VkwGUGi1LAh-qu87PbvhIyOxzVXWdn_d7VvI3eeoYd-BBLrbrOGLxnrJ_YZUew1yZXdCNgJ7eA0TNtz8VjrBt1GTk_uIP8loEBBEGIFsR-p8P3kSz6jBDYwNmrpq-Ow/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1237" data-original-width="2543" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1qN-nt7VuNur5VkwGUGi1LAh-qu87PbvhIyOxzVXWdn_d7VvI3eeoYd-BBLrbrOGLxnrJ_YZUew1yZXdCNgJ7eA0TNtz8VjrBt1GTk_uIP8loEBBEGIFsR-p8P3kSz6jBDYwNmrpq-Ow/w640-h312/DSCN7784.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">SILVERMOUND </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">(Artemisia schmidtiana)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVZiW679xrjOL2X-3D6hrStTUAkbK5xZuI4YW85EyAqAAGzU5gajA1Nk3oQMedYVXBRu2bBCbyUW3-MGKEHn-mgyLepkxF_-douASaDkb1CxzgM_izA_0cR-4lT6uf615kLeZyg6FVIc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1517" data-original-width="2048" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyVZiW679xrjOL2X-3D6hrStTUAkbK5xZuI4YW85EyAqAAGzU5gajA1Nk3oQMedYVXBRu2bBCbyUW3-MGKEHn-mgyLepkxF_-douASaDkb1CxzgM_izA_0cR-4lT6uf615kLeZyg6FVIc/w640-h474/IMG_1646.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>This is such an unusual ground cover. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">SILVERMOUND is indescribably soft and fluffy!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It fills an area about 3'x3' beside our LEMON BALM patch.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKlx3g43EjIDOkOOyp-8EL-Y0zLit3G7-acR9puWu11YAjM5_cbjbT2HEpjEOcmYlRMMzskbyBJ53PF0Qhup4LgtNFpjcQA31eRr7U6tXA40KM-efTMCYs4C7XFoZqizXy2Z1JsXluVk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKlx3g43EjIDOkOOyp-8EL-Y0zLit3G7-acR9puWu11YAjM5_cbjbT2HEpjEOcmYlRMMzskbyBJ53PF0Qhup4LgtNFpjcQA31eRr7U6tXA40KM-efTMCYs4C7XFoZqizXy2Z1JsXluVk/w640-h480/DSCN6820.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">SNOW-IN-SUMMER</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Cerastium tomentosum</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQOE3VsMx0dFJTYsWNesFdtP1hkcpBcptzZvyK5PB46jkEuU6rnVOHZkUFNs3Nb5s_lKUwylGzXF7PJNfGlxJg1b3uAEcmk5L2-j5XJD2oikHx8UTgRmxzPm9u_MuXyKAsRKk7apuWG4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1876" data-original-width="2048" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcQOE3VsMx0dFJTYsWNesFdtP1hkcpBcptzZvyK5PB46jkEuU6rnVOHZkUFNs3Nb5s_lKUwylGzXF7PJNfGlxJg1b3uAEcmk5L2-j5XJD2oikHx8UTgRmxzPm9u_MuXyKAsRKk7apuWG4/w640-h586/DSCN0660.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Besides sharing WHITE ARABIS, it was Dave Harnum who also had plenty of SNOW-IN-SUMMER to share with other gardeners. That's how it got its start here on our property.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWMzWe3PYUBhqEHw6x7MclKi2cHat9279xTBmotENPyQAZkHD8gPSwWB85pSibDYa09g_gOmXrquhKHvIXsNkSMeC97LZB7WEDt1h-q4To9jPtn6bsYheNdNQ1LpkaPvob6xoiKZx0Dk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1989" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWMzWe3PYUBhqEHw6x7MclKi2cHat9279xTBmotENPyQAZkHD8gPSwWB85pSibDYa09g_gOmXrquhKHvIXsNkSMeC97LZB7WEDt1h-q4To9jPtn6bsYheNdNQ1LpkaPvob6xoiKZx0Dk/w621-h640/DSC03855.jpg" width="621" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Same as the WHITE ARABIS, SNOW-IN-SUMMER spreads nicely. New starts will sometimes pop up here and there from seed. SNOW-IN-SUMMER is not intrusive. It is simple to remove if it is not welcome when it appears unexpectedly.</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpjl5_lS15BHz3yN647RWA_Z_BEyWjC3pI1_Rn7hfgoKsHoKWyLN5Wx8VfkWbw4xp_ySor6frU0bHZgHh3uURXqQ2-qVnn8O_n7AaHHUVgzI_t5s4GlXtlm8xECLG0p9oB-_ob4yD7dA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1682" data-original-width="2048" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbpjl5_lS15BHz3yN647RWA_Z_BEyWjC3pI1_Rn7hfgoKsHoKWyLN5Wx8VfkWbw4xp_ySor6frU0bHZgHh3uURXqQ2-qVnn8O_n7AaHHUVgzI_t5s4GlXtlm8xECLG0p9oB-_ob4yD7dA/w640-h526/DSC00649+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Not long after the flowers of WHITE ARABIS begin to fade, SNOW-IN-SUMMER begins to bloom. They complement each other very well. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Once established, the SNOW-IN-SUMMER bloom can be massive. A welcome surprise is the light, sweet fragrance of SNOW-IN-SUMMER when the flowers are in full bloom throughout the month June.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG44yPnJuQJxG8DMW3EpN8dwqc9V2UOaNHjfe2U54w4775Kyqy2uA3i1RcLbTS0SL4YgTBHD3NpBf86Goy-1BBXs79GhuxPEZrcZmt3iB0IZY9P4Llj3ubpH5-aY-id9jVHX19jkuDmyA/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="319" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG44yPnJuQJxG8DMW3EpN8dwqc9V2UOaNHjfe2U54w4775Kyqy2uA3i1RcLbTS0SL4YgTBHD3NpBf86Goy-1BBXs79GhuxPEZrcZmt3iB0IZY9P4Llj3ubpH5-aY-id9jVHX19jkuDmyA/w427-h640/c243%255B2%255D.jpg" width="427" /></a></div><br /><br /></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br />In the photo below, two small clumps of SNOW-IN-SUMMER were dug up from another location and planted at the top of this rock wall. It didn't take long for it to spread. The SNOW-IN-SUMMER grew on the ground at the base of the wall from seeds that dropped.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYXbTNyBXwX5SU9sHEt3H3YJSbi6oRMXtE3AmgIKWeA83e9fDCZFDm7NIwa1Md2W0KgC242j2QVRecR4NSGMrCh8XM2ZTxqotayA1asA28mi3fQ7Cvsl6VZcEFHt-0hcYax6L-WZfjiM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1174" data-original-width="2678" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEYXbTNyBXwX5SU9sHEt3H3YJSbi6oRMXtE3AmgIKWeA83e9fDCZFDm7NIwa1Md2W0KgC242j2QVRecR4NSGMrCh8XM2ZTxqotayA1asA28mi3fQ7Cvsl6VZcEFHt-0hcYax6L-WZfjiM/w640-h280/DSCN8063.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">SWEET WILLIAM</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Dianthus barbatus 'Indian Carpet'</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6psPR9VkbbxgKkYPzq_ysFPkUM2PTagylC_dGecg_q0nKko2VSPSgQfKI1o6xyckg56ePS3y5L5ns_tjCjcF7YawL6eKKEVS5N8H-zAurvRnpsIFeDKnsjN-XTr5XKKov8XwihEUsfJY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1580" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6psPR9VkbbxgKkYPzq_ysFPkUM2PTagylC_dGecg_q0nKko2VSPSgQfKI1o6xyckg56ePS3y5L5ns_tjCjcF7YawL6eKKEVS5N8H-zAurvRnpsIFeDKnsjN-XTr5XKKov8XwihEUsfJY/w493-h640/DSCN4232.jpg" width="493" /></a></div><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Sweet is right! The fragrance of this perennial, flowering ground cover is divine! <br /><br /><br />SWEET WILLIAM has been planted in our gardens in various locations. 'Indian Carpet' was a good choice for this location in and around a patch of white oriental lilies. 'Indian Carpet' is considered dwarf with a height of 8" to 12". The clusters of flowers are mixed shades of pinks and reds. The green flower heads appear in the lower section of the photo below just before the bloom. The taller stems are oriental lilies also before the bloom.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mSnV0a5oewXhmD1r2DhPVl_5cSGngzaM4-xpvCxPiEKHwd_c4d0jlYlgjFiW2n5szPICtS4MzjDBBWtToy_li9XJquw6bqyx7xmismWBth9nIRQmm_c0AJRPG0yc7NLEHsyYxojOhek/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1636" data-original-width="1919" height="545" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0mSnV0a5oewXhmD1r2DhPVl_5cSGngzaM4-xpvCxPiEKHwd_c4d0jlYlgjFiW2n5szPICtS4MzjDBBWtToy_li9XJquw6bqyx7xmismWBth9nIRQmm_c0AJRPG0yc7NLEHsyYxojOhek/w640-h545/IMG_7050+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Blooming is at its best from late June throughout July.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUOICn3pDmQzR2TMwQ-vYYSUNsxNa8gzwG5phRTkt4L7vdIPBJ8La085E3GxJqe3OOtIGqyS-oYcVaZzyN8EscuUFOOHZBAKqCtjgQaYs3n_WQI_CcbKzM4CjvHdzAX4JC6zRzUecUxs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixUOICn3pDmQzR2TMwQ-vYYSUNsxNa8gzwG5phRTkt4L7vdIPBJ8La085E3GxJqe3OOtIGqyS-oYcVaZzyN8EscuUFOOHZBAKqCtjgQaYs3n_WQI_CcbKzM4CjvHdzAX4JC6zRzUecUxs/w640-h480/DSCN4230.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>Look who showed up to enjoy the flavor of SWEET WILLIAM... a hummingbird moth! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoije5T4vkJe1WaGGOTwo9lHycCXnzh8npZRHC4ZqBC1P7LPaU3dIoJRRuh5i18kV-G7WeSakCYRUps1etea_KTkGRKj_BRt_1-uimu6UJswXWa8thni8B09ZHUo8yc1fY0vOIFUQpS8U/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="1963" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoije5T4vkJe1WaGGOTwo9lHycCXnzh8npZRHC4ZqBC1P7LPaU3dIoJRRuh5i18kV-G7WeSakCYRUps1etea_KTkGRKj_BRt_1-uimu6UJswXWa8thni8B09ZHUo8yc1fY0vOIFUQpS8U/w640-h468/IMG_1785.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">This moth (genus Hemeris) flies, moves, and sounds like a hummingbird! It unfurls its long tongue to sip the nectar from flowers. The extended tongue of the hummingbird moth is visible in the photo below:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsvPuF7YnvmRR7CPpkztStpCJ00s-TuTCn2a0GZH74UgZmTUPQc4KH7S6zB_zR34rVL8YdK0TSI_Cci6aHBmLkSh_pbPCU1PREJwWgX8CnX4u_KdWmGf5gFEM0dSJzsjnUn2X28bSpFQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2011" data-original-width="2048" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdsvPuF7YnvmRR7CPpkztStpCJ00s-TuTCn2a0GZH74UgZmTUPQc4KH7S6zB_zR34rVL8YdK0TSI_Cci6aHBmLkSh_pbPCU1PREJwWgX8CnX4u_KdWmGf5gFEM0dSJzsjnUn2X28bSpFQ/w640-h630/IMG_E1799.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">SWEET WILLIAM brightens and adds fragrance to midsummer bouquets.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjbTeB5UL9_56OkLBlGvtlATmY22fq2XwWz01RrW_HJlZAbZ6qSbc6okiXdGKG_cAzl9lXKJhV2rGN8GxGaJz77Vmg5ZHMJWnNCixsNyuLhNu3nT5_6PBLyhAvsvOXMuzuH1IaLbVcCw/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2029" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrjbTeB5UL9_56OkLBlGvtlATmY22fq2XwWz01RrW_HJlZAbZ6qSbc6okiXdGKG_cAzl9lXKJhV2rGN8GxGaJz77Vmg5ZHMJWnNCixsNyuLhNu3nT5_6PBLyhAvsvOXMuzuH1IaLbVcCw/w635-h640/DSCN2919.jpg" width="635" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SWEET WILLIAM with CANTERBURY BELLS, DELPHINIUM, MINT AND HOSTA</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25JKywncO9SrZywTv4iTmkEZzPDra5asnJMRt4HllhralHqp1fcjI5ifKIHpzSDE-CcwCeSCwpqYryfHmtst6_dvrkOZ-_HqVlD-SnALJ76nojn6gZnkaSdJe-lMmF3LVLqmqjJrra_s/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1692" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi25JKywncO9SrZywTv4iTmkEZzPDra5asnJMRt4HllhralHqp1fcjI5ifKIHpzSDE-CcwCeSCwpqYryfHmtst6_dvrkOZ-_HqVlD-SnALJ76nojn6gZnkaSdJe-lMmF3LVLqmqjJrra_s/w528-h640/IMG_1865.jpg" width="528" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SWEET WILLIAM and CANTERBURY BELLS</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">SWEET WOODRUFF</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Gallium odoratum</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PTW7JfeMRkS3pmDTioQyZ011GjSeDjizRy4GuhLoaxaR0h501sqfBx7O97lYrwKRHJhtfwsiPvaO0IVU5yj2_w79EXAqRCtL5ur-4YOe2GwbBGg2HW0iK_TZ8Mq0-O_7-KZfH4ChhtU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1426" data-original-width="1517" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9PTW7JfeMRkS3pmDTioQyZ011GjSeDjizRy4GuhLoaxaR0h501sqfBx7O97lYrwKRHJhtfwsiPvaO0IVU5yj2_w79EXAqRCtL5ur-4YOe2GwbBGg2HW0iK_TZ8Mq0-O_7-KZfH4ChhtU/w640-h602/IMG_1016.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Beth Garrison was one of my co-workers in the Sitka School District years ago. We occasionally had the opportunity to visit about gardening. Beth graciously offered to dig me up some of her SWEET WOODRUFF. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I am so grateful for the gift.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">SWEET WOODRUFF grows well in shade. This aromatic ground cover usually begins blooming with its tiny white flowers in May.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoFTDpWR5_IE_zTa3QSZ8xxvIYkG-xjHSMOFw2CpCfYKWBVh8ba_xgTvf6KVGqcUEA14JhhXKeZVJLPidu5LfAY60LTYr4X31bCmJhAu7nIkhTmyq6oo0RWl1dXUDNkyqg6CV6pjgvmQ/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1608" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuoFTDpWR5_IE_zTa3QSZ8xxvIYkG-xjHSMOFw2CpCfYKWBVh8ba_xgTvf6KVGqcUEA14JhhXKeZVJLPidu5LfAY60LTYr4X31bCmJhAu7nIkhTmyq6oo0RWl1dXUDNkyqg6CV6pjgvmQ/w501-h640/IMG_7968.jpg" width="501" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">SWEET WOODRUFF spreading and blooming <br />under and around the shade of HOSTAS</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">TWINFLOWER </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Linnaea borealis</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLBYOv2tUwaX5dyhcoBJLkarcSoi_EaoAT1xgNrre4dwHE0eoryN6pX-Nu3G-qGxPrRCk4tgubGr21SziDlZluFKarWWJ8Nna3gtY9iaY-CiLiTVqVUwdu-14R4FE_QwrUX7bXniYPCo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1512" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGLBYOv2tUwaX5dyhcoBJLkarcSoi_EaoAT1xgNrre4dwHE0eoryN6pX-Nu3G-qGxPrRCk4tgubGr21SziDlZluFKarWWJ8Nna3gtY9iaY-CiLiTVqVUwdu-14R4FE_QwrUX7bXniYPCo/w472-h640/twinflower.jpg" width="472" /></a></div>TWINFLOWER is a creeping ground cover with tiny evergreen leaves. The tiny pink, trumpet-like flowers grow in pairs at the top of the stem. TWINFLOWER grows in the wild in Sitka. It showed up unexpectedly in one of our rock walls.The glossy leaves are evergreen. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I just love this sweet, little perennial.<br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">VINCA (CREEPING MYRTLE, PERIWINKLE)</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Vinca minor</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlhIG7s8qqwK9HkPXnexcAGPWg96RnkOW3iJWnQ5_TVS2f_CSKyxndDGYrT_YXqrxFtAF1uamSqDx9hWo0CcKBerGug6i-ZG57Hz0n3LAmWGUlotF-3V_Q5Ape06Zu_MpmQ1l9Cfr6PQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1443" data-original-width="2048" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwlhIG7s8qqwK9HkPXnexcAGPWg96RnkOW3iJWnQ5_TVS2f_CSKyxndDGYrT_YXqrxFtAF1uamSqDx9hWo0CcKBerGug6i-ZG57Hz0n3LAmWGUlotF-3V_Q5Ape06Zu_MpmQ1l9Cfr6PQ/w640-h450/DSC06196.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Diana Stephens, a friend and former neighbor, had such a beautiful garden. It was truly a little wonderland loaded with unusual plants, bushes and trees. Diana lived a few doors away but has since moved out of state where she undoubtedly has designed more natural enchantment in hand with her rockhound husband. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">VINCA was growing prolifically under Diana's front deck. The evergreen leaves were bright, shiny and healthy. The lavender blue flowers were ever so merry.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnmq8495zHYG_gNtEUauu-_VFzG2aqMhc_55qix3eImxeDq9xHeqZnKZQDT5bq9CbeKZjw4wzE2__iY9VJ_t_5DDv_c_eDGzOFaVkRdMlF0YLg8kxyA6KkgBTPcE_2lsBD-IUmitC6Ok/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1969" data-original-width="2048" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfnmq8495zHYG_gNtEUauu-_VFzG2aqMhc_55qix3eImxeDq9xHeqZnKZQDT5bq9CbeKZjw4wzE2__iY9VJ_t_5DDv_c_eDGzOFaVkRdMlF0YLg8kxyA6KkgBTPcE_2lsBD-IUmitC6Ok/w640-h614/IMG_6878.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Once again, I gained a welcome addition to our gardens from a friend. Diana had generously dug out a large section of VINCA and shared it with me.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Of importance is the fact that VINCA readily spreads with trailing stems. The roots grow deep and strong and seem impossible to remove completely.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Consequently, consider VINCA an intrusive ground cover. </span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Here it is eagerly spreading out from under a rose bush. </span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyYXm3S7iEm8raemxWVg2j9rZoL6GBfUjPEll5-4qFyxxztxwALLw1-MvwcPOaih95EPTHxCG_jewLv-EpxEVwHjz8yPzhruwuJVeOpvFu5lnXqdPrhRn6H8DrJPuy7K-32GkF8i8LRg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1679" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEyYXm3S7iEm8raemxWVg2j9rZoL6GBfUjPEll5-4qFyxxztxwALLw1-MvwcPOaih95EPTHxCG_jewLv-EpxEVwHjz8yPzhruwuJVeOpvFu5lnXqdPrhRn6H8DrJPuy7K-32GkF8i8LRg/w525-h640/IMG_6877.jpg" width="525" /></a></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">VIOLA</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Viola 'Purple Showers'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOkVrguZ-U9E7NQR86w3lZfAer7N_1GxDnQkV9FniUDbKBX1WbSl7CieKM3C1OMfDOiWBIgy6RF1MV5-meJ7ItPTAl27P1w7ITqF91a7C63M7r15B_JPdOYd7NO7tG_2W41e3dl7DCF0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2014" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJOkVrguZ-U9E7NQR86w3lZfAer7N_1GxDnQkV9FniUDbKBX1WbSl7CieKM3C1OMfDOiWBIgy6RF1MV5-meJ7ItPTAl27P1w7ITqF91a7C63M7r15B_JPdOYd7NO7tG_2W41e3dl7DCF0/w629-h640/DSC04607.jpg" width="629" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Fred Bahovec was the groundskeeper at the "old" Sitka Hospital. I don't know if he was a hired groundskeeper or if it was a volunteer job. I remember the hospital well because it is where my first child was born.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Anyhow, the "old" hospital gardens were filled with beauty. One of the ground covers was the VIOLA pictured above. Before the "new" hospital was built, I was allowed to dig up a patch of the VIOLA for my own garden. After researching, it looks like this particular flower is probably Viola 'Purple Showers'.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimw0J8yWpa1a_PwaGgtrqA56yKtJw7QL6a42mF92MSJA627F1PLtXd7fWbJ20pjXp-__TkVemwiMxZqH5GouHkLbtV1lmF7pjKYXPUnsXjDFmhyfEnFSOVDZvlWea-WwAOmpDnxOTbqHM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimw0J8yWpa1a_PwaGgtrqA56yKtJw7QL6a42mF92MSJA627F1PLtXd7fWbJ20pjXp-__TkVemwiMxZqH5GouHkLbtV1lmF7pjKYXPUnsXjDFmhyfEnFSOVDZvlWea-WwAOmpDnxOTbqHM/w480-h640/IMG_4611.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div>Happy in cool, shady locations, VIOLAS do well in Sitka.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"> Violas are edible!</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">They usually have no problem surviving our winters and not only spread by root but drop seeds as well. I usually collect some mature seeds in late summer and start a few plants the next spring just to be safe.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5NcIyxjOSx9NwpJmDmH1T29CzCeyJbT5oAnqBjCk5qWeU8BEn1nDbpU-DEZdFvNeh-ft-5mH8tZuVNNqYJzNH9J_-xaWPlMtria6Zkc6DKaLIxRMDwlV3kA0_9sUE8-McyHikt3Wj5I/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1692" data-original-width="2048" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip5NcIyxjOSx9NwpJmDmH1T29CzCeyJbT5oAnqBjCk5qWeU8BEn1nDbpU-DEZdFvNeh-ft-5mH8tZuVNNqYJzNH9J_-xaWPlMtria6Zkc6DKaLIxRMDwlV3kA0_9sUE8-McyHikt3Wj5I/w640-h530/DSC05953.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><br />Below are various VIOLAS growing in our gardens:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Viola 'Blue Perfection'</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJDfppXZ1iFCznhbF8I1dS-pul4TuVTIH2VY1MJJTKBZyCfSvh5WsPrMTOGos5fj_amp9WzoYtZb0npJstBpa2no8WbXpMdWuqN59uQ-jMN5w6Pk6SQ95ZYT6utXJpPQyUgPpnLHxURc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1875" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJDfppXZ1iFCznhbF8I1dS-pul4TuVTIH2VY1MJJTKBZyCfSvh5WsPrMTOGos5fj_amp9WzoYtZb0npJstBpa2no8WbXpMdWuqN59uQ-jMN5w6Pk6SQ95ZYT6utXJpPQyUgPpnLHxURc/w587-h640/P1000752.jpg" width="587" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Viola 'Corsica'<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3AIrMokCEQVUmL4-gsDEfMF9mjivr2spLF6T4WTy9SQhvURsLes34r4INefAoX51w0cs-FijgeO5NtQRdj66tO_QbxQeHG-EHWjrFJHa_yCPVtyqxqJiHJUtKS90OP-qlf3tAYLHbs8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1472" data-original-width="2048" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz3AIrMokCEQVUmL4-gsDEfMF9mjivr2spLF6T4WTy9SQhvURsLes34r4INefAoX51w0cs-FijgeO5NtQRdj66tO_QbxQeHG-EHWjrFJHa_yCPVtyqxqJiHJUtKS90OP-qlf3tAYLHbs8/w640-h460/DSC00521.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Viola 'Etain'</span></div><div style="font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GW56RA4chinF-UhxswU8VgkUb8WthDblle9QUKBK8dzeLP7YJuEuge83Kvt2BxkfWa_Hscevd-hDvVer8nrcVm-GYetFhhzZlMpKBHKuV9X3PIxLu4uPw_5ZZhfKxfzJqgRdqooziic/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2021" data-original-width="2048" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2GW56RA4chinF-UhxswU8VgkUb8WthDblle9QUKBK8dzeLP7YJuEuge83Kvt2BxkfWa_Hscevd-hDvVer8nrcVm-GYetFhhzZlMpKBHKuV9X3PIxLu4uPw_5ZZhfKxfzJqgRdqooziic/w640-h632/DSC00640.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></div></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-size: x-large;">WILD BLEEDING HEART</span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Dicentra eximia</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvpxDbuAmV3jsZqCae0REFu6ldI53WcVb7nv6ffG143t0k7GeOcdlkW-xqlCePh4MdLRV_yndkmfr3FsMPk5jjosjgJSEHCSnyoO7UT46FSKBMFpQ6nFVySopqKPZMO9jwBmU-3GBM-0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1878" data-original-width="1491" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZvpxDbuAmV3jsZqCae0REFu6ldI53WcVb7nv6ffG143t0k7GeOcdlkW-xqlCePh4MdLRV_yndkmfr3FsMPk5jjosjgJSEHCSnyoO7UT46FSKBMFpQ6nFVySopqKPZMO9jwBmU-3GBM-0/w509-h640/IMG_1023_2.jpg" width="509" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">When our son bought a house about 15 years ago, a lilac bush needed to be moved to make way for a deck enlargement. Knowing I am so very fond of lilacs (I made sure to remind him of this), he suggested I bring the lilac home with me. Sweet child of mine.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">After the transplant, a ground cover immediately grew under and around the lilac. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">WILD BLEEDING HEART. It flowers throughout the summer.</span><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1i4b7kMvBSZy1yM95PdP5oD1xg8nYWaGl3l7xRbuye3GPhPXa3jIdgBKhJ5BvcrVlLyvQKrJZNWlGvKZLQJkJsEtM-XELPYtUUAF9G0j98ZJ5vRwwXEvtG3xu-snWGf9Jqtx32rDhQ4s/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1844" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1i4b7kMvBSZy1yM95PdP5oD1xg8nYWaGl3l7xRbuye3GPhPXa3jIdgBKhJ5BvcrVlLyvQKrJZNWlGvKZLQJkJsEtM-XELPYtUUAF9G0j98ZJ5vRwwXEvtG3xu-snWGf9Jqtx32rDhQ4s/w576-h640/DSCN4021.jpg" width="576" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The WILD BLEEDING HEART has spread out some over the years... but does not seem at all intrusive in its current shady location. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The nectar of this deer resistant ground cover is attractive to bees and hummingbirds.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I can't help but finish up with plants not ordinarily considered to be ground covers. In our gardens, mints and strawberries cover a whole lot of ground... </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">and are definitely my favorite, delicious ground covers!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">To read about <span style="color: #ff00fe;">MINTS</span> in our gardens, click on the address below:</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://sitkavores.blogspot.com/2020/03/tea-time.html">https://sitkavores.blogspot.com/2020/03/tea-time.html</a><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoLMbPzIRsLC6SFMb9rgbp7W4YI33tsZxsHM16NOa5qv5i8bZmx_JIXbaAg0ZJOvU1AIJftTJgbJj9IPHdw776_5Sp3VMd5ItW9QrCNRAHHahkFj8rLo23-EAc1pJ4F7t6AwH36l1CcY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1796" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFoLMbPzIRsLC6SFMb9rgbp7W4YI33tsZxsHM16NOa5qv5i8bZmx_JIXbaAg0ZJOvU1AIJftTJgbJj9IPHdw776_5Sp3VMd5ItW9QrCNRAHHahkFj8rLo23-EAc1pJ4F7t6AwH36l1CcY/w560-h640/DSC05961.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br /><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">To read about <span style="color: #ff00fe;">STRAWBERRIES</span> in our gardens, click on the address below:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><a href="https://sitkavores.blogspot.com/2016/04/berries.html"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">https://sitkavores.blogspot.com/2016/04/berries.html</span></a><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKPcxwEtaomcCMJZ-ZJZPQLggzhRv2okGmLEorTAd8t4Cq8qWP-c-8SRioD0jh_MSiWXJ3_IYYTa_f7cPPD485-7FZuvMe9XCazjuU2r31VAzHA-evI18TXx5G2QIJr7gVtaTyaWn0lw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="2445" height="316" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcKPcxwEtaomcCMJZ-ZJZPQLggzhRv2okGmLEorTAd8t4Cq8qWP-c-8SRioD0jh_MSiWXJ3_IYYTa_f7cPPD485-7FZuvMe9XCazjuU2r31VAzHA-evI18TXx5G2QIJr7gVtaTyaWn0lw/w640-h316/IMG_7938.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHgVluF1I6Yn3T4lRYQZ5K19NLJG_eUr40DZaQLpM-ZYc3JBuPmdUyxMsgoGirLWJEfuenuB-87k3fMHlahat0UHQcmdoe0Vvsw9vCQy3MbZfgyR4A5Mf5qc9gG4zCcScA24-axwIH_U/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtHgVluF1I6Yn3T4lRYQZ5K19NLJG_eUr40DZaQLpM-ZYc3JBuPmdUyxMsgoGirLWJEfuenuB-87k3fMHlahat0UHQcmdoe0Vvsw9vCQy3MbZfgyR4A5Mf5qc9gG4zCcScA24-axwIH_U/w640-h480/DSC06836.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-42692808092326470612021-03-05T13:14:00.008-08:002021-03-23T12:27:29.379-07:00FLOWERING BUSHES AND TREES<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaQkViPal4H6jc08pnUX48nkLctuKQ4yCsjOUicHA3XZmtzncFhUPdkCHXLNMJJDVz-RMXWxjBFtxyE95p0wxfdEab7asgUoDksM3EOpYEC9jZ-M2ZMZo3JIpBjRcexajmDUHKgfrlHM/s2048/DSC00512.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSaQkViPal4H6jc08pnUX48nkLctuKQ4yCsjOUicHA3XZmtzncFhUPdkCHXLNMJJDVz-RMXWxjBFtxyE95p0wxfdEab7asgUoDksM3EOpYEC9jZ-M2ZMZo3JIpBjRcexajmDUHKgfrlHM/w640-h480/DSC00512.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It was late summer when I first set eyes on Sitka. What a joy it was to roam all around this inviting little town. The weather was warm and sunny. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br />It did not take long to find myself a job only a short walk from home.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSofuNR9-Izedfaa8Z7yv5KufXDMiGIChpP_-hzQbYIML3VbosRmifYLHqsh89xv9ekQCGTLzLF5kVsFcnlI8SHbvOkki2ANM4MQRYc1uUI3QfLRh0exltgx9ZvxpL7Ow-q0grywlBXM/s2048/sitka-pioneer-home-photo-ray-penson-jpg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSofuNR9-Izedfaa8Z7yv5KufXDMiGIChpP_-hzQbYIML3VbosRmifYLHqsh89xv9ekQCGTLzLF5kVsFcnlI8SHbvOkki2ANM4MQRYc1uUI3QfLRh0exltgx9ZvxpL7Ow-q0grywlBXM/w640-h360/sitka-pioneer-home-photo-ray-penson-jpg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="font-size: medium;">SITKA PIONEERS HOME </span> Ray Penson</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">With that accomplished, I devised a plan to simply walk and bike to work... and anywhere else I would want to travel about town. Why bother with a car? </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Not that we could even afford a car back then. <br /><br />As it turned out, I painstakingly adhered to my walking and biking plan for the first year. </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Welcome to the rainforest! </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">After a year of getting totally soaked regardless of boots and rain gear, I changed my tune and bought a used car. <br /><br />The point here is that I did a lot of sightseeing that first year when exclusively walking and biking. What stood out in particular were the gorgeous flowering bushes and trees growing gloriously throughout the town. This climate is surprisingly ideal for many bright and colorful beauties. I tucked the thought of planting some of those bushes and trees into the back of my mind until years later.<br /><br />Years later, when I had my first child, I foresaw doing plenty of serious gardening and a whole lot of wild harvesting. Not much in the way of fresh vegetables in grocery stores back in those days. So, I started scavenging and piling up soil to get a garden patch growing.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtVk2IVNqZyXWRlviVDk16fRtVvw2O2p-FCiXAeLa1TxDGyY4HJtowlKLJLidoOTXRhzxizuCR_Iwupj41rig7gZYAqtk_Fo3ndUebTSAGsHa_1A0V0lTIfyWiYJD1AlWX9_TYeW6jk4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="678" data-original-width="515" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXtVk2IVNqZyXWRlviVDk16fRtVvw2O2p-FCiXAeLa1TxDGyY4HJtowlKLJLidoOTXRhzxizuCR_Iwupj41rig7gZYAqtk_Fo3ndUebTSAGsHa_1A0V0lTIfyWiYJD1AlWX9_TYeW6jk4/w485-h640/Scan+121320004.jpg" width="485" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">As the size of my family increased, so did the size of the gardens. Although organic edibles were the primary focus right from the start, flowers were gradually included here, there and everywhere...<br />annuals, biennials, perennials, vines, bulbs, ground covers, <i><span>bushes</span></i> and <i><span>trees</span></i>. Irresistible.</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Let's have a look at some of the healthy bushes and trees surrounding our home as well as a few in other Sitka locations... from the ordinary to the dazzling!</span></div><div><br /></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Bushes and trees are mixed together below and listed alphabetically by common names:</span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">ANGEL'S TRUMPET</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">(Brugmansia mania)</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJnEt6zRxcyszmy92Yj5wv79PHLH3xbxf5Shmig51mNaD36QChT0RMyazrwMucWebgkiIr-QqrvMhj3Y7x9RIbSYqH-qmfIdgvIo47gWGHUOzQAbvNlb9S3VZcHsusy_sXWTknVDQK_g/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1718" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtJnEt6zRxcyszmy92Yj5wv79PHLH3xbxf5Shmig51mNaD36QChT0RMyazrwMucWebgkiIr-QqrvMhj3Y7x9RIbSYqH-qmfIdgvIo47gWGHUOzQAbvNlb9S3VZcHsusy_sXWTknVDQK_g/w536-h640/DSC04310.jpg" width="536" /></a></div><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">These lovely bushes are not happy out in the open in Sitka. <br />Started from seeds in February, these two ANGEL'S TRUMPETS grew well in our covered garden.</span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8qvQ6Pa_tt0kCW4VgF-hh7-2lzmgy9TlZmZu0zRcc73Gyvyj534ZYT4WKOXclFk4HG7h90A-mTdB-AtzpiuGlYj1wjST66B_TxZZeORzdF2wS6QR2___KzTKSxpfgqHkhG299q2tV_4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1300" data-original-width="1081" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn8qvQ6Pa_tt0kCW4VgF-hh7-2lzmgy9TlZmZu0zRcc73Gyvyj534ZYT4WKOXclFk4HG7h90A-mTdB-AtzpiuGlYj1wjST66B_TxZZeORzdF2wS6QR2___KzTKSxpfgqHkhG299q2tV_4/w533-h640/DSC04281.jpg" width="533" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Research made it clear that ANGEL'S TRUMPETS prefer wintering indoors in our climate. I chose not to do this. It was simply irresistible to grow this unique and beautiful bush even if for only one season as an annual.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">AZALEA</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">(Rhododendron 'Daviesii')</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1g6koqvRTBKvZ-a-sOYAhu_TDXnISP4rm4kob8LsrPbmVKzdJkU7JFZw2LBKzD52ihcHPmhcwAa2G4Foba4498wF2zx-7C_eD0lcg7IC3rKtQ-fYKLThNdlbZ9r7KX94NtYl7G8KwQHY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1g6koqvRTBKvZ-a-sOYAhu_TDXnISP4rm4kob8LsrPbmVKzdJkU7JFZw2LBKzD52ihcHPmhcwAa2G4Foba4498wF2zx-7C_eD0lcg7IC3rKtQ-fYKLThNdlbZ9r7KX94NtYl7G8KwQHY/w480-h640/IMG_4089.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /></span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">This lovely, peachy yellow AZALEA has survived in our gardens for about thirty years. And I am delighted it has! The fragrance is incomparable. </span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnwlher1CD3LKzTCDtH0qXk8gimvyIbYVr-Tj83VPP5v47i7pRxiNsrKKK9yMAKXRoyyjiMZusbQXgX5O6J5IpUnLWpOPpduI0aSX845NH6JjvwBdhpBYPXY5WUvMqQeQ1sJu_ue5A60/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWnwlher1CD3LKzTCDtH0qXk8gimvyIbYVr-Tj83VPP5v47i7pRxiNsrKKK9yMAKXRoyyjiMZusbQXgX5O6J5IpUnLWpOPpduI0aSX845NH6JjvwBdhpBYPXY5WUvMqQeQ1sJu_ue5A60/w480-h640/IMG_4286.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div></span></div><div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">BUTTERFLY BUSH</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Buddleia davidii)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrzw_YPV8WGg6DYlTnS3Y-Y_Dpw13jokumHTKW7GRfOnlvt7yqRaXt6VGHchZOQCu9TKNB95dQrN4iX_T2fmrfvfR-akBOHxYRR4QwMc3_zVuc81IpDZ3dktQ8TU_PmgrgwMmFafFwwE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1631" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwrzw_YPV8WGg6DYlTnS3Y-Y_Dpw13jokumHTKW7GRfOnlvt7yqRaXt6VGHchZOQCu9TKNB95dQrN4iX_T2fmrfvfR-akBOHxYRR4QwMc3_zVuc81IpDZ3dktQ8TU_PmgrgwMmFafFwwE/w509-h640/IMG_7314.jpg" width="509" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">When heading home after visiting with a friend, I could not help but notice the extraordinary bush in a nearby neighbor's yard. Wow! Never before had I seen a BUTTERFLY BUSH! It was a good 12 feet tall and 10 feet wide. Upon inquiry, I learned that the owner was one of our local veterinarians. He was more than willing to let me take a cutting from the bush the next spring. A few years later, that cutting had grown into a BUTTERFLY BUSH adorning our play yard!</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZP3rdcihNGH_ja8D27bnHeJceCdm3IPf_FI9Sq-lbF9qFmmf7YdZ1aI_taiNXIiprM4-fPEH35jxcM6GVNddIgPIASxRdx-3y8Nw5j8b6RKDFpurdNJ-Jtk2u_ucZPfQKwzZIcTYby1k/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2039" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZP3rdcihNGH_ja8D27bnHeJceCdm3IPf_FI9Sq-lbF9qFmmf7YdZ1aI_taiNXIiprM4-fPEH35jxcM6GVNddIgPIASxRdx-3y8Nw5j8b6RKDFpurdNJ-Jtk2u_ucZPfQKwzZIcTYby1k/w637-h640/flowers+012.jpg" width="637" /></a></div><br /></span></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">COTONEASTER</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Cotoneaster frigidus 'Cornubia')</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NcGm6TaAhiOja2wsTVZqdjEc3DqF42P90L6eYCt3Ks1KhDQP73WVq4ZpB-CA-lwfbkgVvUtoaL0G2uM9d8IB7lY9i2CL5_V1JiTc2DK_ZrcJW41EvutJcIOaF3wIJM0MT5RQCQKTHTs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NcGm6TaAhiOja2wsTVZqdjEc3DqF42P90L6eYCt3Ks1KhDQP73WVq4ZpB-CA-lwfbkgVvUtoaL0G2uM9d8IB7lY9i2CL5_V1JiTc2DK_ZrcJW41EvutJcIOaF3wIJM0MT5RQCQKTHTs/w480-h640/IMG_5312.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">A friend dropped by with several unusual plants and starts about 15 years ago. Most of them had tags with names. This one tiny, unrecognizable, woody start did not. My friend was also clueless about it. I planted that start in one of the garden areas not far from an apple tree. For 10 years it grew no taller than 3 feet. No flowers or berries. It seemed miserable. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">Move it or toss it? </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">I moved it to a new location. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">For reasons unknown to me, in 3 short years, it branched out and grew to about 12 feet tall and 6 feet wide. Now, at the end of each season, it is covered in clusters of red berries. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">As it turns out... beautiful but poisonous berries.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrS4YLPWyEUBRkHA5DkWcHmXTI2k28LNCaiSFSTegLzFgwJiLXF-njdyuWqkXPlD0GKPRpWC6pRW6_-bhv0zbawmpBqXn0KZCmdk9DQ4SY5Zm0yIOft4FIIC-xTs34-ZkHcTa5lPGae8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrS4YLPWyEUBRkHA5DkWcHmXTI2k28LNCaiSFSTegLzFgwJiLXF-njdyuWqkXPlD0GKPRpWC6pRW6_-bhv0zbawmpBqXn0KZCmdk9DQ4SY5Zm0yIOft4FIIC-xTs34-ZkHcTa5lPGae8/w480-h640/IMG_5566.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">DAPHNE</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Daphne mezereum 'Rubra')</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-etCBAL9rfS5kcMqQLsTIqXnxPbTiFr9DyDzl76Fy2j2h567nUnESmetwa1ZFJL-1tuoRB7HYtLIT_cw_QeJ0hC21WDClTQr03W95WmqGnxnJKomVT1kWKbywWD2DyC1fnsYR-xBg00/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1680" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC-etCBAL9rfS5kcMqQLsTIqXnxPbTiFr9DyDzl76Fy2j2h567nUnESmetwa1ZFJL-1tuoRB7HYtLIT_cw_QeJ0hC21WDClTQr03W95WmqGnxnJKomVT1kWKbywWD2DyC1fnsYR-xBg00/w525-h640/IMG_3621.jpg" width="525" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;">Daphne would be a barely noticeable harbinger of spring were it not for its' sensational fragrance. Walk past the bush in early spring and you will be stopped in your tracks! Daphne blooms so early in spring that your tracks will likely be in snow!</span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;">Once again, it was an enthusiastic gardener friend who cheerfully suggested that I plant a few Daphne around our gardens... and supplied me with a number of tiny starts. </span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;">Meanwhile, I was beginning to realize that several of my gardener friends were subtly encouraging me to expand my gardening horizons. Good thing.</span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;">The photo below displays the typical size of a happy Daphne bush in this environment. As tall as 4 to 5 feet.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoZ7b8f-0fcgBI6UyBHfUCszpRe0wMf0fYSYcu8Mll0H0KKevEDcMyGD4xiFd3AgqD4EfOBlsL32L2H3Uw30UP56ZL0tb2-wu3KbS-m_dj4idoZvEKHk98UEfl5hRpLW_uggRC_8r0t0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1346" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEoZ7b8f-0fcgBI6UyBHfUCszpRe0wMf0fYSYcu8Mll0H0KKevEDcMyGD4xiFd3AgqD4EfOBlsL32L2H3Uw30UP56ZL0tb2-wu3KbS-m_dj4idoZvEKHk98UEfl5hRpLW_uggRC_8r0t0/w421-h640/img507.jpg" width="421" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It is not unusual to find tiny starts growing under Daphne bushes. The fragrant flowers of spring transform into bright red berries by late summer. Alas, another lovely bush with poisonous berries. By late fall, the berries drop off of the bush.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MJ3qtolrdgJ1j1Yp3c2a5diEBdQoC4hNdzED8CcqHU1cOVXfFPkLZAWqDJrCsxelDgesqJsIYlaMDMmIyRc-MAe9BQKOSO4IvSaxOkWU1liIIj7_VXTEzUPKTGm8sFDCwfskhTFkaOc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MJ3qtolrdgJ1j1Yp3c2a5diEBdQoC4hNdzED8CcqHU1cOVXfFPkLZAWqDJrCsxelDgesqJsIYlaMDMmIyRc-MAe9BQKOSO4IvSaxOkWU1liIIj7_VXTEzUPKTGm8sFDCwfskhTFkaOc/w480-h640/IMG_4802.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="font-size: x-large;">The seeds that grew inside the berries send down roots the next spring. They sprout and grow into tiny starts. I often dig out several of these starts from below the bush and grow them in 4" pots to share with other gardeners.</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0hJ9aU-OEmgQOAbXw7uRsy1oI6clYHUhTvTTK2Ms13tRFVqoP39eRE4OZPG_PbuqeXO_qcYiowzpwN58pbaV0_NWUfMJQhjxqwHyfxUcULAIyCUKEI5MNJolzhuAk2jCq5S6HGbv28s/s2048/IMG_6893.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl0hJ9aU-OEmgQOAbXw7uRsy1oI6clYHUhTvTTK2Ms13tRFVqoP39eRE4OZPG_PbuqeXO_qcYiowzpwN58pbaV0_NWUfMJQhjxqwHyfxUcULAIyCUKEI5MNJolzhuAk2jCq5S6HGbv28s/w480-h640/IMG_6893.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">RED ELDERBERRY</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Sambucus racemosa)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLcCP9sTA0vwrh2ghlsV5PcLjoxN4QfckarbpMnEwkaVgl6SwPbi74DnZQGciYX3iGgyt41WEYlUYW4fFtY3hjDOZ6w8-iIL_g0BsiraNUr24rRgdV41xpT0wZYaaium8T1y4uQekH8M/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyLcCP9sTA0vwrh2ghlsV5PcLjoxN4QfckarbpMnEwkaVgl6SwPbi74DnZQGciYX3iGgyt41WEYlUYW4fFtY3hjDOZ6w8-iIL_g0BsiraNUr24rRgdV41xpT0wZYaaium8T1y4uQekH8M/w480-h640/IMG_2034.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">We have never planted any RED ELDERBERRY TREES. They simply start growing periodically here and there around the property. Apparently, there are seeds exposed by weather... or a bird deposits seeds. Something like that. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">When an ELDERBERRY appears in a location that makes sense, we watch it grow tall, usually 9 to 12 feet, after only a few years.</span></span></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The late season berries are tiny and bright in bulky clusters:</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4u3AstpSoN28S4okiAkWGcxcGUm3Tqk0k8vJRvDGgn_vo6_oYdOXZIfq-4xBFOgjwguUq9cTwTjS2XPoFfslUXbR9AeCoCNXAClD45axywx8O5TuJvo3ibSeloV4VoXtTXhsgEAY4D0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy4u3AstpSoN28S4okiAkWGcxcGUm3Tqk0k8vJRvDGgn_vo6_oYdOXZIfq-4xBFOgjwguUq9cTwTjS2XPoFfslUXbR9AeCoCNXAClD45axywx8O5TuJvo3ibSeloV4VoXtTXhsgEAY4D0/w480-h640/IMG_2047.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">All parts of the RED ELDERBERRY are considered toxic. However, the berries are non-toxic if cooked.</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">GOLDEN CHAIN TREE</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Laburnum x watereri 'Vossii')</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOjFTVnqS0BXXBlbGiamwQ5174-MFIHd-RbXMmxBa9g_pYSQNkoY6tkoPebsjndLF1BgRqkG8pmqtDE9dXInx5nhyphenhyphen2O92X7C_YbpZFIQk9e6a1DhH_4npx1VUH_rlejvw_GjIeJ9rIqw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHOjFTVnqS0BXXBlbGiamwQ5174-MFIHd-RbXMmxBa9g_pYSQNkoY6tkoPebsjndLF1BgRqkG8pmqtDE9dXInx5nhyphenhyphen2O92X7C_YbpZFIQk9e6a1DhH_4npx1VUH_rlejvw_GjIeJ9rIqw/w480-h640/IMG_7989.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">It was my multi-talented neighbor, Kathy, who planted this remarkable flowering tree in her gardens just above our play yard. Sadly, Kathy is no longer with us. She was a delightful neighbor and one of the most knowledgeable gardeners I had ever known. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">As years passed by, the branches grew in all directions. Quite a few of the branches draped over and decorated a corner of our yard. One year the wind blew so hard that it caused the tree to lean over affording us even more branches. What a sight to see in June when the tree is in full bloom!</span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); color: #ff00fe; font-size: x-large;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLr6CYcBbB6AEOOokXHjUOeDc1SX1nlf03JfE8Bbu8_mouembFsT0n7sSswkXbh_l3hqqcvcblbFn5z6NyHXVRe2zcxB3IxZhR2XJRjsudkhzWhGbHhDlFMlLGVQm_1JyQeELhGGdc-s/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1609" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpLr6CYcBbB6AEOOokXHjUOeDc1SX1nlf03JfE8Bbu8_mouembFsT0n7sSswkXbh_l3hqqcvcblbFn5z6NyHXVRe2zcxB3IxZhR2XJRjsudkhzWhGbHhDlFMlLGVQm_1JyQeELhGGdc-s/w504-h640/DSC06322.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><br /></span></span></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Some days I find it </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="font-size: large;">irresistible to take a break on the tire swing in the photo below. I lay back on the swing, kick the ground just a bit to set the swing in motion and indulge myself in daydreams. How could I not with the fragrance of LILACS and the beauty of GOLDEN CHAINS under a blue sky?</span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqotKmNsz8SHNOJ2l187ZCV2u6Yq4c0VkQlRV-XLT5Pmv2GTKxljidj4gbjO3mJnl1M-b-X-MXlRvWSATc88-GNrjYBYlaqelzQCXX-f1Wi9twx_B3HKKAxm7EX903Uc8_Y8yBbw25Ko/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1472" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZqotKmNsz8SHNOJ2l187ZCV2u6Yq4c0VkQlRV-XLT5Pmv2GTKxljidj4gbjO3mJnl1M-b-X-MXlRvWSATc88-GNrjYBYlaqelzQCXX-f1Wi9twx_B3HKKAxm7EX903Uc8_Y8yBbw25Ko/w461-h640/DSC00517.jpg" width="461" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The clusters of flowers on the GOLDEN CHAIN tree gradually transition into clusters of bean shaped pods filled with seeds. Keep in mind that all parts of this tree are toxic including leaves, flowers, pods and seeds.</span><br /><div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;">HAWTHORN</div><div style="text-align: center;">(Crataegus laevigata 'Crimson Cloud')</div></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">From a distance, the Crimson Cloud HAWTHORN tree appears to be somewhat fuzzy and brown when in full bloom.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUhYgv_RGvZxkTbN0aCO_a-F4y-eNhMQFzWU3TMssFnkgzv03u-PTWCp5gb561r8r1V9BD5N-ErFfu9r_bBlcQfJRvx79C0MCEfAPmlZrd9O0xFLD5lf0L1P91qSV9EaTXdRr2qbGrGU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2015" data-original-width="2048" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvUhYgv_RGvZxkTbN0aCO_a-F4y-eNhMQFzWU3TMssFnkgzv03u-PTWCp5gb561r8r1V9BD5N-ErFfu9r_bBlcQfJRvx79C0MCEfAPmlZrd9O0xFLD5lf0L1P91qSV9EaTXdRr2qbGrGU/w640-h630/DSCN0463.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Close the distance and you will be gazing upon a tree loaded with clusters of bright, tiny flowers!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDj981EJ3FWddU_ixZN5BQEK6FHxfhlM0DtWs5z_XR8cA6obzDAKGrIFL7nULHJLC9QEfhV1ZK_xxqjZ6fbwv_SDgkYUbB_gzDFJ1bK_PjeRJOgi5cTwEOrXNzrE_Ypn1-1EH-__qpCrY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDj981EJ3FWddU_ixZN5BQEK6FHxfhlM0DtWs5z_XR8cA6obzDAKGrIFL7nULHJLC9QEfhV1ZK_xxqjZ6fbwv_SDgkYUbB_gzDFJ1bK_PjeRJOgi5cTwEOrXNzrE_Ypn1-1EH-__qpCrY/w480-h640/IMG_4148.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">The clusters of flowers remain whole and bright for a surprisingly long stretch of time. </span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">Gradually, the petals drop and the tree is covered with berries rather than flowers. HAWTHORN berries are safe to eat but not the seeds within. If you decide to test the flavor, be sure to remove the seeds.</span></span></div><br /></span></span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><div style="text-align: center;">HAWTHORN</div></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Crataegus laevigata 'Douglasii')</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4lXko5MuxK5uujet6XPwfnuPq6HmntRZFBi0vfSvpN6R4dnIPmpDPK9yi6Y5cBme5Umlh5IN_GlEIBp0NvuV8oMOw4-Nxu1Nv_aIWORMrf2KqORub7CT_jdNh-h1T4eEedRCUEAA4Ew/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1855" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw4lXko5MuxK5uujet6XPwfnuPq6HmntRZFBi0vfSvpN6R4dnIPmpDPK9yi6Y5cBme5Umlh5IN_GlEIBp0NvuV8oMOw4-Nxu1Nv_aIWORMrf2KqORub7CT_jdNh-h1T4eEedRCUEAA4Ew/w579-h640/DSCN7973.jpg" width="579" /></a></div></span></span><br /><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Although this very tall, very full white flowered HAWTHORN is not growing in our gardens, it is certainly noteworthy. It grows in a colorful, old Sitka neighborhood. It is not far from where a HAWTHORN of comparable size once grew on the grounds of the Sitka Pioneers Home. Now gone, that HAWTHORN at the Pioneers Home was loaded each season with pale pink clusters of tiny flowers. In the world of trees, it was famous and breath-taking!</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">HYDRANGEA</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bailmer')</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElnD4t8VVbHi82P2Rz2rzGXJJTo9UBn_xHINUGtIDhMU5ouxckvexbOO55stVP-DE_H7b2RyeE3BYRWrbVXD-3GkUleqzUJ72p0zth_oPG-pNAzzSTr7CC-Xju_6JGns0NHBM4KvIQV0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1882" data-original-width="2048" height="589" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiElnD4t8VVbHi82P2Rz2rzGXJJTo9UBn_xHINUGtIDhMU5ouxckvexbOO55stVP-DE_H7b2RyeE3BYRWrbVXD-3GkUleqzUJ72p0zth_oPG-pNAzzSTr7CC-Xju_6JGns0NHBM4KvIQV0/w640-h589/DSC00759.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Beginning to bloom, this soft-toned HYDRANGEA is tucked in among a variety of perennials under the evergreens:</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJRJRj9U1DoMpTSbiGEJLJ0l-BVbVhsJqbGoKPS8wTki4aLHwtG2rho978N08Y7B6mGCkbygD3LmywOMlDdzniRF6WLI5KeIvVluMwPrFgwi5Tnxs6F9kwmoNv4a-5iPbPU6EemQ6gDk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixJRJRj9U1DoMpTSbiGEJLJ0l-BVbVhsJqbGoKPS8wTki4aLHwtG2rho978N08Y7B6mGCkbygD3LmywOMlDdzniRF6WLI5KeIvVluMwPrFgwi5Tnxs6F9kwmoNv4a-5iPbPU6EemQ6gDk/w640-h480/DSC00760.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">LILACS</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Syringa) </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lF0lvYv8jTMTNwR-2D71FuZhxQkFpYnbK40ZUZgPCdaNDAzlAfSlk-Yy74QADWgOFKeChNwBhKWu63UawQBDd142bNhsB7iHorc_Qqh8TWjaEBrVM6qdL5gtC8-RkkiMVCZZXQe632M/s2048/DSC06320+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8lF0lvYv8jTMTNwR-2D71FuZhxQkFpYnbK40ZUZgPCdaNDAzlAfSlk-Yy74QADWgOFKeChNwBhKWu63UawQBDd142bNhsB7iHorc_Qqh8TWjaEBrVM6qdL5gtC8-RkkiMVCZZXQe632M/w640-h480/DSC06320+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">When I was a little kid, I had lots of freedom and enjoyed roaming far and wide once chores were completed. While wandering early in summer on foot or bike, it was not unusual to detect a familiar fragrance in the air... <b><i>LILACS!</i></b> Any other time of year lilac bushes went unnoticed. When in bloom, lilacs were the star of the show... and seemed to be everywhere! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Hanging around a lilac bush in full bloom was down right wonderful. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">Not all lilac bushes looked alike. There were varying heights. The flowers were not always the same color, shape or size from one bush to another. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">But <i><b>that fragrance</b></i> was always the name tag!</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">Below are flowers from several of the lilac bushes we have grown. They were planted long ago from cuttings or shoots dug up from around the base of full grown bushes. </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">Unfortunately, I do not know the names except for this first one 'Miss Kim'</span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcpQ4iyR-fNddWyCpn60LcXMahFNad1pnYyX5-2RcrdO5ag4jXfXKkZasuBm8TL1Mruf0MWCnrRfQXwVSdbSiBWQujGiU3ZaSmMkNnCILaJ_cN2wKYffP_7nLPoF8njSHsm6QRUvuHXE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="2048" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqcpQ4iyR-fNddWyCpn60LcXMahFNad1pnYyX5-2RcrdO5ag4jXfXKkZasuBm8TL1Mruf0MWCnrRfQXwVSdbSiBWQujGiU3ZaSmMkNnCILaJ_cN2wKYffP_7nLPoF8njSHsm6QRUvuHXE/w640-h448/DSC06670.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCs2-glMn38jowT1JarJxg8DR3IzJCRdD4ny8InVBJzrSMat8DcfrYmoz8wq8-4KZkDdpP-0jdA6Xf-iZx4sbQ-90yamxxYm1OplQLHKAK7IMMNE3zvxQ7pgt0PcOpzv_9dcxyFUqnIE/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1510" data-original-width="2048" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipCs2-glMn38jowT1JarJxg8DR3IzJCRdD4ny8InVBJzrSMat8DcfrYmoz8wq8-4KZkDdpP-0jdA6Xf-iZx4sbQ-90yamxxYm1OplQLHKAK7IMMNE3zvxQ7pgt0PcOpzv_9dcxyFUqnIE/w640-h472/DSC00511.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxRSFjGcOKp0VugulYI2c_m7QHuxkj6BICZYC5NNuaQ8QDaWPPjyVNSk8FTdaDC3Y3hKiVM5bMvFS4NoUd_-bMU0xJPRRAWQXiESr__AFW2myySWob3D4oseC0Ci4FjL9BvmnwTLbtd8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2045" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwxRSFjGcOKp0VugulYI2c_m7QHuxkj6BICZYC5NNuaQ8QDaWPPjyVNSk8FTdaDC3Y3hKiVM5bMvFS4NoUd_-bMU0xJPRRAWQXiESr__AFW2myySWob3D4oseC0Ci4FjL9BvmnwTLbtd8/w640-h640/DSCN6764.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgt8vsXiEPSn-ul4knlbDnpQArekckIjpnWfAs3uRyAx8LvDDqMvpXcXQOF8kvABNX_oZU9xb7ebOYDSq8ZoDTcUTlndm6EEjNbP87-bWll-3OPY2ZiY3XjVTF1u4Gs3_rSwccNg_XJt0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1961" data-original-width="2048" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgt8vsXiEPSn-ul4knlbDnpQArekckIjpnWfAs3uRyAx8LvDDqMvpXcXQOF8kvABNX_oZU9xb7ebOYDSq8ZoDTcUTlndm6EEjNbP87-bWll-3OPY2ZiY3XjVTF1u4Gs3_rSwccNg_XJt0/w640-h612/DSC06674.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: black; font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Lilacs like sweet soil. After eating a meal of steamed clams, I have often crushed our empty shells and tossed them around the base of the lilac bushes. It seems to be enough sweetness to keep the lilacs happy.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Did you ever pick a bouquet of lilacs only to see them looking limp and miserable in the vase the next day? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">In one of my gardening books, there was a recommendation for flowers with woody stems. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Take a hammer or good sized rock and smash the bottom end of the stem. This improves water absorption through the stem for the flowers above. The flowers in the bouquets below looked fresh for over a week and filled the house with that remarkable fragrance.<br /><br /><br />Lilacs with Campanula glomerata aka 'China Mary' in Sitka...</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib51L8CobJzYYNmDGYjdrB8kphOj8ZY-LCUWHn9i35OoE3MZ-LvPFA91cr-JW14gqWAWwqcKFN7SbqxSVIX5LxpjaJDV62onL_GvPWxaiN2dLKl_hJY4d_slKoN3A_aVALQd_sQ3Zi9Nk/s2048/DSC03843.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib51L8CobJzYYNmDGYjdrB8kphOj8ZY-LCUWHn9i35OoE3MZ-LvPFA91cr-JW14gqWAWwqcKFN7SbqxSVIX5LxpjaJDV62onL_GvPWxaiN2dLKl_hJY4d_slKoN3A_aVALQd_sQ3Zi9Nk/w480-h640/DSC03843.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption"><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: large;">In the basket below lilacs from three different bushes are surrounded by <br />forget-me-nots, white bleeding hearts and hostas...</span></td></tr></tbody></table><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUKCsdIoYc8MjurkYcIj6oDGspMm0t1dvLvFQc3MdIzxR1uU1U0Cyix_v9_wK7LditPRrRYM2n1ajxwS2MmhM_2AgWy_Dw2b21lE7_PIqqQUsCJSED2aoJZCCAmPGfLFgEYwCw5Nggas/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1883" data-original-width="2048" height="589" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUUKCsdIoYc8MjurkYcIj6oDGspMm0t1dvLvFQc3MdIzxR1uU1U0Cyix_v9_wK7LditPRrRYM2n1ajxwS2MmhM_2AgWy_Dw2b21lE7_PIqqQUsCJSED2aoJZCCAmPGfLFgEYwCw5Nggas/w640-h589/dsc02825.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><br /><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">MAPLE - CRIMSON KING</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Acer platanoides)</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBgOXvX9HGWIrL3CWiTl5mhbEZ6awzzh_w0EmwjzSTj-pUTTTyWvH-dNUWj1QEzjfAzAPFMp1J-NOkeKwKhuWUi2SQpZthnbvVd-LgL2fbOPu_c9OxTpxg1-n7EmCwFEw83FxyNMh9qQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSBgOXvX9HGWIrL3CWiTl5mhbEZ6awzzh_w0EmwjzSTj-pUTTTyWvH-dNUWj1QEzjfAzAPFMp1J-NOkeKwKhuWUi2SQpZthnbvVd-LgL2fbOPu_c9OxTpxg1-n7EmCwFEw83FxyNMh9qQ/w640-h480/DSC03834.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I was standing nearby when an eagle swooped low over my head and landed in our MAPLE tree nearby. It had a small fish in its mouth. The second eagle giving chase flew off. The fish looked like a herring. Whatever it was, it disappeared in one gulp. I had often seen my kids sitting in that tree but never an eagle!</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">This was such a beautiful tree. It partially blocked our view of the ocean in summer and fall, but we did not mind. We were rarely indoors in summer anyhow.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">Along came one of the wild and crazy storms typical in these parts right around Thanksgiving. This was 20 or so years ago. The MAPLE was still wearing nearly all of its' lovely, crimson colored leaves. Gale force winds wound up in a fury from the southeast and slammed into the tree. With a loud crack the brittle trunk snapped.</span></span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: x-large; text-align: center;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large; text-align: center;">Firewood we were not happy to burn.</span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMWwOQXUzjMJQR0luFs1MxZVsarEXbOk1qL0JHLK4OhPcHq9JYDmeZyhjITfunwq9UZZ_qloSoMWcX2nM6s8ICiVukdNxDPJuMCdIxw_l9HEKKCCLCWrsp413Miiv66UcdPquxpH-718/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1854" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkMWwOQXUzjMJQR0luFs1MxZVsarEXbOk1qL0JHLK4OhPcHq9JYDmeZyhjITfunwq9UZZ_qloSoMWcX2nM6s8ICiVukdNxDPJuMCdIxw_l9HEKKCCLCWrsp413Miiv66UcdPquxpH-718/w579-h640/DSC04616.jpg" width="579" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">MOCK ORANGE</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Virginalis philadelphus)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZ0MzFi_6F2cyBWQUylHX-S3beVObGgdp9QZP2zWsYJuRJ9nCujhnRIjE0TTElUsjD4zYO4nh_9in49UhkxKcxw3ZgMk6qUqpVdve3Wxf6inE0ddMPAMcuxKWIht4pmYX306_EGva5MM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGZ0MzFi_6F2cyBWQUylHX-S3beVObGgdp9QZP2zWsYJuRJ9nCujhnRIjE0TTElUsjD4zYO4nh_9in49UhkxKcxw3ZgMk6qUqpVdve3Wxf6inE0ddMPAMcuxKWIht4pmYX306_EGva5MM/w640-h480/DSCN0733.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;">When the MOCK ORANGE is in bloom, step inside our greenhouse and close your eyes. If you have ever visited </span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">Hawaii, the fragrance filling the greenhouse will very likely conjure up memories of Hawaii. The fragrance is divine! Lucky for us, the flowers hold on and share their fragrance for several weeks.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIllzXlIPdN5fvVFVvCikZJEQiyt891KnnGhb8bFfpJQL-7I6Y6Yc9KwITuDuB0GhWEpQo1WaEDVi5oxPJHUeyfZzkBrw5HL2pfT_yhrjj84PVWF4IkdtJ1UxmBDs_OgQXOvrr0TlaYdg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1805" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIllzXlIPdN5fvVFVvCikZJEQiyt891KnnGhb8bFfpJQL-7I6Y6Yc9KwITuDuB0GhWEpQo1WaEDVi5oxPJHUeyfZzkBrw5HL2pfT_yhrjj84PVWF4IkdtJ1UxmBDs_OgQXOvrr0TlaYdg/w565-h640/DSCN0731.jpg" width="565" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;">It was during a trip to Anchorage to visit with the king of gardens, Les Brake, that I was introduced to MOCK ORANGE. I brought home a few cuttings.</span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;">When the cuttings grew large enough to plant, one ended up outdoors, another in the covered garden and a third in the greenhouse. In time, it was only the MOCK ORANGE in the greenhouse that remained happy... <i>very</i> happy year after year. </span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;">These little guys were a gift from a thoughtful neighbor. </span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;">I set them up in the greenhouse with a lifetime of intoxicating fragrance in mind.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUh1EiqEf7z19LWDshjUBIqYULyEv7KpMoWGaTOrj4JS6mgXJpvh8PUHkvn37E7rV3uVUaJlz8lnRC0tnQfrKRZvQDbGXzJADou4Vyh301K2ZJu67OiaEwB8UdxGMH_9kzEOn4CUBeF4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1532" data-original-width="1438" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkUh1EiqEf7z19LWDshjUBIqYULyEv7KpMoWGaTOrj4JS6mgXJpvh8PUHkvn37E7rV3uVUaJlz8lnRC0tnQfrKRZvQDbGXzJADou4Vyh301K2ZJu67OiaEwB8UdxGMH_9kzEOn4CUBeF4/w600-h640/IMG_6179.jpg" width="600" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">MOUNTAIN ASH</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Sorbus aucuparia)</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18ud8f4frgUQuozzwlqBCn93dGAA2_GJARt1ptIce-64cVDCvNw48s_npQ4RBg9x_BnxIfD8Xelgiq4p6Bdgj4vsKn-yelpvP1sQl0fivo5mQBmoe14i0Qn7YqfKAR3D8fjr15ACMWcU/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1359" data-original-width="1377" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh18ud8f4frgUQuozzwlqBCn93dGAA2_GJARt1ptIce-64cVDCvNw48s_npQ4RBg9x_BnxIfD8Xelgiq4p6Bdgj4vsKn-yelpvP1sQl0fivo5mQBmoe14i0Qn7YqfKAR3D8fjr15ACMWcU/w640-h632/DSC04595.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;">Towering on the left behind our little log cabin, a MOUNTAIN ASH is in full bloom with clusters of tiny, white flowers. The log cabin is long gone, but this MOUNTAIN ASH lives on. We figure it is at least 50 years old. These MOUNTAIN ASH trees, Sorbus aucuparia, are a common sight around Sitka.</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">By summer's end, the clusters of flowers have transformed into clusters of red berries.</div></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroQOIttcFD7ji_EBF4YqZ7Knm3xmEr9ptE0sw0OXagjb6UGVDdHbaA2LPvrflbaf5AU4jX5f7jg2kwKyQrzCwIfWfG3Qu2xu4fxzbQUc0-HVLigaJuSTqLt1MAysYPE_Z76pDzO7UiPw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1789" data-original-width="2048" height="559" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhroQOIttcFD7ji_EBF4YqZ7Knm3xmEr9ptE0sw0OXagjb6UGVDdHbaA2LPvrflbaf5AU4jX5f7jg2kwKyQrzCwIfWfG3Qu2xu4fxzbQUc0-HVLigaJuSTqLt1MAysYPE_Z76pDzO7UiPw/w640-h559/DSC04325+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div></span></span><span style="text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Information about MOUNTAIN ASH berries is confusing. There are conflicting opinions about the safety of consumption by humans. I won't be eating any. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Birds, on the other hand, seem to be carefree when it comes to eating MOUNTAIN ASH berries. Each year we watch a wide variety of birds from fall through winter enjoying what seems like an endless supply.</span><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span><span style="color: black; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"> </span></span></span></span></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgo5pqTcl53EW3q9dy_j6M8GL16Z8gbAYvd4ycMVZXuE7GT0JSJHUmL6O7YTtQQYrWlc1wRVL28ri1vO9M7_slgw8cbeDSlirClX_rH-Ofm9qOgfjfpYgC0o8uozUq_9qdMMKqKNavPM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1823" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxgo5pqTcl53EW3q9dy_j6M8GL16Z8gbAYvd4ycMVZXuE7GT0JSJHUmL6O7YTtQQYrWlc1wRVL28ri1vO9M7_slgw8cbeDSlirClX_rH-Ofm9qOgfjfpYgC0o8uozUq_9qdMMKqKNavPM/w571-h640/DSCN8554.jpg" width="571" /></a></div><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This raven decided to fly a bunch of berries to a light post nearby for some private dining...</span></div></span></span><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZylJjMNY-ZFr9Yl91UNrrFL8jbXAn5mzj2-q1o3xVocvyTZADMwUvB3hNuV6o4X7XjyLAlLlZXeEi_o3jq092eioJb3gC2GOoGbUzfwLJL4xoIgnwp1rHzRZ3kK9aPLvmIHsVQk8-nhI/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2003" data-original-width="2048" height="627" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZylJjMNY-ZFr9Yl91UNrrFL8jbXAn5mzj2-q1o3xVocvyTZADMwUvB3hNuV6o4X7XjyLAlLlZXeEi_o3jq092eioJb3gC2GOoGbUzfwLJL4xoIgnwp1rHzRZ3kK9aPLvmIHsVQk8-nhI/w640-h627/DSCN4269.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span><br /></span></span></div></div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span>MOUNTAIN ASH</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Sorbus cashmeriana)</span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>Was I ever surprised when a box arrived in the mail from Les Brake. It contained a little tree! It was no ordinary little tree. A seed was carried back from the western Himalayas to Anchorage. Once planted, the seed grew into this little tree! The climate in Anchorage did not prove to be suitable, so Les asked me to try growing it in Sitka. With a little pampering, the tree and Sitka got along just fine. It grew for three years in this location a little north of our greenhouse. That's my faithful dog and constant companion, Ru, skulking about while I take photos...</span><div><div><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17UHvKDUGdHSBS9_8TNCfLw3FEWFGElzgvW6tVOgPxhxw0XNifBHXtp2UZ-H_R4WB_RewXLucXHvIAlkGwO2wkw00OafpP7zOikdn1g79n0TWmFUfD2_fS9IZ7-orPHYXI01alYsPE5U/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1741" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh17UHvKDUGdHSBS9_8TNCfLw3FEWFGElzgvW6tVOgPxhxw0XNifBHXtp2UZ-H_R4WB_RewXLucXHvIAlkGwO2wkw00OafpP7zOikdn1g79n0TWmFUfD2_fS9IZ7-orPHYXI01alYsPE5U/w544-h640/IMG_0245.jpg" width="544" /></a></div><div><br /></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, some work needed to be done on our neighbor's property. The tree was located nearby where it would likely get damaged. No!!! </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">My husband came to the rescue. He carefully dug it up and transported it with his backhoe. We successfully relocated the tree to a spot with fertile soil and similar sun exposure. What a relief that this special MOUNTAIN ASH handled another transition with no problems. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Years later, a close inspection of the tree reveals a tall, healthy specimen. That's it in the photo below with its' clusters of white flowers above the lilacs on the left. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">It looks to be 15 to 20 feet high...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1UUwMJDmEMYoKt7ow8LRTBQcvkTnFEtsgWtOH6eAYGpOeIUO6C2dbz5gZsFbkp1hdwszGBwFHAijikWh77ZeqQvGPpJepLKkGf6xlzP5na_KMN0NjYZLyiJHeDEGtPdop_05kWOqHW8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2025" data-original-width="2048" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhf1UUwMJDmEMYoKt7ow8LRTBQcvkTnFEtsgWtOH6eAYGpOeIUO6C2dbz5gZsFbkp1hdwszGBwFHAijikWh77ZeqQvGPpJepLKkGf6xlzP5na_KMN0NjYZLyiJHeDEGtPdop_05kWOqHW8/w640-h632/DSCN8120.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><br />Each year the flowers start out as adorable star topped buds...</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGScHZ7J2BwGc6l0lls7lYabGYbjfP5dRxD78mmFUspr5ruC_H7wORY_Vevz_vWIgJSCecV7ADq1frhS6AdXfIrS85_rbw_03h99EePQjK4el6CDoN42QOMEQTGMB23k-MKB8kXFg7e4/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1694" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYGScHZ7J2BwGc6l0lls7lYabGYbjfP5dRxD78mmFUspr5ruC_H7wORY_Vevz_vWIgJSCecV7ADq1frhS6AdXfIrS85_rbw_03h99EePQjK4el6CDoN42QOMEQTGMB23k-MKB8kXFg7e4/w531-h640/IMG_4027.jpg" width="531" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The buds open to starry little flowers inviting to bees...</span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpFC77Xubl5rCiwrtnv7Ecc03IzpU-nbjeCaXE3dOxJ9axMsKDxuRvL_f5cjvWQh6zF47tI1f-Vi9Kr-4K3qGKy6XpejIcYODUH0ckILmQbt-q2mrDJaTHP4VnFFZWjEC5gNnlkN18Ds/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1388" data-original-width="2048" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpFC77Xubl5rCiwrtnv7Ecc03IzpU-nbjeCaXE3dOxJ9axMsKDxuRvL_f5cjvWQh6zF47tI1f-Vi9Kr-4K3qGKy6XpejIcYODUH0ckILmQbt-q2mrDJaTHP4VnFFZWjEC5gNnlkN18Ds/w640-h434/IMG_1407.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: large;">And so unique in this part of the world are the <b><i>white</i></b> <b><i>berries</i></b> on this MOUNTAIN ASH at the end of the season!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wu9bRuiJDVFP9bDaRdlyvpZ0dhSrLTZ-q7n4enWvDswa4t4SCXZKvOxDZI1oZWcrU6M1vgAes6NVhL9YfOcH0i3kH-Lfmb_RmvD6NsEPdrUgAWbBa4FEAMmLFnW67QemgvpKJl1EBn0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1685" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_wu9bRuiJDVFP9bDaRdlyvpZ0dhSrLTZ-q7n4enWvDswa4t4SCXZKvOxDZI1oZWcrU6M1vgAes6NVhL9YfOcH0i3kH-Lfmb_RmvD6NsEPdrUgAWbBa4FEAMmLFnW67QemgvpKJl1EBn0/w525-h640/DSC05261.jpg" width="525" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">PUSSY WILLOW</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Salix caprea)</span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: center;">Live and learn. </div></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">As is true of plants, there are also troublesome bushes and trees. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">My plan was to grow a few PUSSY WILLOW trees of my own so I would not need to hunt around elsewhere for branches to cut early in spring. I do not think PUSSY WILLOW trees are native to this area. If they are, I have not seen many around. I searched for branches each spring because I like to dry them and use them in bouquets...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurXeRCas6FIvPR4Dwvaov5RPhO1u-ZZ0zfMjqcG2jb4clzuHPd2773ohd88AmtZBVPC5M_uoMa5jDjdl8WhFM1UCAYCj9oq4c_weSDoxWZvGmipGLtuCazVRtkne8-hf_gYfCV_HviO0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurXeRCas6FIvPR4Dwvaov5RPhO1u-ZZ0zfMjqcG2jb4clzuHPd2773ohd88AmtZBVPC5M_uoMa5jDjdl8WhFM1UCAYCj9oq4c_weSDoxWZvGmipGLtuCazVRtkne8-hf_gYfCV_HviO0/w480-h640/IMG_1167.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I gather more flowers throughout the season that are good for drying and add them to the bouquet in fall...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi706gMG0JYyEuinsqKpJHZS7U_OI6TKlY98ikaHmgsgSADego9t1UOODqXQyb3Y08fKb4t6bjaqJ43rOTfA8pTbWcjJ2bq18I92bqmHXO8cIOR3aYHLIzj97YvARCQQP0A6kW0QlHQ-rk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1903" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi706gMG0JYyEuinsqKpJHZS7U_OI6TKlY98ikaHmgsgSADego9t1UOODqXQyb3Y08fKb4t6bjaqJ43rOTfA8pTbWcjJ2bq18I92bqmHXO8cIOR3aYHLIzj97YvARCQQP0A6kW0QlHQ-rk/w595-h640/IMG_3160.jpg" width="595" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I successfully located an old PUSSY WILLOW tree at the side of a road, cut off branches early in spring and grew three trees of my own from the cuttings. It only took a few years for them to grow tall and full. I planted and grew one at the north end of one of our vegetable gardens. This was a location I passed by often. One mid-summer day I glanced at a branch when passing by and saw this...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2PZg8JsnklQoVfefxQSbfKvDgn_Kb2T9JzPEB7z6nKz3Y2Bwo-CdzphsMLfNGDjEmt9gE3ZbSC2FRr__ig4uWODq2nmCEGsJldd4RylTdxqaA50QWCeJMsDDf-x75cBFP1vY3UqtzOg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1279" data-original-width="2048" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga2PZg8JsnklQoVfefxQSbfKvDgn_Kb2T9JzPEB7z6nKz3Y2Bwo-CdzphsMLfNGDjEmt9gE3ZbSC2FRr__ig4uWODq2nmCEGsJldd4RylTdxqaA50QWCeJMsDDf-x75cBFP1vY3UqtzOg/w640-h400/IMG_0124.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />These were not caterpillars I had ever seen before in our gardens. There were only a few and they were tiny. Hmmm. With no free time available that particular day, I planned to come back and remove these newcomers the next day.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The next day, with paper bag in hand, I returned to that PUSSY WILLOW tree. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">YIKES!!! The tree was covered with countless little caterpillars! There was a little army on each leaf...</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdunNoJTPO_zu5Pm0D7aCDIdHkZlKK97xTlThQxlVyJW4zgP1i1SC-6ho47GK7t_X3btqxsU9gOhkx37AIlzsZZ3VYLXoIq8h1XeuUHjhMS30M6eN_Z3-W6cnVfpV2TGgEDcROV_GpY18/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1831" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdunNoJTPO_zu5Pm0D7aCDIdHkZlKK97xTlThQxlVyJW4zgP1i1SC-6ho47GK7t_X3btqxsU9gOhkx37AIlzsZZ3VYLXoIq8h1XeuUHjhMS30M6eN_Z3-W6cnVfpV2TGgEDcROV_GpY18/w573-h640/IMG_0126.jpg" width="573" /></a></div><br />Horrifying!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I had visions of our vegetable gardens being decimated!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I grabbed a ladder and carefully removed all of the little buggers being sure that they all were captured in large paper bags. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The bags were promptly burned in a burn barrel. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Then I cut down the tree, cut it into pieces and burned all of the pieces as well. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">For several days, I scrutinized the ground where the tree stood and plants in the area not wanting to overlook any stray caterpillars. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Needless to say, I decided to cut down the other PUSSY WILLOW trees I had planted as well. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">This saying comes to mind </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">"Be careful what you wish for."<br /></span><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">RHODODENDRON</span></span></div></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWA4wfI6GE-D05kZpMOcF0SIY5Wq_Y4f5YeDIjMbB2uefKNyC7tZ9DXrw-QtY0g2zFmvIkDWEYW6VMBTEtoMGWsqKcinPBtFPbZZPtqxmRVkTK-wj4OR58xKgHHm5zcs3LKLOhsTMzrg/s2048/IMG_7974.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDWA4wfI6GE-D05kZpMOcF0SIY5Wq_Y4f5YeDIjMbB2uefKNyC7tZ9DXrw-QtY0g2zFmvIkDWEYW6VMBTEtoMGWsqKcinPBtFPbZZPtqxmRVkTK-wj4OR58xKgHHm5zcs3LKLOhsTMzrg/w480-h640/IMG_7974.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">There are over 20,000 different RHODODENDRON hybrids... consequently over 20,000 names!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">I wish I knew the names of our RHODODENDRONS in the photos posted below. The problem is that I did not make a note of names or save tags when I made purchases years ago. And anyhow, quite a few were grown from cuttings taken from local RHODODENDRONS. Even if the donors shared the names, again I failed to take note. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Because these bushes are so bright and beautiful, I want to share these photos with you. I tried to show a good close-up photo of the flower followed with a view of the bush. With so many cloudy and rainy days, bright and beautiful can sure make a difference.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">When are RHODODENDRONS in bloom here in Sitka? Depending on the variety, conditions and exposure, RHODODENDRONS are typically in bloom anywhere from mid-May through June.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="font-size: large;">There are several homes here in Sitka decorated with a number of stunning RHODODENDRONS. I bet if you inquired, you would find out names... should you be interested in planting a few yourself. Good idea to plant RHODODENDRONS proven to be happy growing in such a unique location as ours. And, unlike me, the business owners here in town selling plants, bushes and trees have name tags on everything!<br /></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1GRTsMsBQxS3qpfm65ql_EroKkCUXBF2ftmyLJhpDGxCJPB47PkULGkzZg8pUKXHHjvQaQK5Z262b9eIn0PA6jPgkrcNezYhyphenhyphenuKy0Ek-qNVNSFN4RfZIG5RmdJZVBvlVd9G_2rD3Z6s/s2048/DSC06202.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO1GRTsMsBQxS3qpfm65ql_EroKkCUXBF2ftmyLJhpDGxCJPB47PkULGkzZg8pUKXHHjvQaQK5Z262b9eIn0PA6jPgkrcNezYhyphenhyphenuKy0Ek-qNVNSFN4RfZIG5RmdJZVBvlVd9G_2rD3Z6s/w640-h480/DSC06202.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXd1FKYPoUdXrXUYKRrWMutwDLgr1W8T9CjlULs-N-xoNb8DbfS-R4qmO0ngplLDe8lGRGkBSoF5NdmdyF0jwKdswgOFTffNEWpzPnq9uu8XAWR3t4Q1Nm4CB6mHyV8ZtkU01SqWwxis/s2048/IMG_4082.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzXd1FKYPoUdXrXUYKRrWMutwDLgr1W8T9CjlULs-N-xoNb8DbfS-R4qmO0ngplLDe8lGRGkBSoF5NdmdyF0jwKdswgOFTffNEWpzPnq9uu8XAWR3t4Q1Nm4CB6mHyV8ZtkU01SqWwxis/w480-h640/IMG_4082.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHRZtaMxX5ZyXhtFRrjEIS7C7tV-7hFkjV_Jq5geT2l9ts51o3QNx1m2bSahi4r6uAPgcybZ3Mp7-SA_Q1a6PZBo5LZO50g1K9IP4gWqdTtcavpuWdA97IM3aLRyOfamBNCu4uvLbGrE/s2048/DSCN6762.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1607" data-original-width="2048" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjHRZtaMxX5ZyXhtFRrjEIS7C7tV-7hFkjV_Jq5geT2l9ts51o3QNx1m2bSahi4r6uAPgcybZ3Mp7-SA_Q1a6PZBo5LZO50g1K9IP4gWqdTtcavpuWdA97IM3aLRyOfamBNCu4uvLbGrE/w640-h502/DSCN6762.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaO7gSne37l5ciuBfsyymFKLcRCL2_mS6wV9oCWWiG6vDqTreoyFKXlIqDY0V7m1BRXNbrrK3-HT6ui4_65x6YOgZxrC8E2gKFlvvbq-Ssn9E9nziUkeqvd9lSWDW5mVQaR8b_NOoeXs/s2048/IMG_4059.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFaO7gSne37l5ciuBfsyymFKLcRCL2_mS6wV9oCWWiG6vDqTreoyFKXlIqDY0V7m1BRXNbrrK3-HT6ui4_65x6YOgZxrC8E2gKFlvvbq-Ssn9E9nziUkeqvd9lSWDW5mVQaR8b_NOoeXs/w480-h640/IMG_4059.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-hd0MQsMVaJsH_oi55muLYHOSR9Qmy9SSxYugzPqPzp4ZBWaVLOX_h3IZWZr4X9fvgjW-vUrtktHMC6zbSXeqq3p1yYI4UA5fAvCsKDxjIM1dGR1wDSv8BX7eG2cJzXMBtCVE28ZKyE/s1833/IMG_0172.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1033" data-original-width="1833" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS-hd0MQsMVaJsH_oi55muLYHOSR9Qmy9SSxYugzPqPzp4ZBWaVLOX_h3IZWZr4X9fvgjW-vUrtktHMC6zbSXeqq3p1yYI4UA5fAvCsKDxjIM1dGR1wDSv8BX7eG2cJzXMBtCVE28ZKyE/w640-h360/IMG_0172.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pzHX2i-frtLm2ixPeOwR4tbclBbfLTOO_mZJM00e_-en0fka1okphi5yCbhiR2XqLwRQps7L2My3Qxkzqm-I3N9uOLCv-tfgcd4XrwkSxvjIdUFNcg-ak_X8o9N9jbM7TfZI-eZSuI8/s2048/IMG_7914.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2012" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0pzHX2i-frtLm2ixPeOwR4tbclBbfLTOO_mZJM00e_-en0fka1okphi5yCbhiR2XqLwRQps7L2My3Qxkzqm-I3N9uOLCv-tfgcd4XrwkSxvjIdUFNcg-ak_X8o9N9jbM7TfZI-eZSuI8/w628-h640/IMG_7914.jpg" width="628" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiob8kP0gPKDDJu1E6Yxp6BtlOAjVfop7nx89NtxsMtzE67rOp8e1NTPPZNz3fD_BJzI-D9lSNfUrEhXugLAtMVGrV7EwbO1JG4U2z29f60HHoiPL2UiTBdWqukfNI1VxCEhMiP-3v7wSA/s2005/IMG_7937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1962" data-original-width="2005" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiob8kP0gPKDDJu1E6Yxp6BtlOAjVfop7nx89NtxsMtzE67rOp8e1NTPPZNz3fD_BJzI-D9lSNfUrEhXugLAtMVGrV7EwbO1JG4U2z29f60HHoiPL2UiTBdWqukfNI1VxCEhMiP-3v7wSA/w640-h626/IMG_7937.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAjCQVQd2kEx2Q8jma24WVIECSOYN5p1zVFPpgpgQvCrfFEPc5Iyx1f-2oi4KrKnG31QtbsN4MIBUPnp4LGVDDcPx9i3yczxF0L2OBg9oXnTlLL5VqQck06BhFPdI5xbcHwN_QLMONPc/s2048/IMG_7975.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMAjCQVQd2kEx2Q8jma24WVIECSOYN5p1zVFPpgpgQvCrfFEPc5Iyx1f-2oi4KrKnG31QtbsN4MIBUPnp4LGVDDcPx9i3yczxF0L2OBg9oXnTlLL5VqQck06BhFPdI5xbcHwN_QLMONPc/w480-h640/IMG_7975.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmOWx6hp2t3aOnfDhXV3vXRSjqnV3UrIWlVBrbTv-_rsBAayEhpHaxWa9sFjQRpWj-ma0ZUo1r925SvmiTURoMgylrzv_wb4x1NCzehNA21jEcuEIFfbNnVOC_VlzWwpxDkyF-N_-iMk/s2048/DSCN6763.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1726" data-original-width="2048" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCmOWx6hp2t3aOnfDhXV3vXRSjqnV3UrIWlVBrbTv-_rsBAayEhpHaxWa9sFjQRpWj-ma0ZUo1r925SvmiTURoMgylrzv_wb4x1NCzehNA21jEcuEIFfbNnVOC_VlzWwpxDkyF-N_-iMk/w640-h540/DSCN6763.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyenf18DFYzKFao8TPL8jeIE7gw-JEJlmYzAomv-qc3LIJIw9A7vTqBVNKEmgvW8gIEjLXWunGJzCYA9EVcLMQqg1_vV1SDN8lLlgMZAX0CptkcDIkWYHyEFmgU8YAHC8XSV6lPFRO53A/s2048/DSCN6765.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyenf18DFYzKFao8TPL8jeIE7gw-JEJlmYzAomv-qc3LIJIw9A7vTqBVNKEmgvW8gIEjLXWunGJzCYA9EVcLMQqg1_vV1SDN8lLlgMZAX0CptkcDIkWYHyEFmgU8YAHC8XSV6lPFRO53A/w640-h480/DSCN6765.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBiFmJy5NrHvdVCHwU9kFezfjfXSBzQdGGWOStCc6lKfT11hRw2JFrJQ1wiYjgNRmq6Z13Y9toKderkSk52ZZ0NFts7xiCRzSyfa71MrsTdh-Sv-BDcFlIl0qI6ElbvFngsAah0E57CZg/s2048/DSCN6767.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBiFmJy5NrHvdVCHwU9kFezfjfXSBzQdGGWOStCc6lKfT11hRw2JFrJQ1wiYjgNRmq6Z13Y9toKderkSk52ZZ0NFts7xiCRzSyfa71MrsTdh-Sv-BDcFlIl0qI6ElbvFngsAah0E57CZg/w640-h480/DSCN6767.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZB04QDEsb_mklmE1mFkCXzRBgD3oBqpaHFrHO-g1K76NhBmOdVaLgQO6L4xK8i40cUgMN3c7gBTeiv9z-zNAA24yTwXEtBIu-gGe0ZX4ND8zR0GoZzDVf9OKPbgWyifJ0nY3QdxeYSM/s2048/DSCN0443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKZB04QDEsb_mklmE1mFkCXzRBgD3oBqpaHFrHO-g1K76NhBmOdVaLgQO6L4xK8i40cUgMN3c7gBTeiv9z-zNAA24yTwXEtBIu-gGe0ZX4ND8zR0GoZzDVf9OKPbgWyifJ0nY3QdxeYSM/w640-h480/DSCN0443.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8yBLBaSF_7kfUobVhi0fi30RpFepqwPGgyOeS1agC-w1V41vy2-8KZJSJXIYLtrIy-0PZeBFyfTIc7qg-LeMv0KI5M83qH_4M_rdDPo1CQTMy1wLOWgXsW-it58xTCiJW7RuWkQJFZA/s1741/DSCN0444.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="1741" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX8yBLBaSF_7kfUobVhi0fi30RpFepqwPGgyOeS1agC-w1V41vy2-8KZJSJXIYLtrIy-0PZeBFyfTIc7qg-LeMv0KI5M83qH_4M_rdDPo1CQTMy1wLOWgXsW-it58xTCiJW7RuWkQJFZA/w640-h500/DSCN0444.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); font-size: x-large;">At this point we will close the gate on RHODODENDRONS growing on our own property...</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrd9LKB-uXex0OXjhS4jzuHBpWmo7EhkHKZCBM5irsSw1TRAGYi4cpaFBDhZ_VqaYBSUWQ0Lhf18YbcSgukmtJx_qDj80VWMQ7RyfONiu-nlOTCzGP-rgh4q8z4-X079OLlc6XUcDV70/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMrd9LKB-uXex0OXjhS4jzuHBpWmo7EhkHKZCBM5irsSw1TRAGYi4cpaFBDhZ_VqaYBSUWQ0Lhf18YbcSgukmtJx_qDj80VWMQ7RyfONiu-nlOTCzGP-rgh4q8z4-X079OLlc6XUcDV70/w480-h640/DSCN8085.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">...and have a look at some of the dazzling RHODODENDRONS spotted elsewhere around our town.</span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTZeSanpd6dLh9iQAqyCJ_AtvhRjxsf-LsYWgv9M9UvddOIufH6L8S5HprfbU-BahWqYrhyphenhyphen_RSBXcbfBRaruROTESBgj4JwSv-1Z9uwohJh6ttkbAaTZtPbw8T17QykWiScbA4Xb9vbg/s2048/IMG_1585.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1490" data-original-width="2048" height="466" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqTZeSanpd6dLh9iQAqyCJ_AtvhRjxsf-LsYWgv9M9UvddOIufH6L8S5HprfbU-BahWqYrhyphenhyphen_RSBXcbfBRaruROTESBgj4JwSv-1Z9uwohJh6ttkbAaTZtPbw8T17QykWiScbA4Xb9vbg/w640-h466/IMG_1585.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZt-mwrxzNzb1mgNCAH6-I_yY4q5vmPscqNqC5PHA3dogj4wk3mRXRdv7YPYnMpGASJpNkfqDnNjpBDPOkzCjV8qMgbj8SZOWxW_eEUTUi_Uavx64tyXcrAW9AzlsGyeD_bnRdEkEi-g/s2702/DSCN7960.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1164" data-original-width="2702" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUZt-mwrxzNzb1mgNCAH6-I_yY4q5vmPscqNqC5PHA3dogj4wk3mRXRdv7YPYnMpGASJpNkfqDnNjpBDPOkzCjV8qMgbj8SZOWxW_eEUTUi_Uavx64tyXcrAW9AzlsGyeD_bnRdEkEi-g/w640-h276/DSCN7960.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjml2eRGK5YS3vU8Mz1Db9x3yYNJMRZaItGpQAMgfs1bx3DgpwmtuSj9TT5ap-80mO4T0l-26jrF5pcOHCeDoA00jo5omNIKVg7v8fCxC0xnxJyusq_td6VVJB73JzV7CjVRID7_bBZiSQ/s2765/DSCN7963.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1137" data-original-width="2765" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjml2eRGK5YS3vU8Mz1Db9x3yYNJMRZaItGpQAMgfs1bx3DgpwmtuSj9TT5ap-80mO4T0l-26jrF5pcOHCeDoA00jo5omNIKVg7v8fCxC0xnxJyusq_td6VVJB73JzV7CjVRID7_bBZiSQ/w640-h264/DSCN7963.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is a close-up of one of the yellow flowers seen on the bush at the center bottom of the photo above. </span></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: large;">Such an unusually bright, deep shade of yellow!</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAgv3ih1ptElFlJ8Hl6nWCUaGwEk7QowNQ1I8zfpyMpsedjih8DIRWNF5DNZvoItRK3uCK83yf7M2t5G3YFg1fSZLPOt_K0nswwrmjyIvRifmbGOJmdM6wWIdpE4mDHW-wZy1qFkO1_c/s2048/DSCN7967.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsAgv3ih1ptElFlJ8Hl6nWCUaGwEk7QowNQ1I8zfpyMpsedjih8DIRWNF5DNZvoItRK3uCK83yf7M2t5G3YFg1fSZLPOt_K0nswwrmjyIvRifmbGOJmdM6wWIdpE4mDHW-wZy1qFkO1_c/w640-h480/DSCN7967.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_72DpLDh7tHNajavitDAWBniFx0U0Tis8oepdpMC4x-I4_ScI4N62diiBMK_WYBZVJBNz9eDnaj6SCMLkvId549VZc_Bmqt4DW09LcIZa1OHCvQ0jUA6ikzz6Zzkz1hl8tvO8BGCJBU/s2048/DSCN7970.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1965" data-original-width="2048" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-_72DpLDh7tHNajavitDAWBniFx0U0Tis8oepdpMC4x-I4_ScI4N62diiBMK_WYBZVJBNz9eDnaj6SCMLkvId549VZc_Bmqt4DW09LcIZa1OHCvQ0jUA6ikzz6Zzkz1hl8tvO8BGCJBU/w640-h614/DSCN7970.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYg7QVFhi-xJLaqW_loISxAamnkpBl95iEPKRLjtRT_HRkitZ5CP6mOwftUIvYlqjqfZwyQfKE1xNO-XeTIpxCy2E6ijYolHkU168DovIowhaUjqTsSWrjQM5MMNe8f1MXO5HOvYqBK90/s2048/DSCN7979.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1904" data-original-width="2048" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYg7QVFhi-xJLaqW_loISxAamnkpBl95iEPKRLjtRT_HRkitZ5CP6mOwftUIvYlqjqfZwyQfKE1xNO-XeTIpxCy2E6ijYolHkU168DovIowhaUjqTsSWrjQM5MMNe8f1MXO5HOvYqBK90/w640-h596/DSCN7979.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVu4InexksdSxJdkoYltL7l6DbWq2VXOlgvZutiPvJ7VAs5CblJs4dXms3_yHvOI_NCmIX-Xtnu9JoSifdwKosOLbclaPLflIka__t6DK0UUHBtmiC3CHPhYiKo0A69CiHwVLcH5AB94/s2048/DSCN7982.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1646" data-original-width="2048" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZVu4InexksdSxJdkoYltL7l6DbWq2VXOlgvZutiPvJ7VAs5CblJs4dXms3_yHvOI_NCmIX-Xtnu9JoSifdwKosOLbclaPLflIka__t6DK0UUHBtmiC3CHPhYiKo0A69CiHwVLcH5AB94/w640-h514/DSCN7982.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4HtQSuUlunnvsy3NuxRywFpxo0jtzIlV388mSgC5aEKOEriVlzFMVQYQ8fHtMhx-aLAnwS-KncBEV2N7hCx1b1sFowD_53tOoLtlYjN_SZZzJfe2QaAeKO4j2dQDtpnfddA-p2BOKSc/s2048/DSCN7988.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1712" data-original-width="2048" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM4HtQSuUlunnvsy3NuxRywFpxo0jtzIlV388mSgC5aEKOEriVlzFMVQYQ8fHtMhx-aLAnwS-KncBEV2N7hCx1b1sFowD_53tOoLtlYjN_SZZzJfe2QaAeKO4j2dQDtpnfddA-p2BOKSc/w640-h536/DSCN7988.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254); clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxoXG1M-MvJGlNAYb988oxTrVkxm0DBaBbhJlwxapJf72xgJHrjAmLY8CbDf2Bog4uzXO8nZ_RJUjPg6GzKAG1jDFUUEvvsRhbqpigM5IjR4DTXbsjcrFbqPVRoaK_HnjieJmYMXDifI/s2048/IMG_1550.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="2048" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBxoXG1M-MvJGlNAYb988oxTrVkxm0DBaBbhJlwxapJf72xgJHrjAmLY8CbDf2Bog4uzXO8nZ_RJUjPg6GzKAG1jDFUUEvvsRhbqpigM5IjR4DTXbsjcrFbqPVRoaK_HnjieJmYMXDifI/w640-h402/IMG_1550.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #ff00fe; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">SPIREA</span></span></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: xx-large;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">(Spiraea prunifolia)</span></span></div></span></span><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4CHfnzWn8P2dqPfC_jviUWWfVRnbDykmuZ2QUK5noqqbBHpc1p0BRonet2OwkKIQMoLN_28YSQdzmqwX6vHCsFO7sxguuNiYUFpsUXHTbFpBXef-iSosDUGnDLqTNsMFOiuOsSmpwC8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1825" data-original-width="2048" height="571" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX4CHfnzWn8P2dqPfC_jviUWWfVRnbDykmuZ2QUK5noqqbBHpc1p0BRonet2OwkKIQMoLN_28YSQdzmqwX6vHCsFO7sxguuNiYUFpsUXHTbFpBXef-iSosDUGnDLqTNsMFOiuOsSmpwC8/w640-h571/DSCN0755.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; text-align: left;"><br /></div></span></span></span></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">For me, nothing says wedding like stems of SPIREA flowers. And, what do you know? SPIREA is in full bloom in June when so many couples choose to marry!</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">I had the pleasure of getting to know lots of young people during my many years of being employed and living in Sitka. It was fun and enjoyable offering the gift of flower bouquets when learning wedding days were on the horizon. Many of the bouquets created in June included stems loaded with SPIREA flowers.</div></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><div class="separator" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); clear: both; color: black; font-family: -webkit-standard; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTVK2455eCzx0O9js7KArQhAN9kPiVq_cLse5NVbNTPqggfZq6xjk9TauxqyxE9BNlvod9eA3RoI5DTAvwanPhnAv1joZNeFtboRJoIVXd53MKEW5zsBbDweak2fPmVXB3__yQWtluR8/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1707" data-original-width="2048" height="533" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlTVK2455eCzx0O9js7KArQhAN9kPiVq_cLse5NVbNTPqggfZq6xjk9TauxqyxE9BNlvod9eA3RoI5DTAvwanPhnAv1joZNeFtboRJoIVXd53MKEW5zsBbDweak2fPmVXB3__yQWtluR8/w640-h533/DSCN0754.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></span></span></span></div></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);">I WISH YOU ALL THE DELIGHTFUL COLORS AND FRAGRANCES OF THE SEASON!</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #ff00fe; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 254);"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><div><p></p></div></div></div></div>Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-50994629630583568492020-11-29T18:54:00.006-08:002023-02-24T14:49:26.747-08:00PEARS<p><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtQ0hpPd-DOB96jE2kS9xnQfHraGeHKDme0Qw3RkyNxNqlHyZo8Is0qT4dHf2mwRYtGArbaPsMqmtk9kwR7hO5D6lYdFYCHHCr-E_egtDF_xjnOoXOTMT1WTJdqmUk6fRqMpnqxnq0xo/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUtQ0hpPd-DOB96jE2kS9xnQfHraGeHKDme0Qw3RkyNxNqlHyZo8Is0qT4dHf2mwRYtGArbaPsMqmtk9kwR7hO5D6lYdFYCHHCr-E_egtDF_xjnOoXOTMT1WTJdqmUk6fRqMpnqxnq0xo/w523-h640/IMG_0440.jpg" width="523" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Throughout my early teens, I was a babysitter. When I was not caring for my youngest brother and sister, I was babysitting neighbor kids. I don't know how it goes these days, but babysitters back then were expected to do chores</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> after the children were put to bed... d</span><span><span style="font-family: verdana;">ishwashing, </span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">laundry, vacuuming. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">After chores, I would do homework. Some couples would stay out quite late socializing with friends until 1 or 2 AM. To stay awake, I would flip on the television. Not many channels or choices. There were talk shows, late movies and late, late movies... westerns, war movies and musicals. It is a corny song from one of those musicals that sometimes pops into my head, even still, when I am really happy about something. I must have resorted to watching this particular musical a dozen or more times. Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire starred in the movie. They were about as old as my parents. While they waltzed around, Fred was singing, "Heaven, I'm in Heaven..." </span></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">That's the song I found myself singing when I saw pears ripening </span><span><span style="font-family: verdana;">on our pear trees </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">for the very first time!</span></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>YES, I LOVE PEARS.</i></b> </span> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">So, in the spring of 2013, I did some research about</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"> </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">pears. </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Depending on variety and conditions, it can take up to 20 years to produce a healthy crop.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> T</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">he research made it clear that growing pear trees is not a sensible choice for impatient people. I thought about it and decided that I am a reasonably patient person. And, I reasoned that if we do not live long enough to see pears hanging on our trees, the next occupants of our home would have a head start. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">So, I </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">ordered seven different varieties of pear trees and planted them. Below are the names, descriptions and photos of the three varieties that produced full-sized, delicious fruit seven years later in the fall of 2020. As threatening as the year 2020 has been with horrible weather and a pandemic, we are still alive and well... and enjoying the wonderful flavor of pears! </span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">"Heaven, I'm in Heaven..."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: #f1c232;">Doyenne de Juillet</span> </b></span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">(Pyrus communis L.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBmxbAG_-OiIKQe5FK4NlNdz4Nu2wSKrG4Ic7e4EuCoTVfeVRTpZ0Y5tR0ioE-K9DyawUssBvQb9SuoBmA0ydkljo9AkGy8IQCh6pTtq1E9Ccms7tTlmC6Z_R5rcW5j9Ll-BNSJe-Cdw/" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1993" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhBmxbAG_-OiIKQe5FK4NlNdz4Nu2wSKrG4Ic7e4EuCoTVfeVRTpZ0Y5tR0ioE-K9DyawUssBvQb9SuoBmA0ydkljo9AkGy8IQCh6pTtq1E9Ccms7tTlmC6Z_R5rcW5j9Ll-BNSJe-Cdw/w624-h640/IMG_0188.jpg" width="624" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">'Doyenne de Juillet', translates into Duchess of July/Summer. This European variety originated in Belgium and was purchased from Raintree Nursery. </span><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6w-7Bjn3uYh0f9N1pDeCpi46f0zRTAANB_45hZILUUD7jhh3ncbIyR0ik6Z51IFEyyzH_7ACG7n9XP7wOsmuntQH3Hac1QsvGtz2JpHL660t9gRNYE_4sW5wcvBK2bNjO5exE5SehBT0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6w-7Bjn3uYh0f9N1pDeCpi46f0zRTAANB_45hZILUUD7jhh3ncbIyR0ik6Z51IFEyyzH_7ACG7n9XP7wOsmuntQH3Hac1QsvGtz2JpHL660t9gRNYE_4sW5wcvBK2bNjO5exE5SehBT0/w480-h640/IMG_1353.JPG" width="480" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div style="font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">There were hundreds of spring blooms on both 'Doyenne de Juillet' and the pear tree nearby 'Bella di Giugno.' I have to assume that only a fairly small percentage of the blooms on both trees were visited by the same pollinators. About 50 fruits developed and ripened by the end of August on 'Doyenne de Juillet.' It was probably just as well that only a small number of pears grew. The tree is not yet big and strong.</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;">As for 'Bella di Giugno' nearby, the story is sad. Very early in the season, over 100 very tiny pears glistened on its' branches. The day after I celebrated this discovery, we were hit with <i>very cold rain and strong winds</i>. Every single little pear ended up on the ground underneath 'Bella di Giugno.' So much for frontrunners in this part of the world!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2gFGHKc8bQxtqYx8bqlsfm_hjYF-J2pLDOv_U2puDEA3ja9ap8Tmxn1klr1NJD0dkjX98tQ2O5BDCJF0H9PqHcaHEDObZ9Scrvq0mrp3jO5chEJCb3b5RGvWffK4DVj113qROsYP660/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhm2gFGHKc8bQxtqYx8bqlsfm_hjYF-J2pLDOv_U2puDEA3ja9ap8Tmxn1klr1NJD0dkjX98tQ2O5BDCJF0H9PqHcaHEDObZ9Scrvq0mrp3jO5chEJCb3b5RGvWffK4DVj113qROsYP660/w480-h640/IMG_2341.JPG" width="480" /></a></div></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The smallish fruit of 'Doyenne de Juillet' above gradually ripened from green to pale yellow with a red blush on the sunny side. The mature pear has white, juicy, sweet, flavorful flesh. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBctfeYUlnPb0YDrIHlTesfItNu4QTUBLZVwGyYK20vc8yk2HYwXpUHqXmFGKAhMP95d358QiuHfmCXnomlWbbWCLGvu9-Gja553eMVC4YUBpeHoqX3dyw_zYxHD1NbtDdFXyOx2Slabg/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1398" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBctfeYUlnPb0YDrIHlTesfItNu4QTUBLZVwGyYK20vc8yk2HYwXpUHqXmFGKAhMP95d358QiuHfmCXnomlWbbWCLGvu9-Gja553eMVC4YUBpeHoqX3dyw_zYxHD1NbtDdFXyOx2Slabg/w437-h640/IMG_2635.jpg" width="437" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /><br /></b></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: #f1c232;">Harrow Delight</span> </span><div><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">(Pyrus communis L.)</span><br /><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYed-C0X8_LC9AkuHdDqv4bi73GjSHF0tuc8U5pKdx0RDXQ6FeA6NOaoP8Oqzdyvo1CZpbV7E7dPDooE1b0n24eaKTEzz3lqiiRZDy4gcdvQCwI4Rey18043chnju2pjMeCb_GSX8nxM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1675" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqYed-C0X8_LC9AkuHdDqv4bi73GjSHF0tuc8U5pKdx0RDXQ6FeA6NOaoP8Oqzdyvo1CZpbV7E7dPDooE1b0n24eaKTEzz3lqiiRZDy4gcdvQCwI4Rey18043chnju2pjMeCb_GSX8nxM/w523-h640/IMG_0440+2.jpg" width="523" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>'Harrow Delight' originated in the Research Station in Harrow, Ontario, Canada and was introduced to the world in 1982. Our bare root start was purchased from Raintree Nursery in 2013.</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">About 25 fruits appeared on our 'Harrow Delight' pear tree early in the season and gradually matured by the end of September.</span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMth9uXjc1_x2r49bGsghmNMJh-H97fU2bgDYywEA5huQfYD803NZVeYqXinLLoxX-Md85izsYSIvITSpiH1KM7RWjCLJWJeOZE9WJU-3ITW1kLx24Bsmpe50c3X9WBWhM_Aa_yNx6mc/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUMth9uXjc1_x2r49bGsghmNMJh-H97fU2bgDYywEA5huQfYD803NZVeYqXinLLoxX-Md85izsYSIvITSpiH1KM7RWjCLJWJeOZE9WJU-3ITW1kLx24Bsmpe50c3X9WBWhM_Aa_yNx6mc/w480-h640/IMG_2615.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">When ready to eat, this medium-sized, cold-hardy pear is juicy and </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: -webkit-standard;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">so delicious.</span></span></div></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdj7TiJQrvIK31E3dVrD8I2oMeJUR1AJlCExxBbYnKww5IaVA3B7keV4hb3LizMeb64R1Fk2WERNIFV9qXbr9c1-N8ni2BID7wtv8sFbGhnXMgsqr8OvXyi1WlY4t8O4IDlHKw3GK7mQ/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkdj7TiJQrvIK31E3dVrD8I2oMeJUR1AJlCExxBbYnKww5IaVA3B7keV4hb3LizMeb64R1Fk2WERNIFV9qXbr9c1-N8ni2BID7wtv8sFbGhnXMgsqr8OvXyi1WlY4t8O4IDlHKw3GK7mQ/w480-h640/IMG_2718.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /></span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Shipova </b></span></p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">(xSorbus auricularis)</span><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ0YvnBeLTZW4alfpPzNrf_ghk2NGT0POeEF3RmwDfD4dST1uyedzsNxn4keKE_jPv90WZqJKotE6K624uBkyxOVh3zaaIKdX10qJ2AQe9DNFByDM6ENNZIez1T6QEpd9wClJ9A2DcXM/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1782" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAJ0YvnBeLTZW4alfpPzNrf_ghk2NGT0POeEF3RmwDfD4dST1uyedzsNxn4keKE_jPv90WZqJKotE6K624uBkyxOVh3zaaIKdX10qJ2AQe9DNFByDM6ENNZIez1T6QEpd9wClJ9A2DcXM/w557-h640/IMG_2722.jpg" width="557" /></a></b></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /><span style="font-size: large;">Originating in France centuries ago, the 'Shipova' pear was imported into the United States from Yugoslavia in 1959. Botanically rare, an intergeneric hybrid, 'Shipova' is a cross between the two different genera <i>Sorbus</i> and <i>Pyrus. </i>The specific varieties crossed were probably the Common European Pear and the Whitebeam Pear. Because Mountain Ash is also in the Sorbus family, it has been mistakenly claimed as one of the parents. Consequently, it is not surprising to see catalogs and tags with the following false or confusing taxonomies for 'Shipova' including the following:</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> <span> Pyrus tomentosa</span></span><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span> <span> Bollwilleria auricularis</span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span> <span> Azarolis pollvilleriana</span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span> <span> </span></span>Sorbus bollwylleriana</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span> <span> Sorbus aucuparia x pyrus</span></span><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><span>The three 'Shipova' trees I purchased from three different nurseries in 2013 had three different taxonomies!</span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><span><br /></span></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The three nurseries:<br /> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span>One Green World<br /> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span>Raintree Nursery<br /> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span>Rolling River Nursery</span><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span> <span> </span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span><span><span><span><span><span><span> <span> </span></span><br /></span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>'Shipova' pear trees are famous for taking as many as 15 years to bear fruit. Wasn't I surprised and thrilled to see the 'Shipova' from Rolling River Nursery wearing lots of blooms in the spring of 2020! </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span><br /></span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>The big question... will fruit follow? </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span> </span></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span>Although 'Shipova' is described as self-fertile (does not need another pear variety nearby for cross-pollination), it sometimes produces larger crops if planted near pear trees blooming at the same time. This 'Shipova' happens to be near another 'Shipova' as well as the 'Harrow Delight.'<span> They all had blooms at the same time! Feeling hopeful. <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span></span></span></span> <i> </i> <br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU20E6jBUyo5WwrAhktioWnmFrgcTxK2q9VTj4iSjhvjGANHBGmHCkEt2jlg1L9pReTevTkCJLbWWeJSU8-iGXv7nQdpjD1CwP5De-BznSbYr1EP8RIy7FRAa7i8djJQqm5T2XQKj6FXs/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU20E6jBUyo5WwrAhktioWnmFrgcTxK2q9VTj4iSjhvjGANHBGmHCkEt2jlg1L9pReTevTkCJLbWWeJSU8-iGXv7nQdpjD1CwP5De-BznSbYr1EP8RIy7FRAa7i8djJQqm5T2XQKj6FXs/w480-h640/IMG_1379.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div></span><span style="font-size: large;"><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">'Shipova' pear trees generally grow to a height of about 20 feet tall. The shape is similar to a pyramid... thus requiring little to no pruning.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">The leaves have a silver colored down on the underside.</span></span></div>The blooms are unusually large and beautiful with rosy stamens.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ1oMlRxxa5Xj1NU-QcCbeYqIB63hSQ-w9t915UgXyf-BTcE_epZA0i2UDNFeXbmKY7FnLNmdXapP-wAI8BhryHv2vZQbZb8Z7ODArhkIoNxHzz0F2e954j3-L6E7oHrwGfef9R0xyiw/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1651" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRJ1oMlRxxa5Xj1NU-QcCbeYqIB63hSQ-w9t915UgXyf-BTcE_epZA0i2UDNFeXbmKY7FnLNmdXapP-wAI8BhryHv2vZQbZb8Z7ODArhkIoNxHzz0F2e954j3-L6E7oHrwGfef9R0xyiw/w515-h640/IMG_7905.jpg" width="515" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">Look what I spotted on July 4th!</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdb3dzSdIs0DA8jXSDON9cwujPM-IScerecfXZgarAoXgrDSzWClYBDFmUdbetS0cO7gDfgUCcfuIJ7M1Z5utPjGykvq_d12xJ0_y_4GsJA_mL4XVyieIxehL6BLJPHW0TFMgd7MGKHt0/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1788" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdb3dzSdIs0DA8jXSDON9cwujPM-IScerecfXZgarAoXgrDSzWClYBDFmUdbetS0cO7gDfgUCcfuIJ7M1Z5utPjGykvq_d12xJ0_y_4GsJA_mL4XVyieIxehL6BLJPHW0TFMgd7MGKHt0/w560-h640/DSCN8370.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span style="font-size: large;">So you might be thinking that these 'Shipova' pears appear to be on the small side. It is true. When mature, these pears average about 2 inches in diameter with a rounded shape similar to Asian pears. But, I think the size is irrelevant. </span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">As years go by, the number of fruits increases greatly.</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="font-size: large;">The taste? Sweet, slightly tropical, and well worth any wait.</span><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCP19xUHIHu2Km7KBmpvUnSLWr2OxW5F2nImq-S_4cAltkiKSbyA382VPCngXUqC7SQxakaEna-TXQNqnkcX7S1IuV8zR__eNmlEbNbxvCCvaEN-Kff2nVS6t7v24ozaccyDY8x6tWXY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcCP19xUHIHu2Km7KBmpvUnSLWr2OxW5F2nImq-S_4cAltkiKSbyA382VPCngXUqC7SQxakaEna-TXQNqnkcX7S1IuV8zR__eNmlEbNbxvCCvaEN-Kff2nVS6t7v24ozaccyDY8x6tWXY/w640-h480/IMG_2785.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /></span><p></p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /><br />The four pear trees listed below all had plenty of blooms in the spring of 2020. However, none of these trees produced mature fruit.<br /><br />Two big issues of concern:<br /><br />1. It was an unseasonably cold, wet spring causing many of the tender blooms to look brown and beat up.<br /><br />2. There were far fewer pollinators flying around in spring compared with what we are accustomed to seeing. This was likely due to the aforementioned weather conditions. The pollinators showed up later in the season. Fair weather friends.<br /><br /><br />I feel pretty confident that these four trees will grow pears in 2021. I will keep you posted with updates if and when I start singing around any of these four pear trees.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">UPDATE:</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Feeling pretty confident was not enough for the remaining four fruitless pear trees.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Just as was the case in spring of 2020, the weather during spring of 2021 was incompatible with pear blossoms and pollinators. Cold and extremely wet weather only allowed one of the four pear trees to show its stuff. BUT HEY. One is better than none!</span><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Orcas European </b></span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">(Pyrus communis L.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqJo7tX5iZ9m4Akz8H37J6OvoW0T7xoU1FFrDo8Yj6QJl-ttN8mDozjwaEV3COpXPWJFS18PZhzwUMCwCF6DuplW_jqmFoXfBN5YWnfZVsVJec9ZWRw1OypXqSisruF6hHIBkrsxovGpfJjEOFA8tpbzn8KZ4JdLHwtzVPZKhjl3gpsYqsBJwtuB_9=s3024" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2932" data-original-width="3024" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjqJo7tX5iZ9m4Akz8H37J6OvoW0T7xoU1FFrDo8Yj6QJl-ttN8mDozjwaEV3COpXPWJFS18PZhzwUMCwCF6DuplW_jqmFoXfBN5YWnfZVsVJec9ZWRw1OypXqSisruF6hHIBkrsxovGpfJjEOFA8tpbzn8KZ4JdLHwtzVPZKhjl3gpsYqsBJwtuB_9=w640-h620" width="640" /></a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">As you can see above, the label has gotten quite tattered over the years, but still readable. This pear tree had been transplanted from its original location in our gardens about 4 years ago. It seems happy enough where it is now. And look at all of the blossoms on ORCAS below before the cold wind and rain showed up late in spring. They were so lovely.</span></div><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixYy2kEz6rz6Rou7RNTjr2m9I9PbM7aVUJMe4_STmeDE5vzjF_U-wI-R4UGrh98qbCwBPFjDJOAjsrd4OsNEDkNiR5IYoHweDlsEWQ6_Kz6_e81f8Jda6eTcb2jCxguE4DVtjqvSjcE8KJF7OdZnnkGuKaS1LmX7Qqc_vYRCuhyb8asEcLJ_l1NonD=s4032" style="color: #f1c232; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEixYy2kEz6rz6Rou7RNTjr2m9I9PbM7aVUJMe4_STmeDE5vzjF_U-wI-R4UGrh98qbCwBPFjDJOAjsrd4OsNEDkNiR5IYoHweDlsEWQ6_Kz6_e81f8Jda6eTcb2jCxguE4DVtjqvSjcE8KJF7OdZnnkGuKaS1LmX7Qqc_vYRCuhyb8asEcLJ_l1NonD=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(241, 194, 50);">About a dozen blossoms remained on this tree by the end of summer 2021. When the pears grew, they did not hang down. They all reached bottoms up as seen below.</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOFl-679JXVZvn0FIXMCrT7ixbITfV9N8rkx43IUOkoP6SlKYj7AcCQfFpAk1Y9Iccm26M8WtmMLMi7u9E3ICffDV9rQN8HKlf7IYkclGan18K5X9OtLGzx4-rSOG1Q8wuagESo2XdgXrCqBYFw20dRzHzre6hAkeHp54RPkfCbBwU_91A81KJPXDF=s2887" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2887" data-original-width="2169" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOFl-679JXVZvn0FIXMCrT7ixbITfV9N8rkx43IUOkoP6SlKYj7AcCQfFpAk1Y9Iccm26M8WtmMLMi7u9E3ICffDV9rQN8HKlf7IYkclGan18K5X9OtLGzx4-rSOG1Q8wuagESo2XdgXrCqBYFw20dRzHzre6hAkeHp54RPkfCbBwU_91A81KJPXDF=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; color: #f1c232; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">The weather was not kind to the fruit trees late summer into fall. More cold wind and rain knocked the few remaining pears to the ground... but not before they ripened enough for us to eat. I gathered a dozen as they fell to the ground and set them on the kitchen counter for a couple of weeks. They softened nicely.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">Delicious.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj75LykqmAEW8RgEYln6IfGLK26W2OeYcL5j7SGZvi1nut22t1qp_px1lfd2Uh5hY_JfpShDXnn2hbL4wyoI-eWglC2SAbhZmcdY1o3-ijzD7tCb5mwDWPF2_iP62j3NWwe3H00HanZpTgbMRpmBb1b3BxzVzDtv0U40rUw6kHSTZJdPziscO0_i-pt=s2333" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2217" data-original-width="2333" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj75LykqmAEW8RgEYln6IfGLK26W2OeYcL5j7SGZvi1nut22t1qp_px1lfd2Uh5hY_JfpShDXnn2hbL4wyoI-eWglC2SAbhZmcdY1o3-ijzD7tCb5mwDWPF2_iP62j3NWwe3H00HanZpTgbMRpmBb1b3BxzVzDtv0U40rUw6kHSTZJdPziscO0_i-pt=w640-h608" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Even though the 2022 season was not sunny, warm and wonderful, ORCAS produced 3 dozen delicious pears!</span></p><p><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></p><p><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></b></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(241, 194, 50);">Below are the three varieties remaining fruitless.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(241, 194, 50);">They all had blossoms in the spring of 2021 and 2022. The blossoms simply could not endure the cold wind and rain.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(241, 194, 50);">I will visit these remaining three varieties often and cheer them on throughout the spring of 2023. </span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(241, 194, 50);">Stay tuned!</span></span></p><p><b><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;">Bella di Giugno</span></b></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">(Pyrus communis L.)</span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Butirra Precoce Morettini</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"></span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">(Pyrus communis L.)</span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b>Ubileen</b></span></p><p><span style="color: #f1c232; font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">(Pyrus communis L.)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p></div></div>Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-52741748029449117042020-03-20T20:32:00.009-07:002023-12-19T19:04:17.012-08:00ABALONE <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnQWu07vNKeRY2mSob7OJwJKoBlcxaYFs2eDpUQ5UTqoAoK30HS-AMFzSlongTrDK2QXYFFgvepqdFxgqbu3FoLUx92Xqy7pUSHrTZu_BYSZqFPXVO_Z8c49LrE4CQs-vMtY51IVc-Pk/s1600/IMG_0822.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnQWu07vNKeRY2mSob7OJwJKoBlcxaYFs2eDpUQ5UTqoAoK30HS-AMFzSlongTrDK2QXYFFgvepqdFxgqbu3FoLUx92Xqy7pUSHrTZu_BYSZqFPXVO_Z8c49LrE4CQs-vMtY51IVc-Pk/s640/IMG_0822.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />When I was a little kid, if you had asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, my unwavering reply would have been, “a mermaid.” Swimming underwater was my favorite free time activity. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> Back then, and even still, I find myself perched on an inviting outcrop watching the incoming tide after a satisfying excursion. </span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I have daydreamed more than once about being invited to join the underwater people. </span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So far, no luck.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My ocean adventures here in Alaska began with abalone.</span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />It wasn’t long after arriving in Sitka that I was invited by a co-worker to go out with her family on their boat </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">to gather abalone.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I did not hesitate to accept the invitation. But, in all honesty, outside of pretty jewelry, I was totally unfamiliar with abalone.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Off we went heading south in a fast boat. </span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It was a cool and cloudy Saturday in late August 1975.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBdc8y99eJ2BfuR69CgZltDeL-am2gXUhFOLk7WiMHYw-AOgdIXZELbJ3ZMEtGfuBbMiSjbKqc04d78uu8iX2kNydTqS82C6i11WjBEe-YOZZ87z0df_VWhDutybpzr7jMcXPI_bSiUs/s1600/IMG_0298.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPBdc8y99eJ2BfuR69CgZltDeL-am2gXUhFOLk7WiMHYw-AOgdIXZELbJ3ZMEtGfuBbMiSjbKqc04d78uu8iX2kNydTqS82C6i11WjBEe-YOZZ87z0df_VWhDutybpzr7jMcXPI_bSiUs/s640/IMG_0298.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">After about a 30 minute ride, we arrived at our destination and dropped anchor. We grabbed a little gear and skiffed to the beach. The tide was extraordinarily low. I was given a quick lesson about locating and removing abalone. With goodie bag and wide screwdriver in hand, I was to hunt around in cracks, crannies and under seaweed. The final instruction was to try not to slip and fall too much.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_1lvAJal_NGIt5e1uuux-79g4hTJtHWovHDHFaAUpQ2VPiHsioAosa0PvvPgr8SgJRfCcbDjTJJ61soNDWih115I2nGmYr-njh2i-4xFvtQFzy5_nnE9GL9lkKaFbBX22LKsDomEQmc/s1600/IMG_0826.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF_1lvAJal_NGIt5e1uuux-79g4hTJtHWovHDHFaAUpQ2VPiHsioAosa0PvvPgr8SgJRfCcbDjTJJ61soNDWih115I2nGmYr-njh2i-4xFvtQFzy5_nnE9GL9lkKaFbBX22LKsDomEQmc/s640/IMG_0826.jpg" width="592" /></a></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I looked around for a short time where the ocean met the shore. But, in no time at all, I was overcome with the irresistible urge to head out a little, take the plunge and immerse myself in the ocean.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Having been raised on weary ocean shores south of Boston, I was absolutely thrilled at seeing such pristine waters and abundant sea life. It was mesmerizing! And very, very cold!</span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I remember thinking there and then that a wetsuit was in my future.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRfOvKn03VanWw8YXj0MitvboPRkimSLmChuQ5SqbNplmAGZ_xpjo0j8AApa9v0H5zq7eJfzs9olCErdSh8i5VFwbVx0flGhVU3OPA4dP1YTX0EOoGlNd_0GB1eRTSxEzdrEQqr4cDhk/s1600/IMG_0715.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsRfOvKn03VanWw8YXj0MitvboPRkimSLmChuQ5SqbNplmAGZ_xpjo0j8AApa9v0H5zq7eJfzs9olCErdSh8i5VFwbVx0flGhVU3OPA4dP1YTX0EOoGlNd_0GB1eRTSxEzdrEQqr4cDhk/s640/IMG_0715.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So back I went to the slippery shoreline, dripping wet. I kind of lost track of time for a while. Lost in Wonderland. But, sure enough, the tide started coming back up and snapped me out of it.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I was relieved that my hosts didn't complain about waiting around for me. I was pretty sure they were thinking I was a mindless idiot when I finally made my way back to them at the skiff. They pointed out that my lips were blue. In fact, I was shivering and nearly hypothermic. But hey! This was my introduction to abalone! And, after that brief lesson they gave me, I had excitedly located and pried a few large abalone free from their surprisingly tight grip on rocks! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We zipped back to town with me wrapped in a blanket.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So it began. Abalone initiation. More importantly, my introduction to the enchanting ocean and shores surrounding Baranof Island.</span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And look at this! </span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">No more waiting around for an invitation from my imaginary underwater people...</span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I became a certified OPEN WATER DIVER...twice! </span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My husband and I took the class together in 1985. </span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Then, I repeated the class with my daughter in 2004. </span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It was her senior project and a most refreshing experience!</span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">No question about it. For over 20 years, scuba diving in this part of the world more than satisfied my mermaid yearnings.</span></div><div></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kHCIQ59ySJbACqmjS0daRzS14ZFO0ger1qsUKROPMMJiGry3zpBoUB2utPNi58AYSDwSrPbZuGn8HzABwHpHZzerkWPT74fJFnHevE4vGnoWrcG4hAHNfJo9Syb9GdlzVDSm25VYmII/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1456" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0kHCIQ59ySJbACqmjS0daRzS14ZFO0ger1qsUKROPMMJiGry3zpBoUB2utPNi58AYSDwSrPbZuGn8HzABwHpHZzerkWPT74fJFnHevE4vGnoWrcG4hAHNfJo9Syb9GdlzVDSm25VYmII/w456-h640/IMG_3155.jpg" width="456" /></a></div><br /></span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">I replaced my scuba diving with snorkeling the past few years.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;"> It simplifies things and is nearly as satisfying.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oyUvjMe8QZOAKZWw4YW2YfDp6k5xdoO6LixfYEl1U92yeLf0dC1LdXNG76cdDFrPd821d3b0Wi-w7D5NIjPiA-89cbXt_VeLAdIbPpu7mR3VgDr2VALy2k96s1PbCa-ceU6CCtBQ9Nk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="793" data-original-width="1779" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4oyUvjMe8QZOAKZWw4YW2YfDp6k5xdoO6LixfYEl1U92yeLf0dC1LdXNG76cdDFrPd821d3b0Wi-w7D5NIjPiA-89cbXt_VeLAdIbPpu7mR3VgDr2VALy2k96s1PbCa-ceU6CCtBQ9Nk/w400-h179/Scan+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>NORTHERN ABALONE</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b><i>Haliotis kamtschatkana</i></b></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The NORTHERN ABALONE are also known as SMALL NORTHERN ABALONE, PINTO ABALONE, JAPANESE ABALONE, KAMCHATKA ABALONE and ALASKAN ABALONE. Most people in the Sitka area simply refer to this unusual sea snail as <i>ABALONE or Abs.</i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Way back in my early years in Sitka, <i><b>the minimum size requirement</b></i> for abalone </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">was the same as today... </span><b><i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">3 1/2 inches</span></i></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> The daily limit back then was fifty! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Abalone was so plentiful! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Nowadays abalone is comparatively scarce in our area. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>T</i></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><i>he daily limit is five </i></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">(<i>as set by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game - Alaska residents - Personal Use/Subsistence Shellfish Regulations</i>).</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkv7oZXFPZBL_RsKwbhUrHkr0x7p1MGv9n2pgKQDvntovJKnFkcZLNr7GgIi0ZwEZ_-jzO3H1jdOy1gSOCyIf3Pt6wBmUifmLP6zmdAPuOYXMnlX3zR501f9e_vTjis2z7M43kkXEAyk/s1600/IMG_6497.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmkv7oZXFPZBL_RsKwbhUrHkr0x7p1MGv9n2pgKQDvntovJKnFkcZLNr7GgIi0ZwEZ_-jzO3H1jdOy1gSOCyIf3Pt6wBmUifmLP6zmdAPuOYXMnlX3zR501f9e_vTjis2z7M43kkXEAyk/s640/IMG_6497.jpg" width="384" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Double checking the size.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Four people. Nineteen abalone. Not bad.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The population of this species has declined in the past four decades pretty much everywhere they congregate. They live on the sea floor down to about 40 feet in ocean currents from California north to Yakutat, Alaska. Some are exposed and accessible at very low tides.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In the past it was sometimes said that these abalone were simply over harvested by people. There is more to the story. After sea otters were reintroduced to Southeast Alaska waters in the late 1960's, the sea otter population increased in leaps and bounds. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And, yes, I and many other people think the s</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">ea otters are adorable. </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7354pwW4Jq3C5e5HrZloY5lX9T-bJSPX9bzr2lF0R1Ia-ed_EJZMndjl9rT3FLpcZvmWxChFqtD0zAS2bsM99ltEP62dk1QizhYd8VMQTc51DpHN_viyhaW7Mpakd0edt_Idl4ohYxMA/s1600/DSCN7309.jpg"><img border="0" height="634" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7354pwW4Jq3C5e5HrZloY5lX9T-bJSPX9bzr2lF0R1Ia-ed_EJZMndjl9rT3FLpcZvmWxChFqtD0zAS2bsM99ltEP62dk1QizhYd8VMQTc51DpHN_viyhaW7Mpakd0edt_Idl4ohYxMA/s640/DSCN7309.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">But, abalone is a favorite food of sea otters. And otters are far better than humans at locating abalone.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Although it is likely the major factor in the decline of abalone, predation by sea otters does not complete the story. There are other factors including:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Male and female abalone need to group up to spawn. Abalone are mobile but don't tend to travel much. The fewer the abalone in the group, the fewer the larvae to settle in nearby coralline algae.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It takes abalone as many as 8 years to mature feeding on marine algae... reproducing when they reach about 2 1/2 inches in length. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Abalone are capable of living up to 15 years. It is doubtful that many, if any, survive this long. Not only are they food for humans and sea otters, but abalone are eaten by other critters including river otter, mink, octopus, crab and sea stars.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkY4rzmdLhF_qhneV0MnWnQscLajfuafS6Dc4cwr7xO15EpEDUbopNEQNSQfoLvEF0U4aOUGsMuaJpsP2AvFKLcUp6XIvso_yULFL93Wl1onhDVyUPwg55U9vPQ3NG0AtK7VgjgST2TY/s1600/DSCN2948.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxkY4rzmdLhF_qhneV0MnWnQscLajfuafS6Dc4cwr7xO15EpEDUbopNEQNSQfoLvEF0U4aOUGsMuaJpsP2AvFKLcUp6XIvso_yULFL93Wl1onhDVyUPwg55U9vPQ3NG0AtK7VgjgST2TY/s640/DSCN2948.jpg" width="576" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Patiently waiting and watching out for his snorkeling wife.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Let's have a closer look at abalone here in the Sitka area.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Even if there are abalone nearby when you are on the hunt, you might not see them. They blend in very well with their surroundings. Abalone get easier to spot with practice.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindC_N4z7uxKkFgRCsiOasmM5QoudPQL7YJ83UaLKzUIvfKNPIYVxA9bATp1Vj-x3KHCG6hsz8cDghRed6pBMy3vS9l9mSBkxgmTdxejF5hb0PJNPW4oBtXu6DVGAFzYch8pljoOLlENU/s1600/IMG_0824.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEindC_N4z7uxKkFgRCsiOasmM5QoudPQL7YJ83UaLKzUIvfKNPIYVxA9bATp1Vj-x3KHCG6hsz8cDghRed6pBMy3vS9l9mSBkxgmTdxejF5hb0PJNPW4oBtXu6DVGAFzYch8pljoOLlENU/s640/IMG_0824.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">An abalone in the center</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Being one of the smallest species, the abalone found in this area can grow in length to six inches. It's rare to see many longer than 5 inches. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There are 4 to six small holes along the outside edge of abalone shells. As abalone grow, the older holes fill in as new holes appear. These holes are multipurpose... reproduction, rinsing out waste and breathing.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Color wise, there are probably no two abalone that look alike. The shells are often a camouflage mixture of colors. Sometimes one color will be outstanding. Red, pink, tan, green. Besides differing by color, the shape can vary a bit. And, no telling what will be hitching a ride or growing on the outer shell!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSVwoFanY3SzgtJJYVWxbKJ6fEZb_e37RUhhNZhsnkUsv6MtAsgDC0eEyrmuGRoXlfhxoYmrtcKRv6qquV-42SSZJVMYdKUkFTlmZgr1b9sJffK_Ti5d_Wo8hmCXE3pGVFixlRny8lGE/s1600/IMG_4542.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQSVwoFanY3SzgtJJYVWxbKJ6fEZb_e37RUhhNZhsnkUsv6MtAsgDC0eEyrmuGRoXlfhxoYmrtcKRv6qquV-42SSZJVMYdKUkFTlmZgr1b9sJffK_Ti5d_Wo8hmCXE3pGVFixlRny8lGE/s640/IMG_4542.jpg" width="524" /></a></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So, after making certain that the abalone is 3 1/2 inches or more, pry it loose from its tight grip. Flip it over.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYQW-0uXhm0OmeWTkZ2ohB19D4o3g8r5i1eJhlmCKLRmfGpx5M6HUu0ozQsROOWBnXS6F0x5FNFFmSstvjPNEtdLYi2pa90S4ShBHQHL34cf8sYyguJXPEpioYZ1WtZAOlZ-aIpKm-rM/s1600/IMG_4548.JPG"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLYQW-0uXhm0OmeWTkZ2ohB19D4o3g8r5i1eJhlmCKLRmfGpx5M6HUu0ozQsROOWBnXS6F0x5FNFFmSstvjPNEtdLYi2pa90S4ShBHQHL34cf8sYyguJXPEpioYZ1WtZAOlZ-aIpKm-rM/s640/IMG_4548.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When zooming in on the photo above, one of the abalone's two tiny eyes can be seen in the photo below. It is the little round light blue spot. Abalone eyes detect light. The mouth, with a sensing tentacle on either side, can be located b</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">etween the eyes. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwd_DDovpQo5VPezRVICnWFcolG8zAmKqaODIRtFj7DP13DTp5b14W2t_Na5oLMa5NzY9apWdISUB_oKOmiAQvxALEEFqy_FoIiqld5oTCMus1maQj-ESyBGUYZzAi0maIJvUmn7pVpIk/s1600/IMG_4548.jpg"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwd_DDovpQo5VPezRVICnWFcolG8zAmKqaODIRtFj7DP13DTp5b14W2t_Na5oLMa5NzY9apWdISUB_oKOmiAQvxALEEFqy_FoIiqld5oTCMus1maQj-ESyBGUYZzAi0maIJvUmn7pVpIk/s640/IMG_4548.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">CLEANING ABALONE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A large, powerful, muscular foot takes up most of the space inside the abalone shell. This muscle is permanently attached to the shell. This muscle is what we eat.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cut the insides free from the shell with a flexible knife. Slide the blade in tight against the inside of the shell. Do this from the side of the shell that does not have a lip. Cut the abalone foot free from the shell interior. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Under the foot are some guts. It is easy to separate the guts from the foot. Discard the guts.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">You are left with the large edible foot. Seen below are the top and bottom views of the muscular foot.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoE5tJnrdO8Sya7dtoEstS_FI2f1Gk8T0jIBzmfr8Lim0yfuCBvcpQJvPmT2JXDeBjonJy26MSxVxv-1hXFnX8icXiYbODY5pt9YKisT3VzmlcilxNet7S28x6yUWMWoQ92jZ9PzJbN8/s1600/IMG_4572.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqoE5tJnrdO8Sya7dtoEstS_FI2f1Gk8T0jIBzmfr8Lim0yfuCBvcpQJvPmT2JXDeBjonJy26MSxVxv-1hXFnX8icXiYbODY5pt9YKisT3VzmlcilxNet7S28x6yUWMWoQ92jZ9PzJbN8/s640/IMG_4572.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">With a sharp knife, cut away the small mouth and eye section.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Place all of your abalone in a bowl of </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">fresh water to soak for a few hours... or over night in the refrigerator. After they soak in the fresh water, the black encircling the outside will wipe off easily with a clean cloth and more fresh water. This was a welcome discovery especially after watching people go to surprising extremes to remove the black coating... including washing machines!</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">COOKING ABALONE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The popular, quick, simple and delicious preparation for eating abalone:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Slice thin.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Tenderize the tough slices with a mallet or other useful tool. I use a big round beach stone.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Coat slices with flour.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Saute slices briefly on each side in a hot pan with butter or vegetable oil.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Because I was often cooking our abalone for a large number of people, I came up with a preparation that did not require slicing and pounding:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cut a dozen abalone into pieces.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Place the pieces in a blender with a raw egg. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Blend until it looks smooth like pancake batter.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Empty into a bowl.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thicken the </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">mixture up with a little bit of white flour. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Two or three tablespoons. </span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gTIptFctAlFmmoZL8maqr91iBbtMyaZbpV4YyClLzkFR6Vgiisak56dXklDxH6I-_8lVonZJoxk6GfQXGRwyOn06Gjy6R3Pn_uNmIyKXTN7sogxp-1VfKFEgobl_mKQkegSaLcj9LPk/s1600/IMG_6733.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4gTIptFctAlFmmoZL8maqr91iBbtMyaZbpV4YyClLzkFR6Vgiisak56dXklDxH6I-_8lVonZJoxk6GfQXGRwyOn06Gjy6R3Pn_uNmIyKXTN7sogxp-1VfKFEgobl_mKQkegSaLcj9LPk/w568-h640/IMG_6733.jpg" width="568" /></a> </span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Drop a tablespoon or so of the mix into a bowl of bread crumbs. Press flat with a fork as you coat both sides.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If you want to make a burger size fritter, drop a four or five tablespoon sized blob into the bread crumbs. Flatten the blob with a fork as you coat both sides.</span></li>
<li style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJO9AyU5nOzuqzB-_vlZvu6BCBpAwqCGtwxLgjrwcm0WV5oiEiNJnRAPJTOK7TM1ADnwDsSfZPlkWwR9_u3EoNIfxj0CoO65lEnmCCF7Jiy4ZhWIgZpwThrZIfJlcUkqntTmv2t8atQE/s1600/IMG_6734.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJO9AyU5nOzuqzB-_vlZvu6BCBpAwqCGtwxLgjrwcm0WV5oiEiNJnRAPJTOK7TM1ADnwDsSfZPlkWwR9_u3EoNIfxj0CoO65lEnmCCF7Jiy4ZhWIgZpwThrZIfJlcUkqntTmv2t8atQE/w480-h640/IMG_6734.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In an inch of medium hot oil in a pan on the stovetop, fry the "fritters" two or three minutes on each side until golden, crispy brown. It will probably take a little longer for the burger size fritter.</span></li>
</ul>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Delicious with a nice slaw or salad!</span></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOg4DUrH8COVQFBd0UNIF3g9IG69UY3PmDfA2z3pDPQHE9NRZ9v_Bmh8wNnH9XFKq706qyBxhnFGUdh5S_lczxgMQPHZzJqMuPEuriJgCaixJHYJU2SzF2PxMxo2D-jVDB_volL9vizsI/s1600/IMG_6741.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOg4DUrH8COVQFBd0UNIF3g9IG69UY3PmDfA2z3pDPQHE9NRZ9v_Bmh8wNnH9XFKq706qyBxhnFGUdh5S_lczxgMQPHZzJqMuPEuriJgCaixJHYJU2SzF2PxMxo2D-jVDB_volL9vizsI/s640/IMG_6741.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-90130229336577010622020-03-11T19:22:00.002-07:002020-10-12T11:38:32.912-07:00TEA TIME <div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooi4IyNnV6bEOgEBAaQkWtHE_rcI0aqNtV53m2qCYjQmj-C6TelWjIky_82ldxZgTmou6CvVi5dtxo0u3sxB_Ft_cQWR1FxOPyk5Zs0xzdBP8aznKjGkiFxYrPQKvjFTi7aw_Bmi31ow/s1600/IMG_1032.jpg"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjooi4IyNnV6bEOgEBAaQkWtHE_rcI0aqNtV53m2qCYjQmj-C6TelWjIky_82ldxZgTmou6CvVi5dtxo0u3sxB_Ft_cQWR1FxOPyk5Zs0xzdBP8aznKjGkiFxYrPQKvjFTi7aw_Bmi31ow/s640/IMG_1032.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Herbal tea, that is!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My attention turns to our windows as they respond to harsh winds and rain from the west. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">No denying that the weather in Southeast Alaska is often wild and wet. An understatement.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So, let's do it! Take a well deserved break. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Treat ourselves to a warm cup of flavorful tea.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It just so happens that many plants eligible for a soak in the teapot grow happily in our wet climate. Mints included. And, m</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">ost of these teapot qualified plants are perennial. Surprisingly, they return year after year.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Speaking of mint, let's take a look back. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My initial interest in growing mint was to partner mint with flowers in bouquets. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLZ-lUMVwQ97SKdUbEv7IkQpcEB4xRuPHloPzPIDWTTv-fTKcubQ2f8WYjHxyPQbBm5sAryC_rtDfcy8nx0v9xeLzqeeCCXWYLmTqFRp9qHaUsmYmV0nWQWDjoN9bOLws85dFeeNpcM4/s1600/IMG_4450.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuLZ-lUMVwQ97SKdUbEv7IkQpcEB4xRuPHloPzPIDWTTv-fTKcubQ2f8WYjHxyPQbBm5sAryC_rtDfcy8nx0v9xeLzqeeCCXWYLmTqFRp9qHaUsmYmV0nWQWDjoN9bOLws85dFeeNpcM4/s640/IMG_4450.jpg" width="552" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Peppermint and Spearmint among Canterbury Bells, Delphinium and Painted Daisies </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: medium;">with Hosta at the base</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As the varieties and quantities of flowers increased in and around our gardens, so did the varieties and quantities of mint.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Many of the flowers were gorgeous... but had very little fragrance. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The mints? So fresh! So fragrant! So <b style="font-style: italic;">plentiful! </b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Yes, if you visit other gardeners, and they have mint growing, you will undoubtedly be offered large starts for your garden. You might hear generous offers such as, "Dig up all you want." That is how several mints came to live in our gardens. So... best to pay attention to where you plant mint. It truly does love life here in our climate. It thrives and spreads with very little encouragement. </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBCi3sbiUQ2FCnVJ7ls1GcoVs8JZH_OV8HCrYnLNsf662vADE2JlenYuhHBmrIFz2V4Tho5IkjRgfU4TpYRfDlpRl0zDW4CroWpRE9tl0sCL0vTbgQy0kdnPycb2r_gOrQZ3TdzdVHdU/s1600/DSC06438.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzBCi3sbiUQ2FCnVJ7ls1GcoVs8JZH_OV8HCrYnLNsf662vADE2JlenYuhHBmrIFz2V4Tho5IkjRgfU4TpYRfDlpRl0zDW4CroWpRE9tl0sCL0vTbgQy0kdnPycb2r_gOrQZ3TdzdVHdU/s640/DSC06438.jpg" width="448" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Spearmint in the foreground </span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">with roses, raspberries and cherries in the background </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If you prefer a small, controlled patch of mint, consider planting it in a container. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As years passed, I was inclined to take the time to scrutinize plants we had growing in our gardens. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When researching mint, I was surprised to learn that there are quite a few species within the genus 'Mentha.' </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The family name is </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Lamiaceae. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And, how odd! I read that mint plants have square stems! Of course, after reading this, I immediately found myself examining the stems of each of our mint species. Sure enough, they all had square stems! How had I never before noticed this trait?</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Two more factors that simplify the identification of mints are opposite leaves on stems and a spicy fragrance due to the abundance of aromatic oils.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDj5aiBnmoM3a2St_C4mt7dtUVJgfHsCt012g-FHfQEXUVQHPdq2wBo5cUsYVEHFizhr2IbmCtBI9QVg_BUIk5TEvjESW5gB0FEv6RJQQw074_R4d_ircJhGHETh81NLk9gAauo6OndxU/s1600/DSC07254.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDj5aiBnmoM3a2St_C4mt7dtUVJgfHsCt012g-FHfQEXUVQHPdq2wBo5cUsYVEHFizhr2IbmCtBI9QVg_BUIk5TEvjESW5gB0FEv6RJQQw074_R4d_ircJhGHETh81NLk9gAauo6OndxU/s640/DSC07254.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">This is peppermint. Notice the square stem <br />with leaves opposite each other on the stem.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Coincidentally, herbal teas were growing in popularity during my early years of gardening. Lo and behold, mints and several other of our perennial plants were listed as ingredients in many of the new, commercially prepared herbal teas. Homemade herbal teas here I come!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Not only were they professed to be delicious and refreshing, most mint and herbal teas were described as having traditional health benefits. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Best that I leave it up to you to do your own research and determine the health benefits of specific mints and herbs for yourself.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, let's have a look below at some of the plants I use when making flavorful teas.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b>MINTS AND OTHER PLANTS </b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b>from the Lamiaceae Family</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>in alphabetical order</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b>APPLE MINT</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>Mentha suavolens</b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0); font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie333uiR1eBZd7jeUtMPfHUlipc5rSE0XuHz6_k6rV1HhT7bxJkzbOKVhGGCqxJ7dU7wDERV75FmsaXn_XV7C6JxLEv2vNzVmrj1ha5ql4keMPXDyeewTKt9-LdPJibbMpcM598qwwu-M/s1600/DSC07270.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie333uiR1eBZd7jeUtMPfHUlipc5rSE0XuHz6_k6rV1HhT7bxJkzbOKVhGGCqxJ7dU7wDERV75FmsaXn_XV7C6JxLEv2vNzVmrj1ha5ql4keMPXDyeewTKt9-LdPJibbMpcM598qwwu-M/s640/DSC07270.jpg" width="574" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The friendly woman living in the house next door to the Pioneer Bar here in Sitka just happened to be coming out her entry door as I paused for a closer look at the unusual plants in front of her house. We were well acquainted. She knew I was a gardener.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Can you guess what she said? </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">"It is some kind of mint. Dig up all you want."</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The Apple Mint leaves are a wonderful shade of green and are large, rounded and fuzzy. The stems have opposite leaves and are also fuzzy. The height of the plant is usually between two and three feet. The plants tend to fall over if not supported.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The leaf flavor is a pleasant mix of spearmint and apples. Use the leaves of Apple Mint for tea preferably just before the plant flowers. Flowers of this mint sometimes add bitterness.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX_8fXkFO_azDWmQJC1EGHrXgr2PsfN2RvkCr3bRzISUWj1mSZEPFmfBSqIDzzmf-QGzY_aRL_ADhaKn-nJtyS-MftXu4yaSL663QE9TeOWTOk9FTE9yoPPo_RIDh2Yuvn_TKWD9_RBo/s1600/DSC00967.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaX_8fXkFO_azDWmQJC1EGHrXgr2PsfN2RvkCr3bRzISUWj1mSZEPFmfBSqIDzzmf-QGzY_aRL_ADhaKn-nJtyS-MftXu4yaSL663QE9TeOWTOk9FTE9yoPPo_RIDh2Yuvn_TKWD9_RBo/s640/DSC00967.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Bouquets of Dahlias and Asters with Apple Mint</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b>BEE BALM</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>Monarda didyma</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieNfXvt8ETmtsgJjpf-p2lgv7l4-cIelPm87OkoAjLPZf3_30J09AksphsVqDz-gZZZFe27NnIgGuL3IONufbE99P8k2mfh6cQMZaqH28Dz936wrFM_f-92RMOHWSMNUsX2IfaN-zhh0/s1600/DSC07000.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgieNfXvt8ETmtsgJjpf-p2lgv7l4-cIelPm87OkoAjLPZf3_30J09AksphsVqDz-gZZZFe27NnIgGuL3IONufbE99P8k2mfh6cQMZaqH28Dz936wrFM_f-92RMOHWSMNUsX2IfaN-zhh0/s640/DSC07000.jpg" width="480" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpbAe-kTGPBGAP4VG_lGC3zXrMC_aKmSW6ye4m-cS6NHmaqS2QvdUUhYWXwQqTfN1CZ5iC3yQKzfChGonJs0fk3dVNkUwrvYU-K_82E1uO7BKraid9hkh1x_vB38GCTeI5VX9KYKGT58/s1600/IMG_0023.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOpbAe-kTGPBGAP4VG_lGC3zXrMC_aKmSW6ye4m-cS6NHmaqS2QvdUUhYWXwQqTfN1CZ5iC3yQKzfChGonJs0fk3dVNkUwrvYU-K_82E1uO7BKraid9hkh1x_vB38GCTeI5VX9KYKGT58/s640/IMG_0023.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Started from seed</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">I think Bee Balm is trying to win some kind of a contest in our gardens. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Whatever that contest is, the Bee Balm will probably win.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">I love Bee Balm. It is easy to grow, flamboyant, aromatic and delicious in tea. Without question, hummingbirds love Bee Balm even more than I do. Once we had a sizable patch established (about 20 years ago), there have been at least 8 hummingbirds in residence each summer. They argue and chase each other away from our big spread of attractive Bee Balm. <i>Relentlessly</i>.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">This hummingbird was apparently the boss last summer. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">Constantly on guard duty.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDFq0UsF-Yy4Jx91NGf11pikkRSE87YekEVHGh1LrV5yJ8PAxv4vHb03_lrxqVt-Ej2ZwSTYxxtx0KRy85fd_wl0YRf6ektgWlc4RqSFqUDRCA7kdmfcTheDXsbpSIbDroHR4Cwx4uuw/s1600/DSCN0870.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEDFq0UsF-Yy4Jx91NGf11pikkRSE87YekEVHGh1LrV5yJ8PAxv4vHb03_lrxqVt-Ej2ZwSTYxxtx0KRy85fd_wl0YRf6ektgWlc4RqSFqUDRCA7kdmfcTheDXsbpSIbDroHR4Cwx4uuw/s640/DSCN0870.jpg" width="618" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Occasionally overcome with exhaustion.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EWlckGfPvYYqrWeB-NNbzZpRH4G00IKHWsp9LPe8GC0gHbAUDPvczMilxZR6YVDgBk6iFFQQta4RayYNjUExuVhVyNNSyBhrM0f8DWG1sZta4Rhf4-IMb7llBMlwxBFjrglrlOHAW0E/s1600/DSCN0869.jpg"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9EWlckGfPvYYqrWeB-NNbzZpRH4G00IKHWsp9LPe8GC0gHbAUDPvczMilxZR6YVDgBk6iFFQQta4RayYNjUExuVhVyNNSyBhrM0f8DWG1sZta4Rhf4-IMb7llBMlwxBFjrglrlOHAW0E/s640/DSCN0869.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">No sooner does the boss fall asleep when another of the hummingbirds, hiding in the leaves, slips in for the goodies. It's quite a show. And, the show goes on for several months, <i>every day</i>, rain or shine.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULaXJr9WFxUz0a-Z0tXqlnBrSPmrxexzEiqy5RcytOpjNKj5xEi9u2dp2ne6X7MS3KvlB5hrq4IXNwJVjjNe3L8rvyjlBFEurbKm-N4p7NsFcie1XKGNrn34XXhKJt7B3ZwslvukSrwU/s1600/DSCN4324.jpg"><img border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjULaXJr9WFxUz0a-Z0tXqlnBrSPmrxexzEiqy5RcytOpjNKj5xEi9u2dp2ne6X7MS3KvlB5hrq4IXNwJVjjNe3L8rvyjlBFEurbKm-N4p7NsFcie1XKGNrn34XXhKJt7B3ZwslvukSrwU/s640/DSCN4324.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I like to make a quart of tea at a time. I use quart size teapots. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Use the petals when making Bee Balm tea. About a quarter of a cup of dried petals or 1/2 cup of fresh petals works well for me. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Place the petals in the basket of the tea pot or directly into the teapot to be strained out later.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Boil a quart of water on your stovetop in a separate pan. Once boiling, remove from heat and let the water cool down for a few minutes.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Pour the hot water into the teapot. Close the lid and let it steep for 15 minutes or so.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">What a delightful surprise! Bee Balm tea is a bright shade of red!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Above are the steps I take to steep most teas. What varies are the parts of the plants we steep.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I usually drink tea unsweetened. But, adding honey or another sweetener is a common practice.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If there is leftover tea, I like to pour it into a jar with a lid and store it in the refrigerator. It is a treat to add a little bit of herbal tea to the water I drink throughout the day.</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_nRzcJcHjTN4bq3RxI8ekoKoe02sKCJuDw4Q7zUEj71RJOXxq2I-EwN2EWq_bVFo4YXa3tx9Hc2huvIAsz1vyy-CY2_aOgrETr7dMmXGrTXSjnkrmT8wszopEMBvwgD4jNE8jw42GFw/s1600/IMG_1954.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0_nRzcJcHjTN4bq3RxI8ekoKoe02sKCJuDw4Q7zUEj71RJOXxq2I-EwN2EWq_bVFo4YXa3tx9Hc2huvIAsz1vyy-CY2_aOgrETr7dMmXGrTXSjnkrmT8wszopEMBvwgD4jNE8jw42GFw/s640/IMG_1954.jpg" width="502" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A bouquet made up of Armenian Basket Flowers, Dahlias, Ligularia, Lilies and Bee Balm</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">
<b></b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b>GINGER MINT </b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>Mentha x gracilis</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6MqLECfZGyio8KUu9PSuXM86JpAgns9shP45hfW7RXc40OqJ6v-YgojejYeqiJPoDoDseIXPwsZUmMfu72GatgZSb01GUCRCcpsooxdbaYTvfLbE-nw4hbkWYxOxw0z6CojDeWx8s6o/s1600/DSC07261.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQ6MqLECfZGyio8KUu9PSuXM86JpAgns9shP45hfW7RXc40OqJ6v-YgojejYeqiJPoDoDseIXPwsZUmMfu72GatgZSb01GUCRCcpsooxdbaYTvfLbE-nw4hbkWYxOxw0z6CojDeWx8s6o/s640/DSC07261.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A friend and I went on a tour of Anchorage area gardens while attending a garden conference quite a few years ago. </span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQfKJzqreRFkVUtmoU-2gIK6jym6xCAeiOGYdg9vxm4Q-i8Ro_IKHRFRGJ2tLFxVaCP-9flSFwtoZx5tOvdQxz0JQX3k9u0Zb7hdksA0fEPEQ1b4acmeBtQciOLrhVSmOej-n_27T2Bo/s1600/DSC01746.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoQfKJzqreRFkVUtmoU-2gIK6jym6xCAeiOGYdg9vxm4Q-i8Ro_IKHRFRGJ2tLFxVaCP-9flSFwtoZx5tOvdQxz0JQX3k9u0Zb7hdksA0fEPEQ1b4acmeBtQciOLrhVSmOej-n_27T2Bo/s640/DSC01746.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: large;"> Coyote Gardens in Willow, Alaska photo by Les Brake</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Although different in many ways from </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">gardening in Sitka, the Anchorage area gardens were inspiring. One of the homes we visited had sprawling gardens with lawns, berry patches and fruit trees covering several acres. It was incomparable. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">When we passed by a big patch of plants with </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0); font-size: large;">variegated </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0); font-size: large;">yellow and green leaves, I asked, "Oh, is that lemon mint?" The owner said it was mint, but not likely lemon. "If you would like to take some home with you, help yourself to all you want." It was a really, really big patch of mint.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0); font-size: large;">Considering the distinctive leaves and flowers, i</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">t did not require much in the way of research to learn the species of mint. Ginger! It is a hybrid... a cross between Mentha arvensis (Corn Mint) and Mentha spicata (Spearmint). The scent is of spearmint while the flavor is somewhat gingerish. Ginger Mint is referred to as a true double mint because of the essential oils it produces from its' origins. Being a variable hybrid, your plant might not look exactly like others. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0);">As with the Apple Mint, best to collect the Ginger Mint leaves for tea just before the flowers bloom. In fact, Apple Mint leaves are often mixed with Ginger Mint leaves for a tea favored by many. Use </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0); font-size: large;">fresh </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0); font-size: large;">leaves for steeping... or collect and dry the leaves to store for later use.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9D5jHz74LTRz0ZlUZyCa-z-U7D5w5i5Q0he0djTn349N7F5ixvorzMNPAQ3kD1wOUVoogrkyZtdREyBNeWg7bzJb3wyoAaejViJxU-Tsm_dTOIK36O9W1f-bcmnft76OYgOZ0YZYDriE/s1600/IMG_8156.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9D5jHz74LTRz0ZlUZyCa-z-U7D5w5i5Q0he0djTn349N7F5ixvorzMNPAQ3kD1wOUVoogrkyZtdREyBNeWg7bzJb3wyoAaejViJxU-Tsm_dTOIK36O9W1f-bcmnft76OYgOZ0YZYDriE/s640/IMG_8156.jpg" width="626" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A bouquet of Painted Daisies, Ginger Mint and Hosta</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="color: lime; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">LEMON BALM</span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>Melissa officinalis</b></span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFD_JRfguv3hM01s9grzlnA19BZLaS6asMigrpFl3bKdnCMGMCsM82wnjLFKmEgfgbvAVkjrSk7ZEg75k597PCgEdpYxAjncgAmu2rglDGSm8RUP161m3FeZTCDIHAgjqQna3sb4sasSU/s1600/IMG_0928.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFD_JRfguv3hM01s9grzlnA19BZLaS6asMigrpFl3bKdnCMGMCsM82wnjLFKmEgfgbvAVkjrSk7ZEg75k597PCgEdpYxAjncgAmu2rglDGSm8RUP161m3FeZTCDIHAgjqQna3sb4sasSU/s640/IMG_0928.jpg" width="520" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAd89jQbkOeEPbP-KU89FV21xYF94yv-6TLCbXifDLSvLZa7HVwrSYDCqF94Jt0t9XjhYCQpB7C01_Y_fdDUjl8jh8aR-Ufga8a3k-4_uvHK6Hhc6rFS07EzyS6sg6lCvDDvXLIEoxMM/s1600/IMG_1082.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVAd89jQbkOeEPbP-KU89FV21xYF94yv-6TLCbXifDLSvLZa7HVwrSYDCqF94Jt0t9XjhYCQpB7C01_Y_fdDUjl8jh8aR-Ufga8a3k-4_uvHK6Hhc6rFS07EzyS6sg6lCvDDvXLIEoxMM/s640/IMG_1082.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I grew our Lemon Balm from seed. Lemon Balm seeds sprout and grow readily. Of course, there is an alternative to growing plants from seed. You may have noticed that our conscientious garden supply businesses here in Sitka have offered healthy looking starter plants for a wide variety of flowers, vegetables, mints and herbs.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Lemon Balm has not been intrusive in our gardens. This is perhaps due to the fact that Lemon Balm spreads by seed rather than by runners. Our patch seems to have stabilized as a 3 foot by 3 foot perennial patch. So far it has tolerated our challenging weather surprisingly well. Our Lemon Balm patch in the photo below faces east... part sun, part shade. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCvrmjUIStf0aEy3MPLkj8pQeCZfhsTo8PrTuCgDxKatJMhHH2sxY0ceR0-_9JwTNBnQzVr1vvUWkCjzeNeNKALmrKwn_Ca7i0fOLOJrLgXffvlH1NnuPUbPOlz_zP8TacjMBs9g5SLo/s1600/DSCN6821.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwCvrmjUIStf0aEy3MPLkj8pQeCZfhsTo8PrTuCgDxKatJMhHH2sxY0ceR0-_9JwTNBnQzVr1vvUWkCjzeNeNKALmrKwn_Ca7i0fOLOJrLgXffvlH1NnuPUbPOlz_zP8TacjMBs9g5SLo/s640/DSCN6821.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">With its' gentle lemon scent and flavor, Lemon Balm is definitely welcome in our kitchen and in bouquets. The flowers on the plants usually start blooming mid to late summer. Before full bloom, I take advantage of the heart shaped leaves. Some years, if I did not harvest as many leaves for drying as I intended by late summer, I cut back the plants below the flowers. This often causes a second round of leaves to grow before the end of the season in the fall.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I love to pick a handful of fresh lemon balm leaves. I rinse, crumple a little and stir them into my drinking water. Adding flavor makes my daily dose of water </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">inviting, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">tasty and far more refreshing. I do this with many of our mints in summer months.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Although the flavor is not quite as pronounced, the leaves dry well. The dried lemon balm leaves are stored in a cool, dark location in air tight containers. We use our glass canning jars and lids.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_FnzcHd1WDncEW9alkWMPk6U5nbjbSaVVFCR1nokAGq052xvAYUSiE3plAdO_XEeUbOFGAUV85G8U-NiSNtX40ADlzDKVLyTA6DBj7o97N3EtL-4CI6LXzjKFjI_Hc1pXMXm508ImKE/s1600/IMG_7674.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_FnzcHd1WDncEW9alkWMPk6U5nbjbSaVVFCR1nokAGq052xvAYUSiE3plAdO_XEeUbOFGAUV85G8U-NiSNtX40ADlzDKVLyTA6DBj7o97N3EtL-4CI6LXzjKFjI_Hc1pXMXm508ImKE/s640/IMG_7674.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">For me, Lemon Balm tea, hot or cold, is as good as it gets! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Occasionally, especially in winter, I mix dried Lemon Balm leaves with dried Raspberry Leaves and Chamomile. Brewed together into a hot tea after dinner, it is relaxing and delicious. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If you like it sweet, add a bit of honey.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="color: lime; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">LICORICE MINT</span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b>(ANISE HYSSOP-BLUE)</b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>Agastache foeniculum</b></span></div>
</div>
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirckcx10fhnkr5S0qYpGstLcLs4KnG4Jl6Jfdw_6ilyuA6hPZTDQc00j38TnTV9j2kJUucNWCvbBLrpomxTbACQOhn_DOLX_7Ovqv3RSgpkekBICBf_JUWQKcJSILjG3yhpxTGnMF5nmc/s1600/DSC07293.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirckcx10fhnkr5S0qYpGstLcLs4KnG4Jl6Jfdw_6ilyuA6hPZTDQc00j38TnTV9j2kJUucNWCvbBLrpomxTbACQOhn_DOLX_7Ovqv3RSgpkekBICBf_JUWQKcJSILjG3yhpxTGnMF5nmc/s640/DSC07293.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzu5mrqAnTuI2abotjU1UL_gDAT1PMPDXns4z1ROT2x2VfUfdWGVjX-cp25JMljw0tRDQD5Tu3gE7eY-CF6_WdPwxTRi9Fj67a2CeXzFKkmr4RJyVbgaEyBOuOMngeELolfvrJpeeYYk/s1600/IMG_1089.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdzu5mrqAnTuI2abotjU1UL_gDAT1PMPDXns4z1ROT2x2VfUfdWGVjX-cp25JMljw0tRDQD5Tu3gE7eY-CF6_WdPwxTRi9Fj67a2CeXzFKkmr4RJyVbgaEyBOuOMngeELolfvrJpeeYYk/s640/IMG_1089.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Started from Seed</span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Tea made from Anise Hyssop leaves and flowers has a sweet, black licorice flavor. A milder flavor results when steeping the flowers alone. Steep in nearly boiling water for at least 15 to 20 minutes.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If you like iced tea, it is unusually delicious made with Anise Hyssop. After steeping, pour the tea over ice. Garnish with a fresh stem.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Tear a few leaves apart and add them to your salad. It's a nice little bit of flavor.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If you enjoy variety in homemade pesto, try making some with fresh Anise Hyssop leaves. Use the leaves alone or mix half and half with sorrel. Mix these leaves with ground nuts, garlic, olive oil and maybe a parmesan cheese. (See my post named 'PESTO' for suggested steps involved in making pesto).</span></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAhWUP86Vq4o2RxX31dguZvsfGe1hZAXAP9T_I88vsXb2X_Od5FH3Rn1iNsJmcthJqfZEDJ_Mu69lqm7bmdRkEll5MtlMPNPeXN81QCpSFoEpdFvOqZUwjhvPauthIQy1QpwPR1k8pyU/s1600/DSC04352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieAhWUP86Vq4o2RxX31dguZvsfGe1hZAXAP9T_I88vsXb2X_Od5FH3Rn1iNsJmcthJqfZEDJ_Mu69lqm7bmdRkEll5MtlMPNPeXN81QCpSFoEpdFvOqZUwjhvPauthIQy1QpwPR1k8pyU/s640/DSC04352.jpg" width="552" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="color: lime; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">PEPPERMINT</span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>Mentha x piperita</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWydu7SYdK9Ds3TgHIhmPH4eVSmGaYXVwcjHYw1LxICLTaWu0S1pip_EVJ6pXsM2nqnaHKMa2Tt9I1lUfyXxjI0A1NEWUCNYhjNh2KmvSJflpV5gssvmAkrgOQcT8AgvzCyee-Y5OTfq8/s1600/DSC07253.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWydu7SYdK9Ds3TgHIhmPH4eVSmGaYXVwcjHYw1LxICLTaWu0S1pip_EVJ6pXsM2nqnaHKMa2Tt9I1lUfyXxjI0A1NEWUCNYhjNh2KmvSJflpV5gssvmAkrgOQcT8AgvzCyee-Y5OTfq8/s640/DSC07253.jpg" width="600" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here we go again with another hybrid. In this case, Peppermint is a cross of Watermint with Spearmint.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Peppermint has been growing in our gardens for at least 25 years. I remember being thrilled to see it in a 4 inch pot for sale at a local grocery store. With no garden shops or nurseries at the time, grocery stores would occasionally have a few starts available from who knows where. The fragrance was in the air as I passed by. It stopped me in my tracks! I would not pass up the chance to acquire Peppermint! Once planted, it has grown in various locations in our gardens ever since.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Most of us can name a number of uses for Peppermint. For me, adding fragrance to flower bouquets and making tea top my list. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When it comes to tea, Peppermint is about as flavorful and refreshing as a tea can be!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sometimes I mix Peppermint with other mints just for variety. Ginger Mint and Peppermint together are a standout.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This was an unusual and interesting surprise! </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">One of our peppermint plants has twisted stems:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfr87tFSx-9iEyJdHCxxC0UxWMhimB0CNc1FhqseSu4Lchxc-s25CKHR8baB15pj6dlrM_fPx7SvPkSvOXrdde_dlfWjmpwqF-k2EEewu9UAX7h0mB6VRmTM9Dolv7vdvAmSYBZTaJEI/s1600/IMG_7118.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXfr87tFSx-9iEyJdHCxxC0UxWMhimB0CNc1FhqseSu4Lchxc-s25CKHR8baB15pj6dlrM_fPx7SvPkSvOXrdde_dlfWjmpwqF-k2EEewu9UAX7h0mB6VRmTM9Dolv7vdvAmSYBZTaJEI/s640/IMG_7118.jpg" width="456" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Because I personally enjoy Peppermint so much, I use fresh leaves in tea and in drinking water through the growing season. I also make sure to pick and dry as many Peppermint leaves as possible throughout the growing season </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">before the flowers bloom. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Below is peppermint set to dry in our dehydrator. I keep the leaves on the stems until after the drying process is complete. Then I run my fingers down the stems from top to bottom separating the dried leaves from the stems. I store dried mint leaves in a cool, dry location usually inside canning jars with lids.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
<br />Peppermint, as well as other mints, dry nicely in the dehydrator at around 105 degrees for as long as it takes. I start checking after about 24 hours. It needs to be totally dry so as not to mold in storage.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="color: #6aa84f; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-weight: bold; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrGFXGwKzkVwF-q4GDGtR2KerfmOIkMrqWL-26m_IZD_JGSOaypF9nhPUAQPRk_834skj3yLlhEYX5Mvm6_T-zw1Kj6mvdL-kHygQuomZWX8uEDk9CldUzQkiE8KThG397J95lPCIRl8/s1600/IMG_1677+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHrGFXGwKzkVwF-q4GDGtR2KerfmOIkMrqWL-26m_IZD_JGSOaypF9nhPUAQPRk_834skj3yLlhEYX5Mvm6_T-zw1Kj6mvdL-kHygQuomZWX8uEDk9CldUzQkiE8KThG397J95lPCIRl8/s640/IMG_1677+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></b></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgun9ZyVi21JIs-vd5eTMBGFk5fay7ioWSL5_lyPjKq6kxVdpN-zUp87N4pMbPMJyBApQXNXTBmzdyLynYT_t3SI7kzbtU_X57w0SjAXT1aJSVDRuRl6LjwQ0ZsN8OVp34Zo4QoiKeU7Pk/s1600/DSC02076.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgun9ZyVi21JIs-vd5eTMBGFk5fay7ioWSL5_lyPjKq6kxVdpN-zUp87N4pMbPMJyBApQXNXTBmzdyLynYT_t3SI7kzbtU_X57w0SjAXT1aJSVDRuRl6LjwQ0ZsN8OVp34Zo4QoiKeU7Pk/s640/DSC02076.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Dahlias, Marine Heliotrope and Peppermint<br />for a wedding</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QKcIdkxA7Q8x8_2SKbgOop0aKF7kzQjaAUH8EtVpq4hPJXEJ8_u29UsG9kzXOZnmdbJzw_VGKpilGCYCORTrPURVEiIfMrRv6sCENiLund-hSqjoDj_d6FLoCIkLcrkv9daO0tTAgJY/s1600/DSC05987.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-QKcIdkxA7Q8x8_2SKbgOop0aKF7kzQjaAUH8EtVpq4hPJXEJ8_u29UsG9kzXOZnmdbJzw_VGKpilGCYCORTrPURVEiIfMrRv6sCENiLund-hSqjoDj_d6FLoCIkLcrkv9daO0tTAgJY/s640/DSC05987.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">'Kelvin Floodlight' Dahlias with Canterbury Bells and Delphinium <br />enhanced with Peppermint</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large; font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="color: lime; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">SPEARMINT</span></b></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b>Mentha spicata</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6sLYWmpB6s8afBidXJc1onM6fRMLpjoiamlNIoyF8fGNuBBLEIotC3UJwxTvAp9hj87oZ9zsLGBHcTqso0mvp8sQkf3ipZYOVCWd_JMdsk9cW4fSiCmiE4m9IcnGmNRNo4D4x2Sd6vQ/s1600/DSCN0645.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgw6sLYWmpB6s8afBidXJc1onM6fRMLpjoiamlNIoyF8fGNuBBLEIotC3UJwxTvAp9hj87oZ9zsLGBHcTqso0mvp8sQkf3ipZYOVCWd_JMdsk9cW4fSiCmiE4m9IcnGmNRNo4D4x2Sd6vQ/s640/DSCN0645.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">I have racked my old brain, but simply cannot remember how Spearmint found its' way into our gardens. I do remember that it was our very first mint.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">Spearmint grows eagerly and well in our climate. In other words, although welcome, it can grow a little crazy and become intrusive. So, as with other mints, be thoughtful concerning the location. If you only want a small patch, consider growing Spearmint in a container.</span></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlyyIgH0tHo8VHSHNHi1yyiSlcKqUL3RNv0fSzhaOaOivc8UknWnNyMageoCuPz1QqbkHm-yMXZ9lxL3PESj86nwA0tjXAEeJsSLnqo4HQKuqqhcqxZ75Q-YcQleFBR-b0c7WPumP6xsc/s1600/DSC05961.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlyyIgH0tHo8VHSHNHi1yyiSlcKqUL3RNv0fSzhaOaOivc8UknWnNyMageoCuPz1QqbkHm-yMXZ9lxL3PESj86nwA0tjXAEeJsSLnqo4HQKuqqhcqxZ75Q-YcQleFBR-b0c7WPumP6xsc/s640/DSC05961.jpg" width="560" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Spearmint at its' prime</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">So tasty and slightly sweet, Spearmint is a familiar flavor many of us recognize from our early years. It is included in candies, gums, toothpaste, mouthwash, tea and more. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">Spearmint tea is a year round staple for me. The leaves dry well with plenty of flavor. So, whether I use Spearmint leaves fresh or dried, the flavor is equally refreshing.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANvQECPv5DRWuWIdA5gO3GRX6bDIA7aaGgsI4GYAIQZpUcEMHaJE0PN3LwA1hCuAIjIYLdmRW8Wq6JkS08EXnz8IvORDMrol6Bn7nxV0wEeo_Hf_W0azxXT3OGTIxjRH8OiBoih9gY9Q/s1600/IMG_7664.jpg"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANvQECPv5DRWuWIdA5gO3GRX6bDIA7aaGgsI4GYAIQZpUcEMHaJE0PN3LwA1hCuAIjIYLdmRW8Wq6JkS08EXnz8IvORDMrol6Bn7nxV0wEeo_Hf_W0azxXT3OGTIxjRH8OiBoih9gY9Q/s640/IMG_7664.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79); font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79); font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79); font-size: large;">I love Spearmint tea whether hot or cold. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">I often steep Spearmint leaves on their own or mix them with other powerful mints, especially peppermint and ginger mint. Talk about a blast of flavor! </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">It was only a few years ago that I was served a drink named 'Mojito' at a friend's house. The drink included spearmint mulled with sugar, lime, soda water and rum. What a delicious combination of flavors! Not being one who drinks alcohol very often, I modified the drink for frequent use as an iced tea in summer. I steeped the Spearmint leaves and stirred in a little honey as the tea cooled. Once cooled, I poured the sweetened tea over ice, added home made soda water (I made with a nifty gadget from one of my daughters) and stirred in a squeeze of lime. What a treat!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">Digging deep back into my past, I am thinking it was a mint jelly that garnished our New England holiday meals of roasted lamb. Maybe you will find it an enhancing garnish with local deer or goat roast?</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">Rather than using a mint jelly, you might want to try a mint green sauce. This was introduced in Great Britain long ago to mask the gamey taste of lamb. It is still the custom of the Brits to this day.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">Here is how I make the sauce: </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">a cup of finely chopped spearmint leaves </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">a tablespoon or 2 of honey (sweeten to your taste) </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">1/4 cup of wine vinegar, apple cider vinegar or lemon juice</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">add a little avocado oil or olive oil for a smoother texture.</span></li></ul>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);">Stir all of the ingredients together. Warm the sauce up in a sauce pan over low heat. A little bit goes a long way. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Serve on the side.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_PCXt09G18Ht9eJUy1u_pYmY2wscDX_PQAw6aa7oigDClMWqucxCccgftOmC8TXrQ9kJDfsKmBYo4uEdLEsKaHkxRQ93Hwgb11fQDUCOviJwIVCVWuPA7Y1YPOwBOb2v9Nxatt4vhps/s1600/DSC06811.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw_PCXt09G18Ht9eJUy1u_pYmY2wscDX_PQAw6aa7oigDClMWqucxCccgftOmC8TXrQ9kJDfsKmBYo4uEdLEsKaHkxRQ93Hwgb11fQDUCOviJwIVCVWuPA7Y1YPOwBOb2v9Nxatt4vhps/s640/DSC06811.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">A small bouquet of Clematis, Canterbury Bells and Spearmint</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HF-xXYR5k2_x1jNKUJmtZ09VArpFrEe9kv4BKBztOWf6VjoOOEwWk_ZCBB0WSQQr9j6nKdE5ol0PfReQcxOAwHXhysoLh0Q8KlUPrJxMZP4kY0o2Nezol1wZe7KW7xAavQLDGK88eRc/s1600/20506976_10212350411568152_2494898545914817831_o.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5HF-xXYR5k2_x1jNKUJmtZ09VArpFrEe9kv4BKBztOWf6VjoOOEwWk_ZCBB0WSQQr9j6nKdE5ol0PfReQcxOAwHXhysoLh0Q8KlUPrJxMZP4kY0o2Nezol1wZe7KW7xAavQLDGK88eRc/s640/20506976_10212350411568152_2494898545914817831_o.jpg" width="472" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Beautiful flowers and Beautiful daughter<br />Peonies, Delphiniums, Canterbury Bells and Spearmint<br />with a base of Hosta leaves</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><span style="font-size: x-large;">Although not in the </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 0); color: #6aa84f;">Lamiaceae family, here is just one more of the many teas I enjoy...</span></span></span></b></div>
<div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b>CHAMOMILE</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b>Matricaria recutita</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b>Asteraceae family</b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLukOz7lsmNgyEkd7-lIdeOK0_dK0enKOdAopyNtYrl7ogiiN6oVn5L4c_Xu10xoo3z84I7d1rQ1C-3YgeKElu7pnC5M7aIakQ1D9Yc7HmIhyphenhyphend47CeXKdSDVcmeLly5pI1LlVnmVxiqU/s1600/IMG_5166.jpg"><img border="0" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzLukOz7lsmNgyEkd7-lIdeOK0_dK0enKOdAopyNtYrl7ogiiN6oVn5L4c_Xu10xoo3z84I7d1rQ1C-3YgeKElu7pnC5M7aIakQ1D9Yc7HmIhyphenhyphend47CeXKdSDVcmeLly5pI1LlVnmVxiqU/s640/IMG_5166.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Chamomile is so simple to start from seed. Initially, I bought and started seeds in the springtime in 4 inch pots.</span></div>
<div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQrEyPkVL3UqWwVqoEo8ZRw5541T35ugQbwfN1vWLgQwOpubI0IfVohUnZaYHq7yzx5DMsvHCBao-9pt554QXKGUBIXsos3oY3uJf-08drleWtn17mfvNBM2eESFzvl0VKrsGF2dZiQI/s1600/IMG_1097.jpg"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHQrEyPkVL3UqWwVqoEo8ZRw5541T35ugQbwfN1vWLgQwOpubI0IfVohUnZaYHq7yzx5DMsvHCBao-9pt554QXKGUBIXsos3oY3uJf-08drleWtn17mfvNBM2eESFzvl0VKrsGF2dZiQI/s640/IMG_1097.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-size: x-large; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: medium;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thereafter, I would save a bunch of tiny seeds in the fall and sprinkle them randomly throughout the gardens in April and May. Chamomile plants are unobtrusive. They are welcome no matter where they sprout. If they ever show up in a location where they are not welcome, removal is simple. Chamomile is annual and non-intrusive.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnHBAkEIlGmztUMtsEFbe3WlzvbP06vhTlbcsJO0E3RahuxF2JWr-Z-BfMTb0uG2FEfGZoP08RJOoxjLKr7u4Px9wy56DsBSjPld0HU7GFYGn__sAH5JHxZciMt7oIu2Vlch38I5LYaY/s1600/IMG_5170.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtnHBAkEIlGmztUMtsEFbe3WlzvbP06vhTlbcsJO0E3RahuxF2JWr-Z-BfMTb0uG2FEfGZoP08RJOoxjLKr7u4Px9wy56DsBSjPld0HU7GFYGn__sAH5JHxZciMt7oIu2Vlch38I5LYaY/s640/IMG_5170.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Chamomile's fragrance is heavenly. The fragrance alone justifies its' presence in the garden. As far as tea, it is the flavor to favor! Chamomile has such a unique flavor whether hot or iced.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Harvesting Chamomile for tea is a simple process. When the flowers are in bloom, as seen in the photos above, simply pop off the entire flower head... petals and all. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">More will grow! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Set the flower heads in a warm, dry location indoors. I spread them out in a single layer on a clean cloth or paper towel. Once they are totally dry, I transfer them into a container with tight lid to be stored in a cool, dark location.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UdPmrOAAhukk_BmWruPOHlC1p8lIN3RCxPF35CRB5-DTRkh1du1nQhulAiJ8r4MT909Tgr-FyNBNqrXjRPEsQ0slZ-XSksIhRL4LyNNGpxXPT1DWX0KlJlj5mQWJpDwwhD2uLiAwKJc/s1600/IMG_7671.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4UdPmrOAAhukk_BmWruPOHlC1p8lIN3RCxPF35CRB5-DTRkh1du1nQhulAiJ8r4MT909Tgr-FyNBNqrXjRPEsQ0slZ-XSksIhRL4LyNNGpxXPT1DWX0KlJlj5mQWJpDwwhD2uLiAwKJc/s640/IMG_7671.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As for making Chamomile tea, simply fill a teapot basket loosely with the dried flowers. Pour in water heated to just below boiling. Let it steep for 10 or 15 minutes. Enjoy as is or with a touch of honey. Ahhhhh!!!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><b>Additional plants worthy of consideration:</b></span></span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b>BLUEBERRY LEAVES</b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">CALENDULA</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">DANDELION</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">DEVIL'S CLUB</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">DRAGON'S HEAD</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">ELFWORT</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">GOLDTHREAD</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">MALLOW</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">RED RASPBERRY LEAVES</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">ROSE HIPS</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">ROSE PETALS</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">VALERIAN</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;">YARROW</span></b></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(106, 168, 79);"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;">DRINK TEA</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0BtJXo7IzoudWzeAPKoTfI-b2R_yUQ9OdaJo0j2Lx5OJwdNfiNbkkq1S3kCP2Mryv6RKRzPtvcHqlPENK5QduKVRLx4TLoMjEu9SFmO3HfRQCWHY8fDHefGjp8_q_CagnABqpiOZOEA/s1600/IMG_1098.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk0BtJXo7IzoudWzeAPKoTfI-b2R_yUQ9OdaJo0j2Lx5OJwdNfiNbkkq1S3kCP2Mryv6RKRzPtvcHqlPENK5QduKVRLx4TLoMjEu9SFmO3HfRQCWHY8fDHefGjp8_q_CagnABqpiOZOEA/s640/IMG_1098.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-27398556528731707732020-01-30T18:58:00.008-08:002024-02-19T10:57:17.336-08:00SALMON<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRvM9BHzdStGB3q7NijGDuBQch53XpwAgfb24VPp7tBntQiFJ7zGtUynF2SUxfYto8h6ge-pU_xnXj1id2MN7ZcDPQeYsouM_pX_VNSQubkoePd1qHdBEBD4MgbGGiNpy0Aa8eccbg5U/s1600/IMG_0272.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPRvM9BHzdStGB3q7NijGDuBQch53XpwAgfb24VPp7tBntQiFJ7zGtUynF2SUxfYto8h6ge-pU_xnXj1id2MN7ZcDPQeYsouM_pX_VNSQubkoePd1qHdBEBD4MgbGGiNpy0Aa8eccbg5U/s640/IMG_0272.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The only salmon I ever remember seeing when a child were pictured on cans in grocery stores. Same for my boyfriend. We were both raised on the east coast of the USA and both grew up enjoying seashores from Maine on south to Florida. Atlantic salmon were scarce back then apparently due to overfishing and habitat destruction.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />My boyfriend and I met in Florida in the early 70s.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> We were both in our twenties and</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> both drawn to ocean and wilderness exploration. With a plan to take advantage of his veterans' benefits, we chose to move to Sitka, Alaska. He had applied and been accepted at Sheldon Jackson College with the intention of working towards a degree in Forestry or Fisheries. We both had jobs at the time, but very little in the way of savings. Hmmm. What to do? We decided to visit with the owners of a lovely, large, neighboring home obviously in need of a paint job. We were hired for the job! The homeowners got a good deal, and we earned the amount of money we figured we would need for the trip.</span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Off we drove across the United States and on up to Prince Rupert, British Columbia in a trusty old panel truck. We purchased the truck with some of our travel funds.</span></div><div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9dIgUfnSjfbHSKctVAn64-8c41HOb1b7_XJIYVF459IxPc31i6axVVhJuK-qbKam2ILrwEoQH-9dQyd1LL1E9tF0YmELruRIlMMGHZNHkPRpDCQX2arv-HAfljRQGdcKTISKB_yIk9I/s1600/img460.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm9dIgUfnSjfbHSKctVAn64-8c41HOb1b7_XJIYVF459IxPc31i6axVVhJuK-qbKam2ILrwEoQH-9dQyd1LL1E9tF0YmELruRIlMMGHZNHkPRpDCQX2arv-HAfljRQGdcKTISKB_yIk9I/s640/img460.jpg" width="488" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Our retired panel truck.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The truck was filled with camping gear, a few possessions and our St. Bernard.</span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">JAKE the WONDER DOG</span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGsfYEXN3VYVod5M3NP0F5Oc2krYDMoo5uSVoJuvKyY6Rm82YL1B0S1iNvYVA4lfot89_s7mmtDm41jf04qADE3lZbaxQ47x2cuqfUNo8hkWdy1OxXfapVud-JLBxN5RfvUU0wMTrgvU/s1579/img461.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1579" data-original-width="1402" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuGsfYEXN3VYVod5M3NP0F5Oc2krYDMoo5uSVoJuvKyY6Rm82YL1B0S1iNvYVA4lfot89_s7mmtDm41jf04qADE3lZbaxQ47x2cuqfUNo8hkWdy1OxXfapVud-JLBxN5RfvUU0wMTrgvU/w355-h400/img461.jpg" width="355" /></a></div><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">On the very day we arrived in Prince Rupert, British Columbia ours was the last vehicle to barely fit inside the ferry. Such a relief!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> After we paid all the fees, we had a mere fifty dollars remaining! </span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Dumb luck.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Travelling north by ferry through the Inside Passage of Southeast Alaska was <i>absolutely enchanting</i>. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Upon our arrival in Sitka, we</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> drove directly from the ferry terminal to the college. Out we hopped and took a short walk for the sake of our dog. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We could not believe our eyes!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDQ3xVcPAlgNMv_6H6YyKc6fU_OF1kUwKln__T0172uYIuCMmChQfp4YRiNeZSgUimC5gtszyI9YDT077v6RIouuqNOiVkRhd8m3KrwSqEkirBrKo3TqZN9ftsHKcgLDsHrdZnD1kT4I/s1600/DSCN4428.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicDQ3xVcPAlgNMv_6H6YyKc6fU_OF1kUwKln__T0172uYIuCMmChQfp4YRiNeZSgUimC5gtszyI9YDT077v6RIouuqNOiVkRhd8m3KrwSqEkirBrKo3TqZN9ftsHKcgLDsHrdZnD1kT4I/s640/DSCN4428.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thousands upon thousands of salmon were crowded together as far as the eye could see in Indian River! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A local resident explained to us that the salmon were totally dedicated to reproductive spawning. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">After spawning, these fish would waste away and die.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We were speechless.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYTKUZ1Un_Sz3k99jSYwnGWkXOxPyZTsYnb3GPN2Fo0toDwCjR_1WRp91UDGMBQlRR3uTk_abExEajXRtub14w6Cz4FAlvIszl_UJbapnnTGqxu8FgSrT-f7YH5LrGg-4sYxbgaKcqoE/s1600/IMG_2511.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQYTKUZ1Un_Sz3k99jSYwnGWkXOxPyZTsYnb3GPN2Fo0toDwCjR_1WRp91UDGMBQlRR3uTk_abExEajXRtub14w6Cz4FAlvIszl_UJbapnnTGqxu8FgSrT-f7YH5LrGg-4sYxbgaKcqoE/s320/IMG_2511.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: right;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMujKWD_XSA1H_FGIz7bLXke2U4ZBDXRdVyFufF1rKO_K_thUmPkA75KAVALo_5gI69tbtEUBZyU71jA1S6m_G4LQZqgYpdWwP1HwYX_Gr1Bk_rFZdy8sZTLLFXtcZ1cEVRFWQaj3T7Q/s1600/IMG_2508.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMujKWD_XSA1H_FGIz7bLXke2U4ZBDXRdVyFufF1rKO_K_thUmPkA75KAVALo_5gI69tbtEUBZyU71jA1S6m_G4LQZqgYpdWwP1HwYX_Gr1Bk_rFZdy8sZTLLFXtcZ1cEVRFWQaj3T7Q/s400/IMG_2508.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBMujKWD_XSA1H_FGIz7bLXke2U4ZBDXRdVyFufF1rKO_K_thUmPkA75KAVALo_5gI69tbtEUBZyU71jA1S6m_G4LQZqgYpdWwP1HwYX_Gr1Bk_rFZdy8sZTLLFXtcZ1cEVRFWQaj3T7Q/s1600/IMG_2508.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thus began our lives in a magical world.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My boyfriend (who became my husband) proved to be a remarkably successful college student. However, after completing his first year of college, he was hired as a deckhand on a fishing boat. He was hooked. That job launched</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> his life long career as a fisherman.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sadly, it did not work out for the two of us to stay together as a couple.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">But, looking on the bright side, we journeyed together and transported each other all the way across North America to Southeast Alaska... where we both have lived happily ever after.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">For many years he lived the life of a successful commercial fisherman... power trolling for salmon.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-M-Lmpf0eyHmTtv-hfCwzZhh9bSw5OkzcOSzfA9kXtbZwZwhad1TLcgwV9zl3OGV3-_lrcnOahwUCi2kV9eu9ufrVklPbFCilJruGOqxC5CN70Rp7veYo_QXstyQp-M6DE4UXRTiTHE/s1600/Scan+4.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil-M-Lmpf0eyHmTtv-hfCwzZhh9bSw5OkzcOSzfA9kXtbZwZwhad1TLcgwV9zl3OGV3-_lrcnOahwUCi2kV9eu9ufrVklPbFCilJruGOqxC5CN70Rp7veYo_QXstyQp-M6DE4UXRTiTHE/s640/Scan+4.jpg" width="432" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Best of all, we have a bright, multi-talented son who grew up to be a successful sport, subsistence <i>and</i> commercial fisherman... power trolling for salmon!</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtSbRVgQ8_Y08oM6cbCtcWVK0n6YltNZJeFKb-yyqf9F2hSVMOYXPkkARUmIJ_cuYaH2jhMny9FfkWxycBYfn5PZA6O_cAz0U1034mqjd4iZBz2BErAZo_uOPhibLnZsLFIs0ha3nVCI/s1600/ROY.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrtSbRVgQ8_Y08oM6cbCtcWVK0n6YltNZJeFKb-yyqf9F2hSVMOYXPkkARUmIJ_cuYaH2jhMny9FfkWxycBYfn5PZA6O_cAz0U1034mqjd4iZBz2BErAZo_uOPhibLnZsLFIs0ha3nVCI/s640/ROY.jpg" width="619" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> photo by D. Corbell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So there you have a little bit of history. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>ON TO SALMON...</i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is responsible for managing fish and game in the state of Alaska. In these parts, sport fishermen need to follow the regulations found in the annual </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;"><b>Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary:</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wa0DWL_WPeuarWOMIUm5b1cX7hwh1wZlhHTrq6Le6n0YSHoa3jsiGhU5vZ6ZoV5E0h35qQ53Wmdi0LW3I5PqynlVSBiz3n1Rl0PWn5tbMqYiFrctZ_N93ALvVVg-2gzQV2EWWBTvq8s/s1600/IMG_0930.jpg"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2wa0DWL_WPeuarWOMIUm5b1cX7hwh1wZlhHTrq6Le6n0YSHoa3jsiGhU5vZ6ZoV5E0h35qQ53Wmdi0LW3I5PqynlVSBiz3n1Rl0PWn5tbMqYiFrctZ_N93ALvVVg-2gzQV2EWWBTvq8s/s640/IMG_0930.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The stated mission of the <b>Division of Sport Fish </b>is to protect and improve the state's recreational fisheries resources. Because ADF&G may change fishing regulations by emergency order at any time, especially for salmon, I am not going to get involved on this post with very much in the way of regulation details. If you are a sport fisherman, best to stay tuned for emergency orders widely announced via news media, recorded ADF&G hotlines and ADF&G offices.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Whether you are hoping to catch fish in fresh or salt water, best to get your own personal copy of the annual <b>Summary </b>and become familiar with the </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Licensing Requirements</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Regional Regulations</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">General Regulations</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Special Regulations</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There is a lot of information to consider... but you will be glad you did.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>LET'S FOCUS ON FOUR OF THE SALMON SPECIES FAMILIAR TO MANY SITKANS... </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>PINK, SOCKEYE, COHO and KING</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b>PINK (HUMPY) SALMON </b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>Oncorhynchus gorbuscha</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1WrbIta80XSIkbdqsm0FXbCg8YDO6UoN1wifBhfGwTpgw0s4SvQAIiGqGb13SZFTlJWha66fDuUsDsRw_rZTJJPL5hYpGEgjtzkS36CZAbiPgzVATHGTrrPqeLkkFvESuViRD1n8jZA/s1600/IMG_0854.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU1WrbIta80XSIkbdqsm0FXbCg8YDO6UoN1wifBhfGwTpgw0s4SvQAIiGqGb13SZFTlJWha66fDuUsDsRw_rZTJJPL5hYpGEgjtzkS36CZAbiPgzVATHGTrrPqeLkkFvESuViRD1n8jZA/s640/IMG_0854.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Alaska Department of Fish & Game</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Decades ago, when seeing salmon for the first time as they spawned in Indian River, I assumed that all salmon were alike. No, in fact, there are a number of salmon species. The salmon in that river I mentioned were PINK SALMON.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Quite often, PINK SALMON is the canned salmon found in grocery stores. Typically living no more than two years, PINKS are the smallest and most abundant species of salmon usually weighing in at no more than 5 pounds.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">PINKS are also referred to as "HUMPIES" because, come spawning time, the males stretch out a bit and develop a hump as seen in the illustration above. The snout and lower jaw also become hook like.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When you catch PINKS, you will notice unusually small scales under lots of slime!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">PINK SALMON are anadromous. This means that they live and feed in the ocean and then migrate up streams and rivers to breed in fresh water. Here is a photo of PINKS schooling up in the brackish waters at the mouth of a river before swimming up into the river's fresh water to spawn.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYSon9RAN4bWxfJpw33tl5bOo2G5FvkPZFh73D2Nc75AUAatMY5IhtNqWSNLdTRg95dMayiDOFmq092KzRv4SS5bqfIpsbNKC3YxSw76naP7vzHQRmYq23bKI8Fushy4QDwJTbINxIGU/s1600/DSC07230.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDYSon9RAN4bWxfJpw33tl5bOo2G5FvkPZFh73D2Nc75AUAatMY5IhtNqWSNLdTRg95dMayiDOFmq092KzRv4SS5bqfIpsbNKC3YxSw76naP7vzHQRmYq23bKI8Fushy4QDwJTbINxIGU/s640/DSC07230.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In the photo above, we were looking down from a bridge crossing the river where it meets the ocean. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Below you can see salmon and our shadows down in the ocean with the rising sun behind us.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYxfr8myt_6KJnin7cl0Vc5iG8pBzgSBq5F2KBwgaTrkpn-YSDjbm_-cHzhKBTW7jK1A79ichD7aBCKaPIMh3jh1KiML67S5lrMSj0EifIJNGQeOf3R51QMK0pTWj_IMQnLjINn6QXOk/s1600/IMG_2589.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfYxfr8myt_6KJnin7cl0Vc5iG8pBzgSBq5F2KBwgaTrkpn-YSDjbm_-cHzhKBTW7jK1A79ichD7aBCKaPIMh3jh1KiML67S5lrMSj0EifIJNGQeOf3R51QMK0pTWj_IMQnLjINn6QXOk/s640/IMG_2589.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The sport fishing season for PINK SALMON is open year-round. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Unless announced otherwise:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">16 inches or longer: 6 per day, 12 in possession.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Less than 16 inches: 10 per day, 10 in possession.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">No annual limit</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">PINK SALMON are included in the Alaska Department of Fish & Game Sitka Management Area.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">SOUTHEAST SALMON </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">SUBSISTENCE AND PERSONAL USE PERMIT</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>YES</i>, a permit is required. See the explanation and all of the forms required further on in this post in the section about SOCKEYE SALMON.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">You will find that from July 15 - September 30 you are allowed to have 100 PINK SALMON in possession with no annual limit! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Forty years ago, the youngest of my four brothers came to visit me from Massachusetts. He stayed for several years. I think the PINK SALMON had a lot to do with his decision to settle down in Sitka. Like so many newcomers, he watched in awe as the PINKS schooled up late in the summer. And, like so many newcomers (including me), he was eager to snag some of these salmon. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When fish are schooling up in the ocean in preparation for spawning and are not interested in biting a baited hook or lure, it is legal to snag. To "snag" means to hook a fish elsewhere than in its' mouth.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">"Have you ever seen so many fish?" </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">They were countless! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And, yes... they taste good! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">During his first year here, my brother got a job, got gear together and rebuilt a small kayak. Once qualified for a sport fishing license, he proceeded to cast out his line and snag PINK SALMON in the same bay where I first snagged PINK SALMON!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsQagiJs8lxaTqoKnm730T08Z2Bx1b78r1Mmjh01xMp2GOgHq-BFq0LPy32Jp_-AiIxdqZr626iTYGQ98DnZW3Om4E_p5drKgSHauR0u7G26tPGQZo24LsH3KyUVxhb4Mvew8XR2DfZY/s1600/Scan.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYsQagiJs8lxaTqoKnm730T08Z2Bx1b78r1Mmjh01xMp2GOgHq-BFq0LPy32Jp_-AiIxdqZr626iTYGQ98DnZW3Om4E_p5drKgSHauR0u7G26tPGQZo24LsH3KyUVxhb4Mvew8XR2DfZY/s640/Scan.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As with any fish we catch and intend to keep for consumption, we make it a point to clean the fish (remove gills, blood and guts) right away. Then we keep it clean and as cold as possible. If we do not plan to eat our fish soon after the catch,</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> we quickly process it. We cut the fish into meal size portions, v</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">acuum and label with contents and date.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Into the freezer it goes.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozmSERdb2XvBybOR_wVVlVLyqxQOq5rBdkmXh2xzsoLtCbP97lH6d2WKDaj9g8brJ-_DYioeQTLSShyphenhyphenad8KaxZSq7AxJtCyOYb3Gu8KBenC49BnlH_DCN_Ztl0rW5_ULdOCsnQ06cdTQ/s1600/IMG_0949.jpg"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozmSERdb2XvBybOR_wVVlVLyqxQOq5rBdkmXh2xzsoLtCbP97lH6d2WKDaj9g8brJ-_DYioeQTLSShyphenhyphenad8KaxZSq7AxJtCyOYb3Gu8KBenC49BnlH_DCN_Ztl0rW5_ULdOCsnQ06cdTQ/s400/IMG_0949.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We also do a lot of canning... plain or smoked. More often than not, when we smoke seafood, most of it gets devoured before it ever makes it to a freezer or canner. Smoked salmon is incredibly delicious!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahhN0pd1BzMrS1byKjxNAdlkKKsWw1AqsKVW14ZcqRuHZHLueNdhtkMqPvbZjfR_a2Uid8KjdKX8YqZjXwVzGraBKCL0cIpnMc4sS_R148akjTEhvZM7nC3N9nzNY_ZFUJ0ZmWPNK4iE/s1600/DSC06993.jpg"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahhN0pd1BzMrS1byKjxNAdlkKKsWw1AqsKVW14ZcqRuHZHLueNdhtkMqPvbZjfR_a2Uid8KjdKX8YqZjXwVzGraBKCL0cIpnMc4sS_R148akjTEhvZM7nC3N9nzNY_ZFUJ0ZmWPNK4iE/s640/DSC06993.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Ready to eat some fresh PINK SALMON? </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Although not as oily as other salmon species, these pale pink salmon are delicious roasted, broiled, grilled, baked, fried, steamed and poached. This photo displays my love of salmon sautéed with a coating of sesame seeds:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpBqdB8XqzO0Rz6hVDSoyS8_BImmTlUl423llXbjSPjaPCl95D8vc0TT14IAB5EI5QBy7H_-lCYKmCZKmJY-fUUVpi4BpTPy_LqLb8DecR4R6OTK3SeAtCLWBW62SY6wFeDw8gRlu2n8/s1600/IMG_0665.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSpBqdB8XqzO0Rz6hVDSoyS8_BImmTlUl423llXbjSPjaPCl95D8vc0TT14IAB5EI5QBy7H_-lCYKmCZKmJY-fUUVpi4BpTPy_LqLb8DecR4R6OTK3SeAtCLWBW62SY6wFeDw8gRlu2n8/s640/IMG_0665.jpg" width="608" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: large;">With its' delicate flavor, it is well worth the time it takes to give canning PINK SALMON a try. Yum.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b>SOCKEYE (RED) SALMON</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>Oncorhynchus nerka</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigzJjra4vaxTEV6mqfdY0KWwzeMQX65vXwX-2YsZP4shYMo7eSEuhYW1bbG6H9i9p_uHt9Ss0wgeMZfx9Y9x16qvwPQTqBXoQknwVWXcNfsi4hVEDaO7SR9BClIFGkzRHKEJTkACKjsyE/s640/IMG_0852.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Alaska Department of Fish & Game</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This anadromous species has a variety of names, but here in Alaska fishermen usually call it SOCKEYE or RED SALMON. </span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">SOCKEYE typically live in the ocean for two to three years and weigh in at up to seven pounds. When preparing to spawn, these salmon find their way to rivers and waterfalls leading to a fresh water lake. </span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sockeye prefer to spawn in lakes. Young SOCKEYE spend from one to two years in their freshwater lake before swimming out into the salty ocean to begin the cycle anew.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The Department of Fish & Game has regulations for sport fishing for SOCKEYE in fresh and salt waters.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Rather than scrutinize sport fishing for SOCKEYE, let's focus on what so many Sitka residents pursue...</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">SOUTHEAST SALMON </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">SUBSISTENCE AND PERSONAL USE PERMIT</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: large;">SOCKEYE, PINK, CHUM & COHO</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here is the annual permit you will need to acquire from the Department of Fish & Game:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsbhc9RXAB8o5WQQsaU4vqgEUQpMwyXyS5cLvbwWBa_mwoaHo6srVkEvjybX1xYFr3JcBH68x21pAanlBXc_6_atr8ZawImWClXBXFlKdeLktnIZCghj9-vhm-oqjyxzIcsm03_FzKs8/s1600/IMG_0934.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKsbhc9RXAB8o5WQQsaU4vqgEUQpMwyXyS5cLvbwWBa_mwoaHo6srVkEvjybX1xYFr3JcBH68x21pAanlBXc_6_atr8ZawImWClXBXFlKdeLktnIZCghj9-vhm-oqjyxzIcsm03_FzKs8/s640/IMG_0934.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Below are the three pages of information & guidelines you will need to follow:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTg1mzlYhzNA276JfsXrUJqU7yySLTOz22A56bjOxSkM2JNYEOTl6MOroNneFXAb3Ae9_FNNpUfJmFSKTsIlU6K5OvTCQHZlgbz9592w5TC4iYpUA2TWlUUgpDJrVSjBYl3_SuyS61Mk/s1600/IMG_0935.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLTg1mzlYhzNA276JfsXrUJqU7yySLTOz22A56bjOxSkM2JNYEOTl6MOroNneFXAb3Ae9_FNNpUfJmFSKTsIlU6K5OvTCQHZlgbz9592w5TC4iYpUA2TWlUUgpDJrVSjBYl3_SuyS61Mk/s640/IMG_0935.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There are a surprisingly large number of locations in the Sitka area to find and catch SOCKEYE. Check out the location column: </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrm1nNzkLGH6wNvdR-295ptUECAqZUVGg65TvzwuBjyL87V7iWZTt-Qk30yMzWUyDqejz2yaKch4EvE8JFmRdfXSPeORWpIp6oVQHqXsO53Jb4EnnB220NrniFHxhUmO4eKe3cmjzmzjY/s1600/IMG_0936.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrm1nNzkLGH6wNvdR-295ptUECAqZUVGg65TvzwuBjyL87V7iWZTt-Qk30yMzWUyDqejz2yaKch4EvE8JFmRdfXSPeORWpIp6oVQHqXsO53Jb4EnnB220NrniFHxhUmO4eKe3cmjzmzjY/s640/IMG_0936.jpg" width="518" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dp92Egsx7iHnn9YbSue_8dnN2ZA2CauFYPZV2fuGRERVxDTAFu4cZe6sI0BIXjpCN7qnJHYOMyLSvaXH8SLGm595tWOZyW3I9FzNQ2256ZEgMMAOwdcZ_umuRQJobMLojW5tK2CnDlQ/s1600/IMG_0937.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0dp92Egsx7iHnn9YbSue_8dnN2ZA2CauFYPZV2fuGRERVxDTAFu4cZe6sI0BIXjpCN7qnJHYOMyLSvaXH8SLGm595tWOZyW3I9FzNQ2256ZEgMMAOwdcZ_umuRQJobMLojW5tK2CnDlQ/s640/IMG_0937.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Let's focus on Redoubt Bay.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Redoubt Bay and Lake are an inviting boat ride south of Sitka in fair weather.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once upon a time there was a boat lift up into Redoubt lake. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The lift was at the end of Redoubt Bay to the left of the falls that pour out of Redoubt Lake.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> The lift was most likely provided by the U.S. Forest Service.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I was fortunate enough to take advantage of the lift before it was removed. It was not all that large. If I am remembering correctly, small and medium sized boats up to maybe 15 to 20 feet in length could slide into a holder from the ocean. Once positioned in the lift, take a quick climb up attached stairs. From the platform at the top of the stairs, the boat was hand cranked up maybe 10 feet or so and was easily transferred into Redoubt Lake. It was a thrilling and memorable adventure to skiff the perimeter of this surprisingly long lake.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqtY2HN3ov4yhutWmm0_HWaE80ftpcry46nU0c4uOoclUXunMvDFfSQCptZe8aFLbQounHm9fY4WYkq-s7NXNRxxzmqLDraaQ5QMjPT_JyEBqUB-RchfdhPPn0B-p3I5Pn873SBK-Vik/s1600/IMG_0939.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqtY2HN3ov4yhutWmm0_HWaE80ftpcry46nU0c4uOoclUXunMvDFfSQCptZe8aFLbQounHm9fY4WYkq-s7NXNRxxzmqLDraaQ5QMjPT_JyEBqUB-RchfdhPPn0B-p3I5Pn873SBK-Vik/s640/IMG_0939.jpg" width="568" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">SOCKEYE SALMON find their way into Redoubt Lake every year around midsummer. Lots of local residents have enjoyed annual visits to the waters in and around the waterfalls (where the lake meets the ocean) hoping to catch SOCKEYE. It can be challenging. It can be entertaining! Lots of factors play into success and failure... gear, number of fish, weather, tides, bears.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Looking back...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Family fun fishing for SOCKEYE back in the 1980's. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A lengthy log stretched across the falls. It was tempting for those with good balance to try dip netting.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggC-XY-zMRUnsvci1NotfyX9_fMfPRfsBlrASi4nA_BhbOAWUM0lA6JtVz51Qdi3C82jjom8nBXQb2t_EQgdG779YGUxgbvWaXXILirCRLzOgISfAz0tdW7mGg24YwxG38Nhd52HAgH6E/s1600/Scan.jpg"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggC-XY-zMRUnsvci1NotfyX9_fMfPRfsBlrASi4nA_BhbOAWUM0lA6JtVz51Qdi3C82jjom8nBXQb2t_EQgdG779YGUxgbvWaXXILirCRLzOgISfAz0tdW7mGg24YwxG38Nhd52HAgH6E/s640/Scan.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sitting felt safer. Lucky guy. He scooped up plenty of SOCKEYE and did not fall in! The boys were on shore nearby ready to grab the fish.</span><br />
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOk6aCYqtW9TY-9WsUTOuHJTNzdbqxh8iaHdTco3cg1kKjZSFNwGRAyTvsTegt4KCufiwDgXM_2r1SwI0zB2r6j3sGij7gxOsL9jZTodN_lj4mbRKnL2rlwNOJkf7RJbSbhFEry7oi7s/s1600/Scan+1.jpg"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgOk6aCYqtW9TY-9WsUTOuHJTNzdbqxh8iaHdTco3cg1kKjZSFNwGRAyTvsTegt4KCufiwDgXM_2r1SwI0zB2r6j3sGij7gxOsL9jZTodN_lj4mbRKnL2rlwNOJkf7RJbSbhFEry7oi7s/s640/Scan+1.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Crazy fun dip netting for SOCKEYE in 2004. Spinning around at the base of the falls, we managed to stop laughing long enough to catch a few fish. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7_zYW8qXOuYPsqK60TCfxXb9o2SXBP0q26AX9pw8P4PnVh7vWdkTjvwwK-skuUU4B2JbmduH6M8lAljU8HsfMZTiShLTrB6ttY1mU23aGE9iqd4uAIIhO2_fIp-632eiezBWTlWWRuc/s1600/DSC00195.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd7_zYW8qXOuYPsqK60TCfxXb9o2SXBP0q26AX9pw8P4PnVh7vWdkTjvwwK-skuUU4B2JbmduH6M8lAljU8HsfMZTiShLTrB6ttY1mU23aGE9iqd4uAIIhO2_fIp-632eiezBWTlWWRuc/s640/DSC00195.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> photo by Dona McKee </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">The weir at the top of the falls is a counting location and control point for salmon entry into Redoubt Lake. The weir is operated by the U.S.Forest Service. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">There were so many SOCKEYE returning to Redoubt Lake the summer of 2019 that a special notice was issued of an increase in the catch limits!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtkJ3uVE5xw_D6AhrPAv2ELatzEaVVqRdiX6M8bR8xc4yBInmoNpfcYVO_iOnUbw2AS8amaNjMLiX6k4eU-YpfLfrQA-P4MlJN-nf7y2QAGTGj5tWIlT5HlR4VKfYM65RlWy-2L6YwXc/s1600/IMG_0938.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLtkJ3uVE5xw_D6AhrPAv2ELatzEaVVqRdiX6M8bR8xc4yBInmoNpfcYVO_iOnUbw2AS8amaNjMLiX6k4eU-YpfLfrQA-P4MlJN-nf7y2QAGTGj5tWIlT5HlR4VKfYM65RlWy-2L6YwXc/s640/IMG_0938.jpg" width="636" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">Occasionally you will see people dip netting up near the weir. This particular day was obviously a good day to stay clear of the weir. Look close. Bears prevailed!</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebC9HcwXybwhumv9zHMeHS5Fayr6IoHd3_qyM9W3E7z21sg1Hj0HEQ0xdYdCUN6NCrrAIDiF6JSG884r-d7Xoc07mOGna0jyQ4v_O61v3CDy6B2a1K5HjdsJJPAWCcDoA2rqfEzGbVWs/s1600/DSCN4193.jpg"><img border="0" height="510" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjebC9HcwXybwhumv9zHMeHS5Fayr6IoHd3_qyM9W3E7z21sg1Hj0HEQ0xdYdCUN6NCrrAIDiF6JSG884r-d7Xoc07mOGna0jyQ4v_O61v3CDy6B2a1K5HjdsJJPAWCcDoA2rqfEzGbVWs/s640/DSCN4193.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">I personally don't hesitate to give the bears their space! There are several additional prime locations to succeed with a dip net at Redoubt. Consider the height of the tide and whether or not the SOCKEYE are plentiful. </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">The couple in the photo below had an admirable system going. When the tide was right, he handily caught the SOCKEYE with a dip net and she hauled them off to safety...</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZXg0eNhluwiFgiWVFG3K-kwL2CBqTrY8VHk_yK2g458sG6A6yrEQ_k32nTWha_psL73qPynKs732fOFGBnn9ozdPuiAp0bH5O1LS52baCSpjG22UjBBlPuI9w5YvMxVHXESCswV9Pes/s1600/DSCN6987.jpg"><img border="0" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVZXg0eNhluwiFgiWVFG3K-kwL2CBqTrY8VHk_yK2g458sG6A6yrEQ_k32nTWha_psL73qPynKs732fOFGBnn9ozdPuiAp0bH5O1LS52baCSpjG22UjBBlPuI9w5YvMxVHXESCswV9Pes/s640/DSCN6987.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As mentioned before, it is important to clean fish as soon as possible and get those beauties on ice.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Flavorful and oily, SOCKEYE are worthy of a variety of preparations for consumption. Nevertheless, our preference is to simply filet, smoke and can our SOCKEYE. But not always in that order.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_cmuDReMbhENEaWCsS8TBadOfLDg_ZPzrNWSeJinkydJ-2PeBBez2UexSVVNvYOgBKxuND0KA1vwcf9-DLREPUUNyLe5LHBuePooMVuc8vCDg74V3ZJgKZYKuzGjapo2Ue9v10BbITQ/s1600/IMG_8293.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv_cmuDReMbhENEaWCsS8TBadOfLDg_ZPzrNWSeJinkydJ-2PeBBez2UexSVVNvYOgBKxuND0KA1vwcf9-DLREPUUNyLe5LHBuePooMVuc8vCDg74V3ZJgKZYKuzGjapo2Ue9v10BbITQ/s640/IMG_8293.JPG" width="480" /></a></b></span></div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Frequently, we filet, smoke, eat our fill... and then can!</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> Did I mention how irresistibly delicious smoked SOCKEYE is?</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIkotA2AZ6d_3dK3-WNg9XWXGObHSZlq-h086pF3k6uuwTX7o2HsAVzU5ak29mAlxOMNM8e_Q1BMkXHa7Qr2xyuzD4Q3Bwbt5xnnLVD-HT6kar-PT6sLS0ce0V25A9u9yPVtftzd7bRY/s1600/IMG_7537.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmIkotA2AZ6d_3dK3-WNg9XWXGObHSZlq-h086pF3k6uuwTX7o2HsAVzU5ak29mAlxOMNM8e_Q1BMkXHa7Qr2xyuzD4Q3Bwbt5xnnLVD-HT6kar-PT6sLS0ce0V25A9u9yPVtftzd7bRY/s640/IMG_7537.JPG" width="480" /></a></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And, good thing we canned plenty of SOCKEYE. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is such a treat to crack open a jar in winter.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIuPZY1Sp3w2cvINbgvrFoUg3omUDswRP4HF-_sZMLLrG1803ekwED71HHJGxPnOQfySnaTKW1BdX85vQcDoOTp0fVFFrv4qD5g-xyuvh-LJR146UvsCJ_iB9qyczmoPF7EN4ZeCbtVI/s1600/IMG_0922.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJIuPZY1Sp3w2cvINbgvrFoUg3omUDswRP4HF-_sZMLLrG1803ekwED71HHJGxPnOQfySnaTKW1BdX85vQcDoOTp0fVFFrv4qD5g-xyuvh-LJR146UvsCJ_iB9qyczmoPF7EN4ZeCbtVI/s640/IMG_0922.jpg" width="424" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">JALAPENO SALMON is an excellent combination of ingredients we like to preserve together in jars. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The flavor is unusual and unbeatable!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGfrFvIQPQaBkSedQDYr-_MHxM3uiagNmnbWP_W3sf3XCFXi4pxcr6BnFJ8gxV_C0jLrEk2JfM5A-g-qy3p12JYZ6l5hpAjRZpiCV-vPquh67EpqMsETxsqVuilMNvImaTy_F0_vZxnM/s1600/IMG_0981.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhGfrFvIQPQaBkSedQDYr-_MHxM3uiagNmnbWP_W3sf3XCFXi4pxcr6BnFJ8gxV_C0jLrEk2JfM5A-g-qy3p12JYZ6l5hpAjRZpiCV-vPquh67EpqMsETxsqVuilMNvImaTy_F0_vZxnM/s640/IMG_0981.jpg" width="494" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWN3cJbrtGcFQXk-y4QiWFFnRdiBZI68wms6cJQQcJo1wzgSsqv5QDRPlerHCjzTcchYzPm3hsCCB8dK7KXyFvn0WajxU6GL7VfzmUMgXGmuCmdelW0R4axzUqlC6xact-eRNJTN7v8LQ/s1600/IMG_0976.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWN3cJbrtGcFQXk-y4QiWFFnRdiBZI68wms6cJQQcJo1wzgSsqv5QDRPlerHCjzTcchYzPm3hsCCB8dK7KXyFvn0WajxU6GL7VfzmUMgXGmuCmdelW0R4axzUqlC6xact-eRNJTN7v8LQ/s320/IMG_0976.jpg" width="280" /></a></b></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><b>COHO (SILVER) SALMON</b></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>Oncorhynchus kisutch</b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtTmqH-Ab0qrbNMaFPejIFOOG40XB3zQLN-tvBj1dvxlE9dBGf5ddvLMpWKEEz33i41XIF9rDFUtpWu5aOs1DugII55Iqz8ISfIzqpc0XzlMALICWrIuv6xkb7a9w3gckMkSZXqLF8Dg4/s640/IMG_0849.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: small;">Alaska Department of Fish & Game</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This anadromous species is referred to as SILVER or COHO. Let's go with COHO. Averaging around eight pounds, COHO will grow up to 20 pounds or more during the three years it spends in the ocean. Then it is back to fresh waters to spawn at the end of life. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />COHO SALMON are often plentiful and an excellent fish to target mid-summer through late fall. Even though you are not likely to catch COHO outside of summer and fall, the salt water sport fishing season for this species is open year round. Here are the limits: <br /><br />16 inches or longer: 6 per day, 12 in possession<br />less than 16 inches: 10 per day, 10 in possession<br /><br /><br /><br />COHO SALMON is another of the salmon species included in the Alaska Department of Fish & Game Sitka Management Area Personal Use and Subsistence Salmon Fishing Program.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #ea9999;">SUBSISTENCE AND PERSONAL USE FISHING FOR</span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #ea9999;">COHO SALMON</span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">See the information specific for COHO at the very bottom of this information page:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-94g4zG6MeDspVh1wJrFdGWAP7vnEJJKY2_JamFjhsArAbLIaISV6uX-zfH6DfJRRJas5TajaGzQq9SncIq056vXYEhTkfjZsnK-PUzIUTPDNm57aFy2Km1eHPFQ8EKA0HVP7I91i5a4/s1600/IMG_0936.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-94g4zG6MeDspVh1wJrFdGWAP7vnEJJKY2_JamFjhsArAbLIaISV6uX-zfH6DfJRRJas5TajaGzQq9SncIq056vXYEhTkfjZsnK-PUzIUTPDNm57aFy2Km1eHPFQ8EKA0HVP7I91i5a4/s640/IMG_0936.jpg" width="518" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In the photo seen below is an unusually talented friend. Fishing surely tops her list of talents. I have been fortunate enough to spend enough time with her to learn valuable new fishing skills! Check out her beautiful smile after catching this beautiful COHO!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWvnWTxT1DnuRY4w-5Ep5-ZhalTWwmQXRR01VxwhISWlTcpT_5o09G8Tc5HC2Ye1IDvbiqkOmASzIMcPSU2be69LO4k6cJcqx14rDe_vVjpWhiPIXszqX_cA8oWDLCIueH2E4CQXHEPg/s1600/CHELSEA.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWvnWTxT1DnuRY4w-5Ep5-ZhalTWwmQXRR01VxwhISWlTcpT_5o09G8Tc5HC2Ye1IDvbiqkOmASzIMcPSU2be69LO4k6cJcqx14rDe_vVjpWhiPIXszqX_cA8oWDLCIueH2E4CQXHEPg/s640/CHELSEA.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> photo by Ben Dent</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Fishing for COHO is often fun and exciting because they</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> are inclined to bite a lure both at the mouth of rivers as well as upriver in pools.</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red;">CAUTION IS THE WORD HERE!!!</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> Don't be surprised to see <i>lots</i> <i>of bears in and around rivers </i>when fishing for salmon late summer and early fall! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlb1nJVk8reT7NP6DJs1VqOc24j5ibnJ_UhTSoiVRnekaoP7S7fSnhfO3Py87dTl7R3iYS_29o31Kvp38a9N4yt0YZQUIY-10N7iaPx7pTV-MKMWGZfjqNL1ArXUVVdjlghIveTsZ6iw/s1600/IMG_1380.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQlb1nJVk8reT7NP6DJs1VqOc24j5ibnJ_UhTSoiVRnekaoP7S7fSnhfO3Py87dTl7R3iYS_29o31Kvp38a9N4yt0YZQUIY-10N7iaPx7pTV-MKMWGZfjqNL1ArXUVVdjlghIveTsZ6iw/s640/IMG_1380.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">When it comes to eating COHO, they taste mighty good roasted, broiled, grilled, baked, fried, steamed, poached or smoked. So versatile! </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I especially enjoy sautéing (fry lightly) salmon in a pan with a little butter and chopped fennel from the garden. Of all places, I read about this dish years ago in a gourmet cooking magazine while sitting in a dentist's waiting room!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">Whether plain or smoked, canned COHO is a handy, delicious staple throughout the year. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ778f13AbuCMaz-3eZc9EM3d1x9r35YgPAxCL48MB_qALA5BgMSZbmuMdCDtohyphenhyphen9HO3U374TAVhIkO2EVXoGQ5ZM2X3sIUseSOylf7Oa9M76OJGwEhM_1nIgmuzCHCEst8zGdWasz9k/s1600/IMG_0950.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGJ778f13AbuCMaz-3eZc9EM3d1x9r35YgPAxCL48MB_qALA5BgMSZbmuMdCDtohyphenhyphen9HO3U374TAVhIkO2EVXoGQ5ZM2X3sIUseSOylf7Oa9M76OJGwEhM_1nIgmuzCHCEst8zGdWasz9k/s640/IMG_0950.jpg" width="523" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b>CHINOOK (KING) SALMON</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b>Oncorhynchus tshawytscha</b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UbV6f6yOl7THcKk51KKYMQbUnuJlkcxeOuhUYthslMpMpNcGPgRd48lpQJ4dj_vHayGvx3gfYgkrmo56cTzsqXe-UTIWp8KQfAmNovlZnhyphenhyphenN1UTl-0YK8QUxwMRgJ-wKacuU_Zg_4f8/s1600/IMG_0848.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6UbV6f6yOl7THcKk51KKYMQbUnuJlkcxeOuhUYthslMpMpNcGPgRd48lpQJ4dj_vHayGvx3gfYgkrmo56cTzsqXe-UTIWp8KQfAmNovlZnhyphenhyphenN1UTl-0YK8QUxwMRgJ-wKacuU_Zg_4f8/s640/IMG_0848.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Alaska Department of Fish & Game</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Have I saved the best for last? Not wanting to play favorites, I suggest you try eating all of the species discussed in this post... and decide for yourself!<br /><br /><br />KING SALMON are the largest of all of the salmon species. Although most years KINGS have averaged 15 to 25 pounds in weight, it is not all that unusual to catch much heavier fish. And, when checking record books, KINGS ha</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">ve weighed in at over 125 pounds! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">For perspective, both of the men in the photos below are over six feet tall. Father and son. Big fish eliciting big smiles!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SnFEzcf7PlgWzaKu-k3PcfcSb8b5PssFe5oy5T96z88GwkVyuISvssiSEQFsms4FedgmjS_9jsCh4Dyvzm1P_sypYb2VrjkjDkN8dv_nNml9GtY1tXaocWKbnBVmc5PwwxFbMf0pJNk/s1600/tom3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2SnFEzcf7PlgWzaKu-k3PcfcSb8b5PssFe5oy5T96z88GwkVyuISvssiSEQFsms4FedgmjS_9jsCh4Dyvzm1P_sypYb2VrjkjDkN8dv_nNml9GtY1tXaocWKbnBVmc5PwwxFbMf0pJNk/s640/tom3.jpg" width="371" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKWham4GZmqMkyyKSPu0daWMxMtl0QwxXj2ZAf7qz3bVNmo3kVt1xBLVMnQHViOqLpgL_9ZuWyaw6fBsWFctOKYdeR7nKlUS7pCeq_ozwS2O8tVxqhPa8QEgPwBA-cKxX3Z2MtTt7oaM/s1600/IMG_6920.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYKWham4GZmqMkyyKSPu0daWMxMtl0QwxXj2ZAf7qz3bVNmo3kVt1xBLVMnQHViOqLpgL_9ZuWyaw6fBsWFctOKYdeR7nKlUS7pCeq_ozwS2O8tVxqhPa8QEgPwBA-cKxX3Z2MtTt7oaM/s640/IMG_6920.jpg" width="273" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> photo by D. Corbell</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk8WPdOAtWAddXzEqu9MdO4etcsVgAYoKevO1rxtcwR-DF37w8DA91QRblF_cj6y-Ow8QjNRhA_oeN0aJ6OoZqpB51GvpKJPzUMtK6t7qkacLcqhQfpcOWmRE-YVPBnBMNvyUvyELnycE/s1600/tom3.jpg"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2sdvCadet0csL1RjX71BlsXzoEzXNkaUlLsCkK_ieJixGFe96oOKr_6YN21FAPI7eNty2mtgCtfaCO4ORYz-z8bt-EWNXvdeWC6PeXYBqZjC7W14cDBxs0EvAFmTC-dbUz6MImSa3VIY/s1600/14257614_105804163211124_3281134463078510979_o.jpg"></a><br /><br />The flesh of KING SALMON is near red. Surprisingly though, about one in ten KING SALMON have nearly white flesh and are referred to as WHITE KINGS. </span></div>
<div style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">No, the color difference does not interfere with the quality or the sensational flavor. No matter the color, KING SALMON are rich in fat and firm in texture. <br /><br /><br />It is fascinating when examining the life cycle of salmon in a little more depth. As mentioned earlier, salmon eggs hatch in fresh water streams, rivers and lakes. Once hatched, the baby salmon </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">(also known as <i>fry</i>) head</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> downriver towards the ocean. As they mosey along in the river's fresh water, the fry memorize the scent of this home stream. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">After four to six years of feeding and surviving in salty ocean waters, the anadromous KING SALMON head towards home. It is believed that all salmon, including KING SALMON, have the uncanny ability to navigate primarily by using the earth's magnetic field. This ability to find their way back to the area of origin is, apparently, a genetically inherited trait. Once nearing home waters, a salmon will swim around until it recognizes the scent of its' fresh water origins. That familiar scent then stimulates the salmon to swim upstream where it will spawn in a gravel bed before it dies. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Mind-boggling! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Let's have a look at the REGULATIONS concerning KING SALMON.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Other than the Yakutat Area, fishing for KING SALMON in <span style="color: red;">fresh waters</span> is <b style="color: red;">CLOSED</b>.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In general, fishing for KING SALMON in salt water is open year-round. The length needs to be 28 inches or longer.. <span style="color: red;">NO RETENTION LESS THAN 28 INCHES</span>. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Any time you intend to fish for KING SALMON it is wise to check with the Department of Fish & Game. The bag, possession, annual and size limits are established by emergency order as specified in the Southeast Alaska King Salmon Management plan.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Any or all of these limits can and do change periodically.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Be sure you have followed the statewide regulations for sport fishing KING SALMON: </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Everyone is required to have a SPORT FISHING LICENSE.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Everyone is required to have a HARVEST RECORD when harvesting any species with an annual limit.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Determine whether or not you need a KING SALMON STAMP.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Page 6 in the 2020 in the Alaska Department of Fish & Game Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary covers the above issues:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4pj_IeOX7BqLNO8Rn73GHGogZBjJEJJyL2-AOElacqCtath_11krYfL5vDTeSWcvieFf_arRbBPVP0qkXs7ZVvLsYeCz4PgLZn3BbpOd_OW7St0lmSMsUMIxQOs2PQOxLB5ksXPSu34/s1600/IMG_0964.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL4pj_IeOX7BqLNO8Rn73GHGogZBjJEJJyL2-AOElacqCtath_11krYfL5vDTeSWcvieFf_arRbBPVP0qkXs7ZVvLsYeCz4PgLZn3BbpOd_OW7St0lmSMsUMIxQOs2PQOxLB5ksXPSu34/s640/IMG_0964.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As far as the gear used to sport fish for KING SALMON, I will leave that to you to research on your own. There are lots of opinions about the best rods, reels, line, down riggers, flashers, depths, tides, currents, locations, bait, lures and more! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">What worked best for me was to go out fishing, whenever possible, with people who already knew what they were doing. Learn from the best!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In case you need some inspiration, here you go! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1_zbtz7rhpGQtZpY0j8w7kHEM91ma9sF-oeYlBYCRaaPhUe8PzeMFsFh9SQK7VqTtFkCBAfQrWITacHACyGA95clcaWtuQfTlmXdukYEr04ywcw6xHTbQeB0wPV7KsmqXZKne3yl2qY/s1600/Scan+3.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN1_zbtz7rhpGQtZpY0j8w7kHEM91ma9sF-oeYlBYCRaaPhUe8PzeMFsFh9SQK7VqTtFkCBAfQrWITacHACyGA95clcaWtuQfTlmXdukYEr04ywcw6xHTbQeB0wPV7KsmqXZKne3yl2qY/s640/Scan+3.jpg" width="470" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #ea9999; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NGVuwQ9LmXmr1P7TLbzrwzONgwNt8ZmfNe8kaYzt7RIqzZKP8kYgi73xDoYtvMo-UpNpYFhaQ8wVfeBblrO27QS9u2GDNQ1x5qgKtnNKIIb7owKFkCKW8lM6qeXCoQihAwPipv6XxEg/s1600/Scan+20.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_NGVuwQ9LmXmr1P7TLbzrwzONgwNt8ZmfNe8kaYzt7RIqzZKP8kYgi73xDoYtvMo-UpNpYFhaQ8wVfeBblrO27QS9u2GDNQ1x5qgKtnNKIIb7owKFkCKW8lM6qeXCoQihAwPipv6XxEg/s640/Scan+20.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wN1Cv-qKw0IQUic2fNbzgn_Ode3GHzowY3Fbr5xyYT600bER79D8eVCsojbRUDMvpPk3pmTUTIF4hvNVONi6oaVvdrYrikSqEHp-HoUKUMcUV8IW3cAJAz13ptgiH9flYMmARuAoq6M/s1600/Scan+7.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wN1Cv-qKw0IQUic2fNbzgn_Ode3GHzowY3Fbr5xyYT600bER79D8eVCsojbRUDMvpPk3pmTUTIF4hvNVONi6oaVvdrYrikSqEHp-HoUKUMcUV8IW3cAJAz13ptgiH9flYMmARuAoq6M/s640/Scan+7.jpg" width="462" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YGDRDt_EOHKSJzRL4l-cFhOgI_1G0teytmns-0VChw_upxxMhLjk6CgH1INJc_98Q_XFS4MVmgFkcN4yDAoKg5szjk7_Y_RuroaAuATpwkxWK-sfXGXy-SiMWo35idUtKga1FsDg3yQ/s1600/img735.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5YGDRDt_EOHKSJzRL4l-cFhOgI_1G0teytmns-0VChw_upxxMhLjk6CgH1INJc_98Q_XFS4MVmgFkcN4yDAoKg5szjk7_Y_RuroaAuATpwkxWK-sfXGXy-SiMWo35idUtKga1FsDg3yQ/s640/img735.jpg" width="396" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFJx3TnUmAyBIbDzrjyzmu65RNyz4hoPDTLcylMRfKZWj5TWIE7A1sKjGyucD21pKQ-loyXt1rg0zT-lTm0aQKTsGyidSaSPitpiSc2prEWCN3YH1h10a1xLFFgEVd5SlpiscBUcDTqY/s1600/img383.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFFJx3TnUmAyBIbDzrjyzmu65RNyz4hoPDTLcylMRfKZWj5TWIE7A1sKjGyucD21pKQ-loyXt1rg0zT-lTm0aQKTsGyidSaSPitpiSc2prEWCN3YH1h10a1xLFFgEVd5SlpiscBUcDTqY/s640/img383.jpg" width="568" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: large;">Here is that little guy in the photo above... all grown up!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx8RcVIlsp_25d6MIh1Z631FgxWPimPGBaFuq2g1or6_cX4ORajNi4qN3-p6WhAOmWid33s8AUeFxBcChUc7s_0bT2Gs_YmmSyvZtG0DvgHRK4MMeRqARanpcenWmFe-orIhz3GWB1k9RpJxhJr7hUeEYH6kmgOxJ_qnw7UG83tNy-x4Tzsg8_YPu5" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="3024" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgx8RcVIlsp_25d6MIh1Z631FgxWPimPGBaFuq2g1or6_cX4ORajNi4qN3-p6WhAOmWid33s8AUeFxBcChUc7s_0bT2Gs_YmmSyvZtG0DvgHRK4MMeRqARanpcenWmFe-orIhz3GWB1k9RpJxhJr7hUeEYH6kmgOxJ_qnw7UG83tNy-x4Tzsg8_YPu5=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></div><br /><br /></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHYXbDnqwthakN_-Sh_GBYul8zFb3FYpIb-KjtYu0RCYgEQN_MuHCuT9Az2FwhmzLiU6Oex3FlQ4adyPrZbg67XiNZqz_gwFAqStFmhjYssVNKIuV5Si901-QwUODytUvJpbz1NymMtA/s1600/DSC05965.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHYXbDnqwthakN_-Sh_GBYul8zFb3FYpIb-KjtYu0RCYgEQN_MuHCuT9Az2FwhmzLiU6Oex3FlQ4adyPrZbg67XiNZqz_gwFAqStFmhjYssVNKIuV5Si901-QwUODytUvJpbz1NymMtA/s640/DSC05965.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevQerWEa55G_F1lFhFW2zN_gXLe_Sb8Pz_HfU9N4PZPsF12oRu_gSEcYB01px2jyAkB7qwZfBXJM6DdiaTyxUu8twmDxMMcE9AdOKs8u58q_srsrxqxpBUVE5ufTuKKDeADZmvnYS5iE/s1600/DSC05973.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgevQerWEa55G_F1lFhFW2zN_gXLe_Sb8Pz_HfU9N4PZPsF12oRu_gSEcYB01px2jyAkB7qwZfBXJM6DdiaTyxUu8twmDxMMcE9AdOKs8u58q_srsrxqxpBUVE5ufTuKKDeADZmvnYS5iE/s640/DSC05973.jpg" width="454" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjjLWJOr4h9RWQ7m4VvwQritq3K1Xr6w-FI5DrY8yk-mlWTTrT2X3WZQoJ_84_3TIewb0lBRnH56MnBdKPXTE0IWvqRw66BhMJcIYeXLO4vPCcg2q4iQqpiNcV6Aozm01ZvWZU3aePaQ/s1600/DSC06132.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisjjLWJOr4h9RWQ7m4VvwQritq3K1Xr6w-FI5DrY8yk-mlWTTrT2X3WZQoJ_84_3TIewb0lBRnH56MnBdKPXTE0IWvqRw66BhMJcIYeXLO4vPCcg2q4iQqpiNcV6Aozm01ZvWZU3aePaQ/s640/DSC06132.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirrHSQeDpDI7c4DD5CaohPepxYl0n74LjxdngLOWQAoxba7P69vK1F5dL-di1iNjz1lvTWLyj8yzi29oVzTp7ukTlAtf3yD-df7JPeTJQhW6237_vRz5O-XfSTuYWa8m5zSoP2I89p8kJDGgOpGHV61H8-lLAtWO9rhZfkkKjwilsflZ3qWZ1pCa3M" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2968" data-original-width="1927" height="20" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEirrHSQeDpDI7c4DD5CaohPepxYl0n74LjxdngLOWQAoxba7P69vK1F5dL-di1iNjz1lvTWLyj8yzi29oVzTp7ukTlAtf3yD-df7JPeTJQhW6237_vRz5O-XfSTuYWa8m5zSoP2I89p8kJDGgOpGHV61H8-lLAtWO9rhZfkkKjwilsflZ3qWZ1pCa3M=w20-h20" width="20" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8A05YWMPTA62mB0f_wlzXeYOuxqWkxCv4aGgkGd6qJDKTlwyiGFtO4Kj_AHyIemwueyImstFCXqpwqB6oT5BGacS2dPUVxbwaQQBESZGdtPqJZJlDUuGoKYHq3VAxTdzg_3JWxfUCzEV9jdMaVbHeuYZxirkh1JzMWvH1VA9VQKm7FHgsL8ZGngyV" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2968" data-original-width="1927" height="697" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi8A05YWMPTA62mB0f_wlzXeYOuxqWkxCv4aGgkGd6qJDKTlwyiGFtO4Kj_AHyIemwueyImstFCXqpwqB6oT5BGacS2dPUVxbwaQQBESZGdtPqJZJlDUuGoKYHq3VAxTdzg_3JWxfUCzEV9jdMaVbHeuYZxirkh1JzMWvH1VA9VQKm7FHgsL8ZGngyV=w450-h697" width="450" /></a></div><br /><br /></div>
<br /><br />
<br /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEIrmzMd55pHXADfi1rUeeaXflza3jci6SAlhewbEttm1pKZzmW-xjFmjj1NXBEIo8Dm4z_PvtCINUAJj0Zb9fkSceY4htrneIRf4MotEbFDibqx9G47LPDbT4wpXblEea4Vj5LESPgfY/s640/IMG_0443.JPG" /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYG1VQ70AK-Nqn2Zki7Z8VdtA443Kn2DKX1BfMqqW7c5aT9q2uYkM9hcxbK3H4ndjCjJfZedCTyAaM2qtKjwBmydTBF-4ags3FuQ4W2KCoP4rrPa7Gkph7WIlfoJTpqUMlXNk1bm2QO8/s1600/DSCN2934.jpg"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgYG1VQ70AK-Nqn2Zki7Z8VdtA443Kn2DKX1BfMqqW7c5aT9q2uYkM9hcxbK3H4ndjCjJfZedCTyAaM2qtKjwBmydTBF-4ags3FuQ4W2KCoP4rrPa7Gkph7WIlfoJTpqUMlXNk1bm2QO8/s640/DSCN2934.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhco0u8mxrvMWYDSuCYjAAwxFtc1L3x7n48Zf7bbC137gKoASS0Nbpyng5MBTug_Xo_lVikux_j6zR-KDTOBmvl3fvOBzhE94jKaN0OBN0oIKXtaQqHmyX-bvJo6_9ulc5UVSO0U-AjSN0/s1600/DSCN2935.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhco0u8mxrvMWYDSuCYjAAwxFtc1L3x7n48Zf7bbC137gKoASS0Nbpyng5MBTug_Xo_lVikux_j6zR-KDTOBmvl3fvOBzhE94jKaN0OBN0oIKXtaQqHmyX-bvJo6_9ulc5UVSO0U-AjSN0/s640/DSCN2935.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_A5zlvVp-bxBJt250WLVfTdDKZQfXDbcOg3MKeGyRFjZrXF14qWzKsykacecSbEWlag8OxIG3O3b--F_gmu5ct-ptirQZeR8JTLCdxcwoL0nJU4AO4I0ESDn4wQ5dILbRcKri29rU2KutZDLt86AfGxNM-JwIZAxfHLsvXMwpWtDtTNDKta_yfKoVpTU" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="576" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEi_A5zlvVp-bxBJt250WLVfTdDKZQfXDbcOg3MKeGyRFjZrXF14qWzKsykacecSbEWlag8OxIG3O3b--F_gmu5ct-ptirQZeR8JTLCdxcwoL0nJU4AO4I0ESDn4wQ5dILbRcKri29rU2KutZDLt86AfGxNM-JwIZAxfHLsvXMwpWtDtTNDKta_yfKoVpTU=w360-h640" width="360" /></a></div> photo by Tachi Sopow<br /><br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">So much family fun fishing in our local </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"> SALMON DERBY!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV3bMk5CttCbxV6Ofmjzx8WknU5wF4lY-Y75RCqWqd7EJ7gPRYE-e9OUtGuuevJNa9DoLKEfyn6JCyWoChFxy6YfukfoconDqIJTXTxjbrKBLGJ7ozBuK7W9aAONU8ra_54cmEfB3NhQ/s1600/IMG_7952.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIV3bMk5CttCbxV6Ofmjzx8WknU5wF4lY-Y75RCqWqd7EJ7gPRYE-e9OUtGuuevJNa9DoLKEfyn6JCyWoChFxy6YfukfoconDqIJTXTxjbrKBLGJ7ozBuK7W9aAONU8ra_54cmEfB3NhQ/s640/IMG_7952.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqoINssYA2r_ogNISaThbqHAMfE49fpiGO0Yd0CAia1gkoBq1Z9VSjBpwsA7-zjOFAOP_xCg8M5fHBU8Q_SBX-OJD7b3tSmjVTF0vXhWRfQwG0CEB8Z8QQ4DAkYxwua3ScEGT-fP7tgo/s1600/IMG_7957.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiqoINssYA2r_ogNISaThbqHAMfE49fpiGO0Yd0CAia1gkoBq1Z9VSjBpwsA7-zjOFAOP_xCg8M5fHBU8Q_SBX-OJD7b3tSmjVTF0vXhWRfQwG0CEB8Z8QQ4DAkYxwua3ScEGT-fP7tgo/s640/IMG_7957.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b>SMOKING SALMON</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"></span></div>
<div class="page" title="Page 1">
<div class="section" style="background-color: white;">
<div class="layoutArea">
<div class="column">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria";"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><b>SIMPLE SMOKED SALMON</b></span></span></div>
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 16pt;"><br /></span>
</span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><b>STEP ONE - BRINING </b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><b>DONE IN THE EVENING</b></span></span></div>
<ul>
<li style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; vertical-align: -1pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;"><b>CUT SALMON INTO PIECES APPROXIMATELY 2” WIDE, 4” LONG AND 1” TO 2” DEEP</b></span></li>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14pt;"><b>MIX A BRINE OF EQUAL PARTS OF WATER, BROWN SUGAR AND CANNING SALT. WE OFTEN USE A “BIG CHIEF” SMOKER WITH 4 OR 5 RACKS. ABOUT 10 PIECES OF FISH FIT ON EACH RACK. SO, FOR SAY 50 PIECES, I WOULD LIKELY MAKE A BRINE UP OF 2 CUPS EACH OF WATER, BROWN SUGAR AND SALT. STIR IT ALL TOGETHER INTO A LARGE BOWL OR POT (PREFERABLY STAINLESS STEEL).</b></span></li>
<li><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14pt;">ADD THE FISH PIECES TO THE BRINE. SOAK THE PIECES IN THE BRINE FOR </span><span style="font-family: "cambria"; font-size: 14pt;">NO MORE THAN 15 MINUTES, STIRRING OFTEN.</span></span></b></li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;"><b>WHILE RUNNING FRESH WATER INTO THE POT, RINSE EACH PIECE CAREFULLY AND PLACE THE PIECES INTO A COLANDER TO DRAIN.</b></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9oJDsbL8vPQdlw8v9pfLFAIfq8PZE7CRnwo6piUGZiF9wmuwVd_U4GcL3QYM2A0W4cnVoIHUsM87YmRameCvUi5PigiKtE9pFMgbIo1XkTnv4dp0T1TTZBGpg3Eb-GqVAG5axK_YyTo/s1600/IMG_6002.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX9oJDsbL8vPQdlw8v9pfLFAIfq8PZE7CRnwo6piUGZiF9wmuwVd_U4GcL3QYM2A0W4cnVoIHUsM87YmRameCvUi5PigiKtE9pFMgbIo1XkTnv4dp0T1TTZBGpg3Eb-GqVAG5axK_YyTo/s640/IMG_6002.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<ul>
<li style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; vertical-align: -1pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;"><b>SET THE RINSED AND DRAINED PIECES ONTO A CLEAN TOWEL OR RACK ON A COUNTERTOP... OUT OF THE REACH OF ANY PETS!</b></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; vertical-align: -1pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;"><b>OPTIONAL: TOP THE PIECES WITH COARSE PEPPER OR SEASONINGS.</b></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Cambria; vertical-align: -1pt;"><div style="font-size: 14pt;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;"><b>LEAVE TO GLAZE OVERNIGHT.</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 14pt;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">STEP TWO - SMOKING </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-weight: 700;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;">THE NEXT MORNING</span></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHp86Q3KPUL-qRaIrjlCqB9h96etSyaVb7r1y63ITpb5S2B2cite2Vy-zJKXlP-4r29IELXtwA1MdRHn-Xd3FN3OKynRnCfy6rnoqEMpFZG5W-Y0BARqmX3UumqDmGhuu0RVt-5Dyf_kk/s1600/IMG_0997.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHp86Q3KPUL-qRaIrjlCqB9h96etSyaVb7r1y63ITpb5S2B2cite2Vy-zJKXlP-4r29IELXtwA1MdRHn-Xd3FN3OKynRnCfy6rnoqEMpFZG5W-Y0BARqmX3UumqDmGhuu0RVt-5Dyf_kk/s640/IMG_0997.jpg" width="440" /></a></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; vertical-align: -1pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;"><b>PLACE THE PIECES OF FISH ON THE SHELVES AND INTO THE SMOKER.</b></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; vertical-align: -1pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;"><b>ADD WOOD CHIPS TO A PAN BELOW THE SHELVES.</b></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; vertical-align: -1pt;"><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;"><b>PLUG IN THE SMOKER!</b></span></li>
<li style="font-family: Cambria; font-size: 14pt; vertical-align: -1pt;"><b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">WHEN THE WOOD CHIPS TURN TO ASH, EMPTY THE ASH AND ADD ONE</span><br />
<span style="font-size: 14pt;">MORE PAN OF CHIPS. REMOVE THE PAN WHEN IT TURNS TO ASH.</span></span></b></li>
<li style="font-family: Cambria; vertical-align: -1pt;"><div style="font-size: 14pt;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: 14pt;"><b>CHECK FOR THE FIRMNESS YOU PREFER THROUGHOUT THE DAY.</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 14pt; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: 700;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJFzBWM2J2hKNQfwIOosD-XDOFaqSJI-eMqZ4r7JOOM788hGreELVZ716E6_tHGtGvIPJl9OlCghORaNwW48Ac80Df6FQzfr3GSLWUgoV-9L17E5COhrGpZ3oW8NTSZ1j3dkt4J5AqXo/s1600/IMG_0278.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJFzBWM2J2hKNQfwIOosD-XDOFaqSJI-eMqZ4r7JOOM788hGreELVZ716E6_tHGtGvIPJl9OlCghORaNwW48Ac80Df6FQzfr3GSLWUgoV-9L17E5COhrGpZ3oW8NTSZ1j3dkt4J5AqXo/s640/IMG_0278.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 14pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: blue; font-size: x-large;"><b>STEP THREE STORAGE</b></span></div>
<div style="font-size: 14pt;">
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; vertical-align: -1pt;">• </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">STORE IN A CONTAINER IN YOUR REFRIGERATOR TO EAT FRESH.</span></span></b></div>
<div style="font-size: 14pt;">
<b><span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; vertical-align: -1pt;">• </span><span style="font-size: 14pt;">FOR LATER USE, VACUUM PACKAGE PIECES FOR THE FREEZER.</span></span></b></div>
</li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><b>COOKING SALMON</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">Here are a bunch of cookbooks with endless salmon recipes. It's amazing how innovative Alaskans often were with limited ingredients on hand. How about cooking up some salmon pancakes?</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr9hciDdppspvfd9JyYRH9JIf5-wW9P1HBFqr1yKTGwWxmL6RKV3jeIDvF77opqCWtmliL3tdluWyZIyyiP8CVjzw7x6IKQvoeXpO8oPvOeVH66h5q7Qe4imLIL_XgsoUQMYm38V8dd0/s1600/IMG_0956.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYr9hciDdppspvfd9JyYRH9JIf5-wW9P1HBFqr1yKTGwWxmL6RKV3jeIDvF77opqCWtmliL3tdluWyZIyyiP8CVjzw7x6IKQvoeXpO8oPvOeVH66h5q7Qe4imLIL_XgsoUQMYm38V8dd0/s640/IMG_0956.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The most important consideration when cooking fish is <span style="color: red;"><i>DO NOT OVERCOOK!!!</i></span> Unfortunately, it happens far too often. Fish requires surprisingly little cooking time... and continues to cook a little more after removing it from heat.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There are several basic methods of cooking salmon.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Let's refer to the simple and clear explanations found in this little, well-worn cookbook:</span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22_7CsnuELlC7Ab2gMDYyPWBS8RJoKnmIf76w9Gh-1pZT0-E7SgCq0wWUG5Kfk4Xc_naNu09RBaH7oVSHmro1S_2poxfNg98b7ppn4DuY0NeYHVPpcSNrrzXVwxAAqlB_4GtyGO3MouI/s1600/IMG_0972.JPG" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh22_7CsnuELlC7Ab2gMDYyPWBS8RJoKnmIf76w9Gh-1pZT0-E7SgCq0wWUG5Kfk4Xc_naNu09RBaH7oVSHmro1S_2poxfNg98b7ppn4DuY0NeYHVPpcSNrrzXVwxAAqlB_4GtyGO3MouI/s640/IMG_0972.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>BROIL</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The quickest way to prepare and serve salmon is to cook it in your oven on the broil setting for five to eight minutes on each side depending on thickness. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Salmon steaks and fillets are good prepared this way. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Brush lightly with lemon butter before cooking.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The fish should be placed on a pan two to six inches from the broiling element.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Watch carefully as it cooks.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>POACH</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Poaching is a favorite preparation. Below is one example of a medium sized poaching pan:</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBk-ngupXfd1HP7plv0HEGcaFAG4tsMoPSu4OQxbgaxZ2VAkqyRRSHZRfzdl20WCq9gTCu0zfTQjPaxZwc1XTRcU1jLLYilvJEEnPVZs4K4F3X-knMkcHYaGb_w4rIgGJRONJO-hQdP0/s1600/IMG_0971.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTBk-ngupXfd1HP7plv0HEGcaFAG4tsMoPSu4OQxbgaxZ2VAkqyRRSHZRfzdl20WCq9gTCu0zfTQjPaxZwc1XTRcU1jLLYilvJEEnPVZs4K4F3X-knMkcHYaGb_w4rIgGJRONJO-hQdP0/s640/IMG_0971.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The poaching method can be used to cook fish steaks, fillets or whole cleaned fish. Fish are delightfully moist after poaching. Water, lemon juice and a little salt make an adequate poaching liquid, but Court Bouillon is often recommended in cookbooks. In the recipe below, other liquids can be substituted for the white wine if you wish. I have used water, chicken broth or apple cider vinegar. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimophEpGay9kRm56WXUO8kOfCACKieYaGIFZojlFfrF6JfgNkyWf_qcZ9Wm25EbTwOc_IBdRhILu16UajHLWv2NWcNhBRmbo51a64g0KK8cVr-Ez6LbZYmWMVDP74vptObg58JoxiFGJc/s1600/IMG_0974.jpg"><img border="0" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimophEpGay9kRm56WXUO8kOfCACKieYaGIFZojlFfrF6JfgNkyWf_qcZ9Wm25EbTwOc_IBdRhILu16UajHLWv2NWcNhBRmbo51a64g0KK8cVr-Ez6LbZYmWMVDP74vptObg58JoxiFGJc/s640/IMG_0974.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>STEAM</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Steaming salmon is another method of preparation insuring a moist outcome.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Wrap the steaks or fillets in cheesecloth and place it on a rack above the water in a pot partially filled with water. Bring the water up to a boil. The pot should be covered loosely. Allow the fish to steam for twelve to fifteen minutes per pound.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>BAKE</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">An easy and common method of preparing salmon is baking. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A whole fish can be baked with or without stuffing.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">5 lb fresh salmon</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">3 large onions thinly sliced (I like to add fresh beach asparagus when in season)</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">2 lemons thinly sliced</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">1/2 cup olive oil</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">2 crushed garlic cloves</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Wash and pat the salmon dry.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Line a baking sheet with foil and place 1/2 of the lemons and onions on the center area of the foil.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Stuff the cavity of the fish with the remaining onions and lemons.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Place the fish on top of the onions and lemons on the sheet.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Mix the garlic and olive oil together and brush it on the top of the fish.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cover with foil and seal the fish inside the top and bottom foil. </span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes per pound or until the fish flakes when touched with a fork. </span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Serves 4 - 6.</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">This cookbook is beautifully illustrated and contains some unique, gourmet recipes:</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi3hiiU0dly5ssrHqdXxO7bbuT_MOe1A8VnTTHUWD1g9lA-B_2LluDpAfpQ0WQt_y88zKMxLFo68CzaKMtXFQtWjfG1OeK-jiciKAEuy-N7H6hpJ5RHlkVI6L64DxfcPBoY4egHIx1qY/s1600/IMG_0969.jpg"><img border="0" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdi3hiiU0dly5ssrHqdXxO7bbuT_MOe1A8VnTTHUWD1g9lA-B_2LluDpAfpQ0WQt_y88zKMxLFo68CzaKMtXFQtWjfG1OeK-jiciKAEuy-N7H6hpJ5RHlkVI6L64DxfcPBoY4egHIx1qY/s640/IMG_0969.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);">The recipe below was outstanding. Click on the photo and it should enlarge enough to read the directions. It was such a treat using our garden fresh french sorrel.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXdIZ6S7ktI4uyMF2dHVZ7c5EFjG3XdDfa7i_H6HVRFGXtOPANdR9HeE5RlWRuoP1brJi3G51phGFcfptnmaKRaYdob45enPIUGVvQXHOJF71Wg1DadiIOnj7957sF5rKSqKuRuLnmFo/s1600/IMG_0968.jpg"><img border="0" height="488" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUXdIZ6S7ktI4uyMF2dHVZ7c5EFjG3XdDfa7i_H6HVRFGXtOPANdR9HeE5RlWRuoP1brJi3G51phGFcfptnmaKRaYdob45enPIUGVvQXHOJF71Wg1DadiIOnj7957sF5rKSqKuRuLnmFo/s640/IMG_0968.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i>BON APPETIT!</i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: #e06666; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(224, 102, 102);"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></span></div>
</div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-26745855680524334812019-05-05T17:09:00.001-07:002019-05-07T09:25:12.550-07:00CHERRIES<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>"LIFE IS JUST A BOWL OF CHERRIES."</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have you ever used this expression?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I haven't. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, I have heard others use it from time to time when asked, "How's it going?"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is an old-fashioned expression meaning...</span><br />
<b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">EVERYTHING IS GOING WELL.</span></i></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although not a bowl, here is a photo I once took of a basket of our cherries. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, if I remember correctly, everything was going well at the time!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhtkFJTlkNGXGmd1zidfxkf8r9dKs6mtjGJ0YlW5bozbOQmcePH8ROV-1BGRvYCCyEKI9wgztq2Kf8-Je_mnERpqNheAcLVrDuSse3MGXM2TdcONBQGPJxO7VMIW_uOuJsXxjpVjEW8k/s1600/Scan+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKhtkFJTlkNGXGmd1zidfxkf8r9dKs6mtjGJ0YlW5bozbOQmcePH8ROV-1BGRvYCCyEKI9wgztq2Kf8-Je_mnERpqNheAcLVrDuSse3MGXM2TdcONBQGPJxO7VMIW_uOuJsXxjpVjEW8k/s640/Scan+4.jpg" width="608" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes! Cherries do grow in Sitka.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Look and ask around. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You will find that there are quite a few varieties of cherry trees growing in Sitka.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You will typically see cherry trees in bloom throughout the month of May. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cherry trees have lots of tight, fluffy bundles of blossoms.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpEZpOCpKarM22Hl7wWzKYqo6VJAW7_TS_qt9T-myzjl7ZKDoO92jFtAYCFA5fOyhcKA0IIdB5iMrX6VGx6iW8aN9XcjhukR0bk1_OVK5rtTINCrifKicTRnUq7wfiJWlLnVNIC3P_vA/s1600/IMG_7859.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWpEZpOCpKarM22Hl7wWzKYqo6VJAW7_TS_qt9T-myzjl7ZKDoO92jFtAYCFA5fOyhcKA0IIdB5iMrX6VGx6iW8aN9XcjhukR0bk1_OVK5rtTINCrifKicTRnUq7wfiJWlLnVNIC3P_vA/s640/IMG_7859.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAq66Myc18zCPa184coGuvihOi3L3vrgDPxQTO6MtFM7nW35OIL0-kjGiulUOWc3CGrz0EpI-cVr4cjIIrIbw3ch4ljLHH7VOR1RtD2GNe5Ta4uhxwdf1APNfjtgxeQZJJS5FJuew_Cw/s1600/DSC06222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAAq66Myc18zCPa184coGuvihOi3L3vrgDPxQTO6MtFM7nW35OIL0-kjGiulUOWc3CGrz0EpI-cVr4cjIIrIbw3ch4ljLHH7VOR1RtD2GNe5Ta4uhxwdf1APNfjtgxeQZJJS5FJuew_Cw/s640/DSC06222.jpg" width="594" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Throughout the month of June, many of the blossoms transform into green cherries.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IJyoA-hUhChAvtFUUyoicmpDvjZmdYSdfF4UWcw4yo-Pz0X7U3219k8LEakdsNwglvrvUzOrcmgTQfvCNkk4mlbnGiSuUbH_NietgrfuDX2MdDAExH1ceJ5yhMl9W4_W2d27F0kP2cg/s1600/DSC06294.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5IJyoA-hUhChAvtFUUyoicmpDvjZmdYSdfF4UWcw4yo-Pz0X7U3219k8LEakdsNwglvrvUzOrcmgTQfvCNkk4mlbnGiSuUbH_NietgrfuDX2MdDAExH1ceJ5yhMl9W4_W2d27F0kP2cg/s640/DSC06294.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">By the end of June and well into July, the green cherries grow in size and ripen into striking shades of red. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You will be harvesting lots and lots of sweet, juicy, large, red cherries...</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwgWbC_PEzjaTOigqx_pBK0n2pLSj9MRJLzlG9m187ywfAz5abcaM8nm9t-vW03sf6Mk6EP4xxXLPb1EtZlk8kysiiDaYk4C-9C5m3kCwa2Chn1TATg4cNqQo7CQIFqSkmQz21_oQm7k/s1600/IMG_6317.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUwgWbC_PEzjaTOigqx_pBK0n2pLSj9MRJLzlG9m187ywfAz5abcaM8nm9t-vW03sf6Mk6EP4xxXLPb1EtZlk8kysiiDaYk4C-9C5m3kCwa2Chn1TATg4cNqQo7CQIFqSkmQz21_oQm7k/s640/IMG_6317.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> ...if you can keep the birds from eating them first. Especially crows and ravens. Once they have discovered your cherry trees, they never forget. They even show up early each year and hang out waiting for the slightest bit of red to show!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had some issues with birds wanting to snack on our apples in the past. So, we took advantage of the same solution for our cherry trees. We took our largest piece of floating row cover. We draped it over the top and sides of the cherry trees. We gathered the ends and tied it all down near the ground. It worked quite well. I don't have a photo of the draped cherry tree. The photo below is the draped apple tree. Same idea. The sun and rain can pass through the fabric. The birds cannot.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLK_NJHxu_T9dRA2BpeN95nkepbqzjFghLhVVnl4zvi8LVQMPYLX1hPAiI_X79MI8YLAvxV6tryFnvZPHPdtIBAZQ2d40A-aScIhVrqqC2sUXCHalJ2SnPSpe_jASLWtMQ6NTkmvJufA/s1600/DSC06091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPLK_NJHxu_T9dRA2BpeN95nkepbqzjFghLhVVnl4zvi8LVQMPYLX1hPAiI_X79MI8YLAvxV6tryFnvZPHPdtIBAZQ2d40A-aScIhVrqqC2sUXCHalJ2SnPSpe_jASLWtMQ6NTkmvJufA/s640/DSC06091.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another issue with growing cherries in our rainy climate is cracking or splitting. When it rains a lot as the cherries are ripening, the moisture is absorbed by the cherry itself... and it cracks!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Q3uRhJnpFIwJMhjRakp-91eh-gwmkipWXOJwEvvK5rvHlIYtOA-as62ksolLPAt9sSJPVAKAOXvFbiitu2MFn7ZlUNqVbl03rbBwt53nQWf6NJWoylvvnkbgnlyjkMpgXf2IZPNT1dA/s1600/IMG_6316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_Q3uRhJnpFIwJMhjRakp-91eh-gwmkipWXOJwEvvK5rvHlIYtOA-as62ksolLPAt9sSJPVAKAOXvFbiitu2MFn7ZlUNqVbl03rbBwt53nQWf6NJWoylvvnkbgnlyjkMpgXf2IZPNT1dA/s640/IMG_6316.jpg" width="566" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The cracked cherry is still edible. We pick them and either eat them right away or add them to a container in the freezer for future use. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have grown three different varieties of cherries in our gardens. All of them have produced plenty of sweet cherries!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first two cherry trees were planted at the same time nearly three decades ago: </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>STELLA</i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stella is a self-fertile cherry tree. This means it does not require a second variety of cherry tree for cross-pollination. It will produce cherries all by itself.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>EARLY BURLAT</i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Early Burlat is not self-fertile. It does require a second variety of cherry tree for cross-pollination. Stella met this need just fine!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After about fifteen years, the above two cherry trees were not producing well. I suspect that our heavy rains gradually took a toll on their health in a variety of ways. We reluctantly removed these trees. Into the wood pile they went.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fortunately, we planted another cherry tree when the above two were about 10 years old:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>LAPINS</i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lapins cherry trees pollinate themselves. So, no need for a second cherry tree. We chose a Lapin growing on dwarf rootstock. This keeps the height down to 10 or 15 feet. Otherwise the tree would grow to 40 feet. We did not want our cherry tree to block our neighbors' view of the ocean where we needed to plant it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lapins cherries are considered crack-resistant (not crack-proof). This helps because, as mentioned above, our heavy, frequent rains tend to cause a number of cherries to crack open just as they are ripening.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are quite a few cherry tree varieties that do just fine growing here in Sitka. For sure, the three mentioned above are well worth planting.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, I hope your life is just a bowl of cherries!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC63gobXUjYbwhKEju-YuO3Gvad950qJh7nTQFP83wRUDU63UvUktzI6IPK_Do2S0CZ_kfA3croxZDcGyuqyicn3PnoUT_v5oquI6I7eBL_7AkpJxxUkEcGRz2GPlbVQfYX4qQ5hwDfNI/s1600/DSCN0791.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC63gobXUjYbwhKEju-YuO3Gvad950qJh7nTQFP83wRUDU63UvUktzI6IPK_Do2S0CZ_kfA3croxZDcGyuqyicn3PnoUT_v5oquI6I7eBL_7AkpJxxUkEcGRz2GPlbVQfYX4qQ5hwDfNI/s640/DSCN0791.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-2178174970042485732019-02-14T15:14:00.002-08:002021-03-12T10:33:43.065-08:00FLOWERS - Vines<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXMyY1RxzPqDaEISpdNCH7MriBTmQ73G9dUauQUcDSdVyqMSIJ90rSkFs3j1esZj__jpK5ptzAnNbZqDs81m5YaG0iCiWK6QGZoICj2nF741p0nNI26SkLWyD8qKaNw2r5lGatth-RTA/s1600/img505+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOXMyY1RxzPqDaEISpdNCH7MriBTmQ73G9dUauQUcDSdVyqMSIJ90rSkFs3j1esZj__jpK5ptzAnNbZqDs81m5YaG0iCiWK6QGZoICj2nF741p0nNI26SkLWyD8qKaNw2r5lGatth-RTA/s640/img505+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">"Do you think you could build me a trellis?" I asked.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">"As you wish," he answered.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Hahaha! Caught off guard, I had to laugh! If that response does not sound familiar, watch the movie PRINCESS BRIDE. We watched that movie several times with our children when they were young. My husband enjoyed answering my requests with those three words forever after!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: magenta; font-size: x-large;"><b>CLEMATIS VINES</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I decided a trellis was the answer in relation to the clematis vine below. Unfortunately, as this vine grew, it started crawling underneath the siding on the house. We knew it would eventually cause damage as vines spread and thickened.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTl5sd-HbZ6hG6xAXcZWxQv66L-m8t6Ng_4HWJcPcioCNK-wCWRT5KYYhG_lCiSRIg-jJInNfpik9mAfBzhayNKV7a2L2wNt1cNPAh5s5QSyE3ZH3SYfY5m6FqtWlkGrwWVZ1kqk6dZ0/s1600/img608.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYTl5sd-HbZ6hG6xAXcZWxQv66L-m8t6Ng_4HWJcPcioCNK-wCWRT5KYYhG_lCiSRIg-jJInNfpik9mAfBzhayNKV7a2L2wNt1cNPAh5s5QSyE3ZH3SYfY5m6FqtWlkGrwWVZ1kqk6dZ0/s640/img608.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once the trellis was built, we cut as much of the vine as possible away from the house and connected the vine with cotton string to the trellis. After a few years, this <span style="color: magenta;">CLEMATIS Montana rubens</span> appeared to love its new home.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GyMV6RMvD4KokBusVZJTOJCbs2QfNd4utE8RIv1rKKLmdkk0TfqcuXiTBThFBcBb_4aVz72NSp5FJs8usWjh2Bx94QK_yfmwILcZbvTa0MQ0mnmQb98SlwzY5ZelrCPMdBCQWMQk6Q4/s1600/DSC00530+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4GyMV6RMvD4KokBusVZJTOJCbs2QfNd4utE8RIv1rKKLmdkk0TfqcuXiTBThFBcBb_4aVz72NSp5FJs8usWjh2Bx94QK_yfmwILcZbvTa0MQ0mnmQb98SlwzY5ZelrCPMdBCQWMQk6Q4/s640/DSC00530+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">You would think that would be the end of the story. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It was not. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sad to say, that vine did not live happily ever after. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Because the ground far beyond the trellis needed serious help, we were forced to dismantle the trellis to allow a tall excavator and dump truck to pass through. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The lovely pink vine did not survive the turmoil.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">But, coincidentally, when we completed our yard work, the railing on the bridge going to Japonski Island was being renovated. We salvaged some of the old railing.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">"Will you build me another trellis?" I asked.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">"As you wish," he answered. Hahaha!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The second trellis was far taller than the first. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And... it came with a sidekick down on the left!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6bjEVFz3Xe7eTgVmConcGA94CbaycQM5-i6TbWPVNk5utlTjdbmWxwfks7cvWYl_itvWv09ocu5jzG-WHVTfrdbHICScwSPzv2E872kuys0-aukTrHcFjRXrqH3Udx2cFeyY6I2y4eM/s1600/DSC04622.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6bjEVFz3Xe7eTgVmConcGA94CbaycQM5-i6TbWPVNk5utlTjdbmWxwfks7cvWYl_itvWv09ocu5jzG-WHVTfrdbHICScwSPzv2E872kuys0-aukTrHcFjRXrqH3Udx2cFeyY6I2y4eM/s640/DSC04622.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I happened to visit Juneau that summer and purchased several new starts of CLEMATIS Montana rubens. I grew each of the four small starts in a gallon pot for a year in order to beef up the roots. I had previously discovered that increasing the root mass pretty much guaranteed that a young CLEMATIS vine would grow well and flourish. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And it did! It took quite a few years, but the starts grew into this magnificent vine on our new, tall trellis:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2hpPEHd_g1DSp6leokyxvOp5dshVikmpGRXgoUkHg5oS1AAVX8u4eg5mwu-odIOZh65vULIgv30OiAqdJ4E6TIYwbnlg1E8ju3t6v48hZUypj-1ZpG2FvPuDkCV-_wa2RU6bS8ft4J8/s1600/DSCN4163.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZ2hpPEHd_g1DSp6leokyxvOp5dshVikmpGRXgoUkHg5oS1AAVX8u4eg5mwu-odIOZh65vULIgv30OiAqdJ4E6TIYwbnlg1E8ju3t6v48hZUypj-1ZpG2FvPuDkCV-_wa2RU6bS8ft4J8/s640/DSCN4163.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As you can clearly see, the flowers <b>are not pink!</b> Occasionally, plants are mislabelled. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This vine, in fact, is <span style="color: magenta;">CLEMATIS Montana alba</span> with white flowers. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The good news is that both the pink and white Montana vines are very much alike. Best of all, they both have a lovely, powerful fragrance. The blossoms smell like Hawaii! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Of interest is that the vines on the left side of the trellis were exposed to the full impact of our rains. The flowers are far more plentiful than the flowers on the vines planted under an overhang on the right. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The growth on this trellis supports my observations with other varieties of CLEMATIS grown in our gardens. The varieties known to produce comparatively small flowers grow happily out in the open even though exposed to harsh weather and heavy rains. CLEMATIS varieties with large, showy flowers survive and thrive protected in our covered gardens, but have not done very well in our fully exposed gardens.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Let's look at some other CLEMATIS vines growing happily out in the open...</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: magenta;">CLEMATIS alpina 'Helsingborg'</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Early in June, alpina 'Helsingborg' begins to bloom. </span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47Li_oECPaWWcXmmTLyPmM4uAQ3c-8LXv6QOuGzprVz8-a7cFBObcSUiBPODzLv5uHIEiZE1_2FShR3XCCmqK61ipvi1qmbWR-4OEcZ6fiOF-wa8f2jj3lFvxtkgtBc1GYQcAsJu1Z90/s1600/DSC04592.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh47Li_oECPaWWcXmmTLyPmM4uAQ3c-8LXv6QOuGzprVz8-a7cFBObcSUiBPODzLv5uHIEiZE1_2FShR3XCCmqK61ipvi1qmbWR-4OEcZ6fiOF-wa8f2jj3lFvxtkgtBc1GYQcAsJu1Z90/s640/DSC04592.jpg" width="640" /></a><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Before long, the entire vine is covered with the small, purple blooms.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwCyY7Y0cSp5h6XMVxoQZITkfmNALGJHUBZ3Tns92FTBNSY08oQ979NXAojLhh_M6PfvU00ZIMxEQ5kKD-g32RYaIp7X6EiXiEovnmKnzHD96t0lh3_nJFsemIca4wGrpE27VE_yDMDE/s1600/DSC06236.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixwCyY7Y0cSp5h6XMVxoQZITkfmNALGJHUBZ3Tns92FTBNSY08oQ979NXAojLhh_M6PfvU00ZIMxEQ5kKD-g32RYaIp7X6EiXiEovnmKnzHD96t0lh3_nJFsemIca4wGrpE27VE_yDMDE/s640/DSC06236.jpg" width="512" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The blooms stay colorful for up to a month! As with all of the CLEMATIS vines we have grown, the petals do not rot on the vine. They drop off to the ground before dying. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The seed pods on alpina 'Helsingborg' are unusually attractive. They have a silvery shine in the sun.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U3f1byyXwD7on4DuijzC8XJKH6UF2NasIZoarorXFw2HWQlfxPkr6IZOXKZL94dBtDn6nJRK0yj9AY81hyphenhyphenF3CiP4ZRUJF_1rwTEeHfF617caQJHuuE4t86kzcCjglcCE-gHlAvAi9Ow/s1600/DSC05471.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7U3f1byyXwD7on4DuijzC8XJKH6UF2NasIZoarorXFw2HWQlfxPkr6IZOXKZL94dBtDn6nJRK0yj9AY81hyphenhyphenF3CiP4ZRUJF_1rwTEeHfF617caQJHuuE4t86kzcCjglcCE-gHlAvAi9Ow/s640/DSC05471.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">CLEMATIS 'Markham's Pink'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This tough pink flowered vine has multi-petalled blooms that are a little larger than the CLEMATIS Montana. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jCCR8L7dDTMYNe1uZ4eGtrHXd9mYBG4xz0wP4gU5zi4unPIKft7YP21vZHW8ZC5x4tQBY-_iYlObIzz7a_z9WusGydQTgzPysy9yDjczM_kO6ccEeD5UOg2xY6osro3h9EceUqclgY8/s1600/img517.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-jCCR8L7dDTMYNe1uZ4eGtrHXd9mYBG4xz0wP4gU5zi4unPIKft7YP21vZHW8ZC5x4tQBY-_iYlObIzz7a_z9WusGydQTgzPysy9yDjczM_kO6ccEeD5UOg2xY6osro3h9EceUqclgY8/s640/img517.jpg" width="482" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: magenta; font-size: large;">CLEMATIS Tangutica AKA CLEMATIS 'Bill Mackenzie'</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lTtcJBJEYQXJxnWfkVPijWxsXCiyqraD7IAR2U_guOZCc2YOeJA_A2hexy9tQj4-0j2RJ0U5-fvpx3bxAOMfXIhbFZNBPPLlHMAAQldTNmEt_Jz-YCahlIs3cE5nJnthb57xra2YMCk/s1600/DSC02204.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5lTtcJBJEYQXJxnWfkVPijWxsXCiyqraD7IAR2U_guOZCc2YOeJA_A2hexy9tQj4-0j2RJ0U5-fvpx3bxAOMfXIhbFZNBPPLlHMAAQldTNmEt_Jz-YCahlIs3cE5nJnthb57xra2YMCk/s640/DSC02204.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
It was quite a thrill to see how quickly this vine grew beyond the suggested 30 feet! The bright yellow blooms looked like little lanterns spreading high up into our mountain ash and evergreen trees.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEyfQsqMWGQF0X1Ed5w7wuYio_SlaSSAJk_6d2Mn1-_De5axDzYml10u5pri7CJSRml7aSBafew7-fB8_DFbFd8uRA4_3zdiT-flgEMu0bWZ20j4MpBWVXiP1dqMpXJgXh_ZBxAW97_g/s1600/flowers+011.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyEyfQsqMWGQF0X1Ed5w7wuYio_SlaSSAJk_6d2Mn1-_De5axDzYml10u5pri7CJSRml7aSBafew7-fB8_DFbFd8uRA4_3zdiT-flgEMu0bWZ20j4MpBWVXiP1dqMpXJgXh_ZBxAW97_g/s640/flowers+011.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br />Now let's see some of the CLEMATIS vines happiest with protection in our gardens...</span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b>CLEMATIS 'Jackmanii'</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6zWw1EUFChhWBM5s-q4v-fSy1yBtQMSlqG3LIBtKdwLCsEj99oMwPLYC0qK2UmbYhFH_UjE4r1_NvmLueWAFGuyWYhF1rpAYFhUJ6snKSNgaamhzulOOt3jDx5FK4Ahh2fK1UzuRpus/s1600/DSC00753.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6zWw1EUFChhWBM5s-q4v-fSy1yBtQMSlqG3LIBtKdwLCsEj99oMwPLYC0qK2UmbYhFH_UjE4r1_NvmLueWAFGuyWYhF1rpAYFhUJ6snKSNgaamhzulOOt3jDx5FK4Ahh2fK1UzuRpus/s640/DSC00753.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This was our very first Clematis vine. It bloomed each year mid to late summer. Partially protected, it grew beautifully year after year. So thrilled, I used it as the background for quite a few photos. Here are just a few of many...</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bf3Qq0JYlYSUv1WRqE9X52S2_4yX6jtGgXsljjGypklo02h9524TLNG2FISyFsVWalaoKc-n_xiCdyTqZtXwfbY5kovWnXziw-8X8Fl7x4vP7H6Y9sv1bFRGGBevlY5B8Bx9O4Y5vpM/s1600/img703.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_bf3Qq0JYlYSUv1WRqE9X52S2_4yX6jtGgXsljjGypklo02h9524TLNG2FISyFsVWalaoKc-n_xiCdyTqZtXwfbY5kovWnXziw-8X8Fl7x4vP7H6Y9sv1bFRGGBevlY5B8Bx9O4Y5vpM/s640/img703.jpg" width="552" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutR0qr-Xr3exSKfz1IchNpfpw9HJbhFYpz1PikCj1g-6hqMrzyn2rqkXmeX3d9nv0M_cS4ZNwepw6AsyELe0Y4r8bGJkGImrw_5Rbz0Bbr9UwewKztHUo_kbZoAhNnG-CCgGbYbBg-M0/s1600/img768.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjutR0qr-Xr3exSKfz1IchNpfpw9HJbhFYpz1PikCj1g-6hqMrzyn2rqkXmeX3d9nv0M_cS4ZNwepw6AsyELe0Y4r8bGJkGImrw_5Rbz0Bbr9UwewKztHUo_kbZoAhNnG-CCgGbYbBg-M0/s640/img768.jpg" width="442" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCMxDve7iNeYID3fawNl6rOAKNzh7zEqo8F-bIYAkwWNn2bWlwHN-pPOahp8rMEHF_wxmZkBSaAwsTs1M5Rx8Y7-c0jqsypKa2zi2U4T5ajlzm7qAM4Db-oZzCQQMDjlx0Nc2d_Q8Ubs/s1600/img055.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidCMxDve7iNeYID3fawNl6rOAKNzh7zEqo8F-bIYAkwWNn2bWlwHN-pPOahp8rMEHF_wxmZkBSaAwsTs1M5Rx8Y7-c0jqsypKa2zi2U4T5ajlzm7qAM4Db-oZzCQQMDjlx0Nc2d_Q8Ubs/s640/img055.jpg" width="452" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMQiwFztQ9wjvY0pvxYT6vrLAJ5Uz-r1SLi4jvM-oKZ19a07B6re-bsw4UV3ywV2FE26-RF2Upv_ekD_cuEir5JzfGhOg9FeCNDMmBfzqzZZFVV1ZyV3pDhZ8fyKg4MMdQlmrvU0PrGU/s1600/img063.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMQiwFztQ9wjvY0pvxYT6vrLAJ5Uz-r1SLi4jvM-oKZ19a07B6re-bsw4UV3ywV2FE26-RF2Upv_ekD_cuEir5JzfGhOg9FeCNDMmBfzqzZZFVV1ZyV3pDhZ8fyKg4MMdQlmrvU0PrGU/s640/img063.jpg" width="454" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MV6TJSMBE7VEJC6Mf_NuxyUYg1M9YtPKblUC7WXnuiGPUD-Ljw2hZWSQ9RgbohHO1fgThpvDu10TexoDQW7J4ZZvmMhkS8CFoung2Q4c6MGSPlOuux7SjMGuJqqyh9E-UE8TaZPDjMQ/s1600/flowers+019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-MV6TJSMBE7VEJC6Mf_NuxyUYg1M9YtPKblUC7WXnuiGPUD-Ljw2hZWSQ9RgbohHO1fgThpvDu10TexoDQW7J4ZZvmMhkS8CFoung2Q4c6MGSPlOuux7SjMGuJqqyh9E-UE8TaZPDjMQ/s640/flowers+019.jpg" width="564" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b>CLEMATIS Blekitney Aniol AKA 'Blue Angel'</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBb33Ezg0NBXLlLn0aNvZl8Gg95tHy68mnZngEPt7IDokD6imHa20Bg9Pv0TNzMt3P2oEY-lGOTrxr1otN6280ijTDmxMyJd-dSKuFdANkIHY-nCyS1qsQg7rF0CGW58UL55ayCxdhMk/s1600/DSC04344.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqBb33Ezg0NBXLlLn0aNvZl8Gg95tHy68mnZngEPt7IDokD6imHa20Bg9Pv0TNzMt3P2oEY-lGOTrxr1otN6280ijTDmxMyJd-dSKuFdANkIHY-nCyS1qsQg7rF0CGW58UL55ayCxdhMk/s640/DSC04344.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Far more protected and quite dry in our covered garden, this sweet vine blooms profusely from mid-summer into fall.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmr3lWQbVRkUH_BJLHax3SFSLklLH5Tz5pMrQYRWyHE71RpsopMZmYqyqbdgXjsOXwRoR0OqHrCFBfpKyaMA_GXIX948fjqPXVuKwPP7Yf_Q05Nf3weDjyxNLHYhrx05r7_Ndy6-PaIEs/s1600/DSCN4356.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmr3lWQbVRkUH_BJLHax3SFSLklLH5Tz5pMrQYRWyHE71RpsopMZmYqyqbdgXjsOXwRoR0OqHrCFBfpKyaMA_GXIX948fjqPXVuKwPP7Yf_Q05Nf3weDjyxNLHYhrx05r7_Ndy6-PaIEs/s640/DSCN4356.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b>CLEMATIS Mrs. Cholmondeley</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF710W5pBacoJx_Rz2ff0F6RvfV2PM17ZN55hSyGnewkFzGF9ud2Cwf90vqtT4V43aAdh4pUmiJZv0cPQW8XIDrw0d6fNwLiCkOXY87etxSTVbnGd29b2p4gnq3imbdctO_o8xKI3IIiw/s1600/DSC07144.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF710W5pBacoJx_Rz2ff0F6RvfV2PM17ZN55hSyGnewkFzGF9ud2Cwf90vqtT4V43aAdh4pUmiJZv0cPQW8XIDrw0d6fNwLiCkOXY87etxSTVbnGd29b2p4gnq3imbdctO_o8xKI3IIiw/s640/DSC07144.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Mrs. Cholmondeley also resides in our covered garden. The covered garden is an extension of our greenhouse.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYpZccwx7dUOQOGHXCBFCpk6NjpCk_g0l70bQW9qCVXJFbseHSKfGJJKZVTo0X6UVNUiQxuXBQUiqK7HpjDBQHRzSVGvUBeQSDHBhR8YkzGXk5_mUcmk_0TgJrAj3QTw65Bg1hmWGi0c/s1600/DSC04383.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjYpZccwx7dUOQOGHXCBFCpk6NjpCk_g0l70bQW9qCVXJFbseHSKfGJJKZVTo0X6UVNUiQxuXBQUiqK7HpjDBQHRzSVGvUBeQSDHBhR8YkzGXk5_mUcmk_0TgJrAj3QTw65Bg1hmWGi0c/s640/DSC04383.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Blooming in late spring and again in the fall, covered with 8 inch blooms, this vine is quite the showstopper!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjCts_soyBBAWrN_-Wz2fFVdG5iwmJp_xpowbqASUqc-G2De8odhiVdUDrjs81-b7CatGt_clrLplMXMmcwNLpvQh3oLVvK0WXTp_EwlnQV8Oh-Bg7Rc2SbiIjim6CYSOuc1IN5YtEdo/s1600/IMG_1253.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYjCts_soyBBAWrN_-Wz2fFVdG5iwmJp_xpowbqASUqc-G2De8odhiVdUDrjs81-b7CatGt_clrLplMXMmcwNLpvQh3oLVvK0WXTp_EwlnQV8Oh-Bg7Rc2SbiIjim6CYSOuc1IN5YtEdo/s640/IMG_1253.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b>CLEMATIS Viticella AKA Madame Julia Correvon</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Q_kw7BwN4HfATWHtRMl7xlF_myjPwb0DIScOgMqvVVrO2wbmdr4SfthYqZQXSQnBtCdp8SNV-WOAgZ23lcLU6mK2HJBFG0uCFLxOFkpzMxaTPSib_tKolYwncyRcKiVbQz3-JTLa8zg/s1600/IMG_0457.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5Q_kw7BwN4HfATWHtRMl7xlF_myjPwb0DIScOgMqvVVrO2wbmdr4SfthYqZQXSQnBtCdp8SNV-WOAgZ23lcLU6mK2HJBFG0uCFLxOFkpzMxaTPSib_tKolYwncyRcKiVbQz3-JTLa8zg/s640/IMG_0457.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In good company, this clematis vine is also a resident of the covered garden.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5f-Da_fzVeMQapAekD9teqvGn9eE8ZwQpBT10gHADwT-leruOwhpRrcmCG2x4i-J805ERp3slrDYrAONkiOt8G26Cg3jcNHYCrgw2GdWg9Ngx2oEuyILpMG5pauwDN-Y1q8j8m_RvW08/s1600/DSC04341.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5f-Da_fzVeMQapAekD9teqvGn9eE8ZwQpBT10gHADwT-leruOwhpRrcmCG2x4i-J805ERp3slrDYrAONkiOt8G26Cg3jcNHYCrgw2GdWg9Ngx2oEuyILpMG5pauwDN-Y1q8j8m_RvW08/s640/DSC04341.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Fuchsia in color, the bloom time is mid to late summer.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XRFHbD-U_WMSvYwT-X7nebk-nK2sh4HX6mg0kzawE_riIUV81t7ELy4R7DOjIoakU0NiCEFH5HxbzBpnzeVXXqU6grvJX2xWaxbj5xxvH7oMdJuDDPXjfmsaR0NOX3XJGupSu0k7g7A/s1600/IMG_7262.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-XRFHbD-U_WMSvYwT-X7nebk-nK2sh4HX6mg0kzawE_riIUV81t7ELy4R7DOjIoakU0NiCEFH5HxbzBpnzeVXXqU6grvJX2xWaxbj5xxvH7oMdJuDDPXjfmsaR0NOX3XJGupSu0k7g7A/s640/IMG_7262.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: magenta; font-size: large;"><b>CLEMATIS Ville de Lyon</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIq7ivVSGW-Y1pDKQtr_ieonXD9bA92MjOKJx2seMYaHBJy8Zcgo9Pb3KHi7NjVkn-S7Jo5VETc3jXXzy2QT7q4n69eCm1RlQ6W4d8mqD6luPLE6HShI9bHOI9_y6vaQy1YyYP-Y45Gjg/s1600/DSC02149.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="574" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIq7ivVSGW-Y1pDKQtr_ieonXD9bA92MjOKJx2seMYaHBJy8Zcgo9Pb3KHi7NjVkn-S7Jo5VETc3jXXzy2QT7q4n69eCm1RlQ6W4d8mqD6luPLE6HShI9bHOI9_y6vaQy1YyYP-Y45Gjg/s640/DSC02149.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I just love this vine! Magenta and ethereal, it blooms from mid-summer through fall.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVjcniiVnmKseGUveygGbtgg0aSFrQZ5cHiViVRVaBKVuccFgq4zpRRSLaA7KIWv2YXFxdGjlcZ_7Rek2fBPmFtPziRMPrlLzLM0crL0k9aVum4etJuPJdYCLSMmcJAt3DTh-rAQiw-w/s1600/DSC06099.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXVjcniiVnmKseGUveygGbtgg0aSFrQZ5cHiViVRVaBKVuccFgq4zpRRSLaA7KIWv2YXFxdGjlcZ_7Rek2fBPmFtPziRMPrlLzLM0crL0k9aVum4etJuPJdYCLSMmcJAt3DTh-rAQiw-w/s640/DSC06099.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Want some very good information and fantastic photos of CLEMATIS VINES?</span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here are two outstanding reference books:</span></div><div><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcr6fZxtQoJgtlEeXZUBZhihfB5sc_4rg0FIK-dCwb8eggNcGcBIxFLrVeHDxPyuIf0PN7j9rbazBAEOEap0i543Eu7ePiBXnxljXKU2Ybcf2-L2gDQ1HCer57S-X5oGD7_97vT1B8ykk/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1545" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcr6fZxtQoJgtlEeXZUBZhihfB5sc_4rg0FIK-dCwb8eggNcGcBIxFLrVeHDxPyuIf0PN7j9rbazBAEOEap0i543Eu7ePiBXnxljXKU2Ybcf2-L2gDQ1HCer57S-X5oGD7_97vT1B8ykk/w483-h640/IMG_3191.jpg" width="483" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFST3xxpDECX_SCl1XM6WMAvvbOcUPAl2CC2n2ntdchRxu8sxAIiTWx5TCxaPUW200hBRSdbmE-KJWQ7CAJNS7mSPhpVmgaXc4arhbCdfa4uvksaxzje0y-xf-3DGSUnowbnhXVMjqto/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1612" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXFST3xxpDECX_SCl1XM6WMAvvbOcUPAl2CC2n2ntdchRxu8sxAIiTWx5TCxaPUW200hBRSdbmE-KJWQ7CAJNS7mSPhpVmgaXc4arhbCdfa4uvksaxzje0y-xf-3DGSUnowbnhXVMjqto/w504-h640/IMG_3192.jpg" width="504" /></a></div><br /><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b>CLIMBING HYDRANGEA</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b>Hydrangia petiolaris</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCU5vNTyaqN0mbRo1ENRLYYWxmQ_5sZSeRoTktxuLXtbOK4mAMObxXPzStxxqka5L2hMspLk77ag9QMBKZLJvUa6wmH-MFE0uxngMQrJ7Onk6tZDtTA7RppTaPmcznR7dUCl4ewZpo01A/s1600/IMG_0172.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCU5vNTyaqN0mbRo1ENRLYYWxmQ_5sZSeRoTktxuLXtbOK4mAMObxXPzStxxqka5L2hMspLk77ag9QMBKZLJvUa6wmH-MFE0uxngMQrJ7Onk6tZDtTA7RppTaPmcznR7dUCl4ewZpo01A/s640/IMG_0172.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Not only will climbing Hydrangea cling as it climbs up a tree trunk as in the above photo, it will also cling tenaciously to a rock wall!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xela640CGovmchTZCBu7m14-Rro0ZAUU9Y7xg6o3C2OPULb-j6Tu2RmUp794cVyd4hQaSSV08Pf1S8EqoR_DYO3BQLh_ajrq3Dio3XC2Cfa7DZ8tEtCYMruh2UuudYtvBlWYcnhP2tQ/s1600/DSCN0462.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9xela640CGovmchTZCBu7m14-Rro0ZAUU9Y7xg6o3C2OPULb-j6Tu2RmUp794cVyd4hQaSSV08Pf1S8EqoR_DYO3BQLh_ajrq3Dio3XC2Cfa7DZ8tEtCYMruh2UuudYtvBlWYcnhP2tQ/s640/DSCN0462.jpg" width="608" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>WISTERIA</b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b>WISTERIA Sinensis 'prolific'</b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfty38qBhgd26g9L3JTuSdCYVQsDvbLyCP2o8mSFTIuiOOyOnzYcVz8yJ5i3yAXgVzydzNvxYXD8_ka6Kicn6dNuddFdqGK5IFiuYBegpuVSi21zmdinX_-_5DGEEC5lHFLeu1am-ddAo/s1600/IMG_0175+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfty38qBhgd26g9L3JTuSdCYVQsDvbLyCP2o8mSFTIuiOOyOnzYcVz8yJ5i3yAXgVzydzNvxYXD8_ka6Kicn6dNuddFdqGK5IFiuYBegpuVSi21zmdinX_-_5DGEEC5lHFLeu1am-ddAo/s640/IMG_0175+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">Was I ever surprised and thrilled when my youngest sister, Marie, sent me Wisteria seeds. These were not just any old Wisteria seeds. These seeds were from the magical Wisteria vine that encircled a house with gigantic trellises. The house was up the street a ways from our childhood home in Massachusetts. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">I started the seeds in pots the first year and planted the healthiest of the plants the second year. Once the vine had grown up about 4 or 5 feet, my husband welded a place for it to live.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDjqs6LryH3VAkILW5R1j4pjO7l8iuatow3DC0AKUP1QOMFMh2MufT6Zf-vgV4hp2oN1ZQULuUXGVGDi-GScwa3PHa4_nrnf33eqhlgBVVo2eFCPSD7qit9ngfTC2TXllcDQap0lam4Q/s1600/IMG_0173.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQDjqs6LryH3VAkILW5R1j4pjO7l8iuatow3DC0AKUP1QOMFMh2MufT6Zf-vgV4hp2oN1ZQULuUXGVGDi-GScwa3PHa4_nrnf33eqhlgBVVo2eFCPSD7qit9ngfTC2TXllcDQap0lam4Q/s640/IMG_0173.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">So many clusters of unique flowers! </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 255, 255);">So true to the name... 'prolific.'</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7Q2F8fxyIu6bC-RsY8zSyEp0Rv96WLRAtqeqntc3Vym4zxb7_18z1Yj9D7-UULbACrfT9tRqJxnAwKJhregc1MlsMQc-iXYgidm0livCwF3iNAdWKDHaMfDDkrtOk5gi9xC3euXWXmA/s1600/DSC01303.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU7Q2F8fxyIu6bC-RsY8zSyEp0Rv96WLRAtqeqntc3Vym4zxb7_18z1Yj9D7-UULbACrfT9tRqJxnAwKJhregc1MlsMQc-iXYgidm0livCwF3iNAdWKDHaMfDDkrtOk5gi9xC3euXWXmA/s640/DSC01303.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: large; text-align: center;">INTRUSIVE PERENNIAL VINE!!!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br style="caret-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #cccccc; text-align: center;" /></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;">When I mention intrusive plants, I am referring to plants that won't go away. They grow and spread no matter how much effort I put into getting rid of them. They intrude into the spaces occupied by other plants... and gradually choke them out! Some of these plants drop zillions of seeds. <br /><br /> I must admit that it was my own early ignorance of intrusive plants that resulted in this never ending gardening challenge. <br /><br /> Plants can be intrusive in one climate, but not in others. Below is a vine I have found to be intrusive here in my gardens.</span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<br />
<div style="caret-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: large;">MORNING GLORY</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: large;">also known as </span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: large;">CREEPING JENNY, FIELD BINDWEED</span></div>
<div style="caret-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); color: #cccccc; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 14.850000381469727px; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: large;">Calestegia sepium</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: large;">Convolvulus sepium</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yFJL5hXy98oKdmS9EFtBW8VTbo1ypm8Gg0h4x5x-7zOvt0CMoiMdKXlNgfnp6Fq93rXaUT4xDKBjHYjRxALEb6-D3vf1ETyr1HFw1ml2tn3ZboI6Qo2x08ICRkMQ8jQp3KKrMTL3EBo/s1600/IMG_4913.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3yFJL5hXy98oKdmS9EFtBW8VTbo1ypm8Gg0h4x5x-7zOvt0CMoiMdKXlNgfnp6Fq93rXaUT4xDKBjHYjRxALEb6-D3vf1ETyr1HFw1ml2tn3ZboI6Qo2x08ICRkMQ8jQp3KKrMTL3EBo/s640/IMG_4913.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwv06H4fCytP5yrJRQRk9YzC7VQlJpvcFC153fo4F9jaDBSL37SAM0O4QdLhSfhuIv1PPfcYGYLOQzOIrAEsv2gEMlG_y-jZJtwv1LQcxUt6XJ1fSAfpK4WLKx83tptVMjLmMIK6uvoFE/s1600/IMG_4890.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwv06H4fCytP5yrJRQRk9YzC7VQlJpvcFC153fo4F9jaDBSL37SAM0O4QdLhSfhuIv1PPfcYGYLOQzOIrAEsv2gEMlG_y-jZJtwv1LQcxUt6XJ1fSAfpK4WLKx83tptVMjLmMIK6uvoFE/s640/IMG_4890.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: cyan; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 0, 0);"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-73693996559507067442019-02-07T17:03:00.001-08:002020-02-23T12:41:37.163-08:00SHRIMP<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdnfsIT3_cKgoPIadLdMkb0swkilAuYBVcXFtCADFfdOePzPB4YfXGc3_joZbCDasqFIU-OAPuJH6L9RjpTaJ6UiCGiwuXUkXrDpFtpn_ChY3GfaX8ggg22tjjYz89NG3wO8WGhAkTXI/s1600/DSCN3018.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdnfsIT3_cKgoPIadLdMkb0swkilAuYBVcXFtCADFfdOePzPB4YfXGc3_joZbCDasqFIU-OAPuJH6L9RjpTaJ6UiCGiwuXUkXrDpFtpn_ChY3GfaX8ggg22tjjYz89NG3wO8WGhAkTXI/s640/DSCN3018.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>IMPORTANT UPDATE:</i></b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Until fairly recently, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game did not have personal use bag and possession restrictions for shrimp in the District 13 Sitka Management Area. Because shrimp have become far less abundant</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">i</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">n many locations within District 13</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">, there is now a 10 gallon bag and possession limit for <b><i>spot shrimp</i></b> for Alaska residents. We are required to have a permit with us while <i>Personal Use</i> or <i>Subsistence</i> shrimping in the waters of Southeast Alaska from Cape Suckling to Dixon Entrance</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whether you acquire your free permit online <a href="https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/Store/">https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/Store/</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">or from your local Alaska Department of Fish & Game office,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> you will receive the two page permit seen below:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsQro8pJMfFSe2rRLZTeERI6C3UOCL3KwutOiB49YQf1RBnxItFuvdJFMsZTPs40siLa6B6m9qcvAFuXbr7ZV_x6r4cNlyF6ikOzY_bn-ClaEw-9OFT8jklj9bss-oSIPg-tR_dkBbJ8/s1600/IMG_7649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgsQro8pJMfFSe2rRLZTeERI6C3UOCL3KwutOiB49YQf1RBnxItFuvdJFMsZTPs40siLa6B6m9qcvAFuXbr7ZV_x6r4cNlyF6ikOzY_bn-ClaEw-9OFT8jklj9bss-oSIPg-tR_dkBbJ8/s640/IMG_7649.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-OuANkfYe38mGFhrKTCbT6DgxXyBfWCSM8uJRKsIblgQkjD4KygIF9x5OfuHz5XbbOA91woqOiP2yw1LJ0I0LToiFjDV8YeUVrWue75HTloCo2pmIqJbNtrXs4w-u8dzh80H7kMF6G4/s1600/IMG_7650.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd-OuANkfYe38mGFhrKTCbT6DgxXyBfWCSM8uJRKsIblgQkjD4KygIF9x5OfuHz5XbbOA91woqOiP2yw1LJ0I0LToiFjDV8YeUVrWue75HTloCo2pmIqJbNtrXs4w-u8dzh80H7kMF6G4/s640/IMG_7650.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was explained to me by an Alaska Department of Fish and Game official that there are no bag, possession or size restrictions on any shrimp caught <b><i>EXCEPT SPOT SHRIMP.</i></b> There is no limit for Pink, Coonstripe and Sidestripe shrimp. They are included on the harvest record sheet simply because ADF&G would appreciate knowing if, when, where and how many of these other shrimp you harvested. The 10 gallon limit refers to <b><i>SPOT SHRIMP ONLY</i></b>.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You will also receive the following two information sheets:</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcr3COfLEwaUvu-PeC79zZZc90N8vMHRDhdZz6HogVbB8rNCWPm4AHzt2f-OxGoYsHRClnGf1Ys1U2UXlKX3UTnPO63nSJXTjNai83jE1mme47TE__W0LdUM3EyB7HcHoAw0kTRt-GnoM/s1600/IMG_7652.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcr3COfLEwaUvu-PeC79zZZc90N8vMHRDhdZz6HogVbB8rNCWPm4AHzt2f-OxGoYsHRClnGf1Ys1U2UXlKX3UTnPO63nSJXTjNai83jE1mme47TE__W0LdUM3EyB7HcHoAw0kTRt-GnoM/s640/IMG_7652.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVBH43PEN1vzTLbsruPoMiH5XvVA8rpWGfylGyTjB3BIRZeqXJ8kBv3yVg0b2darSO8A3HWNA7rIhq2J27Wmi5Js-xiys_m6Kan7KUmwkp7CmJ5BVeSR4EiQ2us7ucGlE51Q9ylMh87c/s1600/IMG_7651.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuVBH43PEN1vzTLbsruPoMiH5XvVA8rpWGfylGyTjB3BIRZeqXJ8kBv3yVg0b2darSO8A3HWNA7rIhq2J27Wmi5Js-xiys_m6Kan7KUmwkp7CmJ5BVeSR4EiQ2us7ucGlE51Q9ylMh87c/s640/IMG_7651.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do you have any questions or concerns about the ADF&G shrimp regulations? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I encourage you to visit or contact the Sitka office: 907 747-6688. The staff is receptive and informative.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you have ever been scuba diving or snorkeling in the Pacific Northwest...</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMe9Ajp9Hykh3rzW_wUnmbVsW56R9nU-vYRmuT1Aa9SyZ_gImja7vRrV0cQkCfv9a0esbQnLCWQUSU-jBWXbBGo0ntLtHAnYLGQEYsw1bx-HZ14okcsxqztZRP783SnyOH1D2RftCW4uc/s1600/Scan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMe9Ajp9Hykh3rzW_wUnmbVsW56R9nU-vYRmuT1Aa9SyZ_gImja7vRrV0cQkCfv9a0esbQnLCWQUSU-jBWXbBGo0ntLtHAnYLGQEYsw1bx-HZ14okcsxqztZRP783SnyOH1D2RftCW4uc/s640/Scan.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> photo by Hope Merritt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">...you likely observed a seemingly endless variety of weirdly wonderful invertebrates (</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">animals with no backbones)</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These bizarre, spineless creatures are separated into groups called phyla. Shrimp are in the phylum named ARTHROPODA. And what a cast of characters make up Phylum ARTHROPODA! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The bodies of arthropods are encased in a protective, chitinous exoskeleton or shell. There are well over 2000 species of arthropods living in the marine waters of the Pacific Northwest including all kinds of barnacles, crabs, fleas, lice, mites, pill bugs, sea spiders and shrimp! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">How many species of shrimp exist? From what I have read, there are thousands of species of shrimp worldwide. However, it makes sense for us to simply focus on the tasty species people target when shrimping locally. These species are illustrated and briefly described by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game in the SHRIMP IDENTIFICATION sheet above. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My focus in this blog post will be on </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spot </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Coonstripe shrimp. These are the two species we usually catch when shrimping with our shrimp </span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>pots</i></span></b><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">.</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We occasionally catch a few Humpy, Pink and Sidestripe shrimp in our shrimp pots as well. But, it sounds like these last three species are most often caught in quantity by people who use <i><b>trawls</b></i>. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>HOW TO SHRIMP</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's get equipped to go out there and catch some shrimp. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shrimp may be caught with pots, ring nets and trawls. Because we personally have only used pots to catch shrimp, we will not be covering ring nets or trawls in this post.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NECESSARY EQUIPMENT: POTS, LINES, BUOYS, BAIT CONTAINERS AND BAIT.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>POTS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are all kinds of shrimp pots whether homemade or commercially made. ADF&G has some very specific pot requirements, so best to check these requirements in the most current Sport Fishing Regulations Summary before you build or purchase pots. Check out page 34 in the 2019 edition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0AnIanp6ebFrzkA4SvcMSyIpDxXw2JIJdy37OaFSfbCTh5yH2WAVdPPhvnkfmVkMRP24Gw3WRPzP2_dKaumKSxmXgxPp8K03j7UxDUouhjedcw6k81LHEDVpgEZMh30jfiWnp50_EGg/s1600/IMG_7684.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh0AnIanp6ebFrzkA4SvcMSyIpDxXw2JIJdy37OaFSfbCTh5yH2WAVdPPhvnkfmVkMRP24Gw3WRPzP2_dKaumKSxmXgxPp8K03j7UxDUouhjedcw6k81LHEDVpgEZMh30jfiWnp50_EGg/s320/IMG_7684.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2b3IGZ_UPqlKTqBvb1QvHW5zuGVLj1V0XpEOZabGTuZzuxtFcuZz10gBL0_ZokTVWEpYEsIfm_on8d4z4vxgT8tA9zejkulfisJrPeZarNP6vrXNlvTe9wBa6kYbgyT5nvgJHXgUzU4/s1600/IMG_7685.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR2b3IGZ_UPqlKTqBvb1QvHW5zuGVLj1V0XpEOZabGTuZzuxtFcuZz10gBL0_ZokTVWEpYEsIfm_on8d4z4vxgT8tA9zejkulfisJrPeZarNP6vrXNlvTe9wBa6kYbgyT5nvgJHXgUzU4/s320/IMG_7685.jpg" width="320" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">10 shrimp pots are allowed per person with a maximum of 20 pots per vessel.</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When we started shrimping over 25 years ago, we used pots similar in design to the ever popular pots stacked below:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWfuCAiEWwaZJs-J1tmCC0l5p2MESn7uupxtgUHmjTZpH5RYMx-lB44pPH6eHYf5vMSpYF2q02xiezdLFj4RNSZPRHvRkULLLM-Ncq1-2kVkYa4TNmmYn8tO41MCcLdwD6s14XeRkHPc/s1600/IMG_6692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTWfuCAiEWwaZJs-J1tmCC0l5p2MESn7uupxtgUHmjTZpH5RYMx-lB44pPH6eHYf5vMSpYF2q02xiezdLFj4RNSZPRHvRkULLLM-Ncq1-2kVkYa4TNmmYn8tO41MCcLdwD6s14XeRkHPc/s640/IMG_6692.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">They are easy to stack and transport. We would longline these shrimp pots. This was done with one long rope. The rope needed to be long enough to reach the surface after spreading pots below surface along a target zone. We would attach a weight of some sort to one end. We then clipped several baited pots, at intervals, onto the line. We finished by attaching a large buoy at the other end to float on the surface.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The ocean floor in these parts is often rocky and jagged. Ocean currents can be powerful. Because of various issues, longlines with multiple pots occasionally get snagged, stuck or tangled. Damage or loss can occur. A number of years ago, we were given a newly designed shrimp pot to test from Dennis Franson, owner of <b><i>SEA TRAPS</i></b>. We were excited to give it a try. Even though it was only one pot dropped at the end of one line, it caught as many shrimp as a longline with 4 or more pots! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXe8WYtX3HmsJ5RZq4rpli46P1Qbr6CXhAd14Q2mTFeRrAsgj-A-bVI0EPOX-kjsNbUTUGvUKTJIgU7tUhzlo0KmBILjfIddLDKNhKRfThPP8xVAzbVyN_Wxwusd-UoYSONCuCbpoRunw/s1600/IMG_0384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXe8WYtX3HmsJ5RZq4rpli46P1Qbr6CXhAd14Q2mTFeRrAsgj-A-bVI0EPOX-kjsNbUTUGvUKTJIgU7tUhzlo0KmBILjfIddLDKNhKRfThPP8xVAzbVyN_Wxwusd-UoYSONCuCbpoRunw/s640/IMG_0384.jpg" width="508" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This pagoda style pot is fabricated from vinyl coated galvanized wire. The mesh size is 1 inch by 1 inch. This allows the small shrimp to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">escape. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because this pot fished so well, we decided thereafter to keep 4 of these pots on our boat for catching shrimp in place of our longline pots.</span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The top of the pot drops down into the bottom for storage.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>LINES</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We have tried shrimping and crabbing pretty much everywhere we have roamed when out boating. We keep four lengths of rope in a barrel. Each line is 400 feet long. Because we have caught shrimp in as little as 100 feet and as deep as 500 feet, we also have other lengths of rope aboard to accomodate our needs. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We have always had excellent marine supply stores in Sitka. Generally, they carry a wide variety of line. The employees are helpful when you need assistance making decisions. It is wise to use line that sinks when shrimping and crabbing for multiple reasons. The most logical reason is to prevent the line from floating near or on the surface of the ocean. You do not want to get a line caught up in your or anyone else's propeller. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The weather is not always calm in these parts. You just might find yourself and your boat blowing and bouncing around when trying to set or retrieve shrimp pots. A line that tangles easily can be upsetting. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most people use either a hydraulic or electric pot puller to bring up pots from the deep. You will want line that works well in your pot puller. The width of the line can be as important as the length.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, ask around and experiment. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Of all the lines that sink, we really like this line:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORKtG7EXAttiDLduqnKIHLRAhjwxSstupngTerPxUfsKtSGNPzbA4N5mo4-X0_R74d7mZYcI4UmhxAzLAMqwtKae9NJ0f4QkS92WCs2QZXRyCrBNG2KovM7BtSVtjNcFhmr1Hv9fGN3I/s1600/IMG_7689.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgORKtG7EXAttiDLduqnKIHLRAhjwxSstupngTerPxUfsKtSGNPzbA4N5mo4-X0_R74d7mZYcI4UmhxAzLAMqwtKae9NJ0f4QkS92WCs2QZXRyCrBNG2KovM7BtSVtjNcFhmr1Hv9fGN3I/s640/IMG_7689.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is also line in bulk advertised specifically for crabbing and shrimping:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5D1C5DlPw2oBFMQt69Ep_-DRInP62h34iGRWGA2r5AjiIWItQ2m11ThswxjBN_kNhA_tFcTFi5Pc3a4HzOZ_IyX7HC7e1dyh-BhoEEK57H8daeNyKSW-MKvdDxt7wugixrJou-iBlfw/s1600/IMG_7694.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjf5D1C5DlPw2oBFMQt69Ep_-DRInP62h34iGRWGA2r5AjiIWItQ2m11ThswxjBN_kNhA_tFcTFi5Pc3a4HzOZ_IyX7HC7e1dyh-BhoEEK57H8daeNyKSW-MKvdDxt7wugixrJou-iBlfw/s640/IMG_7694.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>BUOYS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So many choices! Which shape? What color? Small, medium or large?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGzcX_dsxVrsWO8bfu1awS0VksYz2G0tbIl6Jpy4LlDMijr2NJXZbnLNZtPxFbxyG-tJjYXuPAlXVCaOnYkluQH_LuqJRS1utlJbeQPM3HL-CLvQblCaT4XZqyb0aAAiVHFV1nPyYSos/s1600/IMG_7691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQGzcX_dsxVrsWO8bfu1awS0VksYz2G0tbIl6Jpy4LlDMijr2NJXZbnLNZtPxFbxyG-tJjYXuPAlXVCaOnYkluQH_LuqJRS1utlJbeQPM3HL-CLvQblCaT4XZqyb0aAAiVHFV1nPyYSos/s640/IMG_7691.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We multi-purpose our buoys. The buoys we lower as bumpers to </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">protect</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> our boat in our harbor stall are right there handy to detach and attach to our shrimp pot lines. They easily transfer and attach to lines with the help of stainless clips. Most of our buoys are white. If I had it to do over, I would have chosen very large, very bright colored buoys. Seas can be, and often are, rough. Spotting and then retrieving a buoy in breaking swells and whitecaps is a little less challenging with big, bright buoys...orange, pink, yellow.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whichever buoys you decide to use, it is required that you keep them marked clearly with:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the first initial and last name of the person fishing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the home address of the person fishing</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the Alaska DMV boat registration number </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">AK number) of the boat used to operate the pot <i style="font-weight: bold;">or </i>the boat name.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCLxLlpeLhNC70nMltE63uz3evpoXC0Oe0Ox4BVp4C9Qk-Ac5uazkTcuZEi3_Qy7jbtZDPim-KkiVPu68MoCq3gup3mXq7UKr_SvE37_JDlTGItARo1bfeognMpHbCtbGi58ncrZVaVk/s1600/IMG_7681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbCLxLlpeLhNC70nMltE63uz3evpoXC0Oe0Ox4BVp4C9Qk-Ac5uazkTcuZEi3_Qy7jbtZDPim-KkiVPu68MoCq3gup3mXq7UKr_SvE37_JDlTGItARo1bfeognMpHbCtbGi58ncrZVaVk/s640/IMG_7681.JPG" width="480" /></a></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">BAIT</span></b><b style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We almost always have used fish waste (heads, guts, skins, tails and carcasses) for bait in our pots. We save and freeze all kinds of oily fish waste after we catch and clean our fish. It does not amount to very much bait in the big picture. Fortunately, when in need, we take advantage of the waste available in local canneries and fish processing plants. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is the oily fish waste that seem to attract shrimp best for us... especially salmon and black cod. We pack this bait into buckets, surround the buckets with ice and enclose them in a cooler on the boat.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LqUfVf-N6HYse1A96jZJz9vmkCjPTAhIq3sFdMrIZG1z9Yc2RX1QJv1QpB5ZUJs1MkmUQnpQp5fxPWuoYlvXKSEez_NNKT2Pk5yb13T0q0SHmVHfhG3U0PTJyN7xMrAYoEZ84jBYhO8/s1600/DSC06693.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_LqUfVf-N6HYse1A96jZJz9vmkCjPTAhIq3sFdMrIZG1z9Yc2RX1QJv1QpB5ZUJs1MkmUQnpQp5fxPWuoYlvXKSEez_NNKT2Pk5yb13T0q0SHmVHfhG3U0PTJyN7xMrAYoEZ84jBYhO8/s640/DSC06693.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><br />If we need bait when we are already out on the ocean, we get bait from the ocean. Here are the rules to follow:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv9tR_RybaRF2pD6JKgijqytT21YEkF3EI62NWi-2r_sbrZnn2qp_hFf1wjV62bE5UWv0nO2RJ308qQOVvgWWyXljRyoKkhbujbHwAgQgq9maXItr7Sj7UN7eC5w7Uy0sn1ntYd4XHp4/s1600/IMG_5952.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmv9tR_RybaRF2pD6JKgijqytT21YEkF3EI62NWi-2r_sbrZnn2qp_hFf1wjV62bE5UWv0nO2RJ308qQOVvgWWyXljRyoKkhbujbHwAgQgq9maXItr7Sj7UN7eC5w7Uy0sn1ntYd4XHp4/s640/IMG_5952.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Bait is also available for purchase. We have never tried any, but a friend tells me he appreciates the simplicity of buying bait bits that have an enticing oiliness and scent apparently irresistible to shrimp.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Another acquaintance uses canned cat food for shrimp bait. He says the shrimp favor the oily fish cat foods. He carefully pokes holes in the tins of cat food with a screw driver and hammer allowing it to trickle out slowly.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>BAIT CONTAINERS</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If we have a time limit and know we will only be making one quick set with our pots, we simply string up the fish waste and hang it inside our pots. No containers. But, if we want to preserve the bait for more than one set, or soak for more than a day, we use bait containers. If your bait is too exposed for any amount of time, it can disappear quickly. Even when the bait is contained, critters like sand fleas will eat all but the bones in no time at all!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is pretty simple to make your own bait containers if you are so inclined. If not, you will likely find a wide variety of bait containers available for purchase. Bags, jars and boxes:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigub4g7ePCGEAa2yVTvYROc6qn0D6qLJp4JbElOtXKs1neR00G47RnNbhk_RMPSt7T0oiA0iI1Cihk84VQv1U1qCCROWy-ZyZIx9Vud0xw8xbeRGnWGJLHVXR82cK3hpgrfk0MqhfdHFE/s1600/IMG_7692.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigub4g7ePCGEAa2yVTvYROc6qn0D6qLJp4JbElOtXKs1neR00G47RnNbhk_RMPSt7T0oiA0iI1Cihk84VQv1U1qCCROWy-ZyZIx9Vud0xw8xbeRGnWGJLHVXR82cK3hpgrfk0MqhfdHFE/s640/IMG_7692.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">We have found this tubular orange mesh to be handy and simple for making our own bait bags among other things. We keep a long length stored on the boat. Varying lengths get cut according to the need. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SNlaNcLszvQMI9Fi9y7dXe6SWzWlUgYRh-181le32eT0VV28x1xx8U6a-Y7fQIjkyRIiB1lLHQOkI-BVYG_r52BLcC6kxq9L44AfMx_GPFXZ_gZrB0MrHyjCf4AqhsuuQX_aujacw0Q/s1600/IMG_7693.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1SNlaNcLszvQMI9Fi9y7dXe6SWzWlUgYRh-181le32eT0VV28x1xx8U6a-Y7fQIjkyRIiB1lLHQOkI-BVYG_r52BLcC6kxq9L44AfMx_GPFXZ_gZrB0MrHyjCf4AqhsuuQX_aujacw0Q/s640/IMG_7693.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Here are bait bags we made by tying a knot on one end and using a clip on the other end. On this trip, they were filled with black cod waste: </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRTWQR3mu57tmcquGKdT9YkXByP95wlf1dysviuske_isi2eTaWe1wNHXMsz8HGLNS_ASugcHNd2VQqZnracNaBcqZN3bNy6uL7AvNVS8mb11XOKgYgPDWnjW0QtE0T7Yf8aYAw0yBpk/s1600/DSC06698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRRTWQR3mu57tmcquGKdT9YkXByP95wlf1dysviuske_isi2eTaWe1wNHXMsz8HGLNS_ASugcHNd2VQqZnracNaBcqZN3bNy6uL7AvNVS8mb11XOKgYgPDWnjW0QtE0T7Yf8aYAw0yBpk/s640/DSC06698.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>WHEN TO SHRIMP</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Although fishing for shrimp is open the entire year, you may want to take a few issues into consideration. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Shrimp of various ages are carrying eggs and spawning a good part of the year. You have probably noticed a high percentage of the shrimp you catch carrying eggs as early as August until well into the next March. Eight months. Yikes! </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">You always have the option of immediately separating and tossing any egg carrying shrimp back into the ocean. Your choice. </span></span><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, spring through mid-summer might be the best time of year to get out and fish for shrimp to avoid reproduction issues and to catch the highest quality critters.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4e9vvLy7hoTwYrplTsKrFgOYWjPdhAfcsydQakDQv9ipaaXULNm5QCXQyAAEEAQRZAlYBhZlPBPwDcpjxcXrXiLdujLJZudYWVEVpPSCdxoDWVfI1wT5-gkNBLnyULBUlwHLFTEWk_2U/s1600/DSC06063.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4e9vvLy7hoTwYrplTsKrFgOYWjPdhAfcsydQakDQv9ipaaXULNm5QCXQyAAEEAQRZAlYBhZlPBPwDcpjxcXrXiLdujLJZudYWVEVpPSCdxoDWVfI1wT5-gkNBLnyULBUlwHLFTEWk_2U/s640/DSC06063.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>WHERE TO SHRIMP</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We caught shrimp in some of the unlikeliest places! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whenever we are spending the night in a bay, it is fun using charts and a depth finder to scout out a steep spot...</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">steep because a nearly vertical mountainside continues on down below the surface of the ocean. Or, steep because an underwater rock pile, pinnacle, ravine or the like exists. Drop a pot where the angle is steep... not where the angle is slight nor on the flat bottom. Depth is not always relevant, although steep spots between 40 and 60 fathoms </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(240 to 360 feet) h</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ave been very good to us. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, hey! One of our richest overnight soaks was on a steep slope at 125 feet. The flat </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">bottom </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">nearby</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> was 150 feet! The rest of the bay was much shallower.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We've caught lots of shrimp in locations where the tides and currents raged... and in small, peaceful bays. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All in all, we have been mighty successful fishing for shrimp. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But, to be honest, we have also experienced mediocrity. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, yes, sometimes the pot comes up without a single shrimp.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>TRANSPORTING SHRIMP</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">No food seems to spoil faster than seafood. Especially shrimp. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It smells bad and gets mushy way too soon! The easy solution is to keep shrimp </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>COLD</b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. If, on your boat, you have a supply of ice in a cooler, a spacious refrigerator or a freezer, it can make the difference between success and failure getting your fresh caught shrimp home. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When you catch shrimp and need to transport it home, start by emptying the shrimp from the pots into containers that drain. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOjAP7mw26bHvfgNFe8o1s8HvSPoQA2nyeMpiqw6mx7iUlxNvjXUIfoTiVJGhPyAcKHpD5BMwuKVkrNELTvIxpX8iQ_RB8GwgO3GmcrZaLJR129JNa1Mu6iyeIvrsTEELnoKkEq_EB60/s1600/IMG_7696.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTOjAP7mw26bHvfgNFe8o1s8HvSPoQA2nyeMpiqw6mx7iUlxNvjXUIfoTiVJGhPyAcKHpD5BMwuKVkrNELTvIxpX8iQ_RB8GwgO3GmcrZaLJR129JNa1Mu6iyeIvrsTEELnoKkEq_EB60/s320/IMG_7696.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdF0gS83EFucfbh6YzkpLvKREaZ8U_z6ZvIezhjg2N9Er7R0wLjinZsoordMpXbvHFyNyCCi6RBpn71No-w019UrESwoyhy-YPuVF7xf0cV2KgmZgbPEohFvoDTSwdku8mZjSp7w33n0/s1600/IMG_7697.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDdF0gS83EFucfbh6YzkpLvKREaZ8U_z6ZvIezhjg2N9Er7R0wLjinZsoordMpXbvHFyNyCCi6RBpn71No-w019UrESwoyhy-YPuVF7xf0cV2KgmZgbPEohFvoDTSwdku8mZjSp7w33n0/s320/IMG_7697.jpg" width="300" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you prefer to keep your shrimp whole, you are ready to do some rinsing and draining. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We don't keep ours whole. We pluck off the "heads" and retain</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> the "tails". </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> It is quite simple after a little practice with a twisting motion. Once completed, we are ready to rinse and drain.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJ8-9hYZ1Hwe7m8I4BNUq_UnQUvZElS8me4vyZdKGvszxkAYA0VozMT_7W103_L9FNDOKNmzD50kFo76x60lWPzFFbG2YY0u5GChYNrC-5jRxpDX6ZMVUepO2E3LbSrlEoQW3m2cVpCU/s1600/IMG_0679.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBJ8-9hYZ1Hwe7m8I4BNUq_UnQUvZElS8me4vyZdKGvszxkAYA0VozMT_7W103_L9FNDOKNmzD50kFo76x60lWPzFFbG2YY0u5GChYNrC-5jRxpDX6ZMVUepO2E3LbSrlEoQW3m2cVpCU/s640/IMG_0679.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We use salt water for rinsing. Some people use fresh water. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have found it wise to get the shrimp out of the pots, heads off, rinsed, drained and into a very cold place as soon as possible. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you have decided to keep your shrimp cold by using ice and a cooler, the following method works well:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">layer ice on the bottom of the cooler </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">now a single layer of shrimp</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">another layer of ice</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">another single layer of shrimp</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">and so on</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Tip up the cooler a little for the ride home so that water will drain out through the drain hole as the ice melts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some people just fill large ziplocks full of the rinsed, drained shrimp and surround it with ice in a chest. This can work. But, sometimes some of the shrimp in the interior of the ziplock don't stay cold enough... especially if they warmed up a little before going into the ziplock.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Don't have a refrigerator, freezer, or cooler on board? Put the shrimp in a bucket or tote with seawater. Add ice if you have it. Change the seawater periodically to keep it cold if it is going to take a while to get home. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>PRESERVING SHRIMP</i></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Ask around and you will find that most people who caught more shrimp than they could eat fresh, freeze it <b><i>as soon as possible</i></b> when they get it home. How they freeze it differs: </span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Rinse in very cold water and drain the shrimp. Spread the shrimp in a single layer on cookie sheets or some kind of tray. Freeze for an hour or two. Once frozen, fill containers or ziplocks and store in the freezer.</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">If you transported your shrimp home in ziplocks in a cooler, transfer them directly into your home freezer.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Here is something a little different. We separated the shrimp by size into bowls: large, medium and small shrimp. We brought a bucket of cold seawater home (you can make your own brine with 2 tablespoons of salt for each quart of water). We filled empty milk cartons half full with seawater. We loaded the containers with the shrimp. Topped with more cold seawater. We closed and labelled the containers with the shrimp size and the date. Into the freezer it all went as soon as possible. As long as a year later, when we thawed the shrimp from the freezer, it looked and tasted the same as fresh!</span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrHUCUnn5Ume0cQ6gpAd9vK5pQDdiwUODVZm4dwdxo3D8IM3VpYrumiP9G9Y7MLfU-8AnZMKrbMgTLCn5gP9ADzBRlfe3SG3Yyv8yXOeUcjiEL9MBVjMe1CEDI-HNYrwbQH0qf_-5n3o/s1600/IMG_5419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJrHUCUnn5Ume0cQ6gpAd9vK5pQDdiwUODVZm4dwdxo3D8IM3VpYrumiP9G9Y7MLfU-8AnZMKrbMgTLCn5gP9ADzBRlfe3SG3Yyv8yXOeUcjiEL9MBVjMe1CEDI-HNYrwbQH0qf_-5n3o/s640/IMG_5419.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>EATING SHRIMP</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Oh my! There are endless delicious recipes for shrimp!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">For instance, this recipe book includes well over 100 recipes for shrimp!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy1ZZxh7OK2DLSjO8chmWJNgTWe2Wl5eqFd1VR_5TyrUpBZCEUeo4_83JeYLwneOdURBchSJ6vPu2swDGgmX5GZm41i-TBWKxUhmtxq0tuFDIa1EhTJCwi5DCNTDGtFqOvYfykOJ2M6Q/s1600/IMG_7699.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwy1ZZxh7OK2DLSjO8chmWJNgTWe2Wl5eqFd1VR_5TyrUpBZCEUeo4_83JeYLwneOdURBchSJ6vPu2swDGgmX5GZm41i-TBWKxUhmtxq0tuFDIa1EhTJCwi5DCNTDGtFqOvYfykOJ2M6Q/s640/IMG_7699.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Let's discuss some important basics about shrimp addressed in most seafood cookbooks, including the one above.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">You can boil shrimp before shelling...</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">or shell shrimp before boiling.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Boiling shrimp before shelling is more inviting because I find it to be more time consuming to shell first. And, I find shrimp to be more flavorful when boiled in the shell. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">So here is how to: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u>BOIL THE SHRIMP BEFORE SHELLING</u></b></span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For every quart of water you are using, add 1/4 cup of salt.</span><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(For a gallon of fresh or frozen shrimp, I use a gallon of water and 1 cup of salt).</span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rinse the fresh or frozen shrimp.</span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bring the water and salt to a boil. </span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Carefully dump the shrimp into the boiling water.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">The shrimp will simmer. They are done when the color changes to pink and the shrimp float up to the surface. This should take no more than five minutes, depending on the size of the shrimp.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">If you have shrimp that are different in size, drop the large shrimp in first. A minute later, drop in the medium sized shrimp. Last of all, drop in any small shrimp. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Drain the shrimp into a colander in the sink. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Quickly transfer them into a waiting container of cold water for a few minutes to end the cooking.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">If you leave the shrimp in the cooking water too long or fail to transfer the shrimp into cold water, they will likely be mushy.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Some recipes call for shrimp to be shelled before cooking.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">A favorite in many households, including ours, is </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u>DEEP FRIED COCONUT SHRIMP</u></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You will need:</span><br />
<ul><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<li>shrimp</li>
<li>flour</li>
<li>beaten egg(s)</li>
<li>unsweetened or sweetened shredded coconut</li>
<li>dried bread crumbs or panko</li>
<li>vegetable oil</li>
</span></ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Peel the shrimp... preferably large in size.</span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rinse the peeled shrimp.</span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pat the shrimp dry with a clean cloth or paper towel.</span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Coat the shrimp with flour. This is easily done by placing the shrimp in a bowl and stirring... or in a bag and shaking.</span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dredge the flour covered shrimp individually in the beaten egg(s).</span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stir together equal amounts of coconut and breadcrumbs in a bowl. Press each egg covered shrimp into this mix until well covered.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Heat vegetable oil to 375 degrees in a deep fryer. I prefer avocado or canola oil. If you are not using a deep fryer, heat about 2 inches of oil to 375 (medium high) in a medium sized pot on your stove top.</span></span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Drop several of the coated shrimp into the pot or deep fryer at a time. </span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cook until golden brown. About 4 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remove from oil.</span></li>
<li><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Drain on a clean cloth or paper towel.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8G5YWWbwSEwWw8eliz1kfLihNtZlxczGak49zy9zCIf61KFnHWrVJPHoKin-mi7nWMx0zESZqVQJveUkSG0a-0oXywt6gjVFWmExEmIooIBx61VMZG9GNAbTJx5Vr_WC3BX8Q8v_9OLI/s1600/IMG_5420.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8G5YWWbwSEwWw8eliz1kfLihNtZlxczGak49zy9zCIf61KFnHWrVJPHoKin-mi7nWMx0zESZqVQJveUkSG0a-0oXywt6gjVFWmExEmIooIBx61VMZG9GNAbTJx5Vr_WC3BX8Q8v_9OLI/s640/IMG_5420.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b> <i>ENJOY!</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /><br /><br /><br /></u></b></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><b><u><br /></u></b></span></span></div>
</div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-31928393814358970612019-01-13T16:22:00.002-08:002019-01-17T16:39:17.010-08:00KOMBUCHA<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Let's make our own kombucha!</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">First... a little history.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Many years ago, while visiting a Seattle shopping mall, I wandered into a health food store. My gaze fell upon a little bottle of KOMBUCHA WONDER DRINK.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyVillvjbIe5ZaMFHUzWRnHzUe0T0aU7VLrrS0NIPIs1ivb3PQw8xbSk0T1GNBGLKkykTG1oYfatxOXtT7u9q4UrDE8WbgRvSug05lE9xCYFsr17QWVS7Yy26IQZAa_BDQBKVJMGYVvM/s1600/61oytfa7PoL._SY679_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLyVillvjbIe5ZaMFHUzWRnHzUe0T0aU7VLrrS0NIPIs1ivb3PQw8xbSk0T1GNBGLKkykTG1oYfatxOXtT7u9q4UrDE8WbgRvSug05lE9xCYFsr17QWVS7Yy26IQZAa_BDQBKVJMGYVvM/s640/61oytfa7PoL._SY679_.jpg" width="188" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
I had never heard of kombucha.<br /><br />"EXPERIENCE A SENSE OF WELL-BEING" was the message on the back of the bottle. Was I interested in experiencing a sense of well-being? Sure.<br /><br /> But, in truth, the <i><b>flavor</b></i> was the reason I bought this expensive little drink. I had eaten my very first asian pear in the recent past and loved the flavor! I simply had to buy this asian pear drink. I am so glad I did. It really was a treat.<br /><br /><br /> <br /> <br /> My purchase was followed by some research about kombucha. Here is a little summary I came across:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMuXzOa8EAHmKznu3EiiviqJMVlgBopRrlh28d-c0LALM3XRP2H3pnx59aJjBajCG5OdzGL5yfYcwWWd186Z3hQZoVZtuVBxZg8HI9OlSj6liOA0sPpDcvGnEUERDlOMq7VyDbrw9U-A/s1600/IMG_3633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihMuXzOa8EAHmKznu3EiiviqJMVlgBopRrlh28d-c0LALM3XRP2H3pnx59aJjBajCG5OdzGL5yfYcwWWd186Z3hQZoVZtuVBxZg8HI9OlSj6liOA0sPpDcvGnEUERDlOMq7VyDbrw9U-A/s640/IMG_3633.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kombucha has gradually become a popular drink available in most grocery and health food stores throughout our country. Kombucha drinks are delicious, naturally low in calories and available in a wide range of natural flavors. Here is one of the first brands available in Sitka grocery and health food stores: </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zAeZxdiSQrzrW-iYo3kfnfIMHSv3WiyhZpyyJgudTqRbqvVkpB0WgEu-oVvJsRNYC537UxrSDmKFO6wDEp7iTzTZNITBQYVy9XVTJw29fU8XB0tCWoU4r1dunuw_l3Ixw9aZU34Ksps/s1600/IMG_5221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3zAeZxdiSQrzrW-iYo3kfnfIMHSv3WiyhZpyyJgudTqRbqvVkpB0WgEu-oVvJsRNYC537UxrSDmKFO6wDEp7iTzTZNITBQYVy9XVTJw29fU8XB0tCWoU4r1dunuw_l3Ixw9aZU34Ksps/s640/IMG_5221.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Even though my interest had been sparked about kombucha, I pretty much forgot about it for a few years. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Fortunately, I saw Ruthie (Baird) Dearborn selling kombucha starter kits at one of the earliest Sitka Farmers' Markets. I did not hesitate to make a purchase. Ruthie provided a sheet with excellent information and instructions.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With a little practice, I succeeded at making my own kombucha in a variety of flavors!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cWelXAO2judbZbyS4YQZtqrkmui-ENxpznos-nVmU-gQf7RQHnAOrUy-5FRXZ-alKB6InOGWbXq2XpzPzvYEbe9mcCL_TK5FmrdE582gQ3OkC4wlEjqY0ATLijKsx-eRbJe9trlKYIU/s1600/DSC06511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6cWelXAO2judbZbyS4YQZtqrkmui-ENxpznos-nVmU-gQf7RQHnAOrUy-5FRXZ-alKB6InOGWbXq2XpzPzvYEbe9mcCL_TK5FmrdE582gQ3OkC4wlEjqY0ATLijKsx-eRbJe9trlKYIU/s640/DSC06511.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">MANGO, LEMON GINGER, BLUEBERRY, RASPBERRY, STRAWBERRY</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>What we need to get started:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>1.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> a kombucha SCOBY (Symbiotic Colony Of Bacteria and Yeast). It looks like a slimy, brown mushroom cap. Quite a few people make their own kombucha here in Sitka. Every time kombucha is made, a new SCOBY forms. And, the old one is still usable. Ask around to find out from whom or where to acquire a SCOBY. You will want your SCOBY to be accompanied by two cups of starter tea.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>2.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> a clean container</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>3.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> tea bags</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>4.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> sugar</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>5.</b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> water</span></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The kombucha guide below will help you determine how much you will need of the things listed above:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7cZfd2YULWC_Tx_MnIdi7kVBaWTlNKclczDe1nS4XFUMAr22-omNOlB2VENlU_VndfXvhHvqEatd2Pb97cprcEaLMptKhEhFBwWgktqVbxFi0JCvMYWgVCze4XV-JmKme9tW4wKtPMU/s1600/14449716_10210475449583434_6424946662386962326_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm7cZfd2YULWC_Tx_MnIdi7kVBaWTlNKclczDe1nS4XFUMAr22-omNOlB2VENlU_VndfXvhHvqEatd2Pb97cprcEaLMptKhEhFBwWgktqVbxFi0JCvMYWgVCze4XV-JmKme9tW4wKtPMU/s640/14449716_10210475449583434_6424946662386962326_n.jpg" width="448" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are several different teas compatible with kombucha. Here is some excellent information to help you choose:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlriFX0tKfliy7M2A7NzxAUC1zqmn5yJe5ItDcwvKGGWwLXUBosTqtxMtnoND3e6NWDJRuwCjKnmL18zEOkCPS9nhq4lwrJtJWB-S3JZuflLw2nYZBqPEHO68qeqvo10gQqH5gO1X0Os/s1600/14370303_10205558571362071_7985776569083439982_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSlriFX0tKfliy7M2A7NzxAUC1zqmn5yJe5ItDcwvKGGWwLXUBosTqtxMtnoND3e6NWDJRuwCjKnmL18zEOkCPS9nhq4lwrJtJWB-S3JZuflLw2nYZBqPEHO68qeqvo10gQqH5gO1X0Os/s640/14370303_10205558571362071_7985776569083439982_n.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Below is an explanation of how I made my own kombucha step by step...</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NOTE: Because Sitka is located in a moist rainforest, it can easily be described as a somewhat "moldy" place to live. So, I encourage you to wash your hands well whenever preparing your kombucha to prevent introducing any mold.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Not a bad idea to do this wherever you live.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mold will</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">ruin</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">your kombucha.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And then, just to be on the safe side, rinse your hands, jars and utensils with distilled white, mold-defying vinegar. I leave a little in a cup to dip my fingers into throughout the process:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SngSD4-2X-VdW28rnHPaE2DD52bZjMQeMvG1MkxRj0Ithl9mVFLBuaS8yr6sNQ4yPoaGZbhVQfwmuEeiJT5WljNN9mu_PUv2fExb3w7BK9QHe-dN3gXeK31eky4HljVV48BO2IY4cT4/s1600/IMG_0163.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_SngSD4-2X-VdW28rnHPaE2DD52bZjMQeMvG1MkxRj0Ithl9mVFLBuaS8yr6sNQ4yPoaGZbhVQfwmuEeiJT5WljNN9mu_PUv2fExb3w7BK9QHe-dN3gXeK31eky4HljVV48BO2IY4cT4/s640/IMG_0163.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">LET'S GATHER </span></b><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">TOGETHER </span></b><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">THE 5 ITEMS LISTED EARLIER AND BEGIN.</span></b></b></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(This will be a one gallon demonstration).</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">1.</span><span style="font-size: large;"> ONE SCOBY AND TWO CUPS OF STARTER TEA</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I stored SCOBIES and starter tea together in a large jar at room temperature out of sunlight. It was saved from previously made batches of kombucha. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBMuMPl6YF-fiUgrEBQxggjblCqdOitCdz6hkLPszT4X5h6ftnGIu0R0QYlv4ZGxfDciVh49D-_ZgAmny-MtBGnqWQ-We353ps_J52QGBFtOaOK3DIAF6KbMppJ8wla-stGm2S_l0wHw/s1600/IMG_0165.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieBMuMPl6YF-fiUgrEBQxggjblCqdOitCdz6hkLPszT4X5h6ftnGIu0R0QYlv4ZGxfDciVh49D-_ZgAmny-MtBGnqWQ-We353ps_J52QGBFtOaOK3DIAF6KbMppJ8wla-stGm2S_l0wHw/s640/IMG_0165.jpg" width="640" /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">2.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> A CLEAN ONE GALLON </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">JAR, PREFERABLY GLASS.</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6X-ufHnZValbHXo22QxA0r-GNQSZIqAiLQwimlJMh_K3fULshyphenhyphenixqfq71seDpzOpfCb42hE9eotenca_i9pMlZ5oOLNfPX0bU2AN2oJaECOFNe_0y5QCxsEebvIHILF69nzVk5idGT4/s1600/IMG_0161.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-6X-ufHnZValbHXo22QxA0r-GNQSZIqAiLQwimlJMh_K3fULshyphenhyphenixqfq71seDpzOpfCb42hE9eotenca_i9pMlZ5oOLNfPX0bU2AN2oJaECOFNe_0y5QCxsEebvIHILF69nzVk5idGT4/s640/IMG_0161.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">3.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> TEA BAGS </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Which tea bags you use and the number of bags is a matter of taste. I experimented quite a bit and personally prefer four green tea bags and two black tea for a one gallon preparation.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppc2_dnKjL5n2BDj6w2SX5vptvbvMles9eFT1H6MyB6Sc6Br30elLhLzL2YKcFvOm0CpFmJkTV36qjSYMq4LTgXmZX8whqa3tA4ZCUX4DKCl8v1hh0j76lexy6XFdsn8CZ03Igyozj58/s1600/IMG_0070_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjppc2_dnKjL5n2BDj6w2SX5vptvbvMles9eFT1H6MyB6Sc6Br30elLhLzL2YKcFvOm0CpFmJkTV36qjSYMq4LTgXmZX8whqa3tA4ZCUX4DKCl8v1hh0j76lexy6XFdsn8CZ03Igyozj58/s640/IMG_0070_2.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>4.</b></span><span style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">SUGAR</b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One cup per gallon jar works well.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bA2BcTLMrsIZ9aoCHpN0LDstcrcHIfCX3AvVOWtzlk9q4Dgewx0MN1RrzSHloy-83n2dR9zbRzAYdrDbWWeD6f4Pc3A7EVZkQZgUuAvksINlQ_PNb1SCKABHFol9M4mc-9NqkGMju4A/s1600/IMG_0074_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2bA2BcTLMrsIZ9aoCHpN0LDstcrcHIfCX3AvVOWtzlk9q4Dgewx0MN1RrzSHloy-83n2dR9zbRzAYdrDbWWeD6f4Pc3A7EVZkQZgUuAvksINlQ_PNb1SCKABHFol9M4mc-9NqkGMju4A/s640/IMG_0074_2.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">5.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> WATER</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Distilled water is recommended more often than not. I like to use boiled river water. Some people I know prefer water from the artesian well. Others simply use Sitka tap water.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Whatever the water source you choose, you will need 14 cups. In a pot or kettle, bring the 14 cups of water to a boil.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I use a large stainless steel pot with a lid.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4dYVi6-FsDwIt5vbqAohx-cAeI0Pn9Fia-yqgvYaGyxd4tUWCp16p9L4o5Ek3txUFig7mZvc5tXIVS27_fthPHPtuITQzJ-nVabDlARFreRg8jIFzTqzjorwhvclBJpPLABPzJuIo_I/s1600/IMG_7632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEii4dYVi6-FsDwIt5vbqAohx-cAeI0Pn9Fia-yqgvYaGyxd4tUWCp16p9L4o5Ek3txUFig7mZvc5tXIVS27_fthPHPtuITQzJ-nVabDlARFreRg8jIFzTqzjorwhvclBJpPLABPzJuIo_I/s640/IMG_7632.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once the water comes to a boil, shut off the heat and add the tea bags and sugar. Stir it all gently and cover it with the lid. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let it sit there for about 30 minutes before removing the tea bags with a clean utensil. Discard the tea bags and put the lid on.</span><br />
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After removing the tea bags, cover the liquid again and let it cool down to room temperature.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once it has reached room temperature, pour this tea mixture into your gallon container. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now add the two cups of starter tea and stir with a clean utensil. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Finally, drop in the SCOBY.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOlCR34TA3mBZQxlyCokI4f-hc5ItEKUalmkYINqalFCACqgnL86yrj9DQKH1U0UXMO8vRTL4f-TQmNCl4LGAz8eFlA19A5on8w4X5F5yCrVp6jQyZ-mZlPHLz3_oJUeKBkBD7MvSurs/s1600/IMG_0168.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDOlCR34TA3mBZQxlyCokI4f-hc5ItEKUalmkYINqalFCACqgnL86yrj9DQKH1U0UXMO8vRTL4f-TQmNCl4LGAz8eFlA19A5on8w4X5F5yCrVp6jQyZ-mZlPHLz3_oJUeKBkBD7MvSurs/s640/IMG_0168.jpg" width="376" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">To keep out bugs, mold and dust, cover the container with a clean cloth, paper towel or coffee filter. Hold it in place with something like a string or rubber band.</span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRUx8EWs4hRbpJ12smP54ywxriVzZ1LX74IrjokUYHCq7GW1CMYlc10R70YBNe7JtiCLnp2XRMicT-h5bGMEs_ZplRkmGAZXGIfMHW-ODyv1ymnfUkHOGYW0coI78TQ5mqeGdb-hinsQ/s1600/IMG_0170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidRUx8EWs4hRbpJ12smP54ywxriVzZ1LX74IrjokUYHCq7GW1CMYlc10R70YBNe7JtiCLnp2XRMicT-h5bGMEs_ZplRkmGAZXGIfMHW-ODyv1ymnfUkHOGYW0coI78TQ5mqeGdb-hinsQ/s640/IMG_0170.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Choose an out of the way location in your home... out of direct sunlight where the air temperature is around 65 to 80 degrees. It needs to brew (ferment) for around 7 to 14 days.The cooler it is where you set it, the longer it takes. <b>You</b> will determine when it is ready to drink by doing taste tests. I like the jars with the little spigot on the bottom so I can easily taste a sample. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> When you like how it tastes, you have made your own unflavored kombucha! Some people prefer unflavored kombucha. If you prefer unflavored, you are finished! Simply remove</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> two cups of the kombucha and the 2 SCOBIES (mom and baby) and store it all in a container in the refrigerator to use when you are ready to make more kombucha.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> The rest can be stored for your enjoyment in your gallon jar, with a lid, in the refrigerator. Or, you can pour your remaining kombucha into smaller containers, seal and store in the refrigerator. A cool location, such as a refrigerator, will prevent any further fermenting. If it ferments too long, it gets progressively more and more sour and tastes like vinegar.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">However, if you want to add flavor...</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> now is the time to accomplish this. It requires one more step before sealing and cold storage. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you only want to use one flavor for the entire batch you just made, you can continue to use that gallon jar of kombucha after you remove the two cups and the mom and baby SCOBIES. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If simply continuing to use your gallon container, add about a cup of berries or fruit...fresh, frozen or dried. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Adding two cups of your favorite juice works well, too. Put a lid on the gallon jar. If you want fizzy carbonation, let it sit 2 or 3 more days at room temperature. If not, place it in the refrigerator with a lid right away.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70tLyqEGQE5MvHeZN6NujP5jjHx0ss6oBMRi0dAXBq0xbcsQ2yo3eJjodftqNyrO4rpSfeHOQPQkIYuArU27NpNPCMmd2rI0ac-RTOSZjzWZbiU29y2zHUgR14_GlvMb69utfkCJJ7pw/s1600/IMG_0189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi70tLyqEGQE5MvHeZN6NujP5jjHx0ss6oBMRi0dAXBq0xbcsQ2yo3eJjodftqNyrO4rpSfeHOQPQkIYuArU27NpNPCMmd2rI0ac-RTOSZjzWZbiU29y2zHUgR14_GlvMb69utfkCJJ7pw/s640/IMG_0189.JPG" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HOME MADE BLUEBERRY JUICE AND STORE BOUGHT LEMON GINGER JUICE</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you decide you want to store your flavored kombucha in several smaller containers or use more than one flavor, start by putting a small amount of fruit, berries or juice of your choice into the bottom of your smaller containers. Then fill the remaining space with kombucha. Screw on the lids. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">(I use 8 ounce or pint size canning jars). As suggested above, let these smaller containers sit out two or three days at room temperature if you want your kombucha fizzy. Then store them in the refrigerator. If you do not want your kombucha fizzy, then seal and store in the refrigerator immediately after adding flavor.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the years, lots of information has become available for improving home made kombucha. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My most recent kombucha insights are thanks to:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the post named </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">"The Benefits of Kombucha" on the blog named WELLNESS MAMA </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">the Facebook Group named KOMBUCHA NATION: CULTURES, HEALTH AND HEALING</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">CONNIE OEN, a lovely local lady who added my name to the above Facebook group! Connie has posted some inspirational </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">photos of her own successful brewing of powerfully flavorful kombucha. She graciously agreed to share a few photos with us.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Look at that carbonation! </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPEax5zI96lTj_pUefEc4yx59OMA-nn1LrluGAJsxnh-f0ObHKcfYvienKh1vgZ4q88sJ6t1h37PNTOLMp1ce9DQonHaz6JQcNQ7ueDwVI6eTLPlwheQ2cq4ZizTUrFER9NiAbrn2UGk/s1600/14370405_1316182335066391_2855829023311011320_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTPEax5zI96lTj_pUefEc4yx59OMA-nn1LrluGAJsxnh-f0ObHKcfYvienKh1vgZ4q88sJ6t1h37PNTOLMp1ce9DQonHaz6JQcNQ7ueDwVI6eTLPlwheQ2cq4ZizTUrFER9NiAbrn2UGk/s640/14370405_1316182335066391_2855829023311011320_n.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, here are some inspirational bottles of kombucha Connie made with luscious flavors and colors:</span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLueMT-PMg03QeJCptfmQV8p9Zcez-bFRRmpiXtkmgY8lYaW_6dr3E7kt8SjhSpck5YD9R5DyDsKIgaJXGXuV7Ejm4xtyCdPQ3_K0cfC-sfqVjhNMqgUwVUp9_glFZoHmdVzL3FEM6yBQ/s1600/14322278_1316182351733056_8629651200729602674_n+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLueMT-PMg03QeJCptfmQV8p9Zcez-bFRRmpiXtkmgY8lYaW_6dr3E7kt8SjhSpck5YD9R5DyDsKIgaJXGXuV7Ejm4xtyCdPQ3_K0cfC-sfqVjhNMqgUwVUp9_glFZoHmdVzL3FEM6yBQ/s640/14322278_1316182351733056_8629651200729602674_n+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>GO FOR IT!!!</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-78941728236435530112018-04-28T15:53:00.001-07:002018-04-30T21:34:43.897-07:00FLOWERS - Roses<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Oh, the fragrance! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Hand someone a rose </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It goes right to the nose. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fragrance is the number one requirement of roses planted in our gardens.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJH_ueGDso2F4DlE2CvuKxvThdOOGLsPp5D8K3IAY6Ax_70hMjdl0INIluZy1cJP9SJyDuS5Jd91IvHgQ6tDfR26q86HJ-tB3s4ozKcWX4Mzwr5RMSGa9Em3nX6SCrgJgCnFpfCKHy3CU/s1600/img698.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJH_ueGDso2F4DlE2CvuKxvThdOOGLsPp5D8K3IAY6Ax_70hMjdl0INIluZy1cJP9SJyDuS5Jd91IvHgQ6tDfR26q86HJ-tB3s4ozKcWX4Mzwr5RMSGa9Em3nX6SCrgJgCnFpfCKHy3CU/s640/img698.jpg" width="470" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>
</i></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></i></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i>
</i></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><i><span style="color: #3d85c6;"><i>OUT IN THE OPEN AND </i><i>UNPROTECTED</i><i>...</i></span></i></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Surprisingly, there are quite a few roses tolerant of our climate. They survive, unprotected, in year round wind and rain. They survive our winters plagued by multiple freezes and thaws. Let's begin with the tough guys.</span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); color: black; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">WILD ROSES</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are at least three kinds of fragrant, wild roses growing in these parts. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="color: orange;">Rosa rugosa </span>also known as<span style="color: orange;"> Sitka Rose</span></span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rosa acicularis </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">also known as</span><span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Wild Prickly Rose</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rosa nutkana </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">also known as</span><span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Nootka Rose</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wild roses are not only tough, but are typically low maintenance. They are pretty much trouble free and often</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> resistant to pests and disease.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is not always easy to identify one wild rose from another. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So, I don't often try.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Thank you to Cheryl Stromme for the little start she dug up for me under her rose bush named </span><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;">Rosa rugosa 'Yankee Lady.'</span> </span></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOl62_h36WzaoiqMX0CKh1lbEV9CmiDHWqM2zjQjhx04nhQBnqiQsM33jvz9RN7JHNT-QdgYN7cYBdqn8o56iYzekCA5RPAoZkP8nA5aS7jlXB-_UJi5nJ0bZBBZlpmafjzqaB6MxdrU/s1600/P1000666.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSOl62_h36WzaoiqMX0CKh1lbEV9CmiDHWqM2zjQjhx04nhQBnqiQsM33jvz9RN7JHNT-QdgYN7cYBdqn8o56iYzekCA5RPAoZkP8nA5aS7jlXB-_UJi5nJ0bZBBZlpmafjzqaB6MxdrU/s640/P1000666.jpg" width="560" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That little start grew into the beautiful bush below.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiYmYvTT9WftVmxvY82WwJPV1uuXU3PwFBHzFiCuhKHZlXTOnBCZ8IvqPPwv5B85x20iiids76p1CosW_xamEkSTpvnbLvXB9csSK2v8QF0msa19YUDGEHlrY12lVb_gVG11oRzVAres/s1600/DSC05961.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioiYmYvTT9WftVmxvY82WwJPV1uuXU3PwFBHzFiCuhKHZlXTOnBCZ8IvqPPwv5B85x20iiids76p1CosW_xamEkSTpvnbLvXB9csSK2v8QF0msa19YUDGEHlrY12lVb_gVG11oRzVAres/s640/DSC05961.jpg" width="560" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The thorns and stems of 'Yankee Lady' do not make the flowers inviting to include in a bouquet. But, whenever I pass by or reach beneath to cut some spearmint, I stick my nose into a bloom and enjoy the incomparable fragrance. On a warm day, the fragrance drifts around the gardens.</span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The photo below is of the first wild rose planted in our gardens. So long ago, I do not remember where or how we acquired this fragrant beauty with 3 to 4 inch flowers.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6h8wYP992djeas94zzsnQVp8l_2OuR0ubXk8UvXZmLrue5Rbpevi-_dklVwP4j52oGcSWRWHpdLqY8WyBt_g8edzxjvhj_vRGKRcQlMye1C6bH81bZa3kBIMtn8J8er9KY0_KjvVujAc/s1600/DSC03864.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6h8wYP992djeas94zzsnQVp8l_2OuR0ubXk8UvXZmLrue5Rbpevi-_dklVwP4j52oGcSWRWHpdLqY8WyBt_g8edzxjvhj_vRGKRcQlMye1C6bH81bZa3kBIMtn8J8er9KY0_KjvVujAc/s640/DSC03864.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">That first wild rose bush grew larger each year until it stabilized at about 6 feet tall by 8 feet wide. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It sends out lots of starts around its' base.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB486l2SnjdDYN1gBdebkeifF1YOT5A9cuuPryAhA99vocwbxeFB3gpnQxh8wHE4VKbwnwkuMb9kHQ4HzXP11qKfq3Fs_8mZi9VZ1pa4brUlxetji-G3yk2IPenvN6eZP9tvlwxH04Lmc/s1600/DSC05955.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB486l2SnjdDYN1gBdebkeifF1YOT5A9cuuPryAhA99vocwbxeFB3gpnQxh8wHE4VKbwnwkuMb9kHQ4HzXP11qKfq3Fs_8mZi9VZ1pa4brUlxetji-G3yk2IPenvN6eZP9tvlwxH04Lmc/s640/DSC05955.jpg" width="478" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Thank you to my stepdaughter, Karin, for this next wild rose. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It eagerly spreads its' roots wherever planted. The sweet little flowers have a rosy, mild fragrance. The bush rises to a height of 3 to 5 feet.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTRH-8jvn7_8ltsvROdml1ynWcenaegdc1wGIzXyYiGv-q7ivIsYtSxCU9Se2LHdF6_6Wyn06gBSGzQ1wigUJ0Fiip2TfVA7IPefWJ9Mii37xVgX6z7e01rGOveb8OMh-lMTP-9NxdFI/s1600/IMG_4247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMTRH-8jvn7_8ltsvROdml1ynWcenaegdc1wGIzXyYiGv-q7ivIsYtSxCU9Se2LHdF6_6Wyn06gBSGzQ1wigUJ0Fiip2TfVA7IPefWJ9Mii37xVgX6z7e01rGOveb8OMh-lMTP-9NxdFI/s640/IMG_4247.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Similar in size and habits to the wild pink rose above is the fragrant, pale yellow beauty in the photo below.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKNbxEPqbStUN-VopgoBI4E7wDu2MCXdK2ANHFyPVZhiu7YtmsbONxaoP_p11MEpP0Q8lwPpO0uFwzYAt31YkDPXzZvPlWYmconEj-Mfq85Dab6O0L0T6MFoDKfNWLIjzoZ96gubMdmY/s1600/IMG_4123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCKNbxEPqbStUN-VopgoBI4E7wDu2MCXdK2ANHFyPVZhiu7YtmsbONxaoP_p11MEpP0Q8lwPpO0uFwzYAt31YkDPXzZvPlWYmconEj-Mfq85Dab6O0L0T6MFoDKfNWLIjzoZ96gubMdmY/s640/IMG_4123.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The yellow wild rose keeps a slightly lower profile at 3 to 4 feet tall.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaZCpGwDb81LuMgii-uVpLLe-loSdgeVcI7eCjDJY-_6shP6BbUXE1hyphenhyphennOOtCKDKss9oVB8WG1BmM8vNceiGuHYcXe47DFoDDscgQkELJtOBDnv2b892aY9iPl7yjzxmA8Ium3Ft61_E/s1600/DSC02884.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEaZCpGwDb81LuMgii-uVpLLe-loSdgeVcI7eCjDJY-_6shP6BbUXE1hyphenhyphennOOtCKDKss9oVB8WG1BmM8vNceiGuHYcXe47DFoDDscgQkELJtOBDnv2b892aY9iPl7yjzxmA8Ium3Ft61_E/s640/DSC02884.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">CLIMBING ROSE</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have had several different climbing roses in our gardens over the years. Although it looks so soft and fragile, this outstanding, tough climber is </span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Rosa 'New Dawn.'</span><br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKS3kxC2t8vdw5iDwhj01ZCdFHs-_v5JbA-rePyMcfb5Rtss6dS58IKL_6QheEaOVOINIWD9QFVSraHNQdCCo9-dIFUEp9D-8AmWEhIihMqHAREU12n2aIV5KWXjs_HcWWgMRPr_GIL-M/s1600/DSCN0640.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKS3kxC2t8vdw5iDwhj01ZCdFHs-_v5JbA-rePyMcfb5Rtss6dS58IKL_6QheEaOVOINIWD9QFVSraHNQdCCo9-dIFUEp9D-8AmWEhIihMqHAREU12n2aIV5KWXjs_HcWWgMRPr_GIL-M/s640/DSCN0640.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">'New Dawn' is usually covered with clusters of very fragrant blooms from midsummer through fall. The blooms are a welcome addition to a bouquet. But, beware the large and plentiful thorns.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"> </span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhI90ASePPmDOeNLz4kA-141S2AjXR407Ta9W7pndh3XRvGmivTN9QPrDHeuz5CqvfQbouihTYSXOnMFqU4GD_x1TJjci8y7BDvMNsAR4oqN8g9riKzFFyA4JCJMHItSt-HKqzNsPvog/s1600/IMG_4610.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdhI90ASePPmDOeNLz4kA-141S2AjXR407Ta9W7pndh3XRvGmivTN9QPrDHeuz5CqvfQbouihTYSXOnMFqU4GD_x1TJjci8y7BDvMNsAR4oqN8g9riKzFFyA4JCJMHItSt-HKqzNsPvog/s640/IMG_4610.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">'New Dawn' climbs up over a trellis</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFjG693wNE_-mRBumvMNZ1UP9NFQ4e7aaxirho2FyfSHWIchxDgxxzF-SBWwQAeIGZs2BY1rt3Z-T861wLFayYBfeZYVKA_OeClFKh6KYN5XXk-DFv2VNvF-LDlCYejE8B4UNWafyieg/s1600/DSC01488.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="514" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeFjG693wNE_-mRBumvMNZ1UP9NFQ4e7aaxirho2FyfSHWIchxDgxxzF-SBWwQAeIGZs2BY1rt3Z-T861wLFayYBfeZYVKA_OeClFKh6KYN5XXk-DFv2VNvF-LDlCYejE8B4UNWafyieg/s640/DSC01488.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">and hangs down over a rock wall.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1J1VVBPS2rSiHZT-Yk9ak68j_5P-RvSb7F2WY54XLVpbIew6NjQh4zHmQmAB2I1Nv3IuvMK2qcwCCNnR63a_X2O_0Dp-IG7hipoJC8xuifsmM4-HJDJ0KeiRjikGOn4He6ngtI_412k/s1600/IMG_4634.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt1J1VVBPS2rSiHZT-Yk9ak68j_5P-RvSb7F2WY54XLVpbIew6NjQh4zHmQmAB2I1Nv3IuvMK2qcwCCNnR63a_X2O_0Dp-IG7hipoJC8xuifsmM4-HJDJ0KeiRjikGOn4He6ngtI_412k/s640/IMG_4634.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">SHRUB ROSES</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As with the climbing roses, we have only hosted <i>one</i> shrub rose in our gardens able to survive for the long haul without some overhead protection. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Rosa 'Bonica'</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim22WVo5Jqs9VobJuzsDaxFMLem1P7dg75F3mJ6ntvS7TG7SJJIdn8TH1ig1rqeNMNIeGQMbkA-QvFCDH1JpXjF7AltR7gW0hHMLhPSF0F5TH6kRsfkl8xsHzZrTTAzSgD8h0gQqA78C8/s1600/IMG_4648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim22WVo5Jqs9VobJuzsDaxFMLem1P7dg75F3mJ6ntvS7TG7SJJIdn8TH1ig1rqeNMNIeGQMbkA-QvFCDH1JpXjF7AltR7gW0hHMLhPSF0F5TH6kRsfkl8xsHzZrTTAzSgD8h0gQqA78C8/s640/IMG_4648.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Rosa Bonica' grows unprotected, bushy and full to about 6 feet. It is covered with clusters of small, bright pink flowers from midsummer through fall. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The fragrance is strong and fruity. Whether a sunny or cloudy day, 'Bonica' roses capture attention.</span><span style="text-align: center;"> </span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvg0EpnYA5vvTRk0pz1FlDEzjeBBbuM6vVETKWMlAJQNjDXjEqZ9jxqFbTILy02J8_c9UTHVrZpS44lAOdWlMYojCBax6qkG4LUt3udVDWZQUrL-wxpdOrGpvtEuKjIk4CRR5uzBWt1k/s1600/IMG_4591.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMvg0EpnYA5vvTRk0pz1FlDEzjeBBbuM6vVETKWMlAJQNjDXjEqZ9jxqFbTILy02J8_c9UTHVrZpS44lAOdWlMYojCBax6qkG4LUt3udVDWZQUrL-wxpdOrGpvtEuKjIk4CRR5uzBWt1k/s640/IMG_4591.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, 'Bonica' roses make a sweet little bouquet.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQ8SMvLlUpPkJTfInrJYcw2ocwCQRFglsgppac4MCWQZdzi1mScGdSRamkyHfIu216LUJKVgykcuV81x0uROey_gdHShcWx71hIhC4BXMw0IiWTQlhESwXZiwQqCL786uz9uw0LHEAPg/s1600/DSC06819.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEQ8SMvLlUpPkJTfInrJYcw2ocwCQRFglsgppac4MCWQZdzi1mScGdSRamkyHfIu216LUJKVgykcuV81x0uROey_gdHShcWx71hIhC4BXMw0IiWTQlhESwXZiwQqCL786uz9uw0LHEAPg/s640/DSC06819.jpg" width="514" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I could not resist taking a photo of my husband modeling this </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">bridal bouquet filled with </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Bonica' roses.</span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZIRDD1TURbvvuRVcZoP5Lkm5712XXVH4u8WOO15T-vNqBYlZD2OEM_e3og7gNaFSmo5n6DSK_V3GtMM1x4bhjX0NAIA-AK-qRFk4P1I76DIE0nbGbrDizI2lkdAcRkQnPcaEQb19drg/s1600/IMG_2063.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoZIRDD1TURbvvuRVcZoP5Lkm5712XXVH4u8WOO15T-vNqBYlZD2OEM_e3og7gNaFSmo5n6DSK_V3GtMM1x4bhjX0NAIA-AK-qRFk4P1I76DIE0nbGbrDizI2lkdAcRkQnPcaEQb19drg/s640/IMG_2063.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i>SEMI-PROTECTED...</i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The remaining three shrub roses in this review would probably survive well enough without protection. But, they all seem much happier and attractive when partially protected under an overhang of some sort. Our excessive rain can simply be more than some rose petals can endure.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Rosa 'Fred Bahovec'</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIYVHw6c_AjAsfRH1rks0nEhYr1DxNJV4gJYZNG7gXLQdyqgGUofmRrwXrxvkvQonM8q4ssaAHKpfkg6p8iQaXInRAQwtOpUcs_GznUm_B0olVypxSB5ivsoerRo_U7DO7b3UtXgOr9c/s1600/DSC06428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRIYVHw6c_AjAsfRH1rks0nEhYr1DxNJV4gJYZNG7gXLQdyqgGUofmRrwXrxvkvQonM8q4ssaAHKpfkg6p8iQaXInRAQwtOpUcs_GznUm_B0olVypxSB5ivsoerRo_U7DO7b3UtXgOr9c/s640/DSC06428.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I don't know the real name of this rose, but decided to give it the name 'Fred Bahovec.' It was Fred who planted this shrub rose long, long ago in front of the old Sitka Community Hospital.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Before the hospital was demolished, I took several cuttings </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">from the very old rose bush and started new plants. All were given away except the two I planted at the edge of our covered garden. They have grown 8 feet tall and showy with many lightly fragrant pink bundles of medium sized blooms.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Fred Bahovec' roses add a special touch of beauty to any bouquet of roses.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVbvPF07GhRgmfAgaK2M7l4ssRrEORJdKAVxU2GCTSPeLav_L73hTMvNh-PtqE0pJ4jgrSloMHzkxci9efEa6zy381JX8u_3gHvr4fD1bamwWaD-2AJVtRwy2_jCs5TSBXhM_luyvpNI/s1600/DSC00964.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVbvPF07GhRgmfAgaK2M7l4ssRrEORJdKAVxU2GCTSPeLav_L73hTMvNh-PtqE0pJ4jgrSloMHzkxci9efEa6zy381JX8u_3gHvr4fD1bamwWaD-2AJVtRwy2_jCs5TSBXhM_luyvpNI/s640/DSC00964.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3G-346S0gL0soj0QY4Dv_Jw3LDu3eDW2m16_m4dVRyjwcWrInOW-FoOeGjGrV3aPfRszURuoIG9H1cHAVgDEY6gI4RA0ykek_LQkE_u44kWfNVs_hKB-K8wJ7Hbc-qI4X8MIwnPb3u0/s1600/DSC06957.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg3G-346S0gL0soj0QY4Dv_Jw3LDu3eDW2m16_m4dVRyjwcWrInOW-FoOeGjGrV3aPfRszURuoIG9H1cHAVgDEY6gI4RA0ykek_LQkE_u44kWfNVs_hKB-K8wJ7Hbc-qI4X8MIwnPb3u0/s640/DSC06957.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Rosa 'Honey Perfume'</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlIg6alaqD_d_6RbKfYqzwhQBda0hb9u-b9_JFXYONC5UWXk4omEBS4zbe5M9mxI4A9OTty5MYTNYdn1LOKe91ZO6mjh41A0Kwk1b21FXbkWTlmJkKVTZD14ybHgs1Axgrlx-7WSby4g/s1600/IMG_4721+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvlIg6alaqD_d_6RbKfYqzwhQBda0hb9u-b9_JFXYONC5UWXk4omEBS4zbe5M9mxI4A9OTty5MYTNYdn1LOKe91ZO6mjh41A0Kwk1b21FXbkWTlmJkKVTZD14ybHgs1Axgrlx-7WSby4g/s640/IMG_4721+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What a welcome surprise this shrub rose turned out to be! It grew quickly, spilling out from our covered garden after only a few short years. It is about 8 feet tall and 8 feet wide. The bush is covered with very fragrant, medium sized, honey yellow roses from mid-summer through fall. Ouch! Watch out for those painfully large thorns.<br /><br />'Honey Perfume' roses make up quite the bouquet. If I remember correctly, yellow roses represent friendship and joy in the language of flowers.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NkkZDSFleiMBzErcs76IsJmXAXSCAI8H63UghY1HYsT3z3-kXAZp1WWmm3TwByPWg8jxJg2hBlcoJ5Ln0mvUXfW9myC4vcQB04oRmCfJ5_QTjY-7XYteG7FwK8pMvaLlU3rxYeB_t4Q/s1600/DSC06892.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4NkkZDSFleiMBzErcs76IsJmXAXSCAI8H63UghY1HYsT3z3-kXAZp1WWmm3TwByPWg8jxJg2hBlcoJ5Ln0mvUXfW9myC4vcQB04oRmCfJ5_QTjY-7XYteG7FwK8pMvaLlU3rxYeB_t4Q/s640/DSC06892.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">MOSS ROSE</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Rosa 'Madame Louis Leveque'</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A cloudy day long ago. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lost in thought while weeding a garden, I heard a voice call my name. Out of the gray, Judy Johnstone and Jamie Chevalier smiled their way over to me and my bucket of weeds. "We have a gift for you." </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">They and their gift were as welcome as sunshine.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I had never seen or heard of Moss Rose.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Up close, it is fascinating!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_umqD5_yAgOUdhKKMxzgfI_tNYgpzTunYTwk8KBYzrKHm968DoKxJkEwze2E1R2hfomuEeHmET0b2hcvAKa4Pm9tEozu2A5YgZfQA7xiKhQ9xacChXo3fyTl0SuHdTzbJ5S7MGL47ro/s1600/DSC00757.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt_umqD5_yAgOUdhKKMxzgfI_tNYgpzTunYTwk8KBYzrKHm968DoKxJkEwze2E1R2hfomuEeHmET0b2hcvAKa4Pm9tEozu2A5YgZfQA7xiKhQ9xacChXo3fyTl0SuHdTzbJ5S7MGL47ro/s640/DSC00757.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The tiny, intricately wrapped bud transforms into a bloom with an unusually large number of petals.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztYIcG8nxp_rXgPEfK27vpveM5_VM-8NT7H6ZHu1qjZN6Qy3SQqd6YPL0uhUVaMo-XYgLav7_ZEHVy1ylSxe2D1p9yx6b1DSW2GrOFTIgm9ZI1bBHJGYX3fp7ZpCAJ77KBuHZQY_dC_c/s1600/IMG_4821.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjztYIcG8nxp_rXgPEfK27vpveM5_VM-8NT7H6ZHu1qjZN6Qy3SQqd6YPL0uhUVaMo-XYgLav7_ZEHVy1ylSxe2D1p9yx6b1DSW2GrOFTIgm9ZI1bBHJGYX3fp7ZpCAJ77KBuHZQY_dC_c/s640/IMG_4821.jpg" width="566" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The petals of each flower are so compact and plentiful that they don't handle excessive moisture very well. This is why protection is recommended. The 5 foot bush blooms profusely beginning mid-summer.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_a4V8kBQn4CKxIBOXvZGy7_2DiCv6HcL79RZNoefc67nCTaW5LAarWoHhH0e30ve8cIuvbdOd_m8H5zsT5dzYRQsh0i2JxwlGtKO10BsOyEdxq8ERckFns0RKFBxA1cWHpMVcc2AVBc/s1600/img037.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT_a4V8kBQn4CKxIBOXvZGy7_2DiCv6HcL79RZNoefc67nCTaW5LAarWoHhH0e30ve8cIuvbdOd_m8H5zsT5dzYRQsh0i2JxwlGtKO10BsOyEdxq8ERckFns0RKFBxA1cWHpMVcc2AVBc/s640/img037.jpg" width="404" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Moss Rose was bred by French father and son (both named Louis Leveque) in 1898 in honor of wife/mother Madame Leveque.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMX_N1M1LaovOJQrV7peQOJGm_FE-WSIUf-GVqJym2B_ZFmCCNCyGYpZ2DuDR4CBgEGBju19paubS06MponuMIymnFrvAo2rugVNFgGXY78PPVHwjjNESgfBwU4uyrFHYYu-9A1_TlLE/s1600/img036.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdMX_N1M1LaovOJQrV7peQOJGm_FE-WSIUf-GVqJym2B_ZFmCCNCyGYpZ2DuDR4CBgEGBju19paubS06MponuMIymnFrvAo2rugVNFgGXY78PPVHwjjNESgfBwU4uyrFHYYu-9A1_TlLE/s640/img036.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The Moss Rose fragrance is strong and intoxicating. I know that the Moss Rose is not the mother of all roses, but it sure smells like it is! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, good news for gardeners bordering the forest. Moss Rose is said to be deer resistant.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">GRANDIFLORA</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Grandiflora is a type of rose bush with large, long-stemmed, multi-petaled blooms growing in clusters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our one grandiflora bush was planted</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> with protection from a nearby trellis and under the eaves.</span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Rosa 'Twilight Zone'</span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggat81o4cu6zwz8DkL6Gfqlr5BJ_lOB77rq6YVbLFFHzOqs2510vy3Ybttm-zadguqfO_oOYAULcR-Cf78nvBNtN2JMBnzCVQCjdEfJFhXqkEnIj9QxzxAWeNAOzbVgKc2MPjn_PUDcaE/s1600/IMG_6340.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggat81o4cu6zwz8DkL6Gfqlr5BJ_lOB77rq6YVbLFFHzOqs2510vy3Ybttm-zadguqfO_oOYAULcR-Cf78nvBNtN2JMBnzCVQCjdEfJFhXqkEnIj9QxzxAWeNAOzbVgKc2MPjn_PUDcaE/s640/IMG_6340.jpg" width="446" /></a></span>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is 'twilight zone' filling a vase along with other fragrant roses.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXMTCogFceIvVFE3dA2XkDpqiB9JWpzZFAcFQDhSfy8L3LvY2PQXAZ4HJqyA20DhjqbR1rmO2_PRtjp1SSV9Wz215NwnjtjfEv40dJU_5gDPSegqCkPQoTrRgQW_d7syyBIk9V9Mv9rA/s1600/IMG_6288.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKXMTCogFceIvVFE3dA2XkDpqiB9JWpzZFAcFQDhSfy8L3LvY2PQXAZ4HJqyA20DhjqbR1rmO2_PRtjp1SSV9Wz215NwnjtjfEv40dJU_5gDPSegqCkPQoTrRgQW_d7syyBIk9V9Mv9rA/s640/IMG_6288.jpg" width="542" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(111, 168, 220);"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(111, 168, 220);"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(111, 168, 220);"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(111, 168, 220);"><i><br /></i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(111, 168, 220);"><i>FULLY PROTECTED...</i></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(111, 168, 220); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lucky for us, we have an unusual space to grow roses and other plants that are not well suited for our climate. We have a large covered garden attached to our greenhouse.</span></span><span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> I love it.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(111, 168, 220); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWyMBrOo5AuUB4Yxy0NOx-9gSUYMcWsMGz91TvREm1ItBojR4Tk0zG10UW5ovYOWt9ZMVMCBlArJA21stiKh3USh490X8mQJGpa1OP3yal1ZNyYfvNiKqpu76UVnKwRfy69DLxVDAZDVY/s1600/DSC00686.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWyMBrOo5AuUB4Yxy0NOx-9gSUYMcWsMGz91TvREm1ItBojR4Tk0zG10UW5ovYOWt9ZMVMCBlArJA21stiKh3USh490X8mQJGpa1OP3yal1ZNyYfvNiKqpu76UVnKwRfy69DLxVDAZDVY/s640/DSC00686.jpg" width="478" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(111, 168, 220); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is dry and warm enough in the covered garden to host lots of beautiful flowers and vegetables without taking up the limited space in our greenhouse. </span></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(111, 168, 220); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The remaining roses in this post are all protected and growing happily in our covered garden.</span></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #6fa8dc; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(111, 168, 220); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">FLORIBUNDA ROSES</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Floribunda roses are defined as rose bushes growing clusters of blooms throughout the season.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Rosa 'Julia Child'</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKI9RiMgX1bGnT59Gd3xBx9d4dvqGXztTdiTPJnDsju8tRQ3rn_OPDEpxcWJ9iN6CODRsJ3_sc8WnafvEQqZ7Hb_2XopEatYDOQariJlOg4VpNKQXW8vxtqJEecdEh45tMzjg8naYT_Y/s1600/IMG_4674.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKI9RiMgX1bGnT59Gd3xBx9d4dvqGXztTdiTPJnDsju8tRQ3rn_OPDEpxcWJ9iN6CODRsJ3_sc8WnafvEQqZ7Hb_2XopEatYDOQariJlOg4VpNKQXW8vxtqJEecdEh45tMzjg8naYT_Y/s640/IMG_4674.jpg" width="592" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
Wow! This rose has such a fruity fragrance! And, 'Julia Child' truly does stay in full bloom for a very long time. The flowers are so inviting in bouquets, that they are regularly picked as soon as the blooms open.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbb8HAbRfexs3IAQbatbiyl-Kd11FduOX7taMbcjr7-xxlTJHfA-FcV40JCvceWEq5L67VEvj6_JvN9F9shQvyJTvqfjrvsvnMNhoiuBLGhQ40IP8wGPcu4IEaZHbvNRr_l775pkNBYg/s1600/IMG_6528.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPbb8HAbRfexs3IAQbatbiyl-Kd11FduOX7taMbcjr7-xxlTJHfA-FcV40JCvceWEq5L67VEvj6_JvN9F9shQvyJTvqfjrvsvnMNhoiuBLGhQ40IP8wGPcu4IEaZHbvNRr_l775pkNBYg/s640/IMG_6528.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Rosa 'Moondance'</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3S1TWYDYGEw_ulKuRCxmjt3uURKW_zNe3zIAxvUrR3HFg1kqp23KC2IbtMbQQ65rk2mano7zA3-Lp_1H_LwOp3J7XtygTYJImUSDQk9sVUsNlGTlA3Jmn7Vc79MF-0vPUXM3qEXOpxM/s1600/IMG_5247.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju3S1TWYDYGEw_ulKuRCxmjt3uURKW_zNe3zIAxvUrR3HFg1kqp23KC2IbtMbQQ65rk2mano7zA3-Lp_1H_LwOp3J7XtygTYJImUSDQk9sVUsNlGTlA3Jmn7Vc79MF-0vPUXM3qEXOpxM/s640/IMG_5247.jpg" width="470" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">'Moondance' clusters are a reliable addition to bouquets. There are so many blooms all season long! The fragrance is a very light raspberry.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0); font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2C3yu2LpnpnUv-RyzsHR-kEAtSVqKkuHOJWM9VeoVPq8d5AEVxjbNCrrttcGrotS1bv2GWA2EXlk_npCs2Xg8Gw4_Art_8Iub4DA8-D4RwYl5PrTvN0dVY0zdgYUkHEVVve5HSmnJHI/s1600/IMG_4747.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb2C3yu2LpnpnUv-RyzsHR-kEAtSVqKkuHOJWM9VeoVPq8d5AEVxjbNCrrttcGrotS1bv2GWA2EXlk_npCs2Xg8Gw4_Art_8Iub4DA8-D4RwYl5PrTvN0dVY0zdgYUkHEVVve5HSmnJHI/s640/IMG_4747.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">HYBRID TEA ROSES</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Typically, hybrid tea rose bushes have one large flower on each long stem. These are the roses seen so often in bouquets from florists. Their beauty is breathtaking. The challenge and thrill is to grow a hybrid tea rose bush with flowers that are not only beautiful, but also fragrant.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Such is the case with several of the hybrid tea roses we grew in our covered garden.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Rosa 'Perfume Delight'</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJq4HoVTnhpeBpLyGkS8e2P15r4ME3IxOckmFStP0505nyFBONPOEAcbwiB-NcYqdIc3BgY04uDcw2QJNaHIWand88PFv_rx6_IA4KM2tY9JHmX0311awle46uqbT9dJbg9EbXYNscG0/s1600/DSC03900.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKJq4HoVTnhpeBpLyGkS8e2P15r4ME3IxOckmFStP0505nyFBONPOEAcbwiB-NcYqdIc3BgY04uDcw2QJNaHIWand88PFv_rx6_IA4KM2tY9JHmX0311awle46uqbT9dJbg9EbXYNscG0/s640/DSC03900.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Rosa 'Sheer Bliss'</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTL-PCzUYsX1-N9DD5CQs6QiXa6GXWHDuWSNqCraJdCaVkZNkVNCNkCPxNLR1RH9tciiN7C8GfwVLcKa3TlBvXPyJr3A42OkWVxZpXvZ7GFwsO9Tq7JZSSlyUrYJYPRFnsBjN9uRpW1gg/s1600/img764.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTL-PCzUYsX1-N9DD5CQs6QiXa6GXWHDuWSNqCraJdCaVkZNkVNCNkCPxNLR1RH9tciiN7C8GfwVLcKa3TlBvXPyJr3A42OkWVxZpXvZ7GFwsO9Tq7JZSSlyUrYJYPRFnsBjN9uRpW1gg/s640/img764.jpg" width="568" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Rosa 'Peace'</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLP4gOVdGOS7YuAUgWzHT8PqqMFuZo7XpGsY8_YFXBNa5dHjNiyghPVDFTN_zaoXuvcL5QHEqoMf717nJ8IFv65ActFTHv8MjNQT6J5vq3wTb-l374AKKuq-xtKKsfjUAmvUz085ROSc/s1600/DSC00662.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSLP4gOVdGOS7YuAUgWzHT8PqqMFuZo7XpGsY8_YFXBNa5dHjNiyghPVDFTN_zaoXuvcL5QHEqoMf717nJ8IFv65ActFTHv8MjNQT6J5vq3wTb-l374AKKuq-xtKKsfjUAmvUz085ROSc/s640/DSC00662.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="caret-color: rgb(255, 165, 0);">Rosa 'John Paul II'</span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfbhIFEZUYpm_DN5Dgm6je7lVg4D6d61Yx7rDb9pEsr3pZ_do00p6ZXMHqwm25AiP2AD2vjVKHM3W6DojCSp3_uJ9qy8Pb0uBS2ziUUU6IAzLt_i3K2YepgoyMr4zQSi8N7Ac2zhOpKw/s1600/IMG_4340.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfbhIFEZUYpm_DN5Dgm6je7lVg4D6d61Yx7rDb9pEsr3pZ_do00p6ZXMHqwm25AiP2AD2vjVKHM3W6DojCSp3_uJ9qy8Pb0uBS2ziUUU6IAzLt_i3K2YepgoyMr4zQSi8N7Ac2zhOpKw/s640/IMG_4340.jpg" width="558" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">Wishing you all lots of smiles and lots of roses!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJKCenIezrPDSZOlDKRpdqRZPJahLyiNZ9fNopIGdUNdvc1hPMBleJ8Cy7S0Foy90o8qU8WMdGZMsvjoGhzwqflcbE2om0PW5_Ik4AUad9hB5oWjy5sC9XVd4Z84LjJpqtVGb11i9UkM/s1600/Scan+17.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzJKCenIezrPDSZOlDKRpdqRZPJahLyiNZ9fNopIGdUNdvc1hPMBleJ8Cy7S0Foy90o8qU8WMdGZMsvjoGhzwqflcbE2om0PW5_Ik4AUad9hB5oWjy5sC9XVd4Z84LjJpqtVGb11i9UkM/s640/Scan+17.jpg" width="556" /></a></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-42090110773150391732018-03-29T22:11:00.001-07:002021-03-20T15:56:08.410-07:00FLOWERS - Perennial<b style="color: orange;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">In general, a perennial is a plant living for more than two years. </span></b><b style="color: orange;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">Perennials grow and bloom spring through fall.</span></b><br />
<b style="color: orange;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">Perennials usually go dormant throughout each winter.</span></b><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We have acquired perennials to add to our gardens in various ways.</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We have started perennials from seed indoors, usually in 4 inch pots, in March or April. Once the plants grew large and healthy in their pots, often by June 1st, we planted them outside in fertile soil. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We were given divisions from full grown perennials in springtime by generous gardeners and friends. They dug them out from their own gardens.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We have purchased perennial starter plants here in Sitka. They are available as early as March... when things start warming up. The plants are almost all grown elsewhere in a variety of sizes and then imported by local businesses. The choices and quality of plants seem to improve each year. </span></li>
</ul>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here are some of the businesses in Sitka typically selling springtime plant starts, including perennials:<br /><br /> GARDEN VENTURES (Penny Brown's)<br /> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">LAKESIDE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> SEAMART</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> SITKA TRUE VALUE<br /> SPENARD'S<br /> </span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">Once I got started surrounding our vegetable gardens with beautiful and fragrant perennial flowers, I could not stop myself!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">Below are names and photos of several of the perennials we have grown in our gardens. Some of these perennials survived only a few years in our climate... while others have endured for more than 25 years!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">ANGEL TRUMPET </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Brugmansia sanguinia</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Chris Hoffman for seeds.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaEEnEmQrKC2f2sIKMM93uJxisJqSYi0Likqghqk-EwbEERbyQNmHEPN7QYTgRAcVAPv5B7lo9cTd5bKbvEefb4YjhVeS3RhhxyM7BRcQXWpZvgo6o2iqzeZkEYccVbP0-uLBrb9RFGw/s1600/DSC04310.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglaEEnEmQrKC2f2sIKMM93uJxisJqSYi0Likqghqk-EwbEERbyQNmHEPN7QYTgRAcVAPv5B7lo9cTd5bKbvEefb4YjhVeS3RhhxyM7BRcQXWpZvgo6o2iqzeZkEYccVbP0-uLBrb9RFGw/s640/DSC04310.jpg" width="536" /></a></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2YkgCEFxDhhqHEca0-ZZqKXQu-qgEjWZtU8VBjk6DRX4Qfx8sLbAHLT_K3z61MPP9E8kIAsiSGxqzRSZrqiagrT-OrNj8cUwdX6vkly3zMWaWteFeA4ZQ43axyQNvFcyOPiMKzTh9vs/s1600/DSC04281.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm2YkgCEFxDhhqHEca0-ZZqKXQu-qgEjWZtU8VBjk6DRX4Qfx8sLbAHLT_K3z61MPP9E8kIAsiSGxqzRSZrqiagrT-OrNj8cUwdX6vkly3zMWaWteFeA4ZQ43axyQNvFcyOPiMKzTh9vs/s640/DSC04281.jpg" width="532" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">ARMENIAN BASKET FLOWER</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Centaurea macrocephala</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Dave Mochak for the start.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFAIBxNL7t6r38fLkBZzeB5Ntx8zEdwFdRdzPZnSmKRpYzyayyOsjarors6mNJ1Wef17xblqYH9wI_l9eeVUS8mT4oakGy3j7i7NXjZAlLrcVImkr720Yx3N55WhsrnPw7eM_dNBURFc/s1600/P1000759.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwFAIBxNL7t6r38fLkBZzeB5Ntx8zEdwFdRdzPZnSmKRpYzyayyOsjarors6mNJ1Wef17xblqYH9wI_l9eeVUS8mT4oakGy3j7i7NXjZAlLrcVImkr720Yx3N55WhsrnPw7eM_dNBURFc/s640/P1000759.jpg" width="496" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmx7m1t11Lba476GfFoslGh0hpfyRpjyNbt3YBwGGUXJ6u7f_9q6C1LOnXTQ2zNc7Yd8YrBWgenxO9wCq8ien-Z1d84wwwkINATYfOtbedt2H_tq1nrHOaf4dlIHyYQsu9rxg7mdn4fQ/s1600/DSC01449.jpg"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmx7m1t11Lba476GfFoslGh0hpfyRpjyNbt3YBwGGUXJ6u7f_9q6C1LOnXTQ2zNc7Yd8YrBWgenxO9wCq8ien-Z1d84wwwkINATYfOtbedt2H_tq1nrHOaf4dlIHyYQsu9rxg7mdn4fQ/s640/DSC01449.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgetmU3ntIVFLH21551UmgYQyf8sWT-72kPaFkXGALUpF_dbPxzCWbI0UKb7AeGPShwe07PtXdx0spse-wmbQrdaYlWbzyWPmsyjFYrjOOkehZGGXovw-_JccQ7bYanBsH-C9jTL2hPzw/s1600/IMG_4646.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgetmU3ntIVFLH21551UmgYQyf8sWT-72kPaFkXGALUpF_dbPxzCWbI0UKb7AeGPShwe07PtXdx0spse-wmbQrdaYlWbzyWPmsyjFYrjOOkehZGGXovw-_JccQ7bYanBsH-C9jTL2hPzw/s640/IMG_4646.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">ASTILBE</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Astilbe chinensis</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGmmXxXVkwpnIDMQw8EW_7xPk66md6OL3GjdnX5VAJUzfd6i95X3lDuSVirkINkN1WOYzvzWCp4zWHHyisIigtJKYncsvxAAs9IxDc_bl7Rqyup5KvT8VRbWHkLkTqTdQtTuiOl5QRys/s1600/DSC00885.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHGmmXxXVkwpnIDMQw8EW_7xPk66md6OL3GjdnX5VAJUzfd6i95X3lDuSVirkINkN1WOYzvzWCp4zWHHyisIigtJKYncsvxAAs9IxDc_bl7Rqyup5KvT8VRbWHkLkTqTdQtTuiOl5QRys/s640/DSC00885.jpg" width="480" /></a> </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">ASTRANTIA</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Astrantia 'major ruby wedding'</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttPHPRWJFpOMU8YN_8K37KSQBbqasgsOiq_ZxwTzEU9OeiFND9CWGbF3smsYg1Ze-T1dgPQ4zrEt3g6O9llGAPj8ktV6hj1DjQ3yIXIMz-hcEBpCqvG1shf4WaGPbbskDpamxPbXeF-I/s1600/DSCN0592.jpg"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhttPHPRWJFpOMU8YN_8K37KSQBbqasgsOiq_ZxwTzEU9OeiFND9CWGbF3smsYg1Ze-T1dgPQ4zrEt3g6O9llGAPj8ktV6hj1DjQ3yIXIMz-hcEBpCqvG1shf4WaGPbbskDpamxPbXeF-I/s640/DSCN0592.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuJWZw_aglb6OW4Np7R3VffKIcKBVBcndj-_WuZLprC4LJ_WQ-8Aj6sMwaB0P4z5GKsYwXTkp-BQoXyidqRA7AAycVxjOMb5LBkl7OKULVG6PUYIGtIDER3YfqlpLZa-MBTM_AExKCEY/s1600/DSC05936.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQuJWZw_aglb6OW4Np7R3VffKIcKBVBcndj-_WuZLprC4LJ_WQ-8Aj6sMwaB0P4z5GKsYwXTkp-BQoXyidqRA7AAycVxjOMb5LBkl7OKULVG6PUYIGtIDER3YfqlpLZa-MBTM_AExKCEY/s640/DSC05936.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">BEE BALM </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Monarda didyma</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloev7Q7qlOosLbcvYem6nOVzStAZILM8YEGwbXmsxxVyiL_0fnwcldgOgTNcEf9v3Fuy9yi9B1m9RBWHirDB_4R289Zw9yFaH9RsGdqx0rag19mK-zWO3mR9dwyHwEr5EbSNxNYnVtcI/s1600/DSCN0844.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhloev7Q7qlOosLbcvYem6nOVzStAZILM8YEGwbXmsxxVyiL_0fnwcldgOgTNcEf9v3Fuy9yi9B1m9RBWHirDB_4R289Zw9yFaH9RsGdqx0rag19mK-zWO3mR9dwyHwEr5EbSNxNYnVtcI/s640/DSCN0844.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eu-8A3cpUDCx27jsD_-QHQWLgXL3UD0s8CAloMhclHAC0YIrQl7J4iXy3JuEOpERs9AU-w2N_RghRSGwMtUoUXhuOEpgt6d249bO9UDcPcBN0LCFu0nr2MayNwJLJugtJYEyVm0VaS4/s1600/IMG_4887.jpg"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0eu-8A3cpUDCx27jsD_-QHQWLgXL3UD0s8CAloMhclHAC0YIrQl7J4iXy3JuEOpERs9AU-w2N_RghRSGwMtUoUXhuOEpgt6d249bO9UDcPcBN0LCFu0nr2MayNwJLJugtJYEyVm0VaS4/s640/IMG_4887.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">WHITE BLEEDING HEART</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Dicentra spectabilis 'alba'</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLhwaz_bI7F6SMrQXcMtMpsEsqtswVWB-GVI8CpFMmBS_E8LW8Tcg58mCBCNgNPULYL0z2u-RW2Ynll5w7beg0CB2D1rNXOFCFxVDKCld8fYpC9T5F3uvj5rXHo6K3RXheAzjVAFLzRM/s1600/DSC05938.jpg"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcLhwaz_bI7F6SMrQXcMtMpsEsqtswVWB-GVI8CpFMmBS_E8LW8Tcg58mCBCNgNPULYL0z2u-RW2Ynll5w7beg0CB2D1rNXOFCFxVDKCld8fYpC9T5F3uvj5rXHo6K3RXheAzjVAFLzRM/s640/DSC05938.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkQSSkdmun1_eBo5e3fLlORBp02hX12CJ1vSn-ktvH5GoyS8m7gAV1-gL64qsWcLio-s6V2bKnKvTLdWqi9ZvAP-7Zl82aUgsEBlilM6pc21JSUlVMkv8nTStTHqpNECTo9GtVk4R6Ho/s1600/dsc02825.jpg"><img border="0" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPkQSSkdmun1_eBo5e3fLlORBp02hX12CJ1vSn-ktvH5GoyS8m7gAV1-gL64qsWcLio-s6V2bKnKvTLdWqi9ZvAP-7Zl82aUgsEBlilM6pc21JSUlVMkv8nTStTHqpNECTo9GtVk4R6Ho/s640/dsc02825.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">CAMPANULA</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Campanula glomerata</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">locally known as 'China Mary'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Florence Donnelly for the start</span>.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV34yfqrQimLhB5g10_Y8xhQxiJWC3H5ipLyDcL5MqLVL_aqOsPO0HZOuxGZ8-OVqk-G1YOjvrlYtm-faMXRI_jGtGyfRog2Eg2Jm0u6e9ROjkeii6-DK2d614g_kMM6eLnlLMMkoHMew/s1600/DSC03868.JPG"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV34yfqrQimLhB5g10_Y8xhQxiJWC3H5ipLyDcL5MqLVL_aqOsPO0HZOuxGZ8-OVqk-G1YOjvrlYtm-faMXRI_jGtGyfRog2Eg2Jm0u6e9ROjkeii6-DK2d614g_kMM6eLnlLMMkoHMew/s640/DSC03868.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzV7VItTFxgM00Uoav-Ltqu9ycTYHuem-IZSs6ND_Tc7FG6XFBf5aDNNgCkkh1WHF50NgLW5w9Hham6Mxvjs2nPMI_77_-3k-dtAentkxcCLbLmLk9Yc0dDYf6eNJ85i6De5l3gu8L-HE/s1600/DSC00562.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzV7VItTFxgM00Uoav-Ltqu9ycTYHuem-IZSs6ND_Tc7FG6XFBf5aDNNgCkkh1WHF50NgLW5w9Hham6Mxvjs2nPMI_77_-3k-dtAentkxcCLbLmLk9Yc0dDYf6eNJ85i6De5l3gu8L-HE/s640/DSC00562.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0py0HZF9q_7JKdppE7EQHz4tOFDhUDMc_qL4oEjCjyMCloBEpT4i207J1o6oP20Ora_oMJrZAVucM9Tl-LM_qRCnsWdqWhaVks0SrVO2V5SaLQtfr4sc4kckgFM71ZmpRMl3cd5VMDXQ/s1600/DSC03843+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0py0HZF9q_7JKdppE7EQHz4tOFDhUDMc_qL4oEjCjyMCloBEpT4i207J1o6oP20Ora_oMJrZAVucM9Tl-LM_qRCnsWdqWhaVks0SrVO2V5SaLQtfr4sc4kckgFM71ZmpRMl3cd5VMDXQ/s640/DSC03843+2.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">COLUMBINE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Aquilegia caerulea</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQiIo1d0Y0S5eTRO4eO2oVelhs9fOUIBVJZiivPBe1ZSODRF5xwqdr_bKbDwxmdgSyrX8yk9aedpENfQfI507btZIzWuYB4zgl225KUc3UIoiIirNGHnM8Ser7srkSGy_RX-FK9an4qI/s1600/P1000638.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSQiIo1d0Y0S5eTRO4eO2oVelhs9fOUIBVJZiivPBe1ZSODRF5xwqdr_bKbDwxmdgSyrX8yk9aedpENfQfI507btZIzWuYB4zgl225KUc3UIoiIirNGHnM8Ser7srkSGy_RX-FK9an4qI/s640/P1000638.jpg" width="604" /></a></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25VbjmU5tcti6-70FUFQTRPtzEomksZ6zBUdAswZan5Vu2lkW8gOxnaiOQGOIT-nt90RyLBxOzOsBnCUHH9wbOKDsvKDfg03C2vlL-Oj1vEd9h1PJkLl4FgBOoc081oMhCLhA_wjC90Q/s1600/DSC06303.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh25VbjmU5tcti6-70FUFQTRPtzEomksZ6zBUdAswZan5Vu2lkW8gOxnaiOQGOIT-nt90RyLBxOzOsBnCUHH9wbOKDsvKDfg03C2vlL-Oj1vEd9h1PJkLl4FgBOoc081oMhCLhA_wjC90Q/s640/DSC06303.jpg" width="490" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykEFKifAmgOf1Cl8L92J6B-Xgtyjook60yXrE_ag7Hj_IWE5Qn-6yU0qHIKbtt48_4BMF_PLM3BdXPmLBVuCAt-wiPaBjrc8CbDhZkZ9zzqy8KtJglgNkoCiUqCr1jpK5nkY5r08rC4M/s1600/DSCN0749.jpg"><img border="0" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiykEFKifAmgOf1Cl8L92J6B-Xgtyjook60yXrE_ag7Hj_IWE5Qn-6yU0qHIKbtt48_4BMF_PLM3BdXPmLBVuCAt-wiPaBjrc8CbDhZkZ9zzqy8KtJglgNkoCiUqCr1jpK5nkY5r08rC4M/s640/DSCN0749.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaj5wJBOhNMM00dC-gfz8h1rbHjh-6ue5qzWHy7pGa_Fa6jffa66bLIJf9I9HtIwBfMACxsaJBzcnTnNXRxcp9G8WwdcBZLGtkQsZKHKOWSYxU-FBv_LK9XB-lSx_9o71Xb_795HO0Uk/s1600/P1000592.jpg"><img border="0" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaj5wJBOhNMM00dC-gfz8h1rbHjh-6ue5qzWHy7pGa_Fa6jffa66bLIJf9I9HtIwBfMACxsaJBzcnTnNXRxcp9G8WwdcBZLGtkQsZKHKOWSYxU-FBv_LK9XB-lSx_9o71Xb_795HO0Uk/s640/P1000592.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2Vs5wGgl4Ko1R5ccO0Frp6Uqdv4-1utyOF2ugxpdGxrfsJFxAKM4Rhv8wNkiqquCWkLQPud0i9XhZ8NqTOWafSn9-4AHB8miGUHI6jZIgMKgE-VPbhIhp4Pb-J_ow78N9XTCMkOqY4Q/s1600/P1000619.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX2Vs5wGgl4Ko1R5ccO0Frp6Uqdv4-1utyOF2ugxpdGxrfsJFxAKM4Rhv8wNkiqquCWkLQPud0i9XhZ8NqTOWafSn9-4AHB8miGUHI6jZIgMKgE-VPbhIhp4Pb-J_ow78N9XTCMkOqY4Q/s640/P1000619.jpg" width="608" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSANsKxKrvJAK_w7NEQNohOklYmUzQeuz03CodWsczWa2sBcm40yUNcVMevluE9f6hT4tGtNPqHVX7dv7sjp0c2VQ3mKFMXyoCBseNtMGTZs68DP9qL6a7iGq4JCfuK-31E-_sHbVkBQ/s1600/IMG_4233.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitSANsKxKrvJAK_w7NEQNohOklYmUzQeuz03CodWsczWa2sBcm40yUNcVMevluE9f6hT4tGtNPqHVX7dv7sjp0c2VQ3mKFMXyoCBseNtMGTZs68DP9qL6a7iGq4JCfuK-31E-_sHbVkBQ/s640/IMG_4233.jpg" width="544" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEhOYkWGA4HlefaElPde_HRYt5vMj5EfT3j78_g5ae-5nqdzt-qiqodAUj8nq0Emhk-j8PljAWhx07-ZQupYjJPL6ih13kgsVXxdEU_RzeLRU7usFHJ1aUeHBh_bgJ-vzKbk0bblvOU4/s1600/IMG_1288.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheEhOYkWGA4HlefaElPde_HRYt5vMj5EfT3j78_g5ae-5nqdzt-qiqodAUj8nq0Emhk-j8PljAWhx07-ZQupYjJPL6ih13kgsVXxdEU_RzeLRU7usFHJ1aUeHBh_bgJ-vzKbk0bblvOU4/s640/IMG_1288.jpg" width="544" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTguHv_afUJJTVJXu-EAlzSkC6MriAG1yxdUrUgb-k2JyTbwdKA3HKS8LtAjsl8Lz0Cv7fYqNfolFx_mVJSagOIz1LV346iqAWoX4vmFAMNT2atgpZfsxKthmHsOFIcxYATeRFruW6O4/s1600/P1000590.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBTguHv_afUJJTVJXu-EAlzSkC6MriAG1yxdUrUgb-k2JyTbwdKA3HKS8LtAjsl8Lz0Cv7fYqNfolFx_mVJSagOIz1LV346iqAWoX4vmFAMNT2atgpZfsxKthmHsOFIcxYATeRFruW6O4/s640/P1000590.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">DAMES ROCKET, PHLOX</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Hesperis matronalis</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmROJaX4Kg7zTyzhdQn9JE7a-TuX9NdedAjsD6DfsHkXlZnp5Qst2C5NY-4ZbUX-wzG5sC1K-77wMIXvCC7L-zfzeI4-kisuusTxGd7J-N8A8bh5Th49K-IkrRW8wYccCYqWhPS8ECKM0/s1600/IMG_5133.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmROJaX4Kg7zTyzhdQn9JE7a-TuX9NdedAjsD6DfsHkXlZnp5Qst2C5NY-4ZbUX-wzG5sC1K-77wMIXvCC7L-zfzeI4-kisuusTxGd7J-N8A8bh5Th49K-IkrRW8wYccCYqWhPS8ECKM0/s640/IMG_5133.jpg" width="536" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">DELPHINIUM</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Delphinium elatum </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'giant pacific' 'white swan' 'galahad'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOlslAkvYMTehjZB6xn0R_QBagXOy7AeYsvrh7YQ6Tcv1vVueLrY2qvs8u582rXSDnPepiQaEhbY4ICqYSd94vkbPf5AbVlI5WEzw3GCgbgB2Y3sNBv4YBoMle4LjqAYs3RrVTeDJG-g/s1600/8797%255B1%255D.jpg"><img border="0" height="500" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIOlslAkvYMTehjZB6xn0R_QBagXOy7AeYsvrh7YQ6Tcv1vVueLrY2qvs8u582rXSDnPepiQaEhbY4ICqYSd94vkbPf5AbVlI5WEzw3GCgbgB2Y3sNBv4YBoMle4LjqAYs3RrVTeDJG-g/s640/8797%255B1%255D.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdy0A006MXjFhGMsDk-rCHVeXOuJAKhLGnsnC0Lm8eqvRFk17WqHhR8S2537pMhvpw8ONfbbIBqUE0zGHiWLsKKJQnISb1iLsoIYQpThpP0SMq6QaO3tDRfK4lg76GZHMCwOQa70fYzY8/s1600/dsc01431.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdy0A006MXjFhGMsDk-rCHVeXOuJAKhLGnsnC0Lm8eqvRFk17WqHhR8S2537pMhvpw8ONfbbIBqUE0zGHiWLsKKJQnISb1iLsoIYQpThpP0SMq6QaO3tDRfK4lg76GZHMCwOQa70fYzY8/s640/dsc01431.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00tmX8z9CyXEJBlxgHD9rY2ffQtUwFDx_-InTSshjuzDffJgQYiA4gIR0bt5-2JjDdq1shZXxyuvKH01h_I_AFtQYrMDGzPPuALUwtCxPriSDDKoCvVTDe82OUCEyoP6eKEl_4M2OW1Y/s1600/DSC01419.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj00tmX8z9CyXEJBlxgHD9rY2ffQtUwFDx_-InTSshjuzDffJgQYiA4gIR0bt5-2JjDdq1shZXxyuvKH01h_I_AFtQYrMDGzPPuALUwtCxPriSDDKoCvVTDe82OUCEyoP6eKEl_4M2OW1Y/s640/DSC01419.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpR3SnJ0bSp90rEAbs54pnh1sB1H6PIXOp1lXeWsYMMPbK_VrivHtiXQG8SXax4o_tgQldex31dwgqApGmnFl-aJ3GOzVs0WWTDpE7w3H3EOvXFVxhUEvlukpLCpT-hHKfh13so7HoXIE/s1600/DSC01413.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpR3SnJ0bSp90rEAbs54pnh1sB1H6PIXOp1lXeWsYMMPbK_VrivHtiXQG8SXax4o_tgQldex31dwgqApGmnFl-aJ3GOzVs0WWTDpE7w3H3EOvXFVxhUEvlukpLCpT-hHKfh13so7HoXIE/s640/DSC01413.jpg" width="626" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdh1ma80dAEIDr7dwW-pUOPo78UbUuAMlABtT1X2UeMUJq-_Wy41Y_6DifWIg5RXIJXqYDq0upqNLTE2neLiVrvY0nV0qUZ7-SmtegqtQd8aCFpWgrnq6KOvWeL1_P4IMVYsM2a-WEUBk/s1600/IMG_0482.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdh1ma80dAEIDr7dwW-pUOPo78UbUuAMlABtT1X2UeMUJq-_Wy41Y_6DifWIg5RXIJXqYDq0upqNLTE2neLiVrvY0nV0qUZ7-SmtegqtQd8aCFpWgrnq6KOvWeL1_P4IMVYsM2a-WEUBk/s640/IMG_0482.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0aiRPty6px-RsK2gdQRpJNtmc4g4qzzHFfVHmZSoR4skVZl7T1sr2nFDH9-SfqCNKobMQgXaxdt2iP6VX3mTRE9ktWofdhsGkBUuYOgUTTPy6FvV6tWVEbHo0Md2BN6HGMeKWIuRIes/s1600/IMG_4630.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO0aiRPty6px-RsK2gdQRpJNtmc4g4qzzHFfVHmZSoR4skVZl7T1sr2nFDH9-SfqCNKobMQgXaxdt2iP6VX3mTRE9ktWofdhsGkBUuYOgUTTPy6FvV6tWVEbHo0Md2BN6HGMeKWIuRIes/s640/IMG_4630.jpg" width="548" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTx2aBzuJawqlmZ617WxxhevwD7nHddLq8VaMZM3aTfhSA22B4ChbV5mmm9kcAvRkWgQUPuC5FHq2cHJGBC07DavBHjnbidNA9wPIJcZYo0HcpN-4Ug6OUneE7al8koTwoHGYjDCg4g0/s1600/IMG_0485.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzTx2aBzuJawqlmZ617WxxhevwD7nHddLq8VaMZM3aTfhSA22B4ChbV5mmm9kcAvRkWgQUPuC5FHq2cHJGBC07DavBHjnbidNA9wPIJcZYo0HcpN-4Ug6OUneE7al8koTwoHGYjDCg4g0/s640/IMG_0485.jpg" width="612" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q-5bMNeCDFOkI_Pbm3zOrwflnUkqiwZJcCbNG1ED9kVXfvwxKAcHzkfzlb9FoIfOLnKOeJpWBH-KZnI1-7riIeDpFvxKN1u1XFpI6dntyh3V6rpGPsaAKX5SfF3gIZCCXRgsoDvZUCA/s1600/DSC03934.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4Q-5bMNeCDFOkI_Pbm3zOrwflnUkqiwZJcCbNG1ED9kVXfvwxKAcHzkfzlb9FoIfOLnKOeJpWBH-KZnI1-7riIeDpFvxKN1u1XFpI6dntyh3V6rpGPsaAKX5SfF3gIZCCXRgsoDvZUCA/s640/DSC03934.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2URmJOqjO9LDKmLKKki-dF4rVummBae8mDc-rXPpGK-2-w8xP8ovztJ2FfSvGk5Wokm0pH8YBeuPtmCLzLwmkfWIXYescYjZ8_Tl6wUx3pytFMQHoDMSCIaPWVQTLaX9k3YH4mV2KYZc/s1600/DSC06963.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2URmJOqjO9LDKmLKKki-dF4rVummBae8mDc-rXPpGK-2-w8xP8ovztJ2FfSvGk5Wokm0pH8YBeuPtmCLzLwmkfWIXYescYjZ8_Tl6wUx3pytFMQHoDMSCIaPWVQTLaX9k3YH4mV2KYZc/s640/DSC06963.jpg" width="416" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">ENGLISH DAISY</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Bellis perennis</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbYN5QNx-hPFDSRD6AG00ekXIB6K8cSvQsVysO_LmpsZvPFdaMFyxvh_QcFwFCQpW-DY3hoshehibrba6gEUMPz8ZdQoaD6DIq20QvGEGdOlA6HKXRwDqr__pJ8lShs-uF3FmhH-GeHg/s1600/IMG_3617.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHbYN5QNx-hPFDSRD6AG00ekXIB6K8cSvQsVysO_LmpsZvPFdaMFyxvh_QcFwFCQpW-DY3hoshehibrba6gEUMPz8ZdQoaD6DIq20QvGEGdOlA6HKXRwDqr__pJ8lShs-uF3FmhH-GeHg/s640/IMG_3617.jpg" width="508" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuD3CsQd3ZJF4JnAVxpryZEzuKdh5JUPPipeX8Kc2VDbS6o_Wxml3oQxZwVUGDHHYpGuIMCmQ5McHTY57WlNsXEjJMBYUx5y12_2GuIEWelzPg-PHfYU6Zr37G4rdDQ0scdsy3JA06tc/s1600/IMG_4272.jpg"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizuD3CsQd3ZJF4JnAVxpryZEzuKdh5JUPPipeX8Kc2VDbS6o_Wxml3oQxZwVUGDHHYpGuIMCmQ5McHTY57WlNsXEjJMBYUx5y12_2GuIEWelzPg-PHfYU6Zr37G4rdDQ0scdsy3JA06tc/s640/IMG_4272.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgrx013bKmDQj0FLB05Qabwrv7x7yGJjI3wUIz2NISwFq7PcfY63S_YpPjtT4utaz_SpvpgJBejTK0IeX_Z_-Eoja5tlWtWn3t1TX1VJN_srzYz2wJ41bbM4RNe4dvNythVTByShMHqc/s1600/P1000539.JPG"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfgrx013bKmDQj0FLB05Qabwrv7x7yGJjI3wUIz2NISwFq7PcfY63S_YpPjtT4utaz_SpvpgJBejTK0IeX_Z_-Eoja5tlWtWn3t1TX1VJN_srzYz2wJ41bbM4RNe4dvNythVTByShMHqc/s640/P1000539.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxCLTG81Zm82i3qNmNBIgPzrnez_OxBoD5gbpUUe-KYLjrwiAYJ2Zn6yV3EcxGy7ULoIrC3BR0bOzPhz2UYbBQkCQD_noV5vkBMtujbHXRFp4KYYuzgZ7cy8rwl12uoBM88-YENludHs/s1600/DSC04649.JPG"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaxCLTG81Zm82i3qNmNBIgPzrnez_OxBoD5gbpUUe-KYLjrwiAYJ2Zn6yV3EcxGy7ULoIrC3BR0bOzPhz2UYbBQkCQD_noV5vkBMtujbHXRFp4KYYuzgZ7cy8rwl12uoBM88-YENludHs/s640/DSC04649.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">EUPHORBIA</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNSbbwbkgoT6nXY7QtNCNsvi1w2HPHzj7ULDb2d_nT-Bf3OeGbgzF8e-qJ3oUuR8nTSIXoSJtPRFK6P1ObptUhHnipoM5JsEU67oJ9urJwAjRKyvK1RRt_DO2vafYmL913wnH15LKBD4/s1600/P1000527.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioNSbbwbkgoT6nXY7QtNCNsvi1w2HPHzj7ULDb2d_nT-Bf3OeGbgzF8e-qJ3oUuR8nTSIXoSJtPRFK6P1ObptUhHnipoM5JsEU67oJ9urJwAjRKyvK1RRt_DO2vafYmL913wnH15LKBD4/s640/P1000527.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GXnQlnnNy2g9S-XWUINW-Gk7YTAGQ47b5o2def5aHliGdrWxfqfZAmEErgwAieuLdS2jTEahhtrC4PVhZip1G1_fnBMkMg1K6XMPkc6y9PqdDxNomwi93at4bxiTHJv6p1ln-7eoH2o/s1600/IMG_0338.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3GXnQlnnNy2g9S-XWUINW-Gk7YTAGQ47b5o2def5aHliGdrWxfqfZAmEErgwAieuLdS2jTEahhtrC4PVhZip1G1_fnBMkMg1K6XMPkc6y9PqdDxNomwi93at4bxiTHJv6p1ln-7eoH2o/s640/IMG_0338.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGeLhv5XmGTknKOVBaeiWF-hg4jpTRczJQvZHrq_Gsnv6Ygsk8cdIhF2ipDMoaUiprdk9XJxqHMOBEuz0_qyda0qF3pgyabn-sooiQ2v9gl16ifBi0DBXZP6bHe-dtHQwAl_AzwWuoGc/s1600/IMG_0152.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAGeLhv5XmGTknKOVBaeiWF-hg4jpTRczJQvZHrq_Gsnv6Ygsk8cdIhF2ipDMoaUiprdk9XJxqHMOBEuz0_qyda0qF3pgyabn-sooiQ2v9gl16ifBi0DBXZP6bHe-dtHQwAl_AzwWuoGc/s640/IMG_0152.jpg" width="560" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">FEVERFEW</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Chrysanthemum parthenium</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'white wonder' 'white pompon'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnSeNjyHzaoMSWtWI-8PmdsP3piQx7OlUp-NemF9dPQJ-jOiFltKzZNEvc4iA35SXz2LBsiNpgIsWEVwSCgBuhHBehvS1SHze74RSPhMBgZbTT4fR9C4-lMWg_sxWgXUzLVzbiCKccxs/s1600/DSC00791.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwnSeNjyHzaoMSWtWI-8PmdsP3piQx7OlUp-NemF9dPQJ-jOiFltKzZNEvc4iA35SXz2LBsiNpgIsWEVwSCgBuhHBehvS1SHze74RSPhMBgZbTT4fR9C4-lMWg_sxWgXUzLVzbiCKccxs/s640/DSC00791.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hJ3kgWY1UYuTu4GYnS9eb9q7Xl3QZX7bx_j1vVYhD1bhCCbVfeK-55A1JEX_ZBanP2S0NjdxWhRRqbgBC6WcNusQJ1HSCnzVBw-V4MJFBWSydpE0B9HG0zWwCtDILQNfk4PD1zK_aug/s1600/DSC06957.jpg"><img border="0" height="518" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6hJ3kgWY1UYuTu4GYnS9eb9q7Xl3QZX7bx_j1vVYhD1bhCCbVfeK-55A1JEX_ZBanP2S0NjdxWhRRqbgBC6WcNusQJ1HSCnzVBw-V4MJFBWSydpE0B9HG0zWwCtDILQNfk4PD1zK_aug/s640/DSC06957.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">GENTIAN</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Gentiana septemfida</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Les Brake for the start.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtil03FroD0GW-rqLtVNisZXqQiL3R6n9T4qcFHwa6Ah-yUBwpUYCwAVfITe81VUbA7lCFqISDfvr754pNDMSgW7fHVMKOxAXM_zj8YpWMI5MsD1PoC__ZlKPFoFHceEHB8_BdAcjFUVs/s1600/DSC05055.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtil03FroD0GW-rqLtVNisZXqQiL3R6n9T4qcFHwa6Ah-yUBwpUYCwAVfITe81VUbA7lCFqISDfvr754pNDMSgW7fHVMKOxAXM_zj8YpWMI5MsD1PoC__ZlKPFoFHceEHB8_BdAcjFUVs/s640/DSC05055.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">WILD GERANIUM</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Geranium x magnificum</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Cranesbill 'Johnson's blue'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Dena Weathers for the start.</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNS14IMbym66sUSK7eQNIJbycEVIBz_cUIJVvUJUq_s_kroy74LEBV-ReLymnv4P4VgGRpcQMURtBnFM-MNIPmeIKFFvY5z80dEZuoSNk6jYz9A7Kcw5LVak4AJG3VNeOV81WqVwWlGQ/s1600/IMG_0274.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYNS14IMbym66sUSK7eQNIJbycEVIBz_cUIJVvUJUq_s_kroy74LEBV-ReLymnv4P4VgGRpcQMURtBnFM-MNIPmeIKFFvY5z80dEZuoSNk6jYz9A7Kcw5LVak4AJG3VNeOV81WqVwWlGQ/s640/IMG_0274.jpg" width="564" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBd7dt1-gu3RPWYLtmY8nE5JcDgWkoyOaxNzpiHzcDxDxS6NKg43EqHR0sfF9cI7XeIZSLVnrJhyphenhyphengIbgKDeTwN0X_uynRZNoRTvhL-7s3RrsgLw5mUBPaTE0rSa0pmdazPA8mWZ_etN0/s1600/DSCN0579.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhBd7dt1-gu3RPWYLtmY8nE5JcDgWkoyOaxNzpiHzcDxDxS6NKg43EqHR0sfF9cI7XeIZSLVnrJhyphenhyphengIbgKDeTwN0X_uynRZNoRTvhL-7s3RrsgLw5mUBPaTE0rSa0pmdazPA8mWZ_etN0/s640/DSCN0579.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqD4Dxgk0ETG62W8eDO47jcBbQwxcUTQgEFM3u100-MZRxzvbVtNECMuLv9CKndwPrzRrz-00AV80iXJnjkZE6eh9KOQGveoy1thf2Ec5y_bh4mFO3AGlODrYDyQmwVWPiSJy99DU5Sf8/s1600/DSCN0613.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqD4Dxgk0ETG62W8eDO47jcBbQwxcUTQgEFM3u100-MZRxzvbVtNECMuLv9CKndwPrzRrz-00AV80iXJnjkZE6eh9KOQGveoy1thf2Ec5y_bh4mFO3AGlODrYDyQmwVWPiSJy99DU5Sf8/s640/DSCN0613.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">GLOBE FLOWER</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Trollius chinensis</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'Golden Queen'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwIRFW85mwl4ymN-dvTqJdO_fS7lEfsMz-FO615RVVQ-ZoXPT7ehYPRSFj_CAkkkhaW35X609H3OXpZp_hPMc9mLL0nNgBSbaGRyeRt7EtJn8x_l8e1shc5omj_GLs-toQMdTMCMhRAk/s1600/IMG_0344.jpg"><img border="0" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUwIRFW85mwl4ymN-dvTqJdO_fS7lEfsMz-FO615RVVQ-ZoXPT7ehYPRSFj_CAkkkhaW35X609H3OXpZp_hPMc9mLL0nNgBSbaGRyeRt7EtJn8x_l8e1shc5omj_GLs-toQMdTMCMhRAk/s640/IMG_0344.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim28aNvj56tyGLAbU5VCBr8wndjgPoybXzFymgoj0Qgiasv2htlyMWg8o_pfIINsS5Uvkj6kFj-KPLZz4p3Q-RybsgA6co5o6lXusE-Otwvw5OKga7cKrhy7TBprbtqCj5dOKkSncDj1k/s1600/DSC03981+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim28aNvj56tyGLAbU5VCBr8wndjgPoybXzFymgoj0Qgiasv2htlyMWg8o_pfIINsS5Uvkj6kFj-KPLZz4p3Q-RybsgA6co5o6lXusE-Otwvw5OKga7cKrhy7TBprbtqCj5dOKkSncDj1k/s640/DSC03981+2.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfXLqC4imNlPJTJU9TlSl02wM6bLJgQAwUqR0TQCAz4xcrT2UkovzsjBgVq6Yzbs8puAUn1jWSuSH-6D9YzdJkKyXAWiboab8bkPwlepQUh9T_ih2DxGEnbcnwMq4KkdYHJzYzmajI_8/s1600/P1000762.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTfXLqC4imNlPJTJU9TlSl02wM6bLJgQAwUqR0TQCAz4xcrT2UkovzsjBgVq6Yzbs8puAUn1jWSuSH-6D9YzdJkKyXAWiboab8bkPwlepQUh9T_ih2DxGEnbcnwMq4KkdYHJzYzmajI_8/s640/P1000762.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'Alabaster'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Les Brake for the start.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rMaQIuCaz6S5eyNBjty80trQyAnJcNOU2DIwMiaaTOaa6pP-Rod5Pkod3rgzmAzlsdfulQmV8_72dYCWoUfwShKtrevjA8Pvih-bO27VF9LLlGCm6hO57MqL4g4vsb5NhVGlUCa7Npg/s1600/DSCN0686.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_rMaQIuCaz6S5eyNBjty80trQyAnJcNOU2DIwMiaaTOaa6pP-Rod5Pkod3rgzmAzlsdfulQmV8_72dYCWoUfwShKtrevjA8Pvih-bO27VF9LLlGCm6hO57MqL4g4vsb5NhVGlUCa7Npg/s640/DSCN0686.jpg" width="590" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ANiEVe3IeomfCYBcHUd0REO5uxFQ-c5fhqtJjcd37mjyH1CMg1OGQYkmAOalrK8Yp2Yg5cOiEPtX7gLhQrAxr_7VzxKQIG7uTDwFUVE99BFVU9I9g5KXHnWO13X_1zoVuAUcAlZGKN4/s1600/P1000582.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2ANiEVe3IeomfCYBcHUd0REO5uxFQ-c5fhqtJjcd37mjyH1CMg1OGQYkmAOalrK8Yp2Yg5cOiEPtX7gLhQrAxr_7VzxKQIG7uTDwFUVE99BFVU9I9g5KXHnWO13X_1zoVuAUcAlZGKN4/s640/P1000582.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">GLOBE THISTLE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Echinops ritro</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQ3Aikei3X05trBTcdIEKkteiYa_bGSfnt9BuMRoEy7c0xqQZB1MjUVqnucRyNo3Ek1GxfbuxVEs28jZiTygePni2CI4dwNC8P7JPfFQx1Nup34rQZ0bByBy55Cn3_PSoc9h8xLSTrsY/s1600/IMG_0528.jpg"><img border="0" height="538" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOQ3Aikei3X05trBTcdIEKkteiYa_bGSfnt9BuMRoEy7c0xqQZB1MjUVqnucRyNo3Ek1GxfbuxVEs28jZiTygePni2CI4dwNC8P7JPfFQx1Nup34rQZ0bByBy55Cn3_PSoc9h8xLSTrsY/s640/IMG_0528.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUZpHETL8eyOXAJuCo9HQat2VlNmU8vCIRVgLeeXbSNYs5qPhL8dffUho6_nXJiFkwlOp16iZBEQdLws_Ey_ASJHuU2azExvC2JrixolEmuX15SVJZtm7D6CxqaF2y0w5UQQaHNea8R8/s1600/IMG_2441.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxUZpHETL8eyOXAJuCo9HQat2VlNmU8vCIRVgLeeXbSNYs5qPhL8dffUho6_nXJiFkwlOp16iZBEQdLws_Ey_ASJHuU2azExvC2JrixolEmuX15SVJZtm7D6CxqaF2y0w5UQQaHNea8R8/s640/IMG_2441.jpg" width="414" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqucDLIaiPqshKvo7SgqMeXEO9hPzRzliu3aC9gAI4Kp3MWp6hvARoFhZbNNXUBfz77DcedfqfTWY_gYi0vp2UiIaTMSi_wQ3p_jkzwzvT39kjeJ3Q_x7PrrDjuTMUh-MjFzVGMW06JI/s1600/flowers+005.jpg"><img border="0" height="588" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghqucDLIaiPqshKvo7SgqMeXEO9hPzRzliu3aC9gAI4Kp3MWp6hvARoFhZbNNXUBfz77DcedfqfTWY_gYi0vp2UiIaTMSi_wQ3p_jkzwzvT39kjeJ3Q_x7PrrDjuTMUh-MjFzVGMW06JI/s640/flowers+005.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">HOSTA</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Hosta 'Albomarginata'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLF8T1z2zzeUob3FSm6Y5CSfpI2sOrJPWK2-c-lhkn7D2fIZp5Zv_OYAXXlPDiz-UkxboMzh9qeWTeYx6Rh6pS_pOQTgpkGM5MKRRCmy5VfcpdsyjFDYuA0CYHXMU8wUUnA71C_9klO8/s1600/DSC00672.jpg"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNLF8T1z2zzeUob3FSm6Y5CSfpI2sOrJPWK2-c-lhkn7D2fIZp5Zv_OYAXXlPDiz-UkxboMzh9qeWTeYx6Rh6pS_pOQTgpkGM5MKRRCmy5VfcpdsyjFDYuA0CYHXMU8wUUnA71C_9klO8/s640/DSC00672.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpCQfgbFYB2jTz6Zc3DFVRHORG_55qEpkvv2VYgxDpocr8j_d_bz2p9QZSORTbB-25Xt4qAWZi13mG2gTbho4e2NAHeoVmmPhhBKRp7YVCNkyDlrakibwYBXK3dRyXPWK0Sl6cck8zjc/s1600/IMG_6216.jpg"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQpCQfgbFYB2jTz6Zc3DFVRHORG_55qEpkvv2VYgxDpocr8j_d_bz2p9QZSORTbB-25Xt4qAWZi13mG2gTbho4e2NAHeoVmmPhhBKRp7YVCNkyDlrakibwYBXK3dRyXPWK0Sl6cck8zjc/s640/IMG_6216.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2PxUiSsj2eJKIOJ5usAOPhZ5vgPaMS6__16-8NFq6tBoKOx6y86QGoqfALCXdgWugLvYc5DtI1-aFGIWbWAlYN1Czkd9ZuIn94tWiu_RP9XLXTPm4l0hBe610oC10pL1FT42gp7MVe0/s1600/DSC03886.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn2PxUiSsj2eJKIOJ5usAOPhZ5vgPaMS6__16-8NFq6tBoKOx6y86QGoqfALCXdgWugLvYc5DtI1-aFGIWbWAlYN1Czkd9ZuIn94tWiu_RP9XLXTPm4l0hBe610oC10pL1FT42gp7MVe0/s640/DSC03886.jpg" width="536" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'Big Mama'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Penny Brown for the start.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgJkD4Q8slHw1oOqGswwLCF6NZpZUqA_m-es4Y5bJuZxw1yQzQUYc7Mh5B1DQahWQl8ASi1y0BiNaTajAIYNopsGods4Oes9q1xUR5g03cd_yc4jxnVw8_OJfLccdxlTDRATDiJ8tq_A/s1600/DSCN0633.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLgJkD4Q8slHw1oOqGswwLCF6NZpZUqA_m-es4Y5bJuZxw1yQzQUYc7Mh5B1DQahWQl8ASi1y0BiNaTajAIYNopsGods4Oes9q1xUR5g03cd_yc4jxnVw8_OJfLccdxlTDRATDiJ8tq_A/s640/DSCN0633.jpg" width="430" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'Shade Fanfare'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzp8079lIYaCI82ddpOgeg10VTEziHu84YAVBPlLS8_PqpM34tFKUGyGnYlGgYu47wj6x_tCnYDIkUbXpd1zbWWFII5WDCPfAjy-zESkTzDt-JJT7_yUmyjStElKLawGX6xH9TT837r0/s1600/DSCN0624+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="632" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzp8079lIYaCI82ddpOgeg10VTEziHu84YAVBPlLS8_PqpM34tFKUGyGnYlGgYu47wj6x_tCnYDIkUbXpd1zbWWFII5WDCPfAjy-zESkTzDt-JJT7_yUmyjStElKLawGX6xH9TT837r0/s640/DSCN0624+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'Twilight'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Klaudia Leccese for the start.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZwOFtf_71aAgVLWX3tC63XgidQKFXlAdSMUzNWPZEikFh5hIzokoR3unwG5fqDu3WLTO08zLQukFt6JesLnpnYoiNXG9wq9wJYT3O8ZjlIyJMcZOr_vO0hI5fR6iXO7-ANWJs2dOupw/s1600/DSC06267.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTZwOFtf_71aAgVLWX3tC63XgidQKFXlAdSMUzNWPZEikFh5hIzokoR3unwG5fqDu3WLTO08zLQukFt6JesLnpnYoiNXG9wq9wJYT3O8ZjlIyJMcZOr_vO0hI5fR6iXO7-ANWJs2dOupw/s640/DSC06267.jpg" width="610" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggp9Xn0Dgw8S6uxK6JBnb_KCOb1cEIxHPPOFGc_VQogbtweA-Jj9nh1trQxpl7S66pnMMbVsJIZZ06j1rcLTS3g8DTEcUd-R6EyfrmPrwyu9t4L69_WplR8oPlgwIO88o0CYjkc8FGqkU/s1600/IMG_6393.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggp9Xn0Dgw8S6uxK6JBnb_KCOb1cEIxHPPOFGc_VQogbtweA-Jj9nh1trQxpl7S66pnMMbVsJIZZ06j1rcLTS3g8DTEcUd-R6EyfrmPrwyu9t4L69_WplR8oPlgwIO88o0CYjkc8FGqkU/s640/IMG_6393.jpg" width="526" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">JACOB'S LADDER</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Polemonium acutiflorum, caeruleum</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxfVGu8nTc0uKPpve-b8UJGEPgNjn2WUjOHmVit0olBx71jIyeBYo6u6ok8RPbTYwrH3V7G2Y0yFqEzFJ0A5SxepyCoH0ApTNjEX3kO_KW_IlVmKCq_el2dW838xQJOf-wevNgyyLZNU/s1600/IMG_0146.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOxfVGu8nTc0uKPpve-b8UJGEPgNjn2WUjOHmVit0olBx71jIyeBYo6u6ok8RPbTYwrH3V7G2Y0yFqEzFJ0A5SxepyCoH0ApTNjEX3kO_KW_IlVmKCq_el2dW838xQJOf-wevNgyyLZNU/s640/IMG_0146.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPiE2UMcory_l5MAiT9KLheDj1opEgyNPDr0oAdQ-Ixj0zRh3tVq8jOZFUHKV2tj2lf7Bz2xKeUhxZRDaKnzWmSagvGFskxE7I9U1JCpXgCtubbaPWotqLVnN1EDjXtwd7M5ep5I2wYw/s1600/DSC00783.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtPiE2UMcory_l5MAiT9KLheDj1opEgyNPDr0oAdQ-Ixj0zRh3tVq8jOZFUHKV2tj2lf7Bz2xKeUhxZRDaKnzWmSagvGFskxE7I9U1JCpXgCtubbaPWotqLVnN1EDjXtwd7M5ep5I2wYw/s640/DSC00783.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">LEOPARD'S BANE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Doronicum cordatum</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVN2Ss5aUymd5IvFHiq75EJvGvKP7FN4FFOfaqbi8bBCRC0fd00rsSln8nk4GXaRbyN6hj1pRhOPDswBG5BeMbY5gQcvONTlxQCeRaD0NvxtGntRQWYYY0wEgvm12AN6sK8flHXVdeZyQ/s1600/DSC06195.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVN2Ss5aUymd5IvFHiq75EJvGvKP7FN4FFOfaqbi8bBCRC0fd00rsSln8nk4GXaRbyN6hj1pRhOPDswBG5BeMbY5gQcvONTlxQCeRaD0NvxtGntRQWYYY0wEgvm12AN6sK8flHXVdeZyQ/s640/DSC06195.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eyRDVT4KrmiW-y7EWHfoGIw1YlN8YmTJW4Pzk0AqkeXTC7I1yG1-ZW-0glN23LpfOOY-_I2YV0s8SJwcTDnd1li4pQ7a4NrJ3IG3ohxERlPSkmVCd7DMHgHSrpZey98O3b5pPV9Ee68/s1600/DSC06228.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_eyRDVT4KrmiW-y7EWHfoGIw1YlN8YmTJW4Pzk0AqkeXTC7I1yG1-ZW-0glN23LpfOOY-_I2YV0s8SJwcTDnd1li4pQ7a4NrJ3IG3ohxERlPSkmVCd7DMHgHSrpZey98O3b5pPV9Ee68/s640/DSC06228.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">LIGULARIA</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Ligularia przewalskii</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'the rocket'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0dkEomFz2cJ_eziSNz_P5yLkICWgTPlJXsaBRawXVUzd4XIoweB6TOQCxCEUX1J4qIeIXVmhKFNEbkbMv7EI0pvxjgDvUWoQXlUM1SQ9tFmAfsoSm0KFBTMWCM0LEnoQXWCWaoARnEM/s1600/IMG_4812.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgR0dkEomFz2cJ_eziSNz_P5yLkICWgTPlJXsaBRawXVUzd4XIoweB6TOQCxCEUX1J4qIeIXVmhKFNEbkbMv7EI0pvxjgDvUWoQXlUM1SQ9tFmAfsoSm0KFBTMWCM0LEnoQXWCWaoARnEM/s640/IMG_4812.JPG" width="480" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGineQa1EgSVwtjtcLZ_TC7Z-yzDDfYSUX9Fnw0ugtqW1Hqo0KkZiuW_aSjHMyz7-W3iwYh-WxgdONiQgPYKkV13S80qIHRFmYhnaGkeIHxsMbSlKVtcDPbSQ-p6l4gu3NEC9K2Sv6_c/s1600/img035.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLGineQa1EgSVwtjtcLZ_TC7Z-yzDDfYSUX9Fnw0ugtqW1Hqo0KkZiuW_aSjHMyz7-W3iwYh-WxgdONiQgPYKkV13S80qIHRFmYhnaGkeIHxsMbSlKVtcDPbSQ-p6l4gu3NEC9K2Sv6_c/s640/img035.jpg" width="582" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Ligularia dentate</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqRcoR4V5r_L6_Z6d2RQFmjNRJhrS4WptM4LKPVrnmYfusoK5JegGdf6m8GTj7Sz-yxpUJVlriYDTA5X17q26jpPvthzbHai7kTEFozXZxgFJjIMS9E3RGProRKm4KPIoXv_kDLxw-_I/s1600/DSC00854.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBqRcoR4V5r_L6_Z6d2RQFmjNRJhrS4WptM4LKPVrnmYfusoK5JegGdf6m8GTj7Sz-yxpUJVlriYDTA5X17q26jpPvthzbHai7kTEFozXZxgFJjIMS9E3RGProRKm4KPIoXv_kDLxw-_I/s640/DSC00854.jpg" width="624" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCPVhmEalQL_Ddr89rw7vcqt6mzbj3XAUCpH36TmESaa84sHXjbQ1tx2yVParpbLmduDPkFyWi4fkacyCKorouLAvvYcplZB91H3lFhWjgfwF2gzK2rDl0J8GwwDFgPKu9gfHj7wBYQY/s1600/flowers+009.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCPVhmEalQL_Ddr89rw7vcqt6mzbj3XAUCpH36TmESaa84sHXjbQ1tx2yVParpbLmduDPkFyWi4fkacyCKorouLAvvYcplZB91H3lFhWjgfwF2gzK2rDl0J8GwwDFgPKu9gfHj7wBYQY/s640/flowers+009.jpg" width="592" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">LYTHRUM</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Lythrum salicaria</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'Morden's Gleam'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">a seedless, non-intrusive variety</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Les Brake for the start.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafeLJ2jTWr67MQQXjOCvZXXNLa8BXs23BpRsxIKBsTgL_P7E9UXrvrbzIIj6ePjOc_eQj7cXquxyChCwtJIptbL7Cg0YKfU4NUPDOEWmvPnFw7JeUm2QXALxonFb5o-avPX_pZFMzU9g/s1600/DSC04301.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhafeLJ2jTWr67MQQXjOCvZXXNLa8BXs23BpRsxIKBsTgL_P7E9UXrvrbzIIj6ePjOc_eQj7cXquxyChCwtJIptbL7Cg0YKfU4NUPDOEWmvPnFw7JeUm2QXALxonFb5o-avPX_pZFMzU9g/s640/DSC04301.jpg" width="374" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">LUPINE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Lupinus perennis</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiwZrXE_YR4qVeW5i-Sbv4hEd8DBgUwIf_dZTzM6d6ybD0AcPdcIgVPp2pNRfoK4zoljLAnAZpp8FZtpq5eyhcT1L0GTCks8Au8qAfyqxmavXeDUsBkMN2RU7LjhBunrt0YNHEiaPD6E/s1600/img529.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJiwZrXE_YR4qVeW5i-Sbv4hEd8DBgUwIf_dZTzM6d6ybD0AcPdcIgVPp2pNRfoK4zoljLAnAZpp8FZtpq5eyhcT1L0GTCks8Au8qAfyqxmavXeDUsBkMN2RU7LjhBunrt0YNHEiaPD6E/s640/img529.jpg" width="480" /></a></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">MEADOW RUE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Thalictrum delavayi</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'decorum'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Les Brake for the start.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje22xDHkpp82fehSq3sOW6HD3oqOq2zjBeX5kORdKN9VgeYRN-wLjXzq2lsqWjo7nRlBPyzU7wOd1zfsQREV-1Zk9R07PtKILEaY8dot_Z_ecrpDKNVffpIWMNMXAB3oEGF9mpUWp0qEY/s1600/DSC06335.jpg"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje22xDHkpp82fehSq3sOW6HD3oqOq2zjBeX5kORdKN9VgeYRN-wLjXzq2lsqWjo7nRlBPyzU7wOd1zfsQREV-1Zk9R07PtKILEaY8dot_Z_ecrpDKNVffpIWMNMXAB3oEGF9mpUWp0qEY/s640/DSC06335.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRufYGYkwgEvqCACdGXtddVhr3vJMHV-4EpNIVOkSB2eMuzj4WKcIrM2d9HUprZlx7YHz3wxzNcYVfyimn7nRUw0eWsVO1f7meqLy64t5zsWyCnK1qXRUVBI_idnO2ttQDMIfOsnTOm4/s1600/IMG_4515.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNRufYGYkwgEvqCACdGXtddVhr3vJMHV-4EpNIVOkSB2eMuzj4WKcIrM2d9HUprZlx7YHz3wxzNcYVfyimn7nRUw0eWsVO1f7meqLy64t5zsWyCnK1qXRUVBI_idnO2ttQDMIfOsnTOm4/s640/IMG_4515.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9gdnOXh2YSuoFUbWlBFtG4dkc2eDDIFM5L2TTMZgJU6jWnOFDKrsN2WM6WRS8IVa5sA_sBtWsouWkm7tGxEMyVgYcNsy4JM0X7RaEjPEz9J05CGu_TkQ7us2Za4Qth8PsiiH5UB8RsI/s1600/P1000755.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjP9gdnOXh2YSuoFUbWlBFtG4dkc2eDDIFM5L2TTMZgJU6jWnOFDKrsN2WM6WRS8IVa5sA_sBtWsouWkm7tGxEMyVgYcNsy4JM0X7RaEjPEz9J05CGu_TkQ7us2Za4Qth8PsiiH5UB8RsI/s640/P1000755.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'Hewitt's Double'</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8_G8xgqwySvjakJUWZuacUqJZV1JppPPRES74C9H8wEd9sTqX7sKNyv00NWOzVX6M4VjxcJxgjzW6VuAqmwnDKgEzlVblTD2hm29mcEeoAY9cZ2Ob0ZyDjYPgmIyGK0eMy65f-pq7ZM/s1600/IMG_0529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB8_G8xgqwySvjakJUWZuacUqJZV1JppPPRES74C9H8wEd9sTqX7sKNyv00NWOzVX6M4VjxcJxgjzW6VuAqmwnDKgEzlVblTD2hm29mcEeoAY9cZ2Ob0ZyDjYPgmIyGK0eMy65f-pq7ZM/s640/IMG_0529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkIo4vKnv91zOuMVkCeql9NOGL6ayhzGp9WHf2kcGn-D5kgWtIS_bo6_Jb9OYAiHL0XeD7k5cbhP-kmGEFccDnT5qexnAXNPiNPzm3lYWViH9zZ_n-95pjXRZaAD7x9oDFXajTiGvx6U/s1600/DSC07141.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzkIo4vKnv91zOuMVkCeql9NOGL6ayhzGp9WHf2kcGn-D5kgWtIS_bo6_Jb9OYAiHL0XeD7k5cbhP-kmGEFccDnT5qexnAXNPiNPzm3lYWViH9zZ_n-95pjXRZaAD7x9oDFXajTiGvx6U/s640/DSC07141.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfvjeRcHu8E0E-cYBu7C9EEvN3fKwyJpENd2bhw80HNahBgzZd3uwXPsUWalhocmSCdCxITcTthV0wfQD-t8U2IXxt2tdcI5cPcmQ9otas21Ucqplnjy9tdTdeOg5GJCyOR3oIm9x2EQ/s1600/IMG_2403.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcfvjeRcHu8E0E-cYBu7C9EEvN3fKwyJpENd2bhw80HNahBgzZd3uwXPsUWalhocmSCdCxITcTthV0wfQD-t8U2IXxt2tdcI5cPcmQ9otas21Ucqplnjy9tdTdeOg5GJCyOR3oIm9x2EQ/s640/IMG_2403.jpg" width="526" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">MONKSHOOD</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Aconitum 'stainless steel'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyK_GZv-wm1HXbDsXp7yIMe5PaON6H4RWl8vRhlNb_03BO3qwna0zBXW_XYtHrqzGSWnN__dWHOipvZeVPtJdwBcxJXqIP7jnGcz-vahJ3JuRQA1m5uc0lP5-QFhRVsKT0I8gDDPhldNA/s1600/DSC00635.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyK_GZv-wm1HXbDsXp7yIMe5PaON6H4RWl8vRhlNb_03BO3qwna0zBXW_XYtHrqzGSWnN__dWHOipvZeVPtJdwBcxJXqIP7jnGcz-vahJ3JuRQA1m5uc0lP5-QFhRVsKT0I8gDDPhldNA/s640/DSC00635.jpg" width="560" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8VDnJKF9hIXoH8ahD8M3PL88EbwY3g-gH1YGBcJ-zqGWPik1l1W0L-1WqR7XN_jaWXcRLQ0G2hL59Ssluca-m1hYR_h3AkapNc88CeB8JhVnbTdLaBjN496TqM6t2EJfcSlhncPi2Rw/s1600/IMG_4618+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiq8VDnJKF9hIXoH8ahD8M3PL88EbwY3g-gH1YGBcJ-zqGWPik1l1W0L-1WqR7XN_jaWXcRLQ0G2hL59Ssluca-m1hYR_h3AkapNc88CeB8JhVnbTdLaBjN496TqM6t2EJfcSlhncPi2Rw/s640/IMG_4618+2.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">OBEDIENT PLANT</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Physostegia virginiana</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3kaUgZlIXdH4dkUB3wVuPzprChEHNgC9F0IEQs5xq2gDoSt9HhCnkEAbTHG_5pZkqSOQ__1qxnU5QfVCI4snEtyHxuFH2l6Gc6sVYafG3nCaiEDAwlU8J8Q3vtVqtsqlk9lDweclP84/s1600/flowers+007.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo3kaUgZlIXdH4dkUB3wVuPzprChEHNgC9F0IEQs5xq2gDoSt9HhCnkEAbTHG_5pZkqSOQ__1qxnU5QfVCI4snEtyHxuFH2l6Gc6sVYafG3nCaiEDAwlU8J8Q3vtVqtsqlk9lDweclP84/s640/flowers+007.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">PAINTED DAISY</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Tanacetum coccineum</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeugA5vIln0-hM33c_rhM_Qnd7DwNb-I0IaBwgVe_iTv9c63RpfnyHuhxMIiDMU_cjkV6iuWSQQYBrjiNxsVcJ1433y-L6z0BZiZqkD4MY3zDww7UybocKeV64bsv9BXwTc5lQoOiKOk/s1600/DSC00580.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyeugA5vIln0-hM33c_rhM_Qnd7DwNb-I0IaBwgVe_iTv9c63RpfnyHuhxMIiDMU_cjkV6iuWSQQYBrjiNxsVcJ1433y-L6z0BZiZqkD4MY3zDww7UybocKeV64bsv9BXwTc5lQoOiKOk/s640/DSC00580.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1K9-z9C6fghsRZXjIVC1ygBucvy6VhyphenhyphenTLluV9eHsiYzI2faFSBenH8nlTBdz63niNqwLrZzTq_Ou-U_IpoxzaNp8UhoEg4AL0GmD2XR58h7gti_rrG2BsVvZYJrWtH6kRizz7ReHdq90/s1600/DSC03852.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1K9-z9C6fghsRZXjIVC1ygBucvy6VhyphenhyphenTLluV9eHsiYzI2faFSBenH8nlTBdz63niNqwLrZzTq_Ou-U_IpoxzaNp8UhoEg4AL0GmD2XR58h7gti_rrG2BsVvZYJrWtH6kRizz7ReHdq90/s640/DSC03852.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7YALgUtxkLDpVSb8lUEu1h6jj0HfOjDeavEY-EYLxyjjupkJFGSDkv5rd-E8mZ1NVTdfmN3acXdJvJRhjE_gKfa-Nw22xVX0uxBsFCayzihqZPN0JZdnyssd0T3IHNSp4vcUyOhSf_0/s1600/IMG_4450.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid7YALgUtxkLDpVSb8lUEu1h6jj0HfOjDeavEY-EYLxyjjupkJFGSDkv5rd-E8mZ1NVTdfmN3acXdJvJRhjE_gKfa-Nw22xVX0uxBsFCayzihqZPN0JZdnyssd0T3IHNSp4vcUyOhSf_0/s640/IMG_4450.jpg" width="552" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ktKqJ_dcfM3Q9EgtvNKEQ_V5gwLcMA36KKU7Y33yyjDTs12l6m4rVwIRd2KInp5JhqGXZGQv5SGVgLexKn0E8WHey9E39sM3oM8r0W8S3UVdQVjzxm3EBAn9rzJFimccy2SS6KZ4Sd8/s1600/DSCN0678.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8ktKqJ_dcfM3Q9EgtvNKEQ_V5gwLcMA36KKU7Y33yyjDTs12l6m4rVwIRd2KInp5JhqGXZGQv5SGVgLexKn0E8WHey9E39sM3oM8r0W8S3UVdQVjzxm3EBAn9rzJFimccy2SS6KZ4Sd8/s640/DSCN0678.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6QKN5xv4dhFExiJPRXk3akcviLVoKpp4HDPNRJkXhqXf-rMSsmPDE-ZPJvDIBEYC0iIsIw-zZOyrm6AEuZU45zGFJQwWMry4KuK6SP7KnPgnNOwl1aHdohREsrZl7ELCUzZsgw5lw6c/s1600/IMG_4459.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6QKN5xv4dhFExiJPRXk3akcviLVoKpp4HDPNRJkXhqXf-rMSsmPDE-ZPJvDIBEYC0iIsIw-zZOyrm6AEuZU45zGFJQwWMry4KuK6SP7KnPgnNOwl1aHdohREsrZl7ELCUzZsgw5lw6c/s640/IMG_4459.JPG" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">PEONY</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Paeonia</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'anemoniflora rosea'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hXd1NniRqWliUj6VBO9JJtIkDJei9ng20kQPZhgt2vHl5VhnWDaLnal7zXV1GshSfKzK06wLTuYtScPsxryT6H95EVvoIqyawx-3npTe9HB6JK4sC3AdJ8USFrRKWfEUkQxZmoasSlU/s1600/P1000487.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hXd1NniRqWliUj6VBO9JJtIkDJei9ng20kQPZhgt2vHl5VhnWDaLnal7zXV1GshSfKzK06wLTuYtScPsxryT6H95EVvoIqyawx-3npTe9HB6JK4sC3AdJ8USFrRKWfEUkQxZmoasSlU/s640/P1000487.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'double pink'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TOBBD-3XJPXkYnOUCyWikS16m922lnjFlG5En04CKVQfUghgmoAz5yNsyK4s2zWvy2-QsOIgeotODZn_njVZMEpgxQn1GaaLVVsPCsp-6SvRSg2qYUTuEw_wzvtnfXV5SClFNAO0RL8/s1600/DSC00651.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-TOBBD-3XJPXkYnOUCyWikS16m922lnjFlG5En04CKVQfUghgmoAz5yNsyK4s2zWvy2-QsOIgeotODZn_njVZMEpgxQn1GaaLVVsPCsp-6SvRSg2qYUTuEw_wzvtnfXV5SClFNAO0RL8/s640/DSC00651.jpg" width="632" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'double white'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqy4eXm0imKA_hOqStRkEuONUjJCoItCR35_uryi2Om0rc2r4UDrr80xDX94OR7bvRAfZupnXAc2yoI_QvMsFCy3Ca2M_qQTMrSLZvoMxxwrUsO-bK2smUjJ4zVZcNF2QBqC9foSIcTA/s1600/IMG_4425.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixqy4eXm0imKA_hOqStRkEuONUjJCoItCR35_uryi2Om0rc2r4UDrr80xDX94OR7bvRAfZupnXAc2yoI_QvMsFCy3Ca2M_qQTMrSLZvoMxxwrUsO-bK2smUjJ4zVZcNF2QBqC9foSIcTA/s640/IMG_4425.jpg" width="480" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'Karl Rosenfeld'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgly82gYBp4j6koiWP_e02IEpSKccyGKpDzt5hihaHAqaBsMUP9_uRZqfKNeu7a5U5A4lSKXok0J_u-PKsNeIWbdfcl9FDAW3AOPdTL9_euZ_ibxepBJlDxeEQmDpVxWwwFmFsBWJBnf6A/s1600/IMG_1365+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgly82gYBp4j6koiWP_e02IEpSKccyGKpDzt5hihaHAqaBsMUP9_uRZqfKNeu7a5U5A4lSKXok0J_u-PKsNeIWbdfcl9FDAW3AOPdTL9_euZ_ibxepBJlDxeEQmDpVxWwwFmFsBWJBnf6A/s640/IMG_1365+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'Mikado'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbcTflZJZd6FySx1hTj4DAfM5nLHmR5NDcqwpEUbDFRt-xXPAnlVgYL37vQn69XEhsciJeKoajgEwIWp7-sLpFbrYlmd33Uz7Q5wrsiXq9_CDor8ev8aBbmchoEWVuqQF09iono-4w4w/s1600/DSC06643.JPG"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbcTflZJZd6FySx1hTj4DAfM5nLHmR5NDcqwpEUbDFRt-xXPAnlVgYL37vQn69XEhsciJeKoajgEwIWp7-sLpFbrYlmd33Uz7Q5wrsiXq9_CDor8ev8aBbmchoEWVuqQF09iono-4w4w/s640/DSC06643.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'sorbet'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbL5BG2ozoI66f7MngxUuuJtvEVyeEd7rFNIYRB58kPd7sWpiwzw8lGnSQjxNsm4oirucppvImqirW-Sqv7L5EWzoqyCgjryEW9Ytmgw9FCzSpXNH9YBubpdmAcTKfH_3uuLa-oBsiis4/s1600/IMG_6520.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbL5BG2ozoI66f7MngxUuuJtvEVyeEd7rFNIYRB58kPd7sWpiwzw8lGnSQjxNsm4oirucppvImqirW-Sqv7L5EWzoqyCgjryEW9Ytmgw9FCzSpXNH9YBubpdmAcTKfH_3uuLa-oBsiis4/s640/IMG_6520.jpg" width="446" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'veitchii'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Les Brake for the start.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIakvgwH94ecsObFpyGlvN496V-ij8gRtI5rMCUG3o8Ms5ZoG86tg_mkTv7SC7kv5XANMoArPxtKBe33pqLHA8zBu3NWvvueOuLHDbJDolELcPeb606eRcoMseCalGAYxJkjrmYMsrxg/s1600/DSC06268.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghIakvgwH94ecsObFpyGlvN496V-ij8gRtI5rMCUG3o8Ms5ZoG86tg_mkTv7SC7kv5XANMoArPxtKBe33pqLHA8zBu3NWvvueOuLHDbJDolELcPeb606eRcoMseCalGAYxJkjrmYMsrxg/s640/DSC06268.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoma9JXV_XGDLmU0ZdNb_dgOsZLutyy8_WjIIuipFiYmmFH2n5-TIeugda8cnQQ-hySJGyayXW4mPqFUCj_FEdRAwMkpXzAgcn_PPU7Vp9-46tCdI7UPzit9-DGjlsn3h2troe1Z4pUM/s1600/DSC06273.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOoma9JXV_XGDLmU0ZdNb_dgOsZLutyy8_WjIIuipFiYmmFH2n5-TIeugda8cnQQ-hySJGyayXW4mPqFUCj_FEdRAwMkpXzAgcn_PPU7Vp9-46tCdI7UPzit9-DGjlsn3h2troe1Z4pUM/s640/DSC06273.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdcNQbNsUPfS7Rae81cvMZ2uyolqUSoUXf2th71KC-XXe2o22G5EftIN3q2OCOPxYwil37njxH4izPCOt_DYe91jwlti5IZDc9sKZ_Ufs3haqFa2jlGF6vs4xTmgGihxo575tdZ5ruBw/s1600/IMG_1412.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikdcNQbNsUPfS7Rae81cvMZ2uyolqUSoUXf2th71KC-XXe2o22G5EftIN3q2OCOPxYwil37njxH4izPCOt_DYe91jwlti5IZDc9sKZ_Ufs3haqFa2jlGF6vs4xTmgGihxo575tdZ5ruBw/s640/IMG_1412.jpg" width="582" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">HYBRID LUTEA TREE PEONY</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">'Leda'</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Thanks to Judy Johnstone for the start.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9G7IGvfYJzgXYfFtJchmIXEqQ7rpLeapgFZLSTuOyqIYocwQSkRqP13mCRPOOgokfHn6jKOggwjrkrr31TlvPdRr9pufF4z8Zzr7XoE5E5iHwCnG2hGaN7RTfK88IxVLUqbSFsE0BS-I/s1600/DSC05926.jpg"><img border="0" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9G7IGvfYJzgXYfFtJchmIXEqQ7rpLeapgFZLSTuOyqIYocwQSkRqP13mCRPOOgokfHn6jKOggwjrkrr31TlvPdRr9pufF4z8Zzr7XoE5E5iHwCnG2hGaN7RTfK88IxVLUqbSFsE0BS-I/s640/DSC05926.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnYOxWKe1ARAcYzZY3R5OZGENWGsEaWoSdZ2F24KOMJWXaDuLavxBSYJGYu05O268DOjaps1I9Y6VWY4bBgggU1nVKn4ws1gmJ52WmY8LpDDpq3V4K1P8nm6GDAm00SLb4I0vdID9agk/s1600/DSC05937.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCnYOxWKe1ARAcYzZY3R5OZGENWGsEaWoSdZ2F24KOMJWXaDuLavxBSYJGYu05O268DOjaps1I9Y6VWY4bBgggU1nVKn4ws1gmJ52WmY8LpDDpq3V4K1P8nm6GDAm00SLb4I0vdID9agk/s640/DSC05937.jpg" width="610" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAWALi5EsE4wV6UXSyhtjwve6ozaTA-mdS_tYtb1d3OSfxeXtazAI37OJG0tklI9wX-5HVC72ssb0MWZcOf0YPeBP2RdmoF_cdGICuzmW8Z7O5ApyKyPXVg6K5AjgBtQWpal0pvt2TsA/s1600/DSC05935.jpg"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyAWALi5EsE4wV6UXSyhtjwve6ozaTA-mdS_tYtb1d3OSfxeXtazAI37OJG0tklI9wX-5HVC72ssb0MWZcOf0YPeBP2RdmoF_cdGICuzmW8Z7O5ApyKyPXVg6K5AjgBtQWpal0pvt2TsA/s640/DSC05935.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">PRIMROSE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Primula japonica</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6saTPTjCdHJQMZaPgjyszinBQMPOusefVNJALEwH-nSZH1aoG1EIqWemjFuC3YzzOkG9K9GNq5uGb3LqD399DLqgGjx7wXjNt2UoMv62trSTbLOUDzznDZ_YAOX8lQpKfEC8aWMgkqU/s1600/7b12%255B1%255D.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY6saTPTjCdHJQMZaPgjyszinBQMPOusefVNJALEwH-nSZH1aoG1EIqWemjFuC3YzzOkG9K9GNq5uGb3LqD399DLqgGjx7wXjNt2UoMv62trSTbLOUDzznDZ_YAOX8lQpKfEC8aWMgkqU/s640/7b12%255B1%255D.jpg" width="422" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Primula florindae</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiin3HPM-X8K9kWK3bUAMsjD8OXYOEHHJ2nX0sGqLTVxyvZfaCVtjh5ZST_kWIG75KdZO3JUfrPl2REUySn4hPC6Dvg60IAgqtEsxW1qbkpP3FJABLkv4VnteSR0OJa5tKoTB995qrzmIA/s1600/IMG_0268.jpg"><img border="0" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiin3HPM-X8K9kWK3bUAMsjD8OXYOEHHJ2nX0sGqLTVxyvZfaCVtjh5ZST_kWIG75KdZO3JUfrPl2REUySn4hPC6Dvg60IAgqtEsxW1qbkpP3FJABLkv4VnteSR0OJa5tKoTB995qrzmIA/s640/IMG_0268.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_RLFZ82N_h4mwfvfsaEhQpgyJJY78032qFC30xGh_XA_cPHO9rn52fJiKGLLzVkdLHgRjMrjdQlM7ZSNB0JUGkNobQI777TIbY7lOXnXEd7vambKtiXlYaSNtrJ8M-B5_gBT-LtYYnM/s1600/IMG_0209.jpg"><img border="0" height="600" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgI_RLFZ82N_h4mwfvfsaEhQpgyJJY78032qFC30xGh_XA_cPHO9rn52fJiKGLLzVkdLHgRjMrjdQlM7ZSNB0JUGkNobQI777TIbY7lOXnXEd7vambKtiXlYaSNtrJ8M-B5_gBT-LtYYnM/s640/IMG_0209.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqE40bQYBY_mGz255d7FaUoKDe6g3qaRJXptrxLTGDpBp-1ZgpCLi9sBEofqtmnIGzYsWeX9vefZAXTa6Jq0WwUvngaRGu6LEmbOxmR7bPQcys7t46qojow2o-rRf4VgBSrTy25Oapcs/s1600/DSCN0661.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIqE40bQYBY_mGz255d7FaUoKDe6g3qaRJXptrxLTGDpBp-1ZgpCLi9sBEofqtmnIGzYsWeX9vefZAXTa6Jq0WwUvngaRGu6LEmbOxmR7bPQcys7t46qojow2o-rRf4VgBSrTy25Oapcs/s640/DSCN0661.jpg" width="578" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZnFGVKCYRyW1wwXq5pkcmWLJPRh5zS0ozWTLNKoJqVKD9aZMRES2WoVQz30gsrxRKEaomCa1Jdej7sFjwvJX9qLYO_9kw3c1HkvPNCF1mlHi68Ez5MB2GpzMH_uF6qw96wK-xQaUGzA/s1600/DSCN0650.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZnFGVKCYRyW1wwXq5pkcmWLJPRh5zS0ozWTLNKoJqVKD9aZMRES2WoVQz30gsrxRKEaomCa1Jdej7sFjwvJX9qLYO_9kw3c1HkvPNCF1mlHi68Ez5MB2GpzMH_uF6qw96wK-xQaUGzA/s640/DSCN0650.jpg" width="448" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">RED HOT POKER</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Kniphofia uvaria</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdbs6RUW56Sg1XrCDt78Llz878Q46P1D2Y9JaXqetKq2tKSzSTYQ9AxP6uqg5AjpmR96YwHcRFw9BkKZAsHw3D51S5jF7FnjlI1CnE0_kvA588GlTuowr9ZRfL4DXgS3HHfCgJwZKacs/s1600/img154+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLdbs6RUW56Sg1XrCDt78Llz878Q46P1D2Y9JaXqetKq2tKSzSTYQ9AxP6uqg5AjpmR96YwHcRFw9BkKZAsHw3D51S5jF7FnjlI1CnE0_kvA588GlTuowr9ZRfL4DXgS3HHfCgJwZKacs/s640/img154+2.jpg" width="480" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">VALERIAN</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;">Valeriana officinalis</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdDx5OvfZcQ78QGBElZyFDAJTtcrKCQ87yhBxF1ydoPFuAx-TyDnL3E4u3N7kzw_Cci4IY_lO_IRAQKHv3KocvxbsHlXnMDGdvxMJp6h85qmj0DrsmJYmvtpGINMctTDWX6vOi_rVPLQ/s1600/IMG_0267.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDdDx5OvfZcQ78QGBElZyFDAJTtcrKCQ87yhBxF1ydoPFuAx-TyDnL3E4u3N7kzw_Cci4IY_lO_IRAQKHv3KocvxbsHlXnMDGdvxMJp6h85qmj0DrsmJYmvtpGINMctTDWX6vOi_rVPLQ/s640/IMG_0267.jpg" width="638" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQGNbs9gjf46s_qUJ2q2ECXyrjz6oFEUFMxOqVHi7MsJa18gMw4BEcDrcv_NSdnGNC1ClM_7vEyGTv2D0R7EfGGBX7KPzZnQrI47r0mYTO6ECBsifz06iJCEr6eteUk8jt2meUUfUQpo/s1600/img350.jpg"><img border="0" height="436" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQGNbs9gjf46s_qUJ2q2ECXyrjz6oFEUFMxOqVHi7MsJa18gMw4BEcDrcv_NSdnGNC1ClM_7vEyGTv2D0R7EfGGBX7KPzZnQrI47r0mYTO6ECBsifz06iJCEr6eteUk8jt2meUUfUQpo/s640/img350.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcfUzKrISs30801Ij1iQ-vrIYsfay2-raSWZ91rfNphT8lSqlhgG0Ug-NHG8AfObXwSpQpYf1dWMlKNyPV452VCV4woH9fYj6SvVNi-uvPKW54ahRYOEbRhXNEWIOetp4KsMoNbpWoVY/s1600/img278.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMcfUzKrISs30801Ij1iQ-vrIYsfay2-raSWZ91rfNphT8lSqlhgG0Ug-NHG8AfObXwSpQpYf1dWMlKNyPV452VCV4woH9fYj6SvVNi-uvPKW54ahRYOEbRhXNEWIOetp4KsMoNbpWoVY/s640/img278.jpg" width="406" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">INTRUSIVE PERENNIAL FLOWERS!!!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When I mention intrusive plants, I am referring to plants that won't go away. They grow and spread no matter how much effort I put into getting rid of them. They intrude into the spaces occupied by other plants... and gradually choke them out! S</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">ome of these plants drop zillions of seeds.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I must admit that it was my own early ignorance of intrusive plants that resulted in this never ending gardening challenge.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Plants can be intrusive in one climate, but not in others. Below are names and photos of several plants I </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">have</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> found to be intrusive here in my gardens.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">ASTER</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Symphyotrichum oblongifolius </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">'Raydon's Favorite'</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRjeOk6Fcv0lBy-uA297m4CXEqZ2aU05ymn7fqQVhBPiQUuXnLhWb2LsZOZ_Hx-H9DtiQCcW6jNyxqdCbjOAyaJjMvChvmizceOXM-cVHXGxCbpP9WDm24-OgF41qrJrodFjIrTI-KJ0/s1600/IMG_4638.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaRjeOk6Fcv0lBy-uA297m4CXEqZ2aU05ymn7fqQVhBPiQUuXnLhWb2LsZOZ_Hx-H9DtiQCcW6jNyxqdCbjOAyaJjMvChvmizceOXM-cVHXGxCbpP9WDm24-OgF41qrJrodFjIrTI-KJ0/s640/IMG_4638.jpg" width="480" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0GeICBTJJQ-sECTscd3BCP7tW3jjaf9Ifr16ywcggesViq1iUq6dRA90Gu2myWBdDw-_bfM5Mt_PRgRGa5awGbUSWG8Mktzpy0G3SdGZ98CdVhnSGNCY2P3WWTMVE4mUbpUi5yNcuCI/s1600/DSC03975.jpg"><img border="0" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK0GeICBTJJQ-sECTscd3BCP7tW3jjaf9Ifr16ywcggesViq1iUq6dRA90Gu2myWBdDw-_bfM5Mt_PRgRGa5awGbUSWG8Mktzpy0G3SdGZ98CdVhnSGNCY2P3WWTMVE4mUbpUi5yNcuCI/s640/DSC03975.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">BACHELOR BUTTONS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Centaurea montana</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4U9KjX2KIyQfkIwfLpgElFnq1oNujLcFSs7HLehCRTRBdU7u9FoRfucorFrsVEBCGsaQMM5SdrUBuk6wdNt6SBE11gXHoEGKsCuV08L2qJOEWE5ADbypO6IjXsTLwhra7uydJnMQ33Uw/s1600/P1000632.jpg"><img border="0" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4U9KjX2KIyQfkIwfLpgElFnq1oNujLcFSs7HLehCRTRBdU7u9FoRfucorFrsVEBCGsaQMM5SdrUBuk6wdNt6SBE11gXHoEGKsCuV08L2qJOEWE5ADbypO6IjXsTLwhra7uydJnMQ33Uw/s640/P1000632.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">COMFREY</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Symphytum officinalis</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvbxZhWyWnlHKmG8yD2nzi_y-w3fjDu_nez-dZ9GW3nouzgOKktkocboSjbvlFAM7xOnsr19t-HByP5lhWL6NLYaVLmYWc8_rzi2Ocum9CVp92IGlC405ntFM0q4s3gTPdmkwKypu6f0/s1600/DSCN0627.jpg"><img border="0" height="612" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqvbxZhWyWnlHKmG8yD2nzi_y-w3fjDu_nez-dZ9GW3nouzgOKktkocboSjbvlFAM7xOnsr19t-HByP5lhWL6NLYaVLmYWc8_rzi2Ocum9CVp92IGlC405ntFM0q4s3gTPdmkwKypu6f0/s640/DSCN0627.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfIM4-mAH0PV9-vaVk1Ufs6ORjYR83Uy6nyQkqsMC-WhUk5rH0Ni7avh2N9ITarGQfqI5MLqG-4TuU-4-2NPIK8SeofATZNKISdQmKaaKNytpOgivf-vDKqB7jmElx8YpVkR7AQ0yPTE/s1600/img503+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHfIM4-mAH0PV9-vaVk1Ufs6ORjYR83Uy6nyQkqsMC-WhUk5rH0Ni7avh2N9ITarGQfqI5MLqG-4TuU-4-2NPIK8SeofATZNKISdQmKaaKNytpOgivf-vDKqB7jmElx8YpVkR7AQ0yPTE/s640/img503+2.jpg" width="404" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">DAISY</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Leucanthemum vulgare</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">also known as</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Chrysanthemum leucanthemum</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CdZVC8qdWSUO87cs3fjfGEMNAjj2-Ssskq1sXRvHAd8V1Z12dJd-3cZfPhpRUQlxbJs80Twk8cWLH42iCTmi4L-saCaSW3n9OtqVqcoW2ON86-3DAi7aPZxIARIO8u3uyg_ztPMTwPc/s1600/img473.jpg"><img border="0" height="403" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3CdZVC8qdWSUO87cs3fjfGEMNAjj2-Ssskq1sXRvHAd8V1Z12dJd-3cZfPhpRUQlxbJs80Twk8cWLH42iCTmi4L-saCaSW3n9OtqVqcoW2ON86-3DAi7aPZxIARIO8u3uyg_ztPMTwPc/s640/img473.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">MORNING GLORY</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">also known as </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">CREEPING JENNY, FIELD BINDWEED</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Calestegia sepium</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">Convolvulus sepium</span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5FM1QxLzFSi1h9E1Uoy-RunSBarx4v7syVqbxuEgP9s0n_cuYNDMlgqac8ZDMb3PG1eXSJ1vTg0gPMAy1tVEheCmpOrpLvC8ei6rg4brEkEl4H8OmphgdlgtP5QrK64ooQ-QXJQl5SY/s1600/IMG_4806.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP5FM1QxLzFSi1h9E1Uoy-RunSBarx4v7syVqbxuEgP9s0n_cuYNDMlgqac8ZDMb3PG1eXSJ1vTg0gPMAy1tVEheCmpOrpLvC8ei6rg4brEkEl4H8OmphgdlgtP5QrK64ooQ-QXJQl5SY/s640/IMG_4806.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lfzxUFo8uIYrQ7lu8kYNMyfp4couATl9okviE0HSAK5-1NZZLo7TcubLRGR-h4jLTCKtuYBifYEh-zIetQlK8LDyl6IQAFSSIzYscgGz_c0efWP0yDrfXQWYUtNDjU64yNe0D6jtTOw/s1600/IMG_4891.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4lfzxUFo8uIYrQ7lu8kYNMyfp4couATl9okviE0HSAK5-1NZZLo7TcubLRGR-h4jLTCKtuYBifYEh-zIetQlK8LDyl6IQAFSSIzYscgGz_c0efWP0yDrfXQWYUtNDjU64yNe0D6jtTOw/s640/IMG_4891.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;">MOSTLY HAPPY GARDENING!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: lime; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
</div>
</div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-54531540353201781562018-03-12T17:04:00.001-07:002018-04-22T16:09:34.798-07:00FLOWERS - Biennial<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">A biennial plant has a life cycle of two years. The plant produces foliage the first summer, overwinters in a dormant state and then flowers the second summer. The plant usually dies after its' seeds mature at the end of the second season.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although it might sound challenging or complicated to grow biennial flowers, I have not found this to be the case. It is similar to growing annual flowers. In fact, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">after the first planting, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">several of the biennials that grow well here in Sitka gardens require no work at all. They sprout like weeds every year! The only task will be digging up any of these weed-like biennials that appear in unwelcome locations. Dig them up, transplant, share or toss.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's have a look at three eager, self-sowing biennials.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>FORGET-ME-NOT</b></span><br />
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Myosotis sylvatica, alpestris</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwo2SpnswYRnkmvHiOc0BJfVKcCLiCVbJzj3vlJx1RLC5PkrYKbqvucx3H0hbzGvWNXSj7rdVFTHqJ1pURQdlKJtu2kXVJVfaNcJ8NFoqy0Mrpk2UoDyUvBLQ-RiH0uvGxwYCd07BiSU/s1600/DSC04573.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpwo2SpnswYRnkmvHiOc0BJfVKcCLiCVbJzj3vlJx1RLC5PkrYKbqvucx3H0hbzGvWNXSj7rdVFTHqJ1pURQdlKJtu2kXVJVfaNcJ8NFoqy0Mrpk2UoDyUvBLQ-RiH0uvGxwYCd07BiSU/s640/DSC04573.jpg" width="608" /></a></div>
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Forget-me-nots appeared in our gardens all on their own. No, I never planted any. Seeds had somehow already found their way into our soil.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Forget-me-nots self-sow pretty aggressively. The seeds are tiny and scatter in the wind. Forget-me-not seed pods mature early in the season so are not hindered so much by rain and mold as other later maturing flower varieties. Depending on conditions, powdery mildew sometimes develops on forget-me-not plants just before they die. This is a sensible time to remove these unsightly plants from the garden beds. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here it is mid-March and I just returned from taking this photo outside along one of our garden paths. So, this is how a forget-me-not plant looks in March after it has grown for nearly a year. This plant will be blooming in May and June. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy6MiWm8S94pqieceGmDE-xyLitk1oQfOecDF4ltgGfXg3wpN5recYBeZX9eKW627CsI4tbMn5iAWsOdnnlooLiLsDCmifN3Ipyjy38Yk0QoNkwMAtRv5QHlHUbYTAmWmsdbhWFWpdag/s1600/DSCN3774.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNy6MiWm8S94pqieceGmDE-xyLitk1oQfOecDF4ltgGfXg3wpN5recYBeZX9eKW627CsI4tbMn5iAWsOdnnlooLiLsDCmifN3Ipyjy38Yk0QoNkwMAtRv5QHlHUbYTAmWmsdbhWFWpdag/s640/DSCN3774.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Forget-me-nots flower in a variety of colors in our gardens.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3n8HAc3joH_tPsjrfPHqPraQYUdT0-WZO30HfodR0mYUnPcEae7i2HwSrOA34IUQvV-QfjM3hL5T2btt3eA9iaodLaIsNDQ891kMdsr4r4O82gEUSdlRBjn5o30bKuFliWeNQRHSqGE/s1600/IMG_0829.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp3n8HAc3joH_tPsjrfPHqPraQYUdT0-WZO30HfodR0mYUnPcEae7i2HwSrOA34IUQvV-QfjM3hL5T2btt3eA9iaodLaIsNDQ891kMdsr4r4O82gEUSdlRBjn5o30bKuFliWeNQRHSqGE/s640/IMG_0829.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I like to let forget-me-nots grow in amongst border plants. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The photo below was taken in the mid 1990's. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I dug up some of the forget-me-nots scattered around our gardens in early spring. I transplanted them into the raised garden behind where the girls are sitting. That eye-catching pink vine is Clematis montana rubens.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgOqzKkY7exOm1PAB3olzRFMhsZp-rM8jjYrZ4Zle6ICdH4AiaGNXcZY2XF8vHM1gdIV1yyWYtPw1NRkv7007auGTLDw471aIvuHrZWsKxD7OedtuTxVYQ909eO_euJW8duAKzkK30vE/s1600/img608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="596" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKgOqzKkY7exOm1PAB3olzRFMhsZp-rM8jjYrZ4Zle6ICdH4AiaGNXcZY2XF8vHM1gdIV1yyWYtPw1NRkv7007auGTLDw471aIvuHrZWsKxD7OedtuTxVYQ909eO_euJW8duAKzkK30vE/s640/img608.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A few years later, we built a trellis for that vine. The forget-me-nots have continued to appear each spring ever after.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmuoXeSal7z3_kvVLto8_E1_ua8kLE-Uvn3ybPO0B-RkNMyLIs2bx3XpTLL0YmOntlVIRXjB_n6eSMJWVI7vkgWx9hr5nkwQt3eCC0QEa_uubtLRvfng2YpjKbdNaDOEVdKt0Mu_ab0s/s1600/DSC00526+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfmuoXeSal7z3_kvVLto8_E1_ua8kLE-Uvn3ybPO0B-RkNMyLIs2bx3XpTLL0YmOntlVIRXjB_n6eSMJWVI7vkgWx9hr5nkwQt3eCC0QEa_uubtLRvfng2YpjKbdNaDOEVdKt0Mu_ab0s/s640/DSC00526+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love how the forget-me-not seeds scatter and grow down along the base of our rock walls. In case you were wondering, the white ground cover cascading down is Arabis. The purplish flowers cascading down are Aubrieta novalis blue.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxhbQ4PZ4r3mx4rMFS9Gcj8eXQIiiUImesmqyIQUQTti_VqgUu7hHDzeh_dWGj-24RdzKjaqkD8C30cJYUK3oq1olckmiEg8JRIXzjCN91m5Q5JV-NdDlQP7ugZrYCyjeAvT7tLpMouo/s1600/DSCN2477.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvxhbQ4PZ4r3mx4rMFS9Gcj8eXQIiiUImesmqyIQUQTti_VqgUu7hHDzeh_dWGj-24RdzKjaqkD8C30cJYUK3oq1olckmiEg8JRIXzjCN91m5Q5JV-NdDlQP7ugZrYCyjeAvT7tLpMouo/s640/DSCN2477.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">No matter how fertile the soil, these tiny blue forget-me-nots grow ever so cheerfully.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Bm6eniuXjQS4bxHY_Jh6KqlEt1-vFaiK9Yk2VBu1x76OaILcMCYhpWSsZrd6mtM-dbOPjePS3l_8Fw7T0icfQqg9rfQ59mORD6KvYJ4qcbihO41Fu66CmgkrvjvVfQ3ajjG65-RXlmk/s1600/DSC04654.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Bm6eniuXjQS4bxHY_Jh6KqlEt1-vFaiK9Yk2VBu1x76OaILcMCYhpWSsZrd6mtM-dbOPjePS3l_8Fw7T0icfQqg9rfQ59mORD6KvYJ4qcbihO41Fu66CmgkrvjvVfQ3ajjG65-RXlmk/s640/DSC04654.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>FOXGLOVE</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Digitalis purpurea</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvmrxVYQPHrDFwHpzAgs7Y-f_WlzAbRr2qcUQQy_gl1jvBYWIXy88dswEFxfnoEHJrQFkupUBOi-1nGEx90lGZdlQAFfm9io4LfSRobDSPAzy41Fq6HyNey5beBIuQiKHhtsgTuYa3Hc/s1600/DSC00633.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPvmrxVYQPHrDFwHpzAgs7Y-f_WlzAbRr2qcUQQy_gl1jvBYWIXy88dswEFxfnoEHJrQFkupUBOi-1nGEx90lGZdlQAFfm9io4LfSRobDSPAzy41Fq6HyNey5beBIuQiKHhtsgTuYa3Hc/s640/DSC00633.jpg" width="478" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Flowering foxglove is a common sight all around Sitka each year beginning in early June. Flowers appear first at the lowest section of the stem and work their way up. The seeds mature in the same progression. If you do nothing to prevent it, the seeds mature and scatter all summer long. No wonder there are so many foxglove!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcWU-RgCaCxyWycrW2d5UWS9Rwpg6AP8RO0uptnqZLrjat0o4VgMDhVDNI9Qk0ySB0mmLM_Qf2dKCXT_ZPZtj7Zz9IOLwsxA388NH2oJNDOUMnu3Mym13X7TKuo5S9U-mp9yv4aGhJs4/s1600/img474.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmcWU-RgCaCxyWycrW2d5UWS9Rwpg6AP8RO0uptnqZLrjat0o4VgMDhVDNI9Qk0ySB0mmLM_Qf2dKCXT_ZPZtj7Zz9IOLwsxA388NH2oJNDOUMnu3Mym13X7TKuo5S9U-mp9yv4aGhJs4/s640/img474.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Foxglove was never intentionally planted in our gardens. The seeds were probably transported in one way or another. It could be as simple as a seed hitching a ride into our gardens on the bottom of one of our boots. More likely, the seeds were already in our yard soil and surfaced when we disturbed the soil to make gardens. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Below is the outcome when foxglove are allowed to grow in the same bed with giant pacific delphinium.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfS4f4OxlU-xb_glQMYw5_lgv0u8nVFoqjl200bNNO07w2CGDUvRtoh_d39ZBWcHtF2Qcfr7cvsWEzzgj8Sg5ogqBU9uIl_4CHTH_acGrGp6oParRIQbZWcVeDNCbSy51u9yYhGq3enA/s1600/DSC01458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcfS4f4OxlU-xb_glQMYw5_lgv0u8nVFoqjl200bNNO07w2CGDUvRtoh_d39ZBWcHtF2Qcfr7cvsWEzzgj8Sg5ogqBU9uIl_4CHTH_acGrGp6oParRIQbZWcVeDNCbSy51u9yYhGq3enA/s640/DSC01458.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As you see in the above photo, most foxglove in Sitka flower in shades of white and pink.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a close-up of a pink foxglove. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLypTwcDh6KeNb1dDQBleMK4rAbvGoTRT-6Jp2w3tcsrqn9te68ugz7HFVpVEIPuXiM_3Ss3alocFDEd9YnGCOnPn7iW055hO5p1KYRLoIqCbz5QAsxbAjPsuPImKJaOt1okikChMoYI/s1600/DSCN0643.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsLypTwcDh6KeNb1dDQBleMK4rAbvGoTRT-6Jp2w3tcsrqn9te68ugz7HFVpVEIPuXiM_3Ss3alocFDEd9YnGCOnPn7iW055hO5p1KYRLoIqCbz5QAsxbAjPsuPImKJaOt1okikChMoYI/s640/DSCN0643.jpg" width="632" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Over the years, foxglove made uninvited appearances in a surprisingly large number of our garden photos! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are just a few of those photos.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfPNqOBLa5PXSeLFNtd5onPpNr-wZ1NStaxY-jO9yCBrXc_zswfKk2ySdb310TGpfld3Z61jPK6IGlwIqBEmhn-Lx_7D4xHVrc7V4DevFe53DM85682qiU3RU0461FDlHej9rV4Phmr8/s1600/Scan+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNfPNqOBLa5PXSeLFNtd5onPpNr-wZ1NStaxY-jO9yCBrXc_zswfKk2ySdb310TGpfld3Z61jPK6IGlwIqBEmhn-Lx_7D4xHVrc7V4DevFe53DM85682qiU3RU0461FDlHej9rV4Phmr8/s640/Scan+1.jpg" width="530" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApQOtveF8TtcYRs8NQ7tFwuOErhjjVADsX5FQwGCqe5VI9ThIPEuaand3oYJIG7RIV_8MpkghpnBzitLSH4GOmiVyxvXabdPLsW0O5-b8Ht78b_gzBFaDuWWrjtg7f5YYmN0FvJ5NqeM/s1600/img570.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiApQOtveF8TtcYRs8NQ7tFwuOErhjjVADsX5FQwGCqe5VI9ThIPEuaand3oYJIG7RIV_8MpkghpnBzitLSH4GOmiVyxvXabdPLsW0O5-b8Ht78b_gzBFaDuWWrjtg7f5YYmN0FvJ5NqeM/s640/img570.jpg" width="566" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0eSa4yfApUACAfa8B2uSkesJ8KUhyeaJAKc0g5LPoj-uzpsBzUp9vZd4Yf-2ZlRE0TZRHdm89YXiY-ic5n-OMmNQVA0vqmbSiF3SmrFTrpWmBOyV8vTwewmFZ5aHeNGgxg9Oqg1buck/s1600/img218.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="548" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX0eSa4yfApUACAfa8B2uSkesJ8KUhyeaJAKc0g5LPoj-uzpsBzUp9vZd4Yf-2ZlRE0TZRHdm89YXiY-ic5n-OMmNQVA0vqmbSiF3SmrFTrpWmBOyV8vTwewmFZ5aHeNGgxg9Oqg1buck/s640/img218.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51aFsbvM0HjJyqlBVnRx8mpZFIdvPo2gX4uFURTekr-wK-uvdHKkxSDB-sK_ejOPVJCF4cf-m0YHsLSymejJ6DN7NoidCxu9abshfu3OD5HpoauZMpOHn1zaN1uEqYWPztTidLkDenUs/s1600/img979.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh51aFsbvM0HjJyqlBVnRx8mpZFIdvPo2gX4uFURTekr-wK-uvdHKkxSDB-sK_ejOPVJCF4cf-m0YHsLSymejJ6DN7NoidCxu9abshfu3OD5HpoauZMpOHn1zaN1uEqYWPztTidLkDenUs/s640/img979.jpg" width="394" /></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BzvFKVjfw0436kbXkg1t8EMtLdXU2MIcnF_XSYVtN6ySOcqSR_VBzsQoWEDJD9-ckkGsYui7yEGy-9bPLYYACHJ8Wf6i9Du43mbnpz2vSWGsBzOyB5E4Nm93xj3jxQ_KdRQLc9lS4y8/s1600/img986.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_BzvFKVjfw0436kbXkg1t8EMtLdXU2MIcnF_XSYVtN6ySOcqSR_VBzsQoWEDJD9-ckkGsYui7yEGy-9bPLYYACHJ8Wf6i9Du43mbnpz2vSWGsBzOyB5E4Nm93xj3jxQ_KdRQLc9lS4y8/s640/img986.jpg" width="464" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Admittedly, foxglove flowers have been an attractive addition to our gardens</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. But, they are simple to identify and simple to remove if you are not happy when they appear. Here is what a</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> foxglove plant looks like in March after overwintering.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7v-SjgFiM3S7Si9sqNuV3qGXswqHkYbXWvSkAHXfp8d5vujsduVNZkOmuhYZ1vur_2VFRJDpVBGDjyRlZ2t6khbuAqZR5iwnPBjFvISp3eWnyqsBpFzaMerSZ59_On5QmBmD7AgsmhD0/s1600/DSCN3761.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7v-SjgFiM3S7Si9sqNuV3qGXswqHkYbXWvSkAHXfp8d5vujsduVNZkOmuhYZ1vur_2VFRJDpVBGDjyRlZ2t6khbuAqZR5iwnPBjFvISp3eWnyqsBpFzaMerSZ59_On5QmBmD7AgsmhD0/s640/DSCN3761.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another important consideration is foxglove's inclination to attract and accumulate massive amounts of aphids whenever we have unseasonably warm and dry summers. Warm, dry summers have been rare. Some people are of the mind that a plant in their garden attracting aphids will keep the aphids away from other plant varieties. My thought is that, if foxglove attract aphids, all of those happy aphids will reproduce and the offspring will wander all over the place. So, I have mixed feelings about keeping foxglove around. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Regardless of my thoughts and efforts, each year at least a few foxglove starts have managed to escape notice and make a lovely appearance</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> in our gardens.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdRg-kQBtvkDVZemp8szA3-F-dApmmKnz6YXsRpTeekQ2GXy9ctpxQSr0AT8EC7wGxzoF1xlUnpdKVtvSlXzmgY9ehN58WhUq9soB-jscnS9MVbhLq08nyXDCh1I_K8kl11wuGq_hlHc/s1600/img502.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKdRg-kQBtvkDVZemp8szA3-F-dApmmKnz6YXsRpTeekQ2GXy9ctpxQSr0AT8EC7wGxzoF1xlUnpdKVtvSlXzmgY9ehN58WhUq9soB-jscnS9MVbhLq08nyXDCh1I_K8kl11wuGq_hlHc/s640/img502.jpg" width="402" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>SILVER DOLLAR, HONESTY, MONEY PLANT</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Lunaria annua</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoeUCurgAiFugviPkIJJugHTJikMEbxACK9AwHIoaeP3KVnfwbmeL7IQf9nfw9QM7UJDUd6ZdKHTrzJKyYckuRKsXqjlSZaADcfYFm1RviHqLst8gZlZZbIeOMObh5RIWO51_Kz_5iIc/s1600/P1000521.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNoeUCurgAiFugviPkIJJugHTJikMEbxACK9AwHIoaeP3KVnfwbmeL7IQf9nfw9QM7UJDUd6ZdKHTrzJKyYckuRKsXqjlSZaADcfYFm1RviHqLst8gZlZZbIeOMObh5RIWO51_Kz_5iIc/s640/P1000521.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know. It doesn't look all that worthy at first glance. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was Al Richter, leaning on a shovel when he said, "I think you are really going to like having this plant at your place, by golly." He was right. Al dug up a a young plant for me to take home. Lunaria annua has been welcome in our gardens ever since.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although it goes by several names, let's refer to Lunaria annua in this post as 'silver dollar.'</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Silver dollar is a shade loving plant. R</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ight off the bat, t</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">hat scores lots of points in our climate!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As it grows in height, the silver dollar plant fills out and catches your eye with lots of bright little flowers.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnosU63POTK6PWOfwx88I9bBaF6_vv2KMQapgmiIUEbToaRuDG-EJ-bdWFTFRKQ8xKNv9oYeMZdLwCS_s-i_96QFZR4GHUSbNCsruk5YgF13-tnu7sZYaDtQfIMwLdaQn8jNXmXpAhAsI/s1600/P1000431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnosU63POTK6PWOfwx88I9bBaF6_vv2KMQapgmiIUEbToaRuDG-EJ-bdWFTFRKQ8xKNv9oYeMZdLwCS_s-i_96QFZR4GHUSbNCsruk5YgF13-tnu7sZYaDtQfIMwLdaQn8jNXmXpAhAsI/s640/P1000431.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It will grow to a height of three or more feet.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NFMKvF5JyZlwhaPXbE424bt2mYKH4L5mGSauxsGcpVBVq9KNbukwhyphenhyphenjkCtnUHYSGxt5wuOZYqHvaHhsBhWGo64nbsxzeFqE0KzlwTIpI6qmpfCgqGABJ4K2jWpOlQYBR1o9_E0JLTuI/s1600/DSC06249.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2NFMKvF5JyZlwhaPXbE424bt2mYKH4L5mGSauxsGcpVBVq9KNbukwhyphenhyphenjkCtnUHYSGxt5wuOZYqHvaHhsBhWGo64nbsxzeFqE0KzlwTIpI6qmpfCgqGABJ4K2jWpOlQYBR1o9_E0JLTuI/s640/DSC06249.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">About mid-summer, the silver dollar plants start developing seed pods.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBOoipOcj-CFm58JmVxwnJ5hmlWf16nDiY6lxr-eJOv6G45DkNOSLSQdFRWu-jW0oO5zuSgO0kY68QI4Sah0K6cQPce4d1Aa1r68yE8raoRdlkNSDfdLs2bqqcWw7st_u1JGVIzRY3Ws/s1600/IMG_6205.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBBOoipOcj-CFm58JmVxwnJ5hmlWf16nDiY6lxr-eJOv6G45DkNOSLSQdFRWu-jW0oO5zuSgO0kY68QI4Sah0K6cQPce4d1Aa1r68yE8raoRdlkNSDfdLs2bqqcWw7st_u1JGVIzRY3Ws/s640/IMG_6205.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gradually, the entire plant looks like a little tree full of dangling ornaments.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPCe8bNV0OT9wLmR5YGDnxlS4yrAk4F-YM465ILzzw5kRY1gtGkxSRqTesU3AT0Y2GeLV_heVshxud53IUZ7EE1eUUWdbJn90S1Epna7wRYzS1XvaNbzJ73bVwPUU29YM6X46CBfRmhk/s1600/DSCN0488.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEPCe8bNV0OT9wLmR5YGDnxlS4yrAk4F-YM465ILzzw5kRY1gtGkxSRqTesU3AT0Y2GeLV_heVshxud53IUZ7EE1eUUWdbJn90S1Epna7wRYzS1XvaNbzJ73bVwPUU29YM6X46CBfRmhk/s640/DSCN0488.jpg" width="488" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I like to use branches of varying sizes in dried flower bouquets. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">But first it is necessary to let it all dry out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Towards the end of summer, when the seed pods look mature with well developed seeds, I pull some of the plants. I hang them upside down inside the house in a warm, dry location.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccT5BWbNrwh89DgzJeGEVGwSREPvRSqUh-lHA80eUTXhcVZ0lE4oPZuLRwaUxpy5PvDW5ZVpBdJaN2oAKS3iZsnB1O6QdihSme-_STuK_xhjZg5-9HeXGvaUkACJDVTB-7gICXiyy9NQ/s1600/DSCN3782+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="412" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhccT5BWbNrwh89DgzJeGEVGwSREPvRSqUh-lHA80eUTXhcVZ0lE4oPZuLRwaUxpy5PvDW5ZVpBdJaN2oAKS3iZsnB1O6QdihSme-_STuK_xhjZg5-9HeXGvaUkACJDVTB-7gICXiyy9NQ/s640/DSCN3782+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once the plants are dry and brittle, I either leave the plant whole or break off branches. I carefully peel both sides off of each seed pod taking care not to break the pod from the branch. The seeds fall out. The round, shiny interior layer of the pods remain.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEhyoDoVClus6mw6PDHFBWBe9nKYPGzj_gTmp46IGNwLDkaQXdq6zf0HUdgKrO41l5fAd7OwP8hSSo9r505zPwOtcbXStgs6w4src9MRviMJgFOjIUYZC4nT57bSSJTPMv-ow-yESdxE/s1600/IMG_2910.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAEhyoDoVClus6mw6PDHFBWBe9nKYPGzj_gTmp46IGNwLDkaQXdq6zf0HUdgKrO41l5fAd7OwP8hSSo9r505zPwOtcbXStgs6w4src9MRviMJgFOjIUYZC4nT57bSSJTPMv-ow-yESdxE/s640/IMG_2910.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The peels get tossed, but I save the seeds to plant or share.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwLrUuImf4O-oNblNE-oGrypg4Kx5_w6lNh6aSNAMGLbxm1ALqctI_F0p3QcD3mIjUrDmGwvSJ7HHcNXFbW7lhaqe5nbrDoxCJMlpp7ye7E2CSclHZH0ZmREfkKIQ9rKj4eBTcQPkD-o/s1600/DSCN3778.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFwLrUuImf4O-oNblNE-oGrypg4Kx5_w6lNh6aSNAMGLbxm1ALqctI_F0p3QcD3mIjUrDmGwvSJ7HHcNXFbW7lhaqe5nbrDoxCJMlpp7ye7E2CSclHZH0ZmREfkKIQ9rKj4eBTcQPkD-o/s640/DSCN3778.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As it turns out though, I haven't yet needed to plant any of the silver dollar seeds. Seeds have dropped each year from silver dollar plants, travelled around somehow... and started growing on their own. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a silver dollar plant in March after it has overwintered.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6XeKlHL2FQ0PX2OBEFk-R-HL2ZvEoUl3PkMRuvIZIAtch0_inX6UZjkbnpaCE9vj4lZ8ugR8m0Fughsi18S086LJuE4-iYGECXy_-C5u85a8HP7jad_Edfpd-yt93ADeb5WK3QW1An8/s1600/DSCN3759.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="554" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO6XeKlHL2FQ0PX2OBEFk-R-HL2ZvEoUl3PkMRuvIZIAtch0_inX6UZjkbnpaCE9vj4lZ8ugR8m0Fughsi18S086LJuE4-iYGECXy_-C5u85a8HP7jad_Edfpd-yt93ADeb5WK3QW1An8/s640/DSCN3759.jpg" width="640" /></a> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Silver dollar plants show up solitary and in groups, depending on where the seeds land. In the photo below, the silver dollars are in the lower left. The bright orange in the lower right is Euphorbia griffithii 'Fireglow.' The white blooms above are on a Pristine apple tree. Everything seems to go crazy when the soil is warm and fertile. Lots of weeds would be thick in the lower section too had I not just pulled them out.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjjNz0Omtosjux9hP4IlZRvdeHwTpO0tpjBNLUsuIB40wF8EzqsQNdKWxBQJzMc1xf7SxBWSDoD44MtdK4CGsfsk2qen80KG4eRkBJtmd7UAyei2Aio2SQpA4CaCiSCuBermLgC21FaI/s1600/DSC06607.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJjjNz0Omtosjux9hP4IlZRvdeHwTpO0tpjBNLUsuIB40wF8EzqsQNdKWxBQJzMc1xf7SxBWSDoD44MtdK4CGsfsk2qen80KG4eRkBJtmd7UAyei2Aio2SQpA4CaCiSCuBermLgC21FaI/s640/DSC06607.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Young silver dollars plants usually transplant well if you want to dig them up and change the location. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the end, silver dollar seed pods are uniquely beautiful and long-lasting.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiHyU-2g0P94cSvW5YTwXYAmxP08qC3Pt7XKoeOiRXw4RkbEXwpCj0L0kfPp6MxjJegpiXNZlPCLApYhAusGRmAokh2VRJSk8fNxhmMJtUUWKvPZIKXiKycAW_6shw2XkioGV77gUdkc/s1600/IMG_0259.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijiHyU-2g0P94cSvW5YTwXYAmxP08qC3Pt7XKoeOiRXw4RkbEXwpCj0L0kfPp6MxjJegpiXNZlPCLApYhAusGRmAokh2VRJSk8fNxhmMJtUUWKvPZIKXiKycAW_6shw2XkioGV77gUdkc/s640/IMG_0259.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CANTERBURY BELLS</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: orange; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Campanula medium</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSwhlFRC00GUoB3-fzbQqqGyTmMFXRHXTzVtAu-sXQdEsbs6w3kml6gASPpWAl3xoG7CxGo8-g-69mDrOhE_Vz33sIe0Xypy9xBbbM6MwmevAvntuj3EJjvjpMWJ2c1pYz8nzeYMBUok/s1600/IMG_1523.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaSwhlFRC00GUoB3-fzbQqqGyTmMFXRHXTzVtAu-sXQdEsbs6w3kml6gASPpWAl3xoG7CxGo8-g-69mDrOhE_Vz33sIe0Xypy9xBbbM6MwmevAvntuj3EJjvjpMWJ2c1pYz8nzeYMBUok/s640/IMG_1523.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Throughout my entire life, I have enjoyed reading in the evening before bedtime. I love to read. Whether fiction or non-fiction, authors would occasionally mention English cottage gardens. It was in my early twenties that I actually visited England. The look of English cottage gardens was a lot like I had imagined! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our own covered garden, attached to our greenhouse, hints of an English cottage garden... in large part due to the inclusion of breathtaking canterbury bells.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoINULkbJRujsjXU0TRjktI1SXrGoIXNiHT6vkUHFrzn-IrItoWA2CFWXlHYBibE1ha7J0_EU1O5vnskufmlckK9f0tHXyjIQLHIbl8w6-YxOeNNrlfkhsBW4bhuRi_VtTciGAHmrw6o/s1600/DSC00653.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="568" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYoINULkbJRujsjXU0TRjktI1SXrGoIXNiHT6vkUHFrzn-IrItoWA2CFWXlHYBibE1ha7J0_EU1O5vnskufmlckK9f0tHXyjIQLHIbl8w6-YxOeNNrlfkhsBW4bhuRi_VtTciGAHmrw6o/s640/DSC00653.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Canterbury bell plants are full of surprises. Until the buds bloom, there is no certainty of flower color or layers of bells. The variety of colors bloom with any number of layers.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's have a look at a few.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SINGLE PURPLE</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPYQ7YdJms7N06qFkfUGcufrSugHfmXzDrcM9vmEBk5zVcAFiXjLaQ13UdXSKZu03ALAsuVoLdN15Zo9TV7CG5RYlGZQ3HcXtwQaiHL5aRIW2_Hwk-VGs4-iX_0MWFPvyxEJNDAVeZQk/s1600/DSC03898.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhPYQ7YdJms7N06qFkfUGcufrSugHfmXzDrcM9vmEBk5zVcAFiXjLaQ13UdXSKZu03ALAsuVoLdN15Zo9TV7CG5RYlGZQ3HcXtwQaiHL5aRIW2_Hwk-VGs4-iX_0MWFPvyxEJNDAVeZQk/s640/DSC03898.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DOUBLE PURPLE</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7bwLqQX_r2LqzqHtp9M0bjQUAq6Rb7SWgO9EtZFNp5PiLwSadMkNnZySsZy0Kjz3ZNE57UIUejZ9Rs26O_5rZqWEDmVrCYoAuI1Nzizgs1HmYsYQESkaeUBbL8ABHJFWM2vfjQmxNO4/s1600/DSC01437.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR7bwLqQX_r2LqzqHtp9M0bjQUAq6Rb7SWgO9EtZFNp5PiLwSadMkNnZySsZy0Kjz3ZNE57UIUejZ9Rs26O_5rZqWEDmVrCYoAuI1Nzizgs1HmYsYQESkaeUBbL8ABHJFWM2vfjQmxNO4/s640/DSC01437.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">TRIPLE PURPLE</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiMqm0HVGp336qwZPuRv1tx3F4kEx3kfBMEBiAkglxi3SO6NT7n_Vl9daUkSKbpV0JPBa_2TmK8vT0mONOXGo4L9XyoiCiTgZVahzNgG63y-7hTaqdfzjiUOyVPxRyx-N66LvPmnanLY/s1600/DSC01435.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoiMqm0HVGp336qwZPuRv1tx3F4kEx3kfBMEBiAkglxi3SO6NT7n_Vl9daUkSKbpV0JPBa_2TmK8vT0mONOXGo4L9XyoiCiTgZVahzNgG63y-7hTaqdfzjiUOyVPxRyx-N66LvPmnanLY/s640/DSC01435.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SINGLE VERY PALE PICOTEE PURPLE</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3NCbO9eRQPr1gI1IbDVDFMyHCIvO_AsQLOrormkOw4AH4ERawuNBPnth3GjxNXEKIEjhe3QvFZIk8AhT29KuSsyqbIAusPCteC6xRcFJsqO7f1IoY0jlfjBWnqYAI5fwqh-HAgI-RrU/s1600/DSC01442.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ3NCbO9eRQPr1gI1IbDVDFMyHCIvO_AsQLOrormkOw4AH4ERawuNBPnth3GjxNXEKIEjhe3QvFZIk8AhT29KuSsyqbIAusPCteC6xRcFJsqO7f1IoY0jlfjBWnqYAI5fwqh-HAgI-RrU/s640/DSC01442.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DOUBLE LILAC</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpyDMjNbSvLNtzXE0PmjTJ5gOCl8QWDO2OF-Fh5Z6wS5YgTefFXR-atwBFRZnltiTjvPsN2PdEabk-nFByWvOSlS0KZZOkQ_FwhmWjIw18kJ7y0WNr2RU8UtrIfZjwNn1w5Cfb5gN_pA/s1600/DSC01427.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcpyDMjNbSvLNtzXE0PmjTJ5gOCl8QWDO2OF-Fh5Z6wS5YgTefFXR-atwBFRZnltiTjvPsN2PdEabk-nFByWvOSlS0KZZOkQ_FwhmWjIw18kJ7y0WNr2RU8UtrIfZjwNn1w5Cfb5gN_pA/s640/DSC01427.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">TRIPLE PALE LAVENDER</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ScFwgqLRJspIC0REyLs990uLNFwslDTFfXPvJFihN893XuMrSjBwzMwV9Gko-yYPAPLKEx84NttslFdW2ft4nqdOZ0qz75GBzZFrA-Am_xe8naGgZ2MGfJ_J3b-fjCvddGhfIoekWjE/s1600/DSC05941.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="526" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2ScFwgqLRJspIC0REyLs990uLNFwslDTFfXPvJFihN893XuMrSjBwzMwV9Gko-yYPAPLKEx84NttslFdW2ft4nqdOZ0qz75GBzZFrA-Am_xe8naGgZ2MGfJ_J3b-fjCvddGhfIoekWjE/s640/DSC05941.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SINGLE PINK</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNb-yCZdsHYGdYs6-_O_G1Sho8e5jFUxG0zLJOZ3FIpt2ZIMbPMrcQLfjuKe7EMB8Bm9bZEvnTDjcLPmjGqP97QN9yc3BHlVkQ51UYbqNbQH20WbqDUXqvU1cgvLDK2v6QPOqLGgitgIE/s1600/DSC03902.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNb-yCZdsHYGdYs6-_O_G1Sho8e5jFUxG0zLJOZ3FIpt2ZIMbPMrcQLfjuKe7EMB8Bm9bZEvnTDjcLPmjGqP97QN9yc3BHlVkQ51UYbqNbQH20WbqDUXqvU1cgvLDK2v6QPOqLGgitgIE/s640/DSC03902.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DOUBLE PINK</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4M_72Cn7IyNKW5sYbvInVIQiodXR8ti1zfkAtuBYiNGpHPNZwS2dKTRJdg20ZVEDnihzq6KLgPrLm3HuJuyHGtXI-umN9yE2dPONXwoqVZeKUMb8T81YOjE_-M9im6ayxKx_4D174lk/s1600/DSC01438.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ4M_72Cn7IyNKW5sYbvInVIQiodXR8ti1zfkAtuBYiNGpHPNZwS2dKTRJdg20ZVEDnihzq6KLgPrLm3HuJuyHGtXI-umN9yE2dPONXwoqVZeKUMb8T81YOjE_-M9im6ayxKx_4D174lk/s640/DSC01438.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SINGLE WHITE</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLODBpRjJcwK2lrvbV9g6p-53_FDkhvsMCFvWlnNtNortpMqq6MnQ410D79OQY_tbXzIFgYgnJySVIPZW8cIHipq98Cl1yJnk5UaJMitkc0-s8o4moKxg7FeJFuEluoUlcGL8BYkjQOcw/s1600/IMG_0487.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLODBpRjJcwK2lrvbV9g6p-53_FDkhvsMCFvWlnNtNortpMqq6MnQ410D79OQY_tbXzIFgYgnJySVIPZW8cIHipq98Cl1yJnk5UaJMitkc0-s8o4moKxg7FeJFuEluoUlcGL8BYkjQOcw/s640/IMG_0487.jpg" width="584" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">DOUBLE WHITE</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZupp4G2eDA78TkTvkiDDR7fUH9Qo4bx0FY7Iwd6YpMbiqezvtFc-WSmVznpP8CB-nRTd1fdxbMVsBLUv00fuTj11x7wE34YPPWjuUnsG8gL8QjTEQABn9G11Uqey-R_MzwGkD-BUP7rM/s1600/DSC06948+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZupp4G2eDA78TkTvkiDDR7fUH9Qo4bx0FY7Iwd6YpMbiqezvtFc-WSmVznpP8CB-nRTd1fdxbMVsBLUv00fuTj11x7wE34YPPWjuUnsG8gL8QjTEQABn9G11Uqey-R_MzwGkD-BUP7rM/s640/DSC06948+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">TRIPLE WHITE</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtOxmI5kbtTfufWZnn16M9YSu10dIb0f35fOoyw97vdWlzpIpozwBp3C-fITAwEqvhDXeT9_Y1PLtov00GZ5iwELYGCX4R6-FGsJFmcxKz819EJbP6vMb0jHM9HvMbQCWih1No44n9gI/s1600/IMG_0483.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQtOxmI5kbtTfufWZnn16M9YSu10dIb0f35fOoyw97vdWlzpIpozwBp3C-fITAwEqvhDXeT9_Y1PLtov00GZ5iwELYGCX4R6-FGsJFmcxKz819EJbP6vMb0jHM9HvMbQCWih1No44n9gI/s640/IMG_0483.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I think it was in the late 1980's that I ordered this packet of seeds from the Shepherd's Garden Seeds catalog.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZIh_4eEiCjaftmrhIRbyisg64o-gNycPwYm7jLxM-_ocIN2qd8hR1YvDxH0dj41W11hrmQ7s29lrLaHSURk3cZoPgs7Gpx-A6Kukaa6DRV9x8Zv-QTGPnI1fasP_s-YXQsujsgTm7Uk/s1600/IMG_6785.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIZIh_4eEiCjaftmrhIRbyisg64o-gNycPwYm7jLxM-_ocIN2qd8hR1YvDxH0dj41W11hrmQ7s29lrLaHSURk3cZoPgs7Gpx-A6Kukaa6DRV9x8Zv-QTGPnI1fasP_s-YXQsujsgTm7Uk/s400/IMG_6785.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMG4pGe1S-EHx8mvFHIaQ5IKKT4umc4v03ChPrfDwNXhQZZkDQS5Sg-G-EuZF4u3NwbvJxw6LkMFBTcIo-e3597_TPIakZ5MV3XJua5ZALaJuhyaF1fT1dsFS_2T8uix5yUwIlFKg8aow/s1600/IMG_6784.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMG4pGe1S-EHx8mvFHIaQ5IKKT4umc4v03ChPrfDwNXhQZZkDQS5Sg-G-EuZF4u3NwbvJxw6LkMFBTcIo-e3597_TPIakZ5MV3XJua5ZALaJuhyaF1fT1dsFS_2T8uix5yUwIlFKg8aow/s400/IMG_6784.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This particular seed company no longer exists. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, I see that very similar looking canterbury bells are currently sold by PINETREE GARDEN SEEDS.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When the seeds were no longer sold by SHEPHERD'S GARDEN SEEDS, I decided to collect seeds from my own canterbury bell plants. I did not want to chance losing the opportunity to grow this particular variety of canterbury bells. I had purchased a packet from a different company back then... and was disappointed with the difference.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Canterbury bells rarely self-sow. Best to be prepared to start seeds yourself each year.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Collecting seeds from canterbury bells can be challenging. Sometimes the pods tend to mold before they ripen.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I carefully remove the dying flower petals above the seed pod and the green, outer, bumpy-looking covering of the seed pod where it meets the stem <i>WHILE IT IS STILL ATTACHED TO THE PLANT.</i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7StJgGoJeMTdkh9C0_Wtca0cly5j0nXBDGmQibBFSv7jbMjq8ZMYWmy1kVunDwqyb0P251RACDFgWbIKNe4_wczzQFh0kfF0Xl-sVUmoZA0mrFiU1Ci5fW80mrPiIkqEb-YrFjZjKas/s1600/IMG_6314+2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="608" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR7StJgGoJeMTdkh9C0_Wtca0cly5j0nXBDGmQibBFSv7jbMjq8ZMYWmy1kVunDwqyb0P251RACDFgWbIKNe4_wczzQFh0kfF0Xl-sVUmoZA0mrFiU1Ci5fW80mrPiIkqEb-YrFjZjKas/s640/IMG_6314+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I leave the pods on the plant for as long as a month and discontinue watering.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have found that the seed pods have a better chance of maturing using this approach.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you have more than one plant drying, label each plant with the color and number of bell layers.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the end of the season, I usually have lots of mature, healthy seeds to save. These seeds have sprouted for me even when they are five years old if stored in a cool, dark, dry location.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNq8HB06683gXgKQhA9Alc9LVJIjvaKxnJa9-ASbm4POlSNp1YjewOjL9KHtDgTH2qu_pAX2tQR6H77u-JNVbaGdhuUAUrPCfwhU7LobWPvMATJpTtbJRNc_MTXt9ljJDUI4zVxT7fw8/s1600/DSCN3776.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmNq8HB06683gXgKQhA9Alc9LVJIjvaKxnJa9-ASbm4POlSNp1YjewOjL9KHtDgTH2qu_pAX2tQR6H77u-JNVbaGdhuUAUrPCfwhU7LobWPvMATJpTtbJRNc_MTXt9ljJDUI4zVxT7fw8/s640/DSCN3776.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">W</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">hen I am not so busy</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> in May or June, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I start a flat or two of canterbury bell seeds <i>every year</i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. The seeds sprout easily indoors, three or four seeds to each 4 inch pot. Once the plants have grown two or three inches, I transplant them out in the open wherever I have space in my gardens. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Canterbury bells do best planted outdoors in fertile soil wherever they will get plenty of rain. All you will see is a short green plant throughout the first year. Here is how it looks in March after it has overwintered. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3S7XKGZTY6FcqO2QThIiGKZehBVCJG98maRjLVEHxqQiU6by0kEMue_-bMqlAgztm9SJgc2EdoYuWHWvyDohnN4ZnBB4gKCTg_OPYb5GbBaM2_9I9p4MaZlwBPN2eN5g5cP4Mdjq2nc/s1600/DSCN3765.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV3S7XKGZTY6FcqO2QThIiGKZehBVCJG98maRjLVEHxqQiU6by0kEMue_-bMqlAgztm9SJgc2EdoYuWHWvyDohnN4ZnBB4gKCTg_OPYb5GbBaM2_9I9p4MaZlwBPN2eN5g5cP4Mdjq2nc/s640/DSCN3765.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Canterbury bells will grow and bloom the second summer.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Canterbury bell flowers <i>HATE</i> to be rained upon. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, I dig up each plant in late April or May before the flower stems start shooting up. I transplant all of these canterbury bell plants to locations where rain will not fall on their sensitive bells. It is best to surround the plant with some kind of support or fencing if you can. The stems will be plentiful and heavy with blooms. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Transplant them under overhangs.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhtAfVdmKITutY5xDcJya0_q2Majes_eyXpPsmbg4UvH-1-QcDGDCTeqA6kZwiVXX3gjsFF8Xv09S_vIqWNKRCkBk2T7PnqKB68dV3Qk-nn37qzEnWzhYLYyxv8kM6H-2AmRQq_gdbnQ/s1600/img558.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOhtAfVdmKITutY5xDcJya0_q2Majes_eyXpPsmbg4UvH-1-QcDGDCTeqA6kZwiVXX3gjsFF8Xv09S_vIqWNKRCkBk2T7PnqKB68dV3Qk-nn37qzEnWzhYLYyxv8kM6H-2AmRQq_gdbnQ/s640/img558.jpg" width="520" /></a> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Into pots on covered decks. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoigNFXrrIEwsJZlJDRIbogPDDqcSuSx4WSBjxz8F53wSQLMP6bSXiQlVsYhEKc52I3Ywxbt4TkoLFMUZqDUphH7AyMdiKU8eqqmeqgiEpTqPW_qY6JQcrSI_CA5mlKCKMAIpBUL52GE/s1600/DSC00776.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAoigNFXrrIEwsJZlJDRIbogPDDqcSuSx4WSBjxz8F53wSQLMP6bSXiQlVsYhEKc52I3Ywxbt4TkoLFMUZqDUphH7AyMdiKU8eqqmeqgiEpTqPW_qY6JQcrSI_CA5mlKCKMAIpBUL52GE/s640/DSC00776.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the greenhouse.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWtKu3t8oTu6QX8hcguJGCsrQ5EJErh6T090ZvtgoY0b-QhC7m6COLmkMO6siTLEBwr1nAQKehEnFykSelFwimWw1VL7nHe0Mcp6c_VW_tBMN-p4gmFbnzvZSMtfUzCedORlBqOxEcXE/s1600/DSC05951.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizWtKu3t8oTu6QX8hcguJGCsrQ5EJErh6T090ZvtgoY0b-QhC7m6COLmkMO6siTLEBwr1nAQKehEnFykSelFwimWw1VL7nHe0Mcp6c_VW_tBMN-p4gmFbnzvZSMtfUzCedORlBqOxEcXE/s640/DSC05951.jpg" width="332" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And in a covered garden.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZbS4cIVRfKiWPaqH4z6VzERFwsglqzRX7k8bw8HZze_ymfpdRbbrS5oGNNf0wDNimUybJuBaETCGr9eoa91E-j-7iJ-3-akdIoQ9Zi3sQUIlSz3y1UXun1-nE7rSQd-Ea54UHIen_iY/s1600/DSC00683.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0ZbS4cIVRfKiWPaqH4z6VzERFwsglqzRX7k8bw8HZze_ymfpdRbbrS5oGNNf0wDNimUybJuBaETCGr9eoa91E-j-7iJ-3-akdIoQ9Zi3sQUIlSz3y1UXun1-nE7rSQd-Ea54UHIen_iY/s640/DSC00683.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why so many canterbury bells?</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Because they are so perfect in bouquets!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We really enjoy giving bouquets.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPc66lRVpzgtC8JHjjh_Z8FkoGEg-HmXFXM2_dILW81Q9XA16CEgWIc7e6yrcDHRYjavMHO22RYbeT0RmxzhesG73pXfRnKZCAk46cxp9TLwDsUdjanHnJsXZVBDAUNYBZOVVgBQZMeA0/s1600/20506976_10212350411568152_2494898545914817831_o.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPc66lRVpzgtC8JHjjh_Z8FkoGEg-HmXFXM2_dILW81Q9XA16CEgWIc7e6yrcDHRYjavMHO22RYbeT0RmxzhesG73pXfRnKZCAk46cxp9TLwDsUdjanHnJsXZVBDAUNYBZOVVgBQZMeA0/s640/20506976_10212350411568152_2494898545914817831_o.jpg" width="472" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-41174150562387880892018-02-14T11:08:00.002-08:002023-06-04T11:10:43.626-07:00FLOWERS - POPPIES<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A bee's eye view...</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtU_Y3nXmO5z6iZSgBHbAgo5VkUJKKJOEq0cLohVZmKEDfExP6uz6FMD6kHN3kjbJS-3T9K9R58zdFVjC4P3ZQwtb1CqlTeCyLt-rj7XjpfEcIlc7GviwoiyS6yeP98kU1zntoze-_9HY/s1600/DSC05777.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtU_Y3nXmO5z6iZSgBHbAgo5VkUJKKJOEq0cLohVZmKEDfExP6uz6FMD6kHN3kjbJS-3T9K9R58zdFVjC4P3ZQwtb1CqlTeCyLt-rj7XjpfEcIlc7GviwoiyS6yeP98kU1zntoze-_9HY/s640/DSC05777.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Poppies were singled out for this post for a couple of reasons. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Poppies are unique in that some are annual and others are perennial. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And... </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">poppies are high on my list of favorite flowers. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In 1984, I was dazzled by a single poppy plant. It was grown by my joyful little boy, Roy, in a paper cup at his day care. This was not only my introduction to poppies, but also my first Mother's Day gift! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghk3uqZhrekpS6PZQF1lz0Py6krpmpDhWUC3Ufqqf2p4ClgBB561lihoWPX6qnbaYz-Q9jkdxz2HEMQvW6zJ9kKmG1gWf93YTNTnR-ftALl1tbX7dTVNFXW59dSrkfsZ944hwo_Htt2G8/s1600/Scan+13.jpg"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghk3uqZhrekpS6PZQF1lz0Py6krpmpDhWUC3Ufqqf2p4ClgBB561lihoWPX6qnbaYz-Q9jkdxz2HEMQvW6zJ9kKmG1gWf93YTNTnR-ftALl1tbX7dTVNFXW59dSrkfsZ944hwo_Htt2G8/s640/Scan+13.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Several of the flowers from that poppy plant were included in my wedding bouquet that same summer.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9uWglTmQ-gazeo05fzujv_bP6xAd_LOd8u3SnkNTkFTlpWuSdLe52Y8yne9fmeN2q3MURc66dAi4U8d747G9Yx8OGpwKWncaQ8TU8W6cE9V6Wk5nbiXKHt9Buva22ffbJaJrxbFdu5I/s1600/img769.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW9uWglTmQ-gazeo05fzujv_bP6xAd_LOd8u3SnkNTkFTlpWuSdLe52Y8yne9fmeN2q3MURc66dAi4U8d747G9Yx8OGpwKWncaQ8TU8W6cE9V6Wk5nbiXKHt9Buva22ffbJaJrxbFdu5I/s640/img769.jpg" width="500" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We saved lots of seeds and have continued growing these poppies each summer ever after. I refer to them as "Roy" poppies.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoOSWtesDCMTb2cVKJhy8IKK4ppTLslQVz7CKbkU9ADa7JsJryHl8FqpeQ9Ci4zCNBzFZsqcMCxDa7kZDmnLUZKHKRKUyvlwNliGKpAObYKpKjQP86xQU6vfQykyulEC2hBI97FTbbo8/s1600/img221.jpg"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWoOSWtesDCMTb2cVKJhy8IKK4ppTLslQVz7CKbkU9ADa7JsJryHl8FqpeQ9Ci4zCNBzFZsqcMCxDa7kZDmnLUZKHKRKUyvlwNliGKpAObYKpKjQP86xQU6vfQykyulEC2hBI97FTbbo8/s640/img221.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>ANNUAL POPPIES</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you look into it, it can get complicated when trying to categorize poppies. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I will try to keep it simple!</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">The poppies you saw in the above photos are annual (meaning</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> that the plant grows and flowers for one season only). </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The scientific name of the above poppies is:</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Papaver rhoeas 'shirley poppies'</b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">TERRITORIAL SEED COMPANY and ED HUME SEEDS are sold locally and both offer 'shirley poppies.'</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Some shirley poppies grow with very few petals encircling the immature seed pods. They are referred to as <i>single.</i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here we see a flower comprised of only 4 large petals:</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTuAO6YtbKFlcC43aZ9VBnHULosm0LUWx7P4oGBI4fYV7SpnvV6vrrn4BPbSQLPDAwG2g7VXTrfdC0mXjfN-iN8bGf01D-ycpfE518rijeLi9o_t_NDQmxRRyZhQC9XcJyiXCEHp2Fz8/s1600/IMG_1708+2.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYTuAO6YtbKFlcC43aZ9VBnHULosm0LUWx7P4oGBI4fYV7SpnvV6vrrn4BPbSQLPDAwG2g7VXTrfdC0mXjfN-iN8bGf01D-ycpfE518rijeLi9o_t_NDQmxRRyZhQC9XcJyiXCEHp2Fz8/s640/IMG_1708+2.jpg" width="578" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If the flower has a few more petals, </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">it is described as <i>semi-double:</i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLMyBfoJ6Os10TxgUSbTttw3IyuDUCFjLZJW8_-PjDzNi9_wzQ1wLph4S1C4vyUqo9ujoQ3pLkaSp3BSUOTceiHzVZ5OuSlwHKFFfdpRtLX2B9Tkdi8fyjlq3uoEDGyFNDwjFlquj2IM/s1600/IMG_1963_2.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTLMyBfoJ6Os10TxgUSbTttw3IyuDUCFjLZJW8_-PjDzNi9_wzQ1wLph4S1C4vyUqo9ujoQ3pLkaSp3BSUOTceiHzVZ5OuSlwHKFFfdpRtLX2B9Tkdi8fyjlq3uoEDGyFNDwjFlquj2IM/s640/IMG_1963_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If there are lots of petals, </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">it is described as fully <i>double:</i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMPRaiiXmZ6M-UbBKCB0v5tmNZK2qsJBSVd2IoWE2YUE8gtAPVKFZiUek5B8VQII10Xvs9XbD-8GL2vUCy2Vtn12kUWDUpdu7KEcBpfIfI3XKwBnOp2yKeJfEDCxaTT2Yu5IUFeYZhQg/s1600/IMG_2040.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaMPRaiiXmZ6M-UbBKCB0v5tmNZK2qsJBSVd2IoWE2YUE8gtAPVKFZiUek5B8VQII10Xvs9XbD-8GL2vUCy2Vtn12kUWDUpdu7KEcBpfIfI3XKwBnOp2yKeJfEDCxaTT2Yu5IUFeYZhQg/s640/IMG_2040.jpg" width="480" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The petals of some Shirley poppies are all the same color:</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-15znWGXL1Bua07K057HJNcmPAYEfN8FVkOuRFQiE25vLdurIHdTeyYjV6yQ5w0IZvbVpyDj0uG_MWnDIT_A_5eT-gTz9iKpVpnNMj-4IsPBdAMRV6GugQ8hhIfpKkKLcgQx1AieTGDc/s1600/DSC06774.JPG"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-15znWGXL1Bua07K057HJNcmPAYEfN8FVkOuRFQiE25vLdurIHdTeyYjV6yQ5w0IZvbVpyDj0uG_MWnDIT_A_5eT-gTz9iKpVpnNMj-4IsPBdAMRV6GugQ8hhIfpKkKLcgQx1AieTGDc/s640/DSC06774.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Others are bi-colored:</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcda5yL1n5gpm5QjtxXoO5T4SJSSkjNPih2YDZhJwoCK58bw1Ho_Eufxvqbz1c2BIg5nZXc8o3hNCk97Ub0Tpgi0_Ez1j7u_Kw8WNHe1rxDmgmVpj-pKvJJDXx0C4z-9Ek0WAnpH0nms/s1600/img577.jpg"><img border="0" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvcda5yL1n5gpm5QjtxXoO5T4SJSSkjNPih2YDZhJwoCK58bw1Ho_Eufxvqbz1c2BIg5nZXc8o3hNCk97Ub0Tpgi0_Ez1j7u_Kw8WNHe1rxDmgmVpj-pKvJJDXx0C4z-9Ek0WAnpH0nms/s640/img577.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Some are picotee. This means the petal is edged with a different color or shade.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJIpRgJyFZk_pJFwi_mPAaGbTqfOi6wklpM4Tgn4bXkxC_FzIOHQ5YHj3nb1ekCk02fyHfQwE_14jbX8BUm96XFzOp4Qtu1qQjzETqW6B7fsYKYR7gqjx89X-PjzkqAldff8E9gdoNxc/s1600/IMG_1646.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSJIpRgJyFZk_pJFwi_mPAaGbTqfOi6wklpM4Tgn4bXkxC_FzIOHQ5YHj3nb1ekCk02fyHfQwE_14jbX8BUm96XFzOp4Qtu1qQjzETqW6B7fsYKYR7gqjx89X-PjzkqAldff8E9gdoNxc/s640/IMG_1646.JPG" width="480" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">There are several other groupings of <b>Papaver rhoeas</b> besides 'Shirley.' </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Papaver rhoeas 'Angels Choir' </b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I first purchased 'Angels Choir' poppy seeds from the THOMPSON & MORGAN seed catalog. They were described as poppies having darker shades. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Oh, My! Such extraordinary flowers! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Have a look at a few:</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmT2GWc2cIPAZh15KYf8DwOH2c6fTOa9832akI9v8-4FsAl_-7b64_7ZvsBnPAuepj0ZzKNS6Sugpx7EVPh7M2-CXuXy8AAxe6pj-OOLWtXNU2u9AMmsp4xFaagKJXn8j8TffgSexvDjQ/s1600/IMG_2079.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmT2GWc2cIPAZh15KYf8DwOH2c6fTOa9832akI9v8-4FsAl_-7b64_7ZvsBnPAuepj0ZzKNS6Sugpx7EVPh7M2-CXuXy8AAxe6pj-OOLWtXNU2u9AMmsp4xFaagKJXn8j8TffgSexvDjQ/s640/IMG_2079.jpg" width="480" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjii4pS-mVB47tOFRRcoWdvc5BSd9LptNX3TWzX0KzU66QGLKr5zlnE6VVk8F-FLtPdlnxwudPL6zKfEfJuI3GfHnKd890ZYV61WSyBtJXtUCAeEm_mkamLZiTlui8xJcOcgpl71ihlkXc/s1600/DSC05575.jpg"><img border="0" height="576" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjii4pS-mVB47tOFRRcoWdvc5BSd9LptNX3TWzX0KzU66QGLKr5zlnE6VVk8F-FLtPdlnxwudPL6zKfEfJuI3GfHnKd890ZYV61WSyBtJXtUCAeEm_mkamLZiTlui8xJcOcgpl71ihlkXc/s640/DSC05575.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzJFSK-n4NZ2yZvmKDksV_P6mVM0Gi9KXQeAUkE97vczB5Iwy5lhVU8WOhsk2t5AxZVrzwmT-yfIWeZ8y3VDJ3R0brdAFbLbf4aRCTU3J772d2eBTTjWLo3ZfmGBwt-LgvogE4SJLhHQ/s1600/IMG_2038.jpg"><img border="0" height="494" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRzJFSK-n4NZ2yZvmKDksV_P6mVM0Gi9KXQeAUkE97vczB5Iwy5lhVU8WOhsk2t5AxZVrzwmT-yfIWeZ8y3VDJ3R0brdAFbLbf4aRCTU3J772d2eBTTjWLo3ZfmGBwt-LgvogE4SJLhHQ/s640/IMG_2038.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Papaver rhoeas 'Falling in Love'</b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">'Falling in Love' poppy seeds have been available from the TERRITORIAL SEED COMPANY. They are described as a mix of picotees and bicolors in rose, salmon and coral shades.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This bouquet makes me wish that our poppies were in bloom for Valentines Day:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSa1QTRa408L-Pyj_s4Onp1GyUfsgRuPpihSXCmJYgK1I4NloGsIJ1ou_9zBJXN6XpjCwfEjN4GIfdvL3SKXLHvCGZKUvySEkggV39PiTQncII-a664fEw1zZwcMx_JdkUTDP6CGCT1c/s1600/IMG_1702.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSa1QTRa408L-Pyj_s4Onp1GyUfsgRuPpihSXCmJYgK1I4NloGsIJ1ou_9zBJXN6XpjCwfEjN4GIfdvL3SKXLHvCGZKUvySEkggV39PiTQncII-a664fEw1zZwcMx_JdkUTDP6CGCT1c/s640/IMG_1702.jpg" width="498" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b><span style="color: yellow;">Papaver somniferum</span></b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Papaver somniferum is another annual poppy.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Also known as the bread seed poppy, most single-petalled Papaver somniferum<b> </b>grow in various shades of purple, pink and white. These poppies are sometimes referred to as blue bread seed poppies. This is not because the flower is blue, but because the seeds, when mature, are shades of blue. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesLKFV78APwG3VRXmHIyYLZ8gTTnQHbTX4KWYdZMcGE3kQH-Ou4qKY-4gkCfwunPRcBW3NTooA2biSPjHYFRipekJ9YTOWEf4xL5W2aON-HclfK50WIBAacaqq3u-xrD92rWhL5ho1dc/s1600/IMG_6731.jpg"><img border="0" height="490" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjesLKFV78APwG3VRXmHIyYLZ8gTTnQHbTX4KWYdZMcGE3kQH-Ou4qKY-4gkCfwunPRcBW3NTooA2biSPjHYFRipekJ9YTOWEf4xL5W2aON-HclfK50WIBAacaqq3u-xrD92rWhL5ho1dc/s640/IMG_6731.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I ordered Hungarian bread seed poppies long, long ago. They have voluntarily grown here, there and everywhere in our ga</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">rdens ever since. It is a purple/lavender shade. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuB320wYmSstGL2HcVEP7xpErRRP3omvJ8f-yUBW90KSN04BlMLc1Ll3plra81KfjTuuzvhyphenhyphenSDFGbkgMLdV28QfYf23GOvBnMks5ccZm1juocCDxkta6CUr-zv1EOite-LuYNtQwwxHI/s1600/IMG_1792.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRuB320wYmSstGL2HcVEP7xpErRRP3omvJ8f-yUBW90KSN04BlMLc1Ll3plra81KfjTuuzvhyphenhyphenSDFGbkgMLdV28QfYf23GOvBnMks5ccZm1juocCDxkta6CUr-zv1EOite-LuYNtQwwxHI/s640/IMG_1792.JPG" width="480" /></a> </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">An unusually talented local gardener, Lori Adams, shared some pods with me from a pink Papaver somniferum. The flower is lovely. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDTreBnN-pRm_L96-pMZJQ_SfQynNUExBH1W_J4ay7WNTPX4TO69wO1H-Z6T4yM3Df15WB6y-omukvGqjBkXXCBr69tRkiobQRVGfM8XH-jrT2WzXmgzbQO-dU1ZBwt5hNJFpoDshHNY/s1600/DSC06416.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBDTreBnN-pRm_L96-pMZJQ_SfQynNUExBH1W_J4ay7WNTPX4TO69wO1H-Z6T4yM3Df15WB6y-omukvGqjBkXXCBr69tRkiobQRVGfM8XH-jrT2WzXmgzbQO-dU1ZBwt5hNJFpoDshHNY/s640/DSC06416.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">The mature pods are comparatively huge and loaded with seeds!<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNix1HVQVrI6ZBnfKnm61NlTnZtqvDL9cumJLkYCnHasjkWoUWHbkuVfndgGqEwFaYNhrO860hcGMHBNNsuciHK8jUhYB5Lpd9uSKQKOTbQhHugYTUxs035hqGhXeAnAXpxLbUQ3a0rE/s1600/IMG_4947.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRNix1HVQVrI6ZBnfKnm61NlTnZtqvDL9cumJLkYCnHasjkWoUWHbkuVfndgGqEwFaYNhrO860hcGMHBNNsuciHK8jUhYB5Lpd9uSKQKOTbQhHugYTUxs035hqGhXeAnAXpxLbUQ3a0rE/s640/IMG_4947.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Papaver somniferum 'Paeoniflorum'</b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">It was impossible not to notice the deep red peony like flowers in my co-worker's summer garden. The petals were fully <i>double.</i> Connie Ellingson did not hesitate to share some mature pods with me so that I could grow some of these gorgeous flowers myself. Red peony poppies have been growing in our gardens for nearly 40 years now! I refer to them as 'Ellingson' poppies.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IMuYhd8Z87bqThAKiAGdYW8Xn7DV3zeAw1rwUlCxEngB9OckHLIr_YOFAlbybA3CIkax4oood0pMYMd0_RRS8exLu1SWa3tVXWn8zAq9Z9hv5VMx7W24kj-QBmYoXQDZ304VfzWZJfg/s1600/img476.jpg"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_IMuYhd8Z87bqThAKiAGdYW8Xn7DV3zeAw1rwUlCxEngB9OckHLIr_YOFAlbybA3CIkax4oood0pMYMd0_RRS8exLu1SWa3tVXWn8zAq9Z9hv5VMx7W24kj-QBmYoXQDZ304VfzWZJfg/s640/img476.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">A few years after starting red peony poppies, my thoughtful niece, Joannah, sent me a mature seed pod of the same plant with pink flowers. It came from her mother's (Annie DeCollibus) amazing garden in western Washington.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">I refer to them as 'Joannah' poppies. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcOytGIxKzHKyu5bffj1sF8I8y377apUZdRmoOfvujUMnDHA6gvvjRcOHzB5Fe6Ts18y_vs_9JUMTOHXdRN4sx6P_HdP2PtSdbfgR7Kmg08eO2EgYW5A5FAyIXRuPFpkldWdWiirfa08/s1600/441a%255B1%255D.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAcOytGIxKzHKyu5bffj1sF8I8y377apUZdRmoOfvujUMnDHA6gvvjRcOHzB5Fe6Ts18y_vs_9JUMTOHXdRN4sx6P_HdP2PtSdbfgR7Kmg08eO2EgYW5A5FAyIXRuPFpkldWdWiirfa08/s640/441a%255B1%255D.jpg" width="424" /></a></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Soon after, I found seeds for peony poppies in shades of coral</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidErnuRK3xWTOrjHKnfxz5zzbFcSrlVsbweD4NQ2T-prUcBVrQghr3nhyphenhyphenWpb0dgUQUA95ZiK8bqu37x0LHWf-yNReYf91t0nk_IvjJtwmXZFIq_eA_asW5VsmKITK8Ti6PE0-DPO8ha18/s1600/IMG_4690.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidErnuRK3xWTOrjHKnfxz5zzbFcSrlVsbweD4NQ2T-prUcBVrQghr3nhyphenhyphenWpb0dgUQUA95ZiK8bqu37x0LHWf-yNReYf91t0nk_IvjJtwmXZFIq_eA_asW5VsmKITK8Ti6PE0-DPO8ha18/s640/IMG_4690.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">orange</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluOVITAZJdpLqKnVTQv_srh591GadUb1QOjxra__5aumNRX4ruM8YKPzZgnPiWSAVwBHCTF8V2pbGpNXL9BxLi5HKctR4W1jDvYaEUmqteXrr8hL-78gwA6wpEHvdEZAHNvPcm85zt4Q/s1600/IMG_6325.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluOVITAZJdpLqKnVTQv_srh591GadUb1QOjxra__5aumNRX4ruM8YKPzZgnPiWSAVwBHCTF8V2pbGpNXL9BxLi5HKctR4W1jDvYaEUmqteXrr8hL-78gwA6wpEHvdEZAHNvPcm85zt4Q/s640/IMG_6325.JPG" width="480" /></a></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">and purple!</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdoOf4Q7MkI0PyHdwz1g6LQm46DTTqbEMC1hrVBHafIA1tSlMsyMWQBYXC7I5Um1TypftiaijKt1HdFPFtKcDKMWjZB7lxppiKlIYwQvtI3UbucBhvefLSsBp8S2eU4Rt3kXsZ84GghQ/s1600/IMG_4497.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRdoOf4Q7MkI0PyHdwz1g6LQm46DTTqbEMC1hrVBHafIA1tSlMsyMWQBYXC7I5Um1TypftiaijKt1HdFPFtKcDKMWjZB7lxppiKlIYwQvtI3UbucBhvefLSsBp8S2eU4Rt3kXsZ84GghQ/s640/IMG_4497.jpg" width="442" /></a></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">According to the information supplied by Thompson & Morgan Seed Company: </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">"All poppies are poisonous. However, the seeds produced from Papaver somniferum and Papaver somniferum 'Paeoniflorum' <i><b>can be eaten</b></i> and are used for adding extra flavor, crunch and bite to breads and cakes. The seeds of other poppy species are not edible."</span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;">GROWING ANNUAL POPPIES</span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Mature poppy seed pods develop small openings, like salt and pepper shakers, on the top of the pods. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrS5NnkQwrNGoa_VioMAjSnGaarVoJsbf3JduMG7esaIyItfPNvYGskVysxig8WBfTZHthu3azwKXrSNoGrj5cIRwxoZdf7fE_ex0OlBUx5-_BupbkTz4RTV1ynDPQuaf4OiynLVUVZYw/s1600/IMG_6727.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrS5NnkQwrNGoa_VioMAjSnGaarVoJsbf3JduMG7esaIyItfPNvYGskVysxig8WBfTZHthu3azwKXrSNoGrj5cIRwxoZdf7fE_ex0OlBUx5-_BupbkTz4RTV1ynDPQuaf4OiynLVUVZYw/s640/IMG_6727.jpg" width="616" /></a></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The tiny poppy seeds shake and spill out self-seeding onto surrounding soil. I have seen birds and other little critters eat the seeds. The seeds will likely travel in the critters' droppings. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If you want to eliminate the possibility of having poppy seeds sprout in and around your gardens, it would be wise to remove the seed pods as soon as you see the openings at the top of the pods. Either way, don't forget to pick some mature seed pods to provide yourself and friends with a stash of poppy seeds to grow the next year. Simply pick mature seed pods with six inches or so of stem still attached. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Pick the pods as soon as they mature because, in our climate, the pods often mold from too much rain. B</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">esides seeing the openings at the top of the pods, h</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">earing seeds rattle when you shake the pod is also a good indication that it is mature. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I place the pods with stems in a jar or vase with a newspaper or something underneath to catch stray seeds. Separate and label the pods by variety and color. Let them totally dry indoors. Shake the dried seeds into a ziplock or small container with tight lid. Label and store in a cool, dark, dry location. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Plant poppy seeds anytime in spring. Sprinkle seeds sparingly where you would like plants to grow. P</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">oppies seem to love our cool climate. Plant them in full or partially sunny locations and they will thrive. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The soil should be loose and fertile for healthy growth. Rain or watering will press the seeds into the soil well enough. Do not cover with soil. Poppy seed germination is improved with light. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Germination usually takes 14 to 21 days. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is easy to identify the poppy plant sprouts once you have grown them a few seasons. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When sprouts are two or three inches tall, thin the plants to about 12 inches apart. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, transplanting is not recommended. The roots are sensitive. Transplants often fail or grow miserably.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Starting poppy seeds in pots is also an option. Anytime in March or later works fine. I like to use 4 inch pots. Fill the pots with potting or seed starting soil. Carefully sprinkle just a few seeds in each pot. If growing a variety of poppies, label them.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9_gvnlOzlBpFVzGLoE7fGNmuMMSbbYlbID-BYGdKxOU3RPM90pju3Bh-64GbsIrEqJVn2-3y7Ce8om3Yhow1_GLIOHnCZvAy-BY_ofsoDLvm7IlQEwgMZFIetekFGfm-gtMUajvTQQ4/s1600/IMG_0683.JPG"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT9_gvnlOzlBpFVzGLoE7fGNmuMMSbbYlbID-BYGdKxOU3RPM90pju3Bh-64GbsIrEqJVn2-3y7Ce8om3Yhow1_GLIOHnCZvAy-BY_ofsoDLvm7IlQEwgMZFIetekFGfm-gtMUajvTQQ4/s640/IMG_0683.JPG" width="640" /></a></span></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sprinkle with water until the soil is totally wet. Cover the tray of plants with clear plastic. Not air tight. You want a little air circulation so as not to promote mold. Place the tray of plants in a well lit, warm location. I use my south facing window. I place a heat mat underneath the tray of plants if it feels too cool in that location.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ18n7jr1Mxlm9Wc6isCp3JMfsSc-hxcn49zq87iAnDVmDGeLsamiQ38L75pYyTWwnPQYttzK3tTl-08jCKVR7z6OiqUPg9EAkYI_uyWvaFJmKRdb15hENb19t6NL8w300QclSVkzz8vE/s1600/IMG_0686.JPG"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ18n7jr1Mxlm9Wc6isCp3JMfsSc-hxcn49zq87iAnDVmDGeLsamiQ38L75pYyTWwnPQYttzK3tTl-08jCKVR7z6OiqUPg9EAkYI_uyWvaFJmKRdb15hENb19t6NL8w300QclSVkzz8vE/s640/IMG_0686.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once the poppy seeds sprout, remove the cover and the heat mat. When the plant has grown an inch or two, I remove all but the two healthiest looking plants. After another inch or two of growth, I remove the smaller of the two plants. When the remaining plant is 6 inches or more, I water and then carefully remove the plant with the cube of soil from the pot, taking care not to disturb the soil. Best to have holes dug in the ground with soil loosened in advance for each plant. Plant the poppies about 12 inches or more apart.</span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is difficult, but, once the plant has grown and is budding, I often pinch off the first ten or so largest buds on each plant. This causes the roots and plant to grow larger and stronger. Once you allow the buds to blossom, it continues to strengthen the plant if you dead-head. This simply means you pop off some of the seed pods after the petals fall rather than let the plant use its energy to ripen all of the seed pods. The flowers on the plant don't bloom all at once. They bloom continuously for a month or more.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: yellow; font-size: x-large;"><b>POPPIES IN BOUQUETS</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A bunch of poppies on their own make a spectacular bouquet.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3EIIlZ3vhGbBmm4bi7T-XRNYM3XqBaBAyEs126bYZ4oQirzSQXcnCO1yG1AcWtLGVBW06AROEOpiPJBhBFoH4Gb-qYjEjb0xupzBXVEdRpr9lhRIDF41E7IdVHhuC2ySIV4v1-OJWa4/s1600/DSC06938.jpg"><img border="0" height="560" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE3EIIlZ3vhGbBmm4bi7T-XRNYM3XqBaBAyEs126bYZ4oQirzSQXcnCO1yG1AcWtLGVBW06AROEOpiPJBhBFoH4Gb-qYjEjb0xupzBXVEdRpr9lhRIDF41E7IdVHhuC2ySIV4v1-OJWa4/s640/DSC06938.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Or add a splash of color to bouquets of mixed garden mints and flowers.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiViU-qHNmj46lN9ksPKLk5OyGetFO20MEu2SYEyh2mNYUXbUz1z5hbi1YHm4Bs1EEgd7T9lE8oYIRZC68QBTYVahB8H13nnf6QGPPv_zh4GmXG7QXtzipEgiLC8w5Y51IXx_eOxr-s4/s1600/img482.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkiViU-qHNmj46lN9ksPKLk5OyGetFO20MEu2SYEyh2mNYUXbUz1z5hbi1YHm4Bs1EEgd7T9lE8oYIRZC68QBTYVahB8H13nnf6QGPPv_zh4GmXG7QXtzipEgiLC8w5Y51IXx_eOxr-s4/s640/img482.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZ_V3K0hZ7GC85d9jt6iE8gd8LLdQNT0BC9LM6ApHafKJPBNp0uvAEDCYetvGDzQalEo9_QhQgRMg2fy269VNkU8pFhzgZNZMGO5K41IypOzrdve0mqz2rygph7RvdbyajuosaL0qjZI/s1600/DSC06820.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLZ_V3K0hZ7GC85d9jt6iE8gd8LLdQNT0BC9LM6ApHafKJPBNp0uvAEDCYetvGDzQalEo9_QhQgRMg2fy269VNkU8pFhzgZNZMGO5K41IypOzrdve0mqz2rygph7RvdbyajuosaL0qjZI/s640/DSC06820.jpg" width="380" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In order to prevent the petals from falling off soon after cutting poppies, it is necessary to burn the end of each poppy stem before placing it into a vase of water. I use a lighter or the flame on a burner of my </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">kitchen </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">propane stovetop.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Dried poppy seed pods are a welcome addition to a dried flower bouquet.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHhAfKFxqqAZ5KLB-3Lg3cEj6KxYROdiHabKmPBeS4K-p0G6JwQLW38bpuSNsTJPLlfW5UlMSDsEiPCkyNNQwEC_qRnGVCcbdssR8z5lajuIr8VkhQWR5qrb3F7WGICY486ZKU95dxz8/s1600/IMG_2931.jpg"><img border="0" height="620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoHhAfKFxqqAZ5KLB-3Lg3cEj6KxYROdiHabKmPBeS4K-p0G6JwQLW38bpuSNsTJPLlfW5UlMSDsEiPCkyNNQwEC_qRnGVCcbdssR8z5lajuIr8VkhQWR5qrb3F7WGICY486ZKU95dxz8/s640/IMG_2931.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>PERENNIAL POPPIES</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Perennial poppies are such a delight! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Along with other perennials, they faithfully return each spring. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Well, most of them.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In general, perennials have few requirements.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Add a little fertilizer annually early in the season.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Divide the root mass every few years.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Fence or stake the plant if necessary.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Because perennial poppies are not alike in every way, I will feature the varieties we grow in our gardens individually.</span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Papaver meconopsis 'betonicifolia'</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This much admired blue poppy is also known as 'Himalayan Blue Poppy.' </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It does very, very well anywhere in our gardens.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuG6Pj8t3DmCZkhjjeSBzyxm2Dwv_VqqkyCjJdlWf_j5Rjs1Z2M3yo-lMLqSGmGwerAaiZms44Z4IPPNWNiQF0A82pKuRayuZ9c8jvGwLnhPypcusnTjz8G6-zc-YtiBWsGh6jjqpEzHE/s1600/DSC02734.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuG6Pj8t3DmCZkhjjeSBzyxm2Dwv_VqqkyCjJdlWf_j5Rjs1Z2M3yo-lMLqSGmGwerAaiZms44Z4IPPNWNiQF0A82pKuRayuZ9c8jvGwLnhPypcusnTjz8G6-zc-YtiBWsGh6jjqpEzHE/s640/DSC02734.jpg" width="544" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When our Himalayan Poppies revive each spring, there are often quite a few new, tiny plants growing nearby... apparently sprouted from seeds dropped the previous fall.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I remembered reading that these poppies will alter in color depending on the pH (acidity level) of the soil. One spring I sweetened the soil surrounding a plant just out of curiosity. I used a handful of lime. Sure enough, raising the pH of the soil (or sweetening) caused the petals to lighten!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrvdEDHZJiCVw0WSZhpb2NSqT5NROwrPdVlvbcIEyoHYUhlqAqgH7yPGzWEDXzh8MFnCMAB2sP2nAHHmFMEGB1Z7OkiJ1szVpiDDemdmf1lbN4X-vZL4igxx2YlnLD8Z_CyIu2zYw7Is/s1600/P1000626.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrvdEDHZJiCVw0WSZhpb2NSqT5NROwrPdVlvbcIEyoHYUhlqAqgH7yPGzWEDXzh8MFnCMAB2sP2nAHHmFMEGB1Z7OkiJ1szVpiDDemdmf1lbN4X-vZL4igxx2YlnLD8Z_CyIu2zYw7Is/s640/P1000626.jpg" width="594" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The Himalayan poppy plant does not seem to be bothered by transplant. As soon as they appear in spring, I dig down plenty deep under the plant. When relocated or shared with another gardener, they have done well. That's how I first added Himalayan Poppies to our gardens. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A most welcome addition!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Papaver meconopsis 'Cambrica'</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Is it because this poppy has the same name as our family</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">that it goes berserk in our gardens? </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This poppy is known as the Welsh Poppy.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXFeYZgVjCU0vmp1acnBO22_g_FQVGtH1WOtxLA-WJ_UgcCUfj2AfDc9GQ8LXWULmpBTKA7i2Ni25Y6aNbXnLB4AUR1epnWr829RaEA5STr8baxTeVZ5J5-Q_yLhbPxcFGZgyHeYeJ_4/s1600/P1000631.JPG"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXXFeYZgVjCU0vmp1acnBO22_g_FQVGtH1WOtxLA-WJ_UgcCUfj2AfDc9GQ8LXWULmpBTKA7i2Ni25Y6aNbXnLB4AUR1epnWr829RaEA5STr8baxTeVZ5J5-Q_yLhbPxcFGZgyHeYeJ_4/s640/P1000631.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A friend shared some of these seeds with me many years ago. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I sprinkled them around the border of a few gardens.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Not only did the Welsh Poppy form deep, massive roots, but it dropped and scattered zillions of the tiniest seeds imaginable! It seemed that each and every seed germinated the next year! These poppies came up everywhere and have been impossible to eliminate entirely. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Perhaps this is a problem unique to <i>our</i> gardens. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">But just to be on the safe side, I do not recommend growing Welsh Poppies due to the invasiveness we have experienced with this species.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Papaver meconopsis 'Grandis'</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And grand it is!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6uKgydq4OJJDsKaE52UGRSxYKgol8d09qURxASVLM46RXnE4ViDXEsvmz_3t0-arzewZZqia3IMgkEvYHe-xWrmxad9KRLRoYlCek1_ZbUDeWoFFdcKlmViQeCY4eY2Ix18eEFgfNKs/s1600/DSC06291.jpg"><img border="0" height="544" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf6uKgydq4OJJDsKaE52UGRSxYKgol8d09qURxASVLM46RXnE4ViDXEsvmz_3t0-arzewZZqia3IMgkEvYHe-xWrmxad9KRLRoYlCek1_ZbUDeWoFFdcKlmViQeCY4eY2Ix18eEFgfNKs/s640/DSC06291.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> Take a close look.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrQaoC6VUyqxtxkzAsSzgzwhwj6mk-9keDAz0CWYdXwgkoMb-o2xQUyNDT7moVnugeZpHhBnrTkXeBACNHp79yXmpRXz_-UUZO8s_uT1JUZo_paBPmVIQEXtn-x-ZIIH40UEq4ybSfBU/s1600/P1000452.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSrQaoC6VUyqxtxkzAsSzgzwhwj6mk-9keDAz0CWYdXwgkoMb-o2xQUyNDT7moVnugeZpHhBnrTkXeBACNHp79yXmpRXz_-UUZO8s_uT1JUZo_paBPmVIQEXtn-x-ZIIH40UEq4ybSfBU/s640/P1000452.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Meconopsis grandis is breathtaking considering its' size and color.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzac6sp2ynC-NJxSTGDw1poUPR2KziWoGdPI8v0vQtJ139UEXyWTibIQffd1lRBewgy54uj0LgSzzwyDqd0PIKGnhmIznoWAOXjToIszJU1G-GGsrBDrC8AoQIkbepf7HzBrC2tr4EbBA/s1600/Scan+5.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzac6sp2ynC-NJxSTGDw1poUPR2KziWoGdPI8v0vQtJ139UEXyWTibIQffd1lRBewgy54uj0LgSzzwyDqd0PIKGnhmIznoWAOXjToIszJU1G-GGsrBDrC8AoQIkbepf7HzBrC2tr4EbBA/s640/Scan+5.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">You might be wondering if this adorable girl is unusually short... </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">or is this poppy species unusually tall? </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Both!!!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Papaver meconopsis 'Grandis' is not happy just anywhere in our gardens. Although our gardens have good drainage, these poppies do not like to sit in our unusually wet ground year round. Rainforest. I had started about two dozen plants from seed. After a few years of a soggy existence, most of these poppy plants died off in our gardens. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Just when I was about to give up on this brilliant blue beauty, I happened to visit Debbie Urias, a gifted, local gardener. Her house was surrounded with bright, beautiful flowers fluttering in the breeze. Her flowers matched her personality.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">She had Papaver meconopsis 'Grandis' growing full and healthy in a huge barrel! Debbie had discovered that keeping these beauties up out of the wet ground did wonders not only for their growth each summer, but also for their reappearance each spring. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So, I dug up our few remaining giant blue poppies and transplanted them into huge pots. I made certain that there was good drainage and fertile soil. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">They lived happily ever after. Thank you so much, Debbie!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFfJcpPSRMCx1PfHP-YQvsqn3RZkmeNMUDQCpD9r2Yu875uke58Js8iVDqEsHTFp3QaLbtvIMFSzjON8u4iMRG4kURxFwGNCzdPh12o7tpHGgTleAiPSdNQb_oTHmPdSxdtj3KBfQH7g/s1600/P1000455.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaFfJcpPSRMCx1PfHP-YQvsqn3RZkmeNMUDQCpD9r2Yu875uke58Js8iVDqEsHTFp3QaLbtvIMFSzjON8u4iMRG4kURxFwGNCzdPh12o7tpHGgTleAiPSdNQb_oTHmPdSxdtj3KBfQH7g/s640/P1000455.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Papaver orientale 'Brilliant'</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8SDqOtlmoLoQHqc1JMYWQJanOMA2__GaCcsPbqGZEMiVyKs5YSnZRH89k5vGmiaLWDe1N3dNPjkmQAow0OyX5F7B14Wnwwwq87XhFu_ItEQHTpCq8F05gvaECcuMpHZKszZqdQwgJ04/s1600/Copy+of+P1000644.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz8SDqOtlmoLoQHqc1JMYWQJanOMA2__GaCcsPbqGZEMiVyKs5YSnZRH89k5vGmiaLWDe1N3dNPjkmQAow0OyX5F7B14Wnwwwq87XhFu_ItEQHTpCq8F05gvaECcuMpHZKszZqdQwgJ04/s640/Copy+of+P1000644.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This was the first perennial poppy in our gardens. I spotted it growing near an old abandoned house in early July many years ago. At the end of the season, I dug it up and gave it a try in one of our gardens. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It did very well. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Pretty easy to see who was a willing photo bomber back in those days!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXYPK4nAzUsOyTxTEPO-ATwENF-vg7nRAgQ2_FyHfEy8Df-c_Z6RwtjFRQ9dNgwaFvkQBSOfA3GI1scST-7pFqjBybV_an9aKKrFT9kBUYoTc0hciKqSmGsZP-pOY3e38S7hOGEDa7fQ/s1600/img647.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDXYPK4nAzUsOyTxTEPO-ATwENF-vg7nRAgQ2_FyHfEy8Df-c_Z6RwtjFRQ9dNgwaFvkQBSOfA3GI1scST-7pFqjBybV_an9aKKrFT9kBUYoTc0hciKqSmGsZP-pOY3e38S7hOGEDa7fQ/s640/img647.jpg" width="522" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This perennial poppy, Papaver orientale 'Brilliant', does not spread, but rather stays and grows in a clump. It divides and transplants happily in fall or spring.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Papaver orientale 'Olympia'</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The Olympia poppy is extraordinary! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyIAXiCa0Qwdc1EhMerjcHNAi4GeeUxl-VdF9nl68ncERopfU-8IgBSEFwXJqAi39GiGZnet9bd3xehy_BADvJWXUvzAKfRJ2RpNeJtwdWDi2cG_HwRu35mcH7yC-EIhtMOSHEBfmhoA/s1600/DSCN2738.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjyIAXiCa0Qwdc1EhMerjcHNAi4GeeUxl-VdF9nl68ncERopfU-8IgBSEFwXJqAi39GiGZnet9bd3xehy_BADvJWXUvzAKfRJ2RpNeJtwdWDi2cG_HwRu35mcH7yC-EIhtMOSHEBfmhoA/s640/DSCN2738.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">clear, bright orange </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">multi-petalled, fully double perennial</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">the first poppy of the season flowering early in June</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">after flowering, ragged foliage is easily and completely removed</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">roots remain and spread nicely </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">even a small piece of root will grow into a plant</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGHcxTDrKZaBMu7RFOAjMZ9V8b4UtmTU_OJjFajFbDftiHzRqcZI_xgKLb7fSfz4HJn72a2mHY01xgYGosmi6k0GmHjI0nOAiX1uuqinnwYBnVBjRkNxgdvEQPQNgOTQJl4N0H4pThco/s1600/DSC00531.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcGHcxTDrKZaBMu7RFOAjMZ9V8b4UtmTU_OJjFajFbDftiHzRqcZI_xgKLb7fSfz4HJn72a2mHY01xgYGosmi6k0GmHjI0nOAiX1uuqinnwYBnVBjRkNxgdvEQPQNgOTQJl4N0H4pThco/s640/DSC00531.jpg" width="596" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: yellow; font-size: large;"><b>Papaver orientale 'Princess Victoria'</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A pale pink perennial poppy!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnrH5N0D-4F6EuUuHVS11PklV0XJWSezPJc4UfQK83hIulqMvl621KhcH4lBsHx-xzLrV8TUThTJsybhW06rOQdbmpgKevP8GuaItf48hiH95boUBfcV0q-BoGaedJeWAmqs5sYRPWlQ/s1600/img344.jpg"><img border="0" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKnrH5N0D-4F6EuUuHVS11PklV0XJWSezPJc4UfQK83hIulqMvl621KhcH4lBsHx-xzLrV8TUThTJsybhW06rOQdbmpgKevP8GuaItf48hiH95boUBfcV0q-BoGaedJeWAmqs5sYRPWlQ/s640/img344.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Also blooming each year in July, this poppy shares the same traits as the Papaver orientale 'Brilliant'.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVH0anJeukDVdNcLFJSIuCNZpiKS8tl3rN0M2cUQkGPBhAabIIzcT2G1_NEQ19sE8AJadO8UtUqRQcWVUcWEsrHdwT5F3PHWQ4qmp7TbUNQq4ScXh_5Q3_qQY6wzrPuFn06fK2zIIjR8/s1600/img154.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSVH0anJeukDVdNcLFJSIuCNZpiKS8tl3rN0M2cUQkGPBhAabIIzcT2G1_NEQ19sE8AJadO8UtUqRQcWVUcWEsrHdwT5F3PHWQ4qmp7TbUNQq4ScXh_5Q3_qQY6wzrPuFn06fK2zIIjR8/s640/img154.jpg" width="588" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"> <span style="color: orange;"> <b>HAPPY POPPIES!</b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="color: orange;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"></span>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-33121839105998911252017-06-05T11:15:00.003-07:002022-06-12T12:01:13.687-07:00CRAB<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPF9QebnLZXfRDSseUEJug9CSzsqWoWeNNGDd7jDQYGh99Xn7TIpPzlp1GGMczz-O6_pfD1NK-L405kfWmNqROtsJqxGIMpjS1uG8zbvaWCliNA7g82Ddq5TI1-4X5M3G-Exg4UqHhsIQ/s1600/IMG_0589.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPF9QebnLZXfRDSseUEJug9CSzsqWoWeNNGDd7jDQYGh99Xn7TIpPzlp1GGMczz-O6_pfD1NK-L405kfWmNqROtsJqxGIMpjS1uG8zbvaWCliNA7g82Ddq5TI1-4X5M3G-Exg4UqHhsIQ/s640/IMG_0589.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>THOSE WERE THE DAYS</i><br />back when we could find plenty of crab in nearby bays.<br />Scoop up crabs with a dip net at low tide. <br />Lower a few pots in the morning... and find them loaded with crab later that same day. <br />So simple! So much fun! <br /><br /><i>THOSE WERE THE DAYS</i> <br />before the reintroduction of sea otters in our area in the late 1960's. <br />The intent was to bring the marine ecosystem</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> back into balance. With unimaginable amounts of their favorite foods available, the sea otter population exploded.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Sea otters, unlike many other marine mammals, do not have a layer of fat for insulation. <br />To keep warm, sea otters have the densest of fur coats along with voracious, insatiable appetites. Yes, as you may have guessed, one of the sea otters' favorite foods is crab.<br /><br /> The good news? The sea otters have not yet eaten all of the crab! It may be necessary to travel further than you like. It may be necessary to spend a considerable amount of time testing the waters. But, eventually, you just might catch some crabs! Admittedly, it is often quite challenging. But, in the end, the crab you catch, cook and eat will be as delicious as ever!</span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">Although pretty much all of the many species of crab in our area are edible, let's focus on three favorites.</span><br />
<div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>DUNGENESS CRAB (<i>Cancer magister)</i></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKig-hyoMNGNH0DH175Cfb8vPOSpoEUs_SL3Jx9SQfMHEkt7xl0H6mlbODm1lE2cIpAepYbTtlmJshQra33vZuZgi2vdGQ_JS5-yRtSfNo1_z5SeA6XRWw7ZFRw74IXCLDRehqbEqYII/s1600/DSC04228.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwKig-hyoMNGNH0DH175Cfb8vPOSpoEUs_SL3Jx9SQfMHEkt7xl0H6mlbODm1lE2cIpAepYbTtlmJshQra33vZuZgi2vdGQ_JS5-yRtSfNo1_z5SeA6XRWw7ZFRw74IXCLDRehqbEqYII/s640/DSC04228.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Soon after arriving in Sitka, friendly locals invited us newcomers into their homes to share delicious local foods. Was I ever surprised to see the size of the dungeness crabs they shared! And, oh, that amazing flavor!!!</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Out we went with new found friends and learned the basics of how, where and when to catch dungeness crab.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It was late summer... a great time to launch right into dip netting crabs at low tide. This particular approach to catching dungeness crab is often hilarious and great fun. Whether walking the flats, wading along the shoreline or skiffing close to shore, the crab tend to be elusive... scurrying, hiding and keeping you going in circles throughout the chase! </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If you find a good location, by the time the tide starts coming up, you just might get your quota of very large, male, dungeness crabs. Nowadays, for Alaska residents, the bag and possession limit per person is 20 males per day with a minimum size of 6 1/2 inches.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As so often happens in this part of the world, the photo below was taken with a rain spattered lens. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Dipnetting on this particular occasion from a skiff, we</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> dropped the crabs out of the net and into the bottom of the skiff. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">M</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">y sweet dog, Ru, quickly learned to keep his feet up off the floor of the skiff away from pinching crab claws!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiD2ynSSwJ70q-yL75rWKyzNKoi-LDNzhsmQTUVATzSNR-luLYv-Apt0-er0USgpUm_OTE3xvwwcgGkp7-D1E3HKCQo3-oNmZNNcTgxNI3X3DD6-0MPipmo61O3Yj4nq82bkO1jxOvUzk/s1600/Scan+1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiD2ynSSwJ70q-yL75rWKyzNKoi-LDNzhsmQTUVATzSNR-luLYv-Apt0-er0USgpUm_OTE3xvwwcgGkp7-D1E3HKCQo3-oNmZNNcTgxNI3X3DD6-0MPipmo61O3Yj4nq82bkO1jxOvUzk/s640/Scan+1.jpg" width="430" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: small;"> photo by Hope Merritt</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A lot of important information is contained in the Alaska Department of Fish & Game's<b> Southeast Alaska Sport fishing Regulations Summary.</b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytrqFre4LCDAmuhmIEd8xTw4Y38hA8ZygXR_7GP0IS1OKNdnVMZ-AoMAblJWu4F2eczyeIBNzwPkw8rM9sqWfOVnPQ3C7q3U9vDNYxer127itA4hFDO-ZIzdAawZtISGGmYt6Da4XUqw/s1600/IMG_5949.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjytrqFre4LCDAmuhmIEd8xTw4Y38hA8ZygXR_7GP0IS1OKNdnVMZ-AoMAblJWu4F2eczyeIBNzwPkw8rM9sqWfOVnPQ3C7q3U9vDNYxer127itA4hFDO-ZIzdAawZtISGGmYt6Da4XUqw/s640/IMG_5949.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">For instance, <i style="font-weight: bold; text-decoration: underline;">NO</i> harvest of female dungeness crabs is allowed. It is quite simple to learn and to see the difference between male and female dungeness crabs. Here is the visual from the above summary:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57PARtOPlXHAnt0-tPL6BGGoUIjj3c7sLR3n6H6Thpkh7wKJjopIaR5ZQhLElLr728onlz7Fl8xYSf5HgB0r-yxJ7X6NFFc7d3U3mQnQjJMUeIwgjfvlFfhlj9IIpZNzpgfWJwqPpkWI/s1600/IMG_5947+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi57PARtOPlXHAnt0-tPL6BGGoUIjj3c7sLR3n6H6Thpkh7wKJjopIaR5ZQhLElLr728onlz7Fl8xYSf5HgB0r-yxJ7X6NFFc7d3U3mQnQjJMUeIwgjfvlFfhlj9IIpZNzpgfWJwqPpkWI/s640/IMG_5947+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here are real life shots of the abdominal flaps of male and female dungeness crabs:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgcKRp0_o59Z0ZAsPMmDTRlpSh3dLao8wjfE2tEI0IHg_oVpZl8Y1vq8e2bYFswPVYodlTQXJUA0R53kHSq2Xql819cB6MnV_yYwalfDGdISK0omU4wr3ULyIFlpfzWAspFuX0qBXXI0/s1600/IMG_0531.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisgcKRp0_o59Z0ZAsPMmDTRlpSh3dLao8wjfE2tEI0IHg_oVpZl8Y1vq8e2bYFswPVYodlTQXJUA0R53kHSq2Xql819cB6MnV_yYwalfDGdISK0omU4wr3ULyIFlpfzWAspFuX0qBXXI0/s640/IMG_0531.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">FEMALE</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bl9FmAzUQS6wGS2Th34XXtllgFduZaZwsQewJN2I6cXoOuPdLM4NZ_6egbH2iK-CjWYQnHTzpsEcx1piDTOfADmYHtUj9lFhFu5rQsteLJo125yG_QnhqKQ8McQb2kRgAVrV3-hztQc/s1600/IMG_0531+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-bl9FmAzUQS6wGS2Th34XXtllgFduZaZwsQewJN2I6cXoOuPdLM4NZ_6egbH2iK-CjWYQnHTzpsEcx1piDTOfADmYHtUj9lFhFu5rQsteLJo125yG_QnhqKQ8McQb2kRgAVrV3-hztQc/s640/IMG_0531+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">MALE</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Besides the abdominal flap being wider, the overall shape and color of the female dungeness crab is a little different from the male. Also, the females frequently host barnacles and are sometimes carrying a load of eggs under the abdominal flap. Females are often, but not always, smaller than the minimum size of 6 1/2 inches required for the male dungeness crabs:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOuIgHE2izbdm97ofA7sIzzcmvs-FT0JZwPoadGb8i_8SJD80Zt4Fni5KVzxwEz_6QShn0M5Izw5pfjRWk7YbkSrqnl3d-DmrvG3O_ivm6aqiI2h1PhWg_I7GaY40EhroVV_AV_Ml9Os/s1600/IMG_5951.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbOuIgHE2izbdm97ofA7sIzzcmvs-FT0JZwPoadGb8i_8SJD80Zt4Fni5KVzxwEz_6QShn0M5Izw5pfjRWk7YbkSrqnl3d-DmrvG3O_ivm6aqiI2h1PhWg_I7GaY40EhroVV_AV_Ml9Os/s640/IMG_5951.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When females are plentiful in a bay, it is not unusual to see countless young dungeness crabs feeding and growing in the shallow waters. The crabs in the photo below all measured about 3 to 4 inches.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZBhQcJPbPjqA_lcHctfwur_DCUtK9ul6e-0AyHbDi77Jmmm5pnukt_wcBbJ1mZTy6VobtoJnlj2MbjTxYRjihl9HFWm7fw_8lcXOPTB9yLuTF_oVm0ryl9evglo48IL5kT9EwuYAP-Y/s1600/DSC04087.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinZBhQcJPbPjqA_lcHctfwur_DCUtK9ul6e-0AyHbDi77Jmmm5pnukt_wcBbJ1mZTy6VobtoJnlj2MbjTxYRjihl9HFWm7fw_8lcXOPTB9yLuTF_oVm0ryl9evglo48IL5kT9EwuYAP-Y/s640/DSC04087.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">When minus tides, good weather and plentiful crab in a bay coincide, we sure enjoy catching dungeness crab with a dip net. Because the odds are against that happening, we are more likely to catch dungeness crab with pots.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Crab pots come in lots of sizes and shapes. As many locals have done, we designed and made our own pots from time to time. It is not all that unusual to see old, abandoned crab pots in distant bays.</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpko9ymuymZrG9rhkK1FH5T1P-l7YiP4Q-pxgIGCDS-mwZKzDHe1xfmU8VEp1qqUprW-nSqa9rOgRJ0XutbhQuiFh3hb0r0rjzKSBNeOSDrAiTjcaou9GwcSINya_JCFtdjIZutcLtnI/s1600/IMG_0684.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIpko9ymuymZrG9rhkK1FH5T1P-l7YiP4Q-pxgIGCDS-mwZKzDHe1xfmU8VEp1qqUprW-nSqa9rOgRJ0XutbhQuiFh3hb0r0rjzKSBNeOSDrAiTjcaou9GwcSINya_JCFtdjIZutcLtnI/s640/IMG_0684.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Whether home made or purchased, be sure to meet the important pot requirements explained in the Alaska Department of Fish & Game's<b> Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary. </b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">After using a wide variety of crab pots over the years, we were most impressed with the performance of pots made by former Sitkan, Dennis Franson. He took the time to design and test some amazing crab and shrimp pots. SEA TRAPS is the name of his business. His pots (traps) are sold </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">in marine supply stores </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">in locations far and wide, including Sitka. Look at how effective his crab pots can be!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TI4yQOc8r99__Z7kaFJ_07RBUIrZXkhqrXxxQBEay6oMJb4gPV4kPWfS24SIEuVaUBmUyO2Hwv7aasUoTfEeK8s50U7UgUJRM-P5XE88YUv3mkXS3_BPWVxP-HtGV1zeyRCbG_ch3uU/s1600/DSC06711.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3TI4yQOc8r99__Z7kaFJ_07RBUIrZXkhqrXxxQBEay6oMJb4gPV4kPWfS24SIEuVaUBmUyO2Hwv7aasUoTfEeK8s50U7UgUJRM-P5XE88YUv3mkXS3_BPWVxP-HtGV1zeyRCbG_ch3uU/s640/DSC06711.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Of course, there are other factors that lead to success catching crabs in pots. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">What you use for <b>BAIT </b>really does matter. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We save and freeze our own salmon heads and carcasses for crab bait. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It doesn't always amount to much though.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When and if available from fishermen or processing plants, we like to get a few buckets of either black cod heads or salmons heads when we are heading out in our boat to go crabbing. Crabs seem to be especially attracted to <i>oily</i> fish waste.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGhqcGtv6j6CswTVrHLgzXquW60j9AHq9trixdDl_r1G4O-23IcyXMJB_1w7mH5G0PzFQIgNxXhrQhhfEdHP9bLXF-S1svlqWf7TwwJzcq-HxWHR6fuXMlgYOFzHCMd7jlRnt3AwYRVU/s1600/DSC06697.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwGhqcGtv6j6CswTVrHLgzXquW60j9AHq9trixdDl_r1G4O-23IcyXMJB_1w7mH5G0PzFQIgNxXhrQhhfEdHP9bLXF-S1svlqWf7TwwJzcq-HxWHR6fuXMlgYOFzHCMd7jlRnt3AwYRVU/s640/DSC06697.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sometimes we need to catch bait for our pots when we are already out on the ocean in our boat. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is important to know which fish are okay to catch and use for bait in your crab pots.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">On page 7 of the <b>2017 Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary</b>, there is a section with the heading </span><br />
<span style="font-size: medium;"><i><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"> USE OF SPORT-CAUGHT FISH AS BAIT</span></b></i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here it is:</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAS4HMRyyDYL24k23ywoA1cEddI_DeT1a9iLyC-9GiI_-j1oYlAK7hMPGBtMp5GVMmYhbbHuZgumiFuIiW0wWKOhROf0EAHs3QsyV1w-OgGzJcrPhTfwWrtwj2r5QrV0beZvyt-Q62HI/s1600/IMG_5952.jpg"><img border="0" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMAS4HMRyyDYL24k23ywoA1cEddI_DeT1a9iLyC-9GiI_-j1oYlAK7hMPGBtMp5GVMmYhbbHuZgumiFuIiW0wWKOhROf0EAHs3QsyV1w-OgGzJcrPhTfwWrtwj2r5QrV0beZvyt-Q62HI/s640/IMG_5952.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once you have bait for the pots, you will need to contain the bait inside the pots somehow. People have been really creative with home made bait pots. There are usually several bait pots to choose from in marine supply stores, too. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We are inclined to use the orange sock-like netting found in spools in marine supply stores. We cut it to our chosen length and tie a knot on one end. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrGuCDf6ulDFdC4-GTEXs3p1I4afh3DAGJKjpF0HSZisxL8o6ZFITeN2cW8-NzrWbHvgsZkZ9qisYZeS6oZ3A6VVV80FL3lKsNJO6DdNEO6leqMPPmSVRuzEZAEZk-so-M9iz5FML4oQ/s1600/DSC06701.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTrGuCDf6ulDFdC4-GTEXs3p1I4afh3DAGJKjpF0HSZisxL8o6ZFITeN2cW8-NzrWbHvgsZkZ9qisYZeS6oZ3A6VVV80FL3lKsNJO6DdNEO6leqMPPmSVRuzEZAEZk-so-M9iz5FML4oQ/s640/DSC06701.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">After loading the bait into the socks, we hook one or two inside the pot so it dangles somewhere near the center of the pot.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAjr2DKiZWnNq5XzDF5hHWN4IuXW893nd4QW_zTTYk9QBheSZTWc96rCpcu5ghqUn4wMB5_AAlAvtMXmNUqI8WFZ4YzlLOtTO6B2dTIaMvg6GSmE1ubWOmN5aC0HaYkWvudm5XogseMs/s1600/DSC06704.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAjr2DKiZWnNq5XzDF5hHWN4IuXW893nd4QW_zTTYk9QBheSZTWc96rCpcu5ghqUn4wMB5_AAlAvtMXmNUqI8WFZ4YzlLOtTO6B2dTIaMvg6GSmE1ubWOmN5aC0HaYkWvudm5XogseMs/s640/DSC06704.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Now... where to lower the pot to catch the crab?</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you do not already know of some bays where there is the likelihood of catching dungeness crab, don't be surprised or disappointed when other people are not willing to share this information with you! Most of the bays closest to town no longer yield much in the way of dungeness crab. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">You will clearly see if other people are already <i>trying </i>to catch crab in a bay because there will be commercial and/or sport buoys floating on the surface. The line connected to a crab pot is required to have a buoy on the other end. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRg8bNZ7XC4Z1d9hmrw6Ue_GvSm9Qi4juaXMcPE4wlUiq5_IyRAU90GHrcg_EmAR7XsOfx6lTXveCKhNuTqmXQg2iA5CSKStH9X-30tplBHkFhJX53ajUo7S3ueMBRrrLUzaEHr6bRi8c/s1600/DSC06061.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRg8bNZ7XC4Z1d9hmrw6Ue_GvSm9Qi4juaXMcPE4wlUiq5_IyRAU90GHrcg_EmAR7XsOfx6lTXveCKhNuTqmXQg2iA5CSKStH9X-30tplBHkFhJX53ajUo7S3ueMBRrrLUzaEHr6bRi8c/s640/DSC06061.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">The buoy needs to have your:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">first initial and last name</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">home address</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">AK number of the vessel <u><i>or</i></u> the vessel name</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is wise to have your line cut anywhere from one to two hundred feet. Best to have the type of line that does not float. If the line is plenty long, you can use it at a variety of depths. Depending on the time of year and the location of the bay, male dungeness crabs can be caught both shallow and deep. If time allows, it is worthwhile to experiment with depths and locations within a bay. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We like to spend the night on our boat in the bay where our pots are soaking. That way, we can keep an eye on our pots... and give them plenty of time to </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">attract crab.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">For many years, we pulled our pots up out of the ocean by hand. We usually took turns until our children grew big and strong. Then they pulled the pots for us! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Nowadays we have a larger boat than we had back in those days. And... Mr. Welsh installed a magnificent hydraulic pot puller on the back of our boat. I<i> </i>truly <i>love </i>that pot puller.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So, now that we soaked our baited pots overnight in a location likely to have crabs, we haul in the pots. It was a good location!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAeQq3d3UO7G7xNJglMj_VDwTpqy55cAwbK_tcuNHoy7Nx2hirrjQsUqg711Z4HGotWGLLoMk7Bujx1mNYOea6lXuV7C0BPMLuG1-QwtAiPpUAP2BCv86t1oXrkEyxm5HFpSwWQhVKpE/s1600/IMG_0528.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinAeQq3d3UO7G7xNJglMj_VDwTpqy55cAwbK_tcuNHoy7Nx2hirrjQsUqg711Z4HGotWGLLoMk7Bujx1mNYOea6lXuV7C0BPMLuG1-QwtAiPpUAP2BCv86t1oXrkEyxm5HFpSwWQhVKpE/s640/IMG_0528.jpg" width="572" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We lowered the pot to the floor of the boat at an angle with the pot gate open. Most of the crabs are willing to leave the pot on their own if they get to travel downhill.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When all of the crabs are out of the pot, we examine and measure each one carefully. The male keepers are placed in a container of salt water. We refresh the salt water frequently. We want to keep the crab contained and alive until we are ready to cook them. According to research and studies, crab need to be kept alive until cooking. Once dead, bacteria can spread and cause illness even though the crab is cooked.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2OjVhyphenhyphenLnh7wSx_ILQWZJETX8MBe-byPeAXV3P_qJ0_Q6QUl4N5pm5rQDGn8xP0eHC8ycKVzIWC-mWw5AJsxgjUJvPpyQXsmWeAPrUoiUbxC9SyWCfvCwc5X19Y-kUlNvm-pfaf6lAHA/s1600/IMG_0051.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="636" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2OjVhyphenhyphenLnh7wSx_ILQWZJETX8MBe-byPeAXV3P_qJ0_Q6QUl4N5pm5rQDGn8xP0eHC8ycKVzIWC-mWw5AJsxgjUJvPpyQXsmWeAPrUoiUbxC9SyWCfvCwc5X19Y-kUlNvm-pfaf6lAHA/s640/IMG_0051.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The small males and all of the females are returned to the ocean. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Down they go...</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIHsx0xvLWiEAFjD64gDJd8I90zShs3u8wg0Dx8XhHB65oZiu7KuS9MKLFxtakMapb5CqtOyouiDAfaBuhpT20eNBdkdBG-sBpZppawCJBaroTeAJpgleh7dyonotoP2Gv27p3dQfBKc/s1600/DSC06712.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYIHsx0xvLWiEAFjD64gDJd8I90zShs3u8wg0Dx8XhHB65oZiu7KuS9MKLFxtakMapb5CqtOyouiDAfaBuhpT20eNBdkdBG-sBpZppawCJBaroTeAJpgleh7dyonotoP2Gv27p3dQfBKc/s640/DSC06712.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br />COOKING DUNGENESS CRAB</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Whenever possible, we like to cook and clean our crab out on the back deck of our boat. The biggest benefit is the ease of washing away the mess we usually make. We like to process the crab soon after the catch. And, of course, we are always eager to eat fresh crab.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We keep a very large pot, a propane burner and a tank of propane stored safely away on our boat. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Some people like to use ocean water to cook their crab. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We like to cook our crab in salted, fresh water. Lucky for us, we have a large, fresh water tank on our boat. If we were not carrying fresh water, we would probably get fresh water from a nearby stream.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">How much water and salt we use depends on how many crab we are going to cook. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We use 1/4 cup of salt for each quart of water.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So, that adds up to 1 cup of salt for each 1 gallon of water.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We heat up our pot of salted water while we clean the crab. The water needs to be at a full rolling boil before we add the crab.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">One at a time, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">we prepare the crabs to be boiled. We pull the entire back off of the crab.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwYlGbVFxm5TrrG4JEH9Ti2Pg7V50S09N6v8Ug2qxUEJvQCGdRXN8Nykn4VIQiYS1Sult0fofU5muE1z7GRDBqhozWUNfEmcZwhSZunyAG_tNuBqgNjSmXKX5IkL1hkG8ze7qxP57Nzw/s1600/IMG_0647.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMwYlGbVFxm5TrrG4JEH9Ti2Pg7V50S09N6v8Ug2qxUEJvQCGdRXN8Nykn4VIQiYS1Sult0fofU5muE1z7GRDBqhozWUNfEmcZwhSZunyAG_tNuBqgNjSmXKX5IkL1hkG8ze7qxP57Nzw/s640/IMG_0647.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Most of the guts come away with the back. We break the body in half at the midline shaking out and pulling off any remaining guts. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwHguUnwoISdVtj9pUM8wHxPAxSRzTuyWoP3jC2scvKA-235b213rdUPQHwL2fT8nxb8pIjUmIRvCqaLmbQS0SUfu7ZqEPrRVPAojbvE_puacSjHJJR2vfuub2nT2qzA9CRohr3TAp-s/s1600/IMG_0651.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYwHguUnwoISdVtj9pUM8wHxPAxSRzTuyWoP3jC2scvKA-235b213rdUPQHwL2fT8nxb8pIjUmIRvCqaLmbQS0SUfu7ZqEPrRVPAojbvE_puacSjHJJR2vfuub2nT2qzA9CRohr3TAp-s/s640/IMG_0651.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Because we caught our quota, we had a total of 40 crabs to cook. We filled our 10 gallon pot with 3 gallons of water and three cups of salt. We were able to cook all of the crabs in three separate loads using the same water. We simply brought the water to a boil before cooking each load. The dungeness crabs are nicely cooked after about 20 minutes in the pot. Notice we have a handy drain insert for our cook pot. It sure simplifies removing the cooked crab from the boiling water.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP041xj3Umly2a-zzrU5_WiEtbdbWmppvvffIeF8LN3wmQtrwRMi19_-njTrpVXRXyHeUXIsa0yZmOYOhdfZej5YVrwgGD-TS9Ai43bQ3HONqI-GUYzCDWXgY_phNDMASB_STpSikTC4A/s1600/DSC06750.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="562" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP041xj3Umly2a-zzrU5_WiEtbdbWmppvvffIeF8LN3wmQtrwRMi19_-njTrpVXRXyHeUXIsa0yZmOYOhdfZej5YVrwgGD-TS9Ai43bQ3HONqI-GUYzCDWXgY_phNDMASB_STpSikTC4A/s640/DSC06750.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">After removing a load of cooked crab, we immediately immerse the cooked crab in cold, fresh water for maybe 10 or 15 minutes. This ends the cooking process and causes the interior meat to withdraw from the shell somewhat. The crab sections are then stacked in a strainer with the open end of the cooked crab facing down so that the water drains out. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAygysh-qyrPxJcK5igNi25YVJZpaZFmXXDLaSXlC9d4AwhW7ju_35MKix3LWI4NvFoE-tBixAEdW8wdktBV8gMhYpEPlEDBeobOEy2BBEKgggqYhFIxl0gGOfrMBp5UbL31h1s3yBxck/s1600/IMG_1670.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAygysh-qyrPxJcK5igNi25YVJZpaZFmXXDLaSXlC9d4AwhW7ju_35MKix3LWI4NvFoE-tBixAEdW8wdktBV8gMhYpEPlEDBeobOEy2BBEKgggqYhFIxl0gGOfrMBp5UbL31h1s3yBxck/s640/IMG_1670.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When the crab is cracked open, the chunks of meat simply fall out. If not, simply give it a little shake.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx50LKMddydNsjs8IMk49bHSXMDctNE6Y4B2jXF9LQh76d-93VRvgpNsm0G7FQhdZOGBk19V3kN46ywhgzu8Ys0MaxlBI-ulkOBt9ER2wVsfKJGY92bustzdonLdt_52JVYk823T29VB4/s1600/IMG_0676.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjx50LKMddydNsjs8IMk49bHSXMDctNE6Y4B2jXF9LQh76d-93VRvgpNsm0G7FQhdZOGBk19V3kN46ywhgzu8Ys0MaxlBI-ulkOBt9ER2wVsfKJGY92bustzdonLdt_52JVYk823T29VB4/s640/IMG_0676.jpg" width="434" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjbcatqWozzQXRJkKsHflszN7AFELhj2t7ZZ4Pis65xXasri4vwTIwgRJvalre22lpb_VBIrGndK5NTC1q9pqA61ZZl-sEYZIWNXbwHbUemPjd24RWsMUdZJa2PTOYogBtcaIbhxQJoA/s1600/DSC06755.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixjbcatqWozzQXRJkKsHflszN7AFELhj2t7ZZ4Pis65xXasri4vwTIwgRJvalre22lpb_VBIrGndK5NTC1q9pqA61ZZl-sEYZIWNXbwHbUemPjd24RWsMUdZJa2PTOYogBtcaIbhxQJoA/s640/DSC06755.jpg" width="548" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once a person develops their own method of cleaning the meat out of crabs, the challenge is to resist eating it all! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We try to save some for the freezer.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpkinWU2Ide8TFiWor1Kd219DLrzItFdj4Akx1u02APHmXUUkYOO9ZL049n7ezIpC7Jv7jP5c7WR9_Hntr2Cw9PbBweuwMDV5U9g74pi-UyFHavGo1UQ6hufIvatbv5_YiianbfYy9Hw/s1600/DSC06757.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJpkinWU2Ide8TFiWor1Kd219DLrzItFdj4Akx1u02APHmXUUkYOO9ZL049n7ezIpC7Jv7jP5c7WR9_Hntr2Cw9PbBweuwMDV5U9g74pi-UyFHavGo1UQ6hufIvatbv5_YiianbfYy9Hw/s640/DSC06757.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Note: If you intend to transport more than one days' bag limit of crab on your boat, state regulations require that each days' bag limit be processed and frozen before catching any more crab. So, if we are having good luck crabbing far from home, we catch, cook, clean, package and freeze each day's catch on the boat. We purchased a small freezer and power it on our boat to accommodate the regulation. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>EATING CRAB</b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Our very favorite crab recipe is no recipe at all. We cook and eat the crab as is. Sometimes we get fancy and dredge the cooked morsels in lemon butter first before popping them in our mouth.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Once we have had our fill of the freshly cooked crab, we use some in recipes.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Crab, veggie and cheese quiche </span></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Crab cakes </span></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Salad topped with crab</span></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">Scrambled eggs with crab, cheese and veggies mixed in</span></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;">A sandwich spread made with chunks of crab</span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I made a sandwich spread by adding some chopped chives, chopped beach asparagus and a little mayonnaise. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqy76nAOleQNwDYm8lpND6PWQ_D3Zed3r5Zp6DJmftqG6tFxBqLUgPBQr-pbdj-tVUhlbJmFZ-Ch3h-YnLkrw7i2OLNywWPkvYbxvctIAvCBawUqz0B04OWHiaMobP4dxFHtAUiq_NLH0/s1600/IMG_1325.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqy76nAOleQNwDYm8lpND6PWQ_D3Zed3r5Zp6DJmftqG6tFxBqLUgPBQr-pbdj-tVUhlbJmFZ-Ch3h-YnLkrw7i2OLNywWPkvYbxvctIAvCBawUqz0B04OWHiaMobP4dxFHtAUiq_NLH0/s640/IMG_1325.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Roll some of the mix up in a tortilla. Spread it on toast. Or roll it up in a large lettuce or mustard leaf.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfc0ZEbZdLxt336dRnoAbp5RnMep30NLcdBJEyof-F-TELv5iXmvH18fJa0IDob5hp0HRDHWEmHaOnt9Ta46wMi5pFzW0zWilaD2lykh2wK2OuVbX9Q7fWYdvoyDn-dJo-IwJ64AFUuM/s1600/IMG_0213+-+Version+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUfc0ZEbZdLxt336dRnoAbp5RnMep30NLcdBJEyof-F-TELv5iXmvH18fJa0IDob5hp0HRDHWEmHaOnt9Ta46wMi5pFzW0zWilaD2lykh2wK2OuVbX9Q7fWYdvoyDn-dJo-IwJ64AFUuM/s640/IMG_0213+-+Version+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br />If you are hungry for a crunchy, tasty treat, try cooking up some spring rolls. Spring rolls, also known as lumpia, are delicious when prepared with just about any kind of seafood. My favorite is definitely crab. Spring rolls are so worth the effort!</span></div><div><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">These lumpia wrappers work well:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XWda7iLyaKakcWLDhigPpqgcLMjNMiSzFwSG7EWvtX2N99fhMiD0FXFVtLi6mrNTDE7doHZhDu_hoKuFkqZqXetTwV_3mBqdg_uML6llSoNpo0jwld320Uv533IZMgJdbCxSzx9KS8g/s1600/IMG_3719.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7XWda7iLyaKakcWLDhigPpqgcLMjNMiSzFwSG7EWvtX2N99fhMiD0FXFVtLi6mrNTDE7doHZhDu_hoKuFkqZqXetTwV_3mBqdg_uML6llSoNpo0jwld320Uv533IZMgJdbCxSzx9KS8g/s640/IMG_3719.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Include your choice of ingredients. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In the spring rolls below, I used:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">a good amount of cooked crab </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">a strip of cheddar cheese </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">a few pieces of hot pepper to taste</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMLh2wsv_RXEDwkvP-Q2tXhgB0KUQy-CNLUnon32L9b4pUGMIKX17B-A0EefB7S5x_I6gU_1eBM7H-a0SJ5vK8_mfGQve1qBsOjd2-enn5nFo0ZeXXgkIWhRhBzsomN9X2CEb8qMnU9g/s1600/IMG_3645.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilMLh2wsv_RXEDwkvP-Q2tXhgB0KUQy-CNLUnon32L9b4pUGMIKX17B-A0EefB7S5x_I6gU_1eBM7H-a0SJ5vK8_mfGQve1qBsOjd2-enn5nFo0ZeXXgkIWhRhBzsomN9X2CEb8qMnU9g/s640/IMG_3645.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />I rolled it up (rolling instructions are on the wrapper box)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">and then deep fried it in a few inches of vegetable oil at medium high heat. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My favorite vegetable oils for frying are canola oil or avocado oil.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I cook three or four at a time in a medium sized, deep pot. The rolls only need to cook a minute or two on each side until golden brown. So flavorful!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1aH4jfqfYEZt0r1OClUv_u26qY35dQhHMTXmymi1p4J8JhCvk-2VRC3q262EZOXlwd207QHUm5iYEGWZ0jQ591GvpqHMu63PCkBxQnhNNHar5KDRQZHrgJ_vD6MTz46MWRpQtpBlaqk/s1600/IMG_3651.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl1aH4jfqfYEZt0r1OClUv_u26qY35dQhHMTXmymi1p4J8JhCvk-2VRC3q262EZOXlwd207QHUm5iYEGWZ0jQ591GvpqHMu63PCkBxQnhNNHar5KDRQZHrgJ_vD6MTz46MWRpQtpBlaqk/s640/IMG_3651.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><i>KING CRAB</i></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">RED KING CRAB (<i>Paralithodes camtschaticus</i>)<br />BLUE KING CRAB (<i>Paralithodes platypus</i>)<br />BROWN/GOLDEN KING CRAB (<i>Lithodes aequispinus</i>)</span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Of the three species of king crab, the red king crab is the species most likely to be found closest to Sitka.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Although the most likely areas nearby for catching red or blue king crab have been closed for about 10 years now, let's include king crab in this post simply because it is so darn delicious!</span></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYTU2F6fVQ_bBwOOZ-G9bW5Be7DEhFRBughbk1roIOOVxUreY3F70A2sF8i9EwRvlPPlT3sftOSnAdGy0Jb0HcjgroA1ipo2IpboBT4wzD-10cTFuZM8Hbp-8oEahLOydsKvBKhFZMrA/s1600/Scan+5.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoYTU2F6fVQ_bBwOOZ-G9bW5Be7DEhFRBughbk1roIOOVxUreY3F70A2sF8i9EwRvlPPlT3sftOSnAdGy0Jb0HcjgroA1ipo2IpboBT4wzD-10cTFuZM8Hbp-8oEahLOydsKvBKhFZMrA/s640/Scan+5.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;">RED KING CRAB</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Each year, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game does a summer survey throughout Southeast Alaska to determine the health of the king crab population. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Unfortunately, numbers have remained low for many years. As a result, several areas are designated <b>CLOSED</b> to the red and blue King Crab personal use fishery. Thus, you will see in the Southeast Alaska Sport Fishing Regulations Summary a message to check in with your local ADF&G office for news releases and emergency info concerning the personal use king crab fishery. You will be able to obtain, usually in the month of June, a news release update about </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><u><span style="font-size: large;">WHERE YOU ARE ALLOWED TO FISH FOR KING CRAB</span></u></b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><u style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b>HOW MANY YOU CAN TAKE... MALES ONLY</b></u><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">The personal use king crab fishery has traditionally been open each year from July 1st through March 31st of the following year. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">The popular <b>PERIL STRAIT </b>section of 11-A Personal Use Area has been closed for many years. It is the area that goes from Poison Cove up through all of Hoonah Sound (South and North Arms) and all of Peril Strait until it meets Chatham Strait. Unfortunately, this covers just about everywhere locals choose to go to catch king crab. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">It is possible, though unlikely, to catch an occasional king crab in your pots in the areas that have remained <b>OPEN</b>.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, here is the explanation of how many king crabs you were allowed to have in your possession, caught from specified open areas, from July 1st through March 31st for the past several years. This year (beginning July 1, 2017) the regulations will likely be the same:</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Each resident is allowed to have a total of 6 king crab per day. Only one of the six can be red or blue. Remember, red or blue king crab can only be caught in the annually designated open areas. The other 5 of the 6 crabs you are allowed to possess each day must be GOLDEN (also known as BROWN) king crabs. Golden king crabs are not often found anywhere close to Sitka. And, golden king crabs are commonly located far deeper than red or blue king crab...</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">150 fathoms or more.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bD8YHoxGbf0Kppe3gALVnJkZE2Zt_Czzy8wcgCOoLYoZZuIbGp_s72QQbpiE0Qhi3G7lw4_8G_UUvHKB4RpAFKgZm-OiVeT0oa96ufoW8DVgqD3ieEQZEpi0PaKlLn22kxzY0qqlMdQ/s1600/IMG_6100.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0bD8YHoxGbf0Kppe3gALVnJkZE2Zt_Czzy8wcgCOoLYoZZuIbGp_s72QQbpiE0Qhi3G7lw4_8G_UUvHKB4RpAFKgZm-OiVeT0oa96ufoW8DVgqD3ieEQZEpi0PaKlLn22kxzY0qqlMdQ/s640/IMG_6100.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">THIS ILLUSTRATION IS FROM THE SOUTHEAST ALASKA SPORT FISHING REGULATIONS SUMMARY</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When we were looking around for dungeness crab last summer,</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> we caught a few red king crab.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_s6vowpe_cYTUQqR2wKn47BeFNpvUF0GdeCPo-1EtjPnAk4s_uABmVwX-OD4PrtNx_NstYtzo2ZZZVMOS5FxlJWc0nWHAFjA_QLOoEzshWLdv6PK9yBl4v6YqElVJfmPOUA8lsrOZ-g/s1600/IMG_0671.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgp_s6vowpe_cYTUQqR2wKn47BeFNpvUF0GdeCPo-1EtjPnAk4s_uABmVwX-OD4PrtNx_NstYtzo2ZZZVMOS5FxlJWc0nWHAFjA_QLOoEzshWLdv6PK9yBl4v6YqElVJfmPOUA8lsrOZ-g/s640/IMG_0671.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">Not only were they too small (less than 7 inches across the carapace) but we were in an area closed for red and blue king crab. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;">So, back into the ocean they went...</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHE5YKL0R8dOcobcjJaI0_0jRuZBd4sqHfXzxHIoIimmT_M-1eGU1MdU2b6RwoiOEjwiOAbfircCyR_cGqDMKHUqdFQLXpeGBZL8nCbLhMZDah1MYLa_4LvKV4T6OLLeO1CVKAMzrJgI/s1600/IMG_0673.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbHE5YKL0R8dOcobcjJaI0_0jRuZBd4sqHfXzxHIoIimmT_M-1eGU1MdU2b6RwoiOEjwiOAbfircCyR_cGqDMKHUqdFQLXpeGBZL8nCbLhMZDah1MYLa_4LvKV4T6OLLeO1CVKAMzrJgI/s640/IMG_0673.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">To sum it all up, catching any king crab is a rare treat for most of us these days. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Should the closed areas nearest to Sitka ever open again, more information about king crab will be added to this post.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, watch for the occasional commercial king crabber selling king crabs on the docks. What a treat!</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuIJvaoFhrzuJBB00ccWHeyk1E3QJUoyRcyqsztpKFUNFfGfYPrTQl58CW1IVKaG0Nz-YS_3KhEpHumcWAp_Qs4VP7G3a4exspqLrzqEuAgxmq-zpfYnjkJZQTj1A7wvTYI3gdH-536U/s1600/Scan+5.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUuIJvaoFhrzuJBB00ccWHeyk1E3QJUoyRcyqsztpKFUNFfGfYPrTQl58CW1IVKaG0Nz-YS_3KhEpHumcWAp_Qs4VP7G3a4exspqLrzqEuAgxmq-zpfYnjkJZQTj1A7wvTYI3gdH-536U/s640/Scan+5.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;">C</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;">OMMERCIAL KING CRAB FISHING LONG AGO ON THE F/V REIVER photo by Aaron Bean</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>TANNER CRAB</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>(Chionoecetes bairdi</i> and </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Chionoecetes opilio)</i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjly-U0ik4Qo7cWfZn2T2kctYTA6IuQF_HuSgDAmqhXZXDsJ8jwF0rmOcivePPVsTl1Prgli6zCrnH0WEFjDqyYo5nIoRSt5vA32jvW0MnLWRRhnvP0K_7d8DN165gGBn5tsDwa86U69zE/s1600/DSC06715.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjly-U0ik4Qo7cWfZn2T2kctYTA6IuQF_HuSgDAmqhXZXDsJ8jwF0rmOcivePPVsTl1Prgli6zCrnH0WEFjDqyYo5nIoRSt5vA32jvW0MnLWRRhnvP0K_7d8DN165gGBn5tsDwa86U69zE/s640/DSC06715.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is always such a pleasant surprise to pull up crab pots with some unexpected tanner crabs inside. We have rarely targeted tanner crabs, but enjoy seeing them when we are fishing for dungeness crabs.</span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cA0rQgAwwS4HESMzCmabLpN-Mz5g94lRF6yYhA_kieSHvHXnrRZ3iaIe6RdZWB5buVkUDKvue0Rk-Dh8yD6WYOXVSdlP6mLySEDKXuSJD2hELM5CdFr_ddbWRomBVEEJnYfDPTOgThA/s1600/IMG_0378.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0cA0rQgAwwS4HESMzCmabLpN-Mz5g94lRF6yYhA_kieSHvHXnrRZ3iaIe6RdZWB5buVkUDKvue0Rk-Dh8yD6WYOXVSdlP6mLySEDKXuSJD2hELM5CdFr_ddbWRomBVEEJnYfDPTOgThA/s640/IMG_0378.jpg" width="640" /></a></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The legal size for keeper tanner crabs is at least 5.5 inches straight across the back (carapace) including spines...<b> MALES ONLY.</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cMhzRJ9QSCpItmSWBe-bwf_0xdNQNBzJMNIut4KwEq99h7gRMjA23NHmlgrIUU6LTG2rB-dQHiKl9QjrTTwuFBCoPzv7oexfehyphenhyphensFwk0a8nu__0VZUjBzl9V8dSEUAexjVQc44-T0IY/s1600/DSC06713.jpg"><img border="0" height="420" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2cMhzRJ9QSCpItmSWBe-bwf_0xdNQNBzJMNIut4KwEq99h7gRMjA23NHmlgrIUU6LTG2rB-dQHiKl9QjrTTwuFBCoPzv7oexfehyphenhyphensFwk0a8nu__0VZUjBzl9V8dSEUAexjVQc44-T0IY/s640/DSC06713.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Alaska residents are allowed to take 30 male tanner crabs per day. Fishing for tanner crabs is open all year except for the brief <b>closure from June 16 through June 30</b>.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We clean and cook tanner crabs the same as dungeness crabs. They are good eating. But, we don't find them to be quite as flavorful as dungeness crabs.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>CRABS COME IN ALL SIZES AND SHAPES...</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Over the years, we have encountered a wide assortment of crabs in the intertidal zone and in our crab and shrimp pots. Here are a few:</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">HEART CRAB </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">(Phyllolithodes papillosus)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The heart crab is super tiny. It definitely wins my prize for cutest crab.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60_3eY6nYn4il3p8n02yujzBvqo4Mt7h3xxLkPv3G3iUc-dxdDvFc1lnZh1KdrQi0bQpLAcy4vRyyAaLvYt0hvLROPmYDgguWxeFWm9Gj35EURc68JChMO9eSlsvfAkE1fSJiMN3jDVw/s1600/IMG_5055.jpg"><img border="0" height="552" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj60_3eY6nYn4il3p8n02yujzBvqo4Mt7h3xxLkPv3G3iUc-dxdDvFc1lnZh1KdrQi0bQpLAcy4vRyyAaLvYt0hvLROPmYDgguWxeFWm9Gj35EURc68JChMO9eSlsvfAkE1fSJiMN3jDVw/s640/IMG_5055.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">SQUAT LOBSTER, GALATHEID, PINCH BUG</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">(Munida quadrispina)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We see these little crabs mixed in with shrimp when we pull up our shrimp pots.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgEbCSmG1HLXrLetgHVh0axb-n_EfeExcsTwvvCdMvP6QzohnEIhDxp2Kq43aTMuojIYaSbFHtW9XKWA0oxXDlWZ37cEqtKmhiKweOWEiqdEnAtR_tth12HD1CmkHJuFF43Stmo_LGU0/s1600/IMG_0940.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlgEbCSmG1HLXrLetgHVh0axb-n_EfeExcsTwvvCdMvP6QzohnEIhDxp2Kq43aTMuojIYaSbFHtW9XKWA0oxXDlWZ37cEqtKmhiKweOWEiqdEnAtR_tth12HD1CmkHJuFF43Stmo_LGU0/s640/IMG_0940.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">GRACEFUL DECORATOR CRAB </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">(Oregonia gracilis)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This little crab is adorned with a variety of life including seaweeds and sponges. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Bad hair day?</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROuLwuZH25Yex51g6CzxolLFySLHvurPIGYk0BqLKAnzpqPx3EU0WV7_kjrsuYWI5YCPtR0CbBxswKLeRAkZqoIEp5qbNOvX4Ne-K-ji8yg2CKYB7gPEOTGwqfEuDu4W54EuxOcHV3H8/s1600/IMG_0930.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgROuLwuZH25Yex51g6CzxolLFySLHvurPIGYk0BqLKAnzpqPx3EU0WV7_kjrsuYWI5YCPtR0CbBxswKLeRAkZqoIEp5qbNOvX4Ne-K-ji8yg2CKYB7gPEOTGwqfEuDu4W54EuxOcHV3H8/s640/IMG_0930.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">ARCTIC LYRE CRAB </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">(Hyas coarctatus)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We were surprised to see this medium sized spider crab come up in our shrimp pot.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBILqIbydODOt4sy-D2_zqcv3fHtdljRH6irkseLQefeH-Cn7WFGhO7TnXkvunxDPcpsYFNR1T0-E9-JVxM4VyVwq0QF2rKEvPevj4ZOUunL1-pDKc2ixB5IxpvF09fDJUisz9jdD-e2o/s1600/DSC06717.jpg"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBILqIbydODOt4sy-D2_zqcv3fHtdljRH6irkseLQefeH-Cn7WFGhO7TnXkvunxDPcpsYFNR1T0-E9-JVxM4VyVwq0QF2rKEvPevj4ZOUunL1-pDKc2ixB5IxpvF09fDJUisz9jdD-e2o/s640/DSC06717.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">LONGHORN DECORATOR CRAB </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">(Chorilia longipes)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">These small spider crabs seem to enjoy hanging out with shrimp.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-MSfAtvWRPyrlbqzFvyLFfL60xsjPNj-bJbkNLFBosDaTqlm8shr2MRy86WSXkcxRDvqIifOLWtowVqDFdctKxNOAg9JuRUyKuXxCfZPJjMC8lmqswi0lEOsgUd_8Ch80U8Bmd3-n5A/s1600/DSCN1288.jpg"><img border="0" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw-MSfAtvWRPyrlbqzFvyLFfL60xsjPNj-bJbkNLFBosDaTqlm8shr2MRy86WSXkcxRDvqIifOLWtowVqDFdctKxNOAg9JuRUyKuXxCfZPJjMC8lmqswi0lEOsgUd_8Ch80U8Bmd3-n5A/s640/DSCN1288.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">GAPER PEA CRAB </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">(Pinnixa littoralis)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Because of the surface color, we often called these crabs "ghost crabs." They are pretty creepy little things. I say this because, when you are cleaning horse clams, out they creep. A male and female usually live in the mantle cavity of each fat gaper clam. You can see the outline of a gaper pea crab under the mantle at the knife tip.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUY5pP-Ml2z58Qwi8ifh00XzPrZhO0FM1Q9vEErgwCNW9dExsIaxCN37_b0b6pGWSZ5mP-vMP5joKNCQNSGUM7f18KZBOLqgtdtMh7n712NCluXjpV5k668oE1sejnHeJVw0zI1smHzw/s1600/DSCN2724.JPG"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIUY5pP-Ml2z58Qwi8ifh00XzPrZhO0FM1Q9vEErgwCNW9dExsIaxCN37_b0b6pGWSZ5mP-vMP5joKNCQNSGUM7f18KZBOLqgtdtMh7n712NCluXjpV5k668oE1sejnHeJVw0zI1smHzw/s640/DSCN2724.JPG" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">A male and female gaper pea crab are outside of the shell in the photo below. A bunch more were placed in the shell after gathering them from other horse clams. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUAfzBQbcK3HZDtkeSMZaPRCYhsRpWvaMuheedEfNhNuCEsU7MGyMEiiJOYQ9SZRw8faRLTXEEU_PYCz5rgLDsIgpF0DNWpjBIWSWa65g2XwfIlwoHuVx9BfBpA7_jqTPaAlhPzXmuno/s1600/DSCN2732.jpg"><img border="0" height="550" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHUAfzBQbcK3HZDtkeSMZaPRCYhsRpWvaMuheedEfNhNuCEsU7MGyMEiiJOYQ9SZRw8faRLTXEEU_PYCz5rgLDsIgpF0DNWpjBIWSWa65g2XwfIlwoHuVx9BfBpA7_jqTPaAlhPzXmuno/s640/DSCN2732.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;">ALASKAN HERMIT CRAB </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">(Pagurus ochotensis)</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We have come across lots of hermit crabs in various sizes and shapes. This Alaskan hermit crab is comparatively large.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XotkJobC4mGFWr1G3HMSBcTs98cv-QEjUdA0o80IvDEz_CqmcwvO6RdRUo3OorP5sCL4ch1enUkj3jnz6aZm7bItTng5XpyDbBkAqw8Sc4iI5E-PKmVcE13UwhE_H8nAQvlmgUcp0DQ/s1600/IMG_0600.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3XotkJobC4mGFWr1G3HMSBcTs98cv-QEjUdA0o80IvDEz_CqmcwvO6RdRUo3OorP5sCL4ch1enUkj3jnz6aZm7bItTng5XpyDbBkAqw8Sc4iI5E-PKmVcE13UwhE_H8nAQvlmgUcp0DQ/s640/IMG_0600.jpg" width="616" /></a></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVFxa3QVT8RW6Y03Iks5r-m51eUxDzeZaTva6DOLnD_iZ2ijpZoiHvfC5UsWSoSxaFD4efoYCI1kllUsGQxxkTvISha7LIs9oaBpo28F5VM3Fu20YRAkh_sva-gUdOKDch3Mv2msB-hI/s1600/IMG_0609.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVFxa3QVT8RW6Y03Iks5r-m51eUxDzeZaTva6DOLnD_iZ2ijpZoiHvfC5UsWSoSxaFD4efoYCI1kllUsGQxxkTvISha7LIs9oaBpo28F5VM3Fu20YRAkh_sva-gUdOKDch3Mv2msB-hI/s640/IMG_0609.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here are two of my favorite cook books for crab recipes. The author of SHELLFISH COOKERY, John Doerper, uses all sorts of crabs, including creepy pea crabs, in his recipes!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAnaH3auptAqRPY9InfDlla72b0FWTats8AwR261ykjwT2clPNRXMQkx4lOgYv_OoERUg24jgFc_UC04_HgVM0PhfHObl2VqDbGvOKqRP_Q7IeV2jLqJ_oQgd9OIkXB5fy4fS-18IObE/s1600/IMG_6138.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQAnaH3auptAqRPY9InfDlla72b0FWTats8AwR261ykjwT2clPNRXMQkx4lOgYv_OoERUg24jgFc_UC04_HgVM0PhfHObl2VqDbGvOKqRP_Q7IeV2jLqJ_oQgd9OIkXB5fy4fS-18IObE/s640/IMG_6138.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Wishing you the best of luck fishing for crab!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-27822743317962770592017-01-28T14:59:00.001-08:002020-12-18T17:39:35.785-08:00CLAMS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SENSATIONAL NEWS FOR LOCAL CLAM LOVERS!!!</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzfp3wKXNXi334SYT5fbJe5FzsEh869QsQp1_Pq5dNMjZwn_F7DCaPpKbuPiNcjeGiF-pghYeuJazOSkhMNl-uk1ZLJv0E7noVxuLorgo06hrcr94FXolUFXZdHNID-s8VlbvUa9JjBE/s1600/IMG_5754.jpg"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUzfp3wKXNXi334SYT5fbJe5FzsEh869QsQp1_Pq5dNMjZwn_F7DCaPpKbuPiNcjeGiF-pghYeuJazOSkhMNl-uk1ZLJv0E7noVxuLorgo06hrcr94FXolUFXZdHNID-s8VlbvUa9JjBE/s320/IMG_5754.jpg" width="168" /></a></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SOUTHEAST ALASKA TRIBAL OCEAN RESEARCH </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>HAS IT'S OWN LABORATORY </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>RIGHT HERE IN LITTLE OLD SITKA!</b></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>AMONG OTHER THINGS, THE SEATOR LAB TESTS SHELLFISH.</b></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>AND, YES! THE SEATOR LAB WILL TEST</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b> <i>MY</i> SHELLFISH AND <i>YOUR</i> SHELLFISH.</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SUCH WELCOME NEWS!!!</b></span></div>
<div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyv3l3gKgPVftW7QdSpzb7QhtjUJNSVz4Z-6XxYSmDldslTcrGOTkEIDfyZDrfssh3FdO8VTGmwezee31on1i_mUOH5bvSWTE4WknZpu-buDn6k15zniGwhM9cPn_pr_UevusPthJfxpc/s1600/Scan+7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyv3l3gKgPVftW7QdSpzb7QhtjUJNSVz4Z-6XxYSmDldslTcrGOTkEIDfyZDrfssh3FdO8VTGmwezee31on1i_mUOH5bvSWTE4WknZpu-buDn6k15zniGwhM9cPn_pr_UevusPthJfxpc/s640/Scan+7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>CAN'T BELIEVE IT?</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><b> </b></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><b>WELL, SEE FOR YOURSELF.</b></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><b>CLICK THIS LINK TO GET TO THE SEATOR WEB SITE:</b></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><span face=""\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"> </span><a href="http://seator.org/" style="font-family: "\"verdana\"", sans-serif; text-align: start;">seator.org</a><span face=""\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif" style="font-size: medium; text-align: start;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The </span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">SEATOR</b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> website provides lots of information including:</span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span></div>
<div>
<ul><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
<li style="text-align: left;">the latest local biotoxin test results </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">a shellfish safety video narrated by Harvey Kitka </li>
<li style="text-align: left;">aid in identification of shellfish species</li>
<li style="text-align: left;">directions and sample forms for submitting shellfish for testing</li>
</span></ul>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>NOTE:</b> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Testing by SEATOR'S research lab is not free. There will be a fee for each species tested. Contact SEATOR for the cost.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">To contact SEATOR's research lab:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxFWiu5Kg5fjy8vY65Sx83xT3aj6lCIQSzCdihJkrNeiC_pRpfre7cdvXcYigQbS_bXN-tAERZ-5ZYSiMMpUtSVxwlpuBTGsJEHE_kAZwnVDixY6CYTyrEFQBLOr5DwQEd4Ggnp45nxhg/s1600/IMG_5752.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="221" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxFWiu5Kg5fjy8vY65Sx83xT3aj6lCIQSzCdihJkrNeiC_pRpfre7cdvXcYigQbS_bXN-tAERZ-5ZYSiMMpUtSVxwlpuBTGsJEHE_kAZwnVDixY6CYTyrEFQBLOr5DwQEd4Ggnp45nxhg/s400/IMG_5752.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">For their latest news, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">you can follow </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research on Facebook.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Go to their Facebook page and click the "like" button.</span></span></div>
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />So, why would a local clam lover be excited about having a test lab nearby? </span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Well, because there are literally zillions of nutritious clams of every size and shape available to us at low tide. <br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5jyBaQh3uDvkHkhqT0ebDT4VXpX0-wEHnwwiusDHornwOl8HmjUZustY-6kzG5wIKad6jlLq3m7QjEI6y-Ka0a7thRtjItOgptySTI2Y5_tYKoknEdNl9TQSlnHaey7hs1xvJLsk5dQ/s1600/IMG_0419.jpg"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiH5jyBaQh3uDvkHkhqT0ebDT4VXpX0-wEHnwwiusDHornwOl8HmjUZustY-6kzG5wIKad6jlLq3m7QjEI6y-Ka0a7thRtjItOgptySTI2Y5_tYKoknEdNl9TQSlnHaey7hs1xvJLsk5dQ/s640/IMG_0419.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />But, let's be realistic. Harvesting clams can be downright challenging. <br /><br />Let's consider our ever growing otter population, for instance. </span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Otters are clam lovers, too! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It appears that they are taking a big bite out of quite a few of our local clam beds.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />And, how about our weather? Our weather with high winds, soaking rains and active surf frequently keeps the clam beds just beyond reach. <br /><br />For many clam lovers, the biggest obstacle to hauling loads of clams home from our beaches has been the risk of running into dangerous toxins... especially the toxins that cause PSP, paralytic shellfish poisoning. <br /><br />Some people say, "Oh, don't worry about it."<br /><br />But, most people do worry about it. <br />And, with good cause. </span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">You will probably be convinced to worry about it, too, once you have a hard look at the biotoxin test results coming out of the SEATOR lab.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />But now, with testing readily available, it is possible to look forward to gathering, testing and eating clams fearlessly and enthusiastically!</span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>WHERE AND WHEN TO DIG CLAMS</b></span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">After communicating with an advisor at the Alaska State Department of Fish and Game, it is my understanding that if you are a resident, you are eligible to follow the SUBSISTENCE guidelines. As a subsistence harvester of clams, you will <u>not</u> need a license. You are free to harvest clams from beaches pretty much anywhere on the north, west and south borders of Baranof and Chichagof Islands... including all those smaller islands around and amongst. Any beach around the whole of Kruzof Island is fine. However, once you reach the beaches on the east side of Baranof and Chichagof Islands, in other words Chatham Strait, things get complicated. Rather than have me try to explain, it makes more sense for you to be personally advised by the Department of Fish and Game for beaches in Chatham Strait. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In fact, I encourage any questions or concerns about subsistence, personal use or sport fishing regulations be taken to an Alaska Department of Fish and Game office. The Sitka office staff has been accommodating and informative. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHz2f0Uvh0aEgF7P48bMmOYXTTS_eqZCTGjMVCk4zrnRkYg6s3irEot4vA1jGOHvR6HbT0ZTK_pctijVUhfQmBwI8Nhgf3IhWMukLWN6OYqrdGS43ZNHVoOjSEi2_7oX-cI4p0jz2FZA/s1600/IMG_5775.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZHz2f0Uvh0aEgF7P48bMmOYXTTS_eqZCTGjMVCk4zrnRkYg6s3irEot4vA1jGOHvR6HbT0ZTK_pctijVUhfQmBwI8Nhgf3IhWMukLWN6OYqrdGS43ZNHVoOjSEi2_7oX-cI4p0jz2FZA/s640/IMG_5775.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There are no restrictions on when you can harvest clams. Year round.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The tools allowed for harvesting clams are rakes, shovels, hands and manually operated clam guns. A hydraulic clam digger can be used to take geoducks.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">For the most part, there are no restrictions on how many clams you are free to harvest. There are a few species of clams that have a daily bag limit. This will be clarified when we discuss clam species individually further on in this post.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In the Sitka area, just about any beach is likely to produce clams. Best to get away from beaches along community road systems in order to avoid the pollutants so often found where modern man congregates. Because some island property owners in the Sitka area have tideland rights, it is best to avoid beaches on privately owned islands.</span><br /><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> Sandy beaches are especially inviting. Rocky beaches are also home to clams. But, on rocky beaches, it can be difficult to locate and remove very many clams.</span><br /><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> Harvest clams when beaches meet the ocean during the lowest tides, preferably during what we refer to as minus tides. Many local businesses have tide books available for free. I am especially grateful for the tide book in the photo below. I pick one up each year because it also includes Sergius Narrows. It is easy to read the designated times that the powerful currents go slack... the safest times to pass through the narrows.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3I44adMqI9bO1L-MEVRLPTP65WMvxssdGs2fLt1EC0zomzb4EkgDcTq2UjC2n41B1DaEevBQhyYnoR6D0RPxleoYrrNV3fdBjTuKbTudt9zF25bUSMXbY2NRMBx56w8P4NEdwdrDvvs/s1600/IMG_5768.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhD3I44adMqI9bO1L-MEVRLPTP65WMvxssdGs2fLt1EC0zomzb4EkgDcTq2UjC2n41B1DaEevBQhyYnoR6D0RPxleoYrrNV3fdBjTuKbTudt9zF25bUSMXbY2NRMBx56w8P4NEdwdrDvvs/s640/IMG_5768.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Navigation programs utilized on boats often display tide information as well. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Minus tides are simply the low tides listed in tide books with a minus sign. As many as half of the days of each month show a minus low tide. Typically, minus tides happen in the morning throughout the summer months. Throughout the winter, minus tides typically happen in the evening. The logic of harvesting clams during a minus tide is not necessarily because all clams live that low on the beach. Some species do not. When the ocean recedes during a minus tide, you will simply have a little more time to harvest clams before the ocean gradually rises again and covers all of the clam beds.</span><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> A healthy beach will often have a variety of clam species. </span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Different species of clams live and grow at varying depths and locations on the beach. This is usually, but not always, consistent from beach to beach in any given area. Some clam species grow as shallow as an inch below the surface. Others dwell as deep as several feet down!</span><br /><br /><br /> <br /><br /><br /> <br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b> HOW TO DIG CLAMS</b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;">At a very young age, all of the children in my large family and neighborhood learned how to dig clams simply by watching other people dig clams. We lived just above a pebble beach in a protected bay south of Boston, Massachusetts. We dug up clams with a clam fork that looked like a dirty, old version of the one below:</span></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqBtKeRLgCAvOiJnRf5KK33zRZp8cCfBIL_QJ6kHZPwGWx9NN3HhOpTGixvF19aSPLchOlET1imfIb7EiojHXS3dCZn-kB40tbbaQ6YGFY0xeKDSgT6MgxJXyAHLR7EObfx-Ihh_cYL4/s1600/F1604.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXqBtKeRLgCAvOiJnRf5KK33zRZp8cCfBIL_QJ6kHZPwGWx9NN3HhOpTGixvF19aSPLchOlET1imfIb7EiojHXS3dCZn-kB40tbbaQ6YGFY0xeKDSgT6MgxJXyAHLR7EObfx-Ihh_cYL4/s320/F1604.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />It never occurred to me to use that kind of fork, a clam gun or a hydraulic digger to dig clams here in southeast Alaska. People in these parts usually grab a bucket and whatever is handy in the way of shovels.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Early each spring, we usually find ourselves returning to our tried and true, favorite clam beaches. S</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">ometimes, we look for a new beach at low tide with </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">water squirting all over the place and </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">lots of clam holes showing.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">After we have dug a hole or trench and removed our preferred clams, we shovel everything else back into the hole. We move around the beach and keep repeating this until we have collected the number and varieties of clams we want. We often take turns with the shovel, although Mr. Welsh is our tireless champion!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-y3wtDBjWFTw6U2tEPSBk9BZ79rwhwwCf2SlsY7FBWC8QPtoJILAbfpu51IAEMmLfUNcJsmtrSml1ZxGGwlyKMuzsyKWNvUIOGWJai2lwwV0XL39A_zlgP4fkpaID6Ton2imaxL1b6k/s1600/IMG_0418.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ-y3wtDBjWFTw6U2tEPSBk9BZ79rwhwwCf2SlsY7FBWC8QPtoJILAbfpu51IAEMmLfUNcJsmtrSml1ZxGGwlyKMuzsyKWNvUIOGWJai2lwwV0XL39A_zlgP4fkpaID6Ton2imaxL1b6k/s640/IMG_0418.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Meanwhile, the rest of the crew...</span><br />
<ul style="font-size: x-large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
<li>picks the clams from the holes and piles</li>
<li>rinses the clams using a bucket drilled with holes </li>
<li>separates the different clam species into separate buckets </li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">transports the buckets back into our boat</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">fills the buckets with enough salt water to cover the clams</span></li>
</span></ul>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">You never know what might turn up along with clams. </span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Who knew there were so many different kinds of sea worms!</span></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzXf2mqZMhe_lJzszHLeAuMBNIu1qoFmKCMOTYBEu9_SKSN2RM-R1amz46Y1Z4S5ZQyGNskeq2n8HSyCZyD6vxRuveEP50C416fbjG19U7XTJduVK1nAr5GapalvEeWQBVspuC0R7HHU/s1600/IMG_0423.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="245" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSzXf2mqZMhe_lJzszHLeAuMBNIu1qoFmKCMOTYBEu9_SKSN2RM-R1amz46Y1Z4S5ZQyGNskeq2n8HSyCZyD6vxRuveEP50C416fbjG19U7XTJduVK1nAr5GapalvEeWQBVspuC0R7HHU/s400/IMG_0423.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once the work is done, we often enjoy a picnic on the beach.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Regardless of the work involved, clam digging on a nice, sunny day sure makes for an enjoyable and memorable outing with family and friends.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Nowadays, when we return home with our clams, we intend to follow the SEATOR directions and have our clams tested. We will wait for positive results before chowing down.</span><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>PROCESSING CLAMS</b></span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Some people put their load of rinsed clams in a net or cloth bag and let them hang in the ocean water. They soak the clams for a few days off the side of their boat or dock. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We prefer to take our loaded buckets home.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> We</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> remove and discard any clams that smell bad, are partially opened or cracked. Best not to eat any questionable clams.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Next, we shake a little corn meal onto the surface of the salt water above the soaking clams. The corn meal drifts down amongst the clams. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We place these buckets in our cool, dark garage for a couple of days. Hopefully the clams will stick their necks out to syphon in the corn meal and syphon out any grit.</span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span><br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhspwblk3Wpibe8TbieqF7hSeaGWg7L2s7ppPy_In4E0HhLLeGy9CmF7HcoXtbV_Fxp8TNIUj9Pf3fXrKF14BQ8DrKPjSRAO0EbCVkiYQeVHTl4uALvihLmJ05qMOPjMziPQTDKvlBy6M/s1600/IMG_0637.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhspwblk3Wpibe8TbieqF7hSeaGWg7L2s7ppPy_In4E0HhLLeGy9CmF7HcoXtbV_Fxp8TNIUj9Pf3fXrKF14BQ8DrKPjSRAO0EbCVkiYQeVHTl4uALvihLmJ05qMOPjMziPQTDKvlBy6M/s640/IMG_0637.jpg" width="580" /></a></div>
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE CLAMS:</b></span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>BUTTER CLAMS </b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>(Saxidomus gigantea)</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>no restrictions, no daily bag limit</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9GNmQHfzDsava6sr-URNg9ZEbdcFBXZjLLCZpK2uX1e6-QVadmotqN1hKw4pPglMYIgNATWO5iTUOhZigpRNeEvxi-_P1SZpLs8R-eoBiZLdCEV-FEqO9_SzSp3CkqfpuRem4-_unBU/s1600/IMG_0638.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb9GNmQHfzDsava6sr-URNg9ZEbdcFBXZjLLCZpK2uX1e6-QVadmotqN1hKw4pPglMYIgNATWO5iTUOhZigpRNeEvxi-_P1SZpLs8R-eoBiZLdCEV-FEqO9_SzSp3CkqfpuRem4-_unBU/s640/IMG_0638.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Everyone in my family enjoys eating clams one way or another. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Me? I am the member of the family who is crazy about clams. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Butter clams are at the top of my list. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The simple and easy way to prepare Butter clams is a quick steam to open the shells. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I put a bunch of rinsed Butter clams in a large pot then: </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">add about a cup of water </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">cover the pot with a lid </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">bring the water to a hard boil for a minute or two </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">turn off the heat</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The heat and steam causes the clam shells to open. The clams are ready to eat! Occasionally there are a few clams with unopened shells. Do not eat.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Size wise, for steaming, I prefer Butter clams that are tiny in size on up to about two inches. Once steamed open, some people like to fork the clams out of the shell, swish them in broth and dip them in melted butter. Occasionally, I find myself following this procedure. But, most often, I forego the ritual. I just go for it and eat the steamed clams plain right out of the shell. Butter clams are so tender and delicious! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The clams in the photo below are mostly Butter clams. They are steamed open and ready to eat. The butter clam outer shells have concentric ridges. As you may have guessed, the few clams with outer concentric ridges <i>and</i> radial ribs in this photo are Pacific littleneck clams. The Pacific littleneck clams (Protothaca staminea) often inhabit the same depth and location on beaches as the Butter clams. The clam in the upper right with the tiny neck is a Pacific littleneck.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sWlT2xO5mHOxZpnp22V1m8vxKy1LfU4e4nDAhvEC31wccgdZ4_8BWXYNoIOhnG83_tqWEZFznHjHZzNnY9wAZ9MP9u5yWvkTXSh-uhR6QFUL9cQJzpS-Y4eFzKsyirBDZTRKezsVimo/s1600/IMG_0641.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_sWlT2xO5mHOxZpnp22V1m8vxKy1LfU4e4nDAhvEC31wccgdZ4_8BWXYNoIOhnG83_tqWEZFznHjHZzNnY9wAZ9MP9u5yWvkTXSh-uhR6QFUL9cQJzpS-Y4eFzKsyirBDZTRKezsVimo/s640/IMG_0641.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The outer shell of the Pacific littleneck, with the radial ribs, is obviously different from the shell of Butter clams, with no radial ribs. </span></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">These Pacific littleneck clams are tasty, too.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYpSfAfMSjmhLgOHrgoniLthfeI5GWXHPyHnhyphenhypheneqPL9DdStpg7BtlYVcekrAMwKAIlkOaedXYaubQCyg3eOtEDyXOBSpixy3SaGgD5NEA4xUqI9ei7UyAIJNWA3C6Nv_lBm1_ZlGMvdA/s1600/IMG_0642.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYpSfAfMSjmhLgOHrgoniLthfeI5GWXHPyHnhyphenhypheneqPL9DdStpg7BtlYVcekrAMwKAIlkOaedXYaubQCyg3eOtEDyXOBSpixy3SaGgD5NEA4xUqI9ei7UyAIJNWA3C6Nv_lBm1_ZlGMvdA/s640/IMG_0642.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Leftover steamed clams? </span></span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is easy enough to fill a container with steamed clams and broth... </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">and freeze to enjoy at a later date.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxIAIQ8jo-RzrdJhQt35VJRU7itxCeyNyOpkuayLd5BsLHoBW3qaoBJhgeuBvXFMGXnF_d6I0xvePxRpU55l33qsbd3mbsuwiKzyWlK0ba_nc69Csx7lKX-mJoHc_yzXLirWf8ayXebE/s1600/IMG_0643.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAxIAIQ8jo-RzrdJhQt35VJRU7itxCeyNyOpkuayLd5BsLHoBW3qaoBJhgeuBvXFMGXnF_d6I0xvePxRpU55l33qsbd3mbsuwiKzyWlK0ba_nc69Csx7lKX-mJoHc_yzXLirWf8ayXebE/s640/IMG_0643.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Another way to enjoy steamed clams is to</span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> smoke</i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> them.</span></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1vNyPoKtaafFkkVX4ORlfgwWRue85tmslz-jgb8cbxQj-GGygMMHwLriebTUngIklwo0QD4a4_C2YbyN_RRTqAHtOLFh-L1SziTL_f8fVcUvjnqQEGmZb8myAAapiKKQ0GqzY1wMIOM/s1600/IMG_5756.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjK1vNyPoKtaafFkkVX4ORlfgwWRue85tmslz-jgb8cbxQj-GGygMMHwLriebTUngIklwo0QD4a4_C2YbyN_RRTqAHtOLFh-L1SziTL_f8fVcUvjnqQEGmZb8myAAapiKKQ0GqzY1wMIOM/s640/IMG_5756.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here's how I smoke steamers using our BIG CHIEF SMOKER:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">After steaming open, remove the steamers from shells. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Spread the steamers in a single layer on the smoker racks. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Leave the steamed clams in the smoker with a pan of smoking wood chips for about an hour. </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">After smoking, the clams remain tender and gain a wonderful smoke flavor. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We usually eat the smoked clams as a snack. </span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We have also vacuumed packed smoked clams using our vacuum sealer. Into the freezer they go. The smoked clams are delicious at a later date thawed and eaten as a snack. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Even better, a pack of thawed, smoked clams makes a wonderful addition to a clam chowder. The smoke flavor is even more delicious in a chowder than if you had added crumbled bacon!</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Butter clams grilled or broiled in the shell are wonderful!</span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_np8iOl73MOkBN3scO_mZl3LoHJXkAx1tAPrtYiH1bkSeKb6KsciEimpAAofBnStH3yqN_YlDL1nMxGrnSK-UX-To3vlgkQBjf-E27i3nHWKuka5v5PwyfITS2itBjFnRXygswAt_FFo/s1600/IMG_0646.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_np8iOl73MOkBN3scO_mZl3LoHJXkAx1tAPrtYiH1bkSeKb6KsciEimpAAofBnStH3yqN_YlDL1nMxGrnSK-UX-To3vlgkQBjf-E27i3nHWKuka5v5PwyfITS2itBjFnRXygswAt_FFo/s640/IMG_0646.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There is no end to the combination of flavors you can add to clams prepared this way. Here is how I prepared the clams in the photo above.</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Start heating up your grill or broiler.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Steam open a bunch of Butter clams. We use Butter clams as large as 3 inches for this.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once steamed, arrange the opened clams on some sort of baking or cookie sheet.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Put a spot of butter on each clam. It is easiest if you melt the butter first and pour a little on each clam. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Place a green leaf or two on top of each clam. Try basil, kale, spinach, collard greens or a bit of french sorrel as seen above. Dried herbs work well, too. Maybe add chopped raw or sautéed onions?</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sprinkle grated cheese, such as parmesan, on top of the greens.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Some people like to add a small piece of raw bacon on the top.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It works well to place the baking sheet in the center of the oven. Broil briefly, keeping a close watch. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Remove from oven when the cheese looks melted or the bacon looks crisp, before it burns.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once the clams cool a little, enjoy! What a treat!</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span><br />
<div style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
<b></b></span>
<br />
<div style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<div style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><b>HORSE CLAMS</b></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">also known as </span></b></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<div style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><b>FAT GAPER or ALASKAN GAPER</b></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<div style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><b>(Tresus capax)</b></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>
</b></span>
<div style="font-size: xx-large; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b><b>no restrictions, no daily bag limit</b></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>
</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>
</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><b>
</b></span>
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3wAGmZbFxVXmjaHbq-Jwe-pKJn9POiFSL1E79a2sy9MiuQZn3IePL59uV0F6hKfTJlr7jfQrMLInHkLA4D63orbn0KhorI-ezxFrysBcHskHOZZ4_oAduD30szHNJKfzgIlxI3X4GLg/s1600/IMG_0662.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge3wAGmZbFxVXmjaHbq-Jwe-pKJn9POiFSL1E79a2sy9MiuQZn3IePL59uV0F6hKfTJlr7jfQrMLInHkLA4D63orbn0KhorI-ezxFrysBcHskHOZZ4_oAduD30szHNJKfzgIlxI3X4GLg/s640/IMG_0662.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Horse clams are sizable. They have been known to grow nearly a foot across! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We usually dig up a bucket of horse clams from the same beaches where we dig Butter clams. We often find them a little lower on beaches than the Butter clam beds.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And are Horse clams ever fun to dig up! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We look for a bit of seaweed moving downward inside about a one inch hole in the beach sand. The seaweed moves because the Horse clam siphon withdraws downward deep into the sand when it senses a threat. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The clam itself does not travel through the sand. The clam stays put... living its' life deep down in the sand. It stretches and extends its' powerful neck, or siphon, up through the sand to the ocean water where it sucks in food and releases waste. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We dig down alongside the seaweed filled hole in the beach. Sometimes we have dug as shallow as 6 inches... or as deep as 2 feet down! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">While one of us does the digging, another continuously reaches in and feels around at the bottom of the hole to locate the giant clam. Rubber gloves are a big help. It is too easy to slice a finger on something sharp rummaging around in a deep, dark hole. The edges of shells and pebbles can be sharp. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It sometimes feels like a tug of war getting the giant clam out from the depths. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">But look at the prize!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3qR9p6b5jcn65KWTEngd76kRId-NQLdU3tI3alhKWYG9HJDltEEE5zNxDrI8RAezCwiFp1nyOJB-woa6XHrCF1_Ax0R9DcsBYn_xtfcL3yCEe9nVNldY6nBnj0NsPBm0CiJDwtkL6WY/s1600/Scan+9.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO3qR9p6b5jcn65KWTEngd76kRId-NQLdU3tI3alhKWYG9HJDltEEE5zNxDrI8RAezCwiFp1nyOJB-woa6XHrCF1_Ax0R9DcsBYn_xtfcL3yCEe9nVNldY6nBnj0NsPBm0CiJDwtkL6WY/s640/Scan+9.jpg" width="526" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once we remove a Horse clam, we refill the hole.<br /><br />We bring our Horse clams home in a bucket. We don't do anything with the Horse clams at the beach other than rinse off the sand.<br /><br /> Once we have the Horse clams home, we take a sharp knife and slice into the clam where the shells meet. With the knife at an angle, we release the small adductor muscles that hold the shells shut.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Surprise, surprise!<br />Inside every Horse clam we have ever cleaned are two tiny crabs, one thin and one fat. The tiny male and female crabs are both an eerie, transparent shade of white. They are about an inch in size. We call them GHOST CRABS.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiNhz0Q_bD95Ipvo94PjXmLN2qnWxqADf5jVbGNXbOiNR4bXpEDabLF5ii88iT3fk0P_7bRKpc-u_tHU02vOmNGVpRx8MPEcMvBsCazxtkA8M5A3ojuk9TwgXuh4BE4_LcS-CEd2l5l8/s1600/DSCN2717.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYiNhz0Q_bD95Ipvo94PjXmLN2qnWxqADf5jVbGNXbOiNR4bXpEDabLF5ii88iT3fk0P_7bRKpc-u_tHU02vOmNGVpRx8MPEcMvBsCazxtkA8M5A3ojuk9TwgXuh4BE4_LcS-CEd2l5l8/s640/DSCN2717.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />In fact, these pea crabs hosted by Horse clams are Pinnixa littoralis. They live symbiotically with their Horse clam host. The crabs live their life inside the clam in the mantle area. They feed on bits of food filtered in by the Horse clam. We have found them to be both fascinating and creepy.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZZeTMe8RBNCKMQg5O-T4BVMJuvXuTH4OhqhfCKtxgiBKguVjiWDY9JXP1H8XXCKK50fTlHg2mTpFYmKeUW2gbmrGXhqOLbRzF0k_NJUkj3I7TU4qYDywncESmV6Kusq0RVwbXesANL4/s1600/Gaper-anatomy-700.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZZeTMe8RBNCKMQg5O-T4BVMJuvXuTH4OhqhfCKtxgiBKguVjiWDY9JXP1H8XXCKK50fTlHg2mTpFYmKeUW2gbmrGXhqOLbRzF0k_NJUkj3I7TU4qYDywncESmV6Kusq0RVwbXesANL4/s640/Gaper-anatomy-700.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> photo from the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> We focus on the tasty, tender parts of Horse clams... especially the neck. We cut away and discard the dark siphon tip of the neck. We slice the neck open and remove the outer skin. I find it easiest to peel the skins off of the necks after letting them soak in a bowl of fresh water for a short time.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />The only other part of the Horse clam we remove for eating is the digger foot attached to the gut bundle. The digger foot is the triangular section seen in the lower part of the photo below. Once you cut away the digger foot, discard the remaining guts and gills.</span></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWS5m_g3dtRSkqoaTFH7xpG2JXuNlTG8xwjJ1qRiOm9tcasYY3Dz9gTgSv4w6sIKpno_xJvP6xU1xXL7DKMriE3u2MxnXk0PpbnYUA_XRbyieVdKjdRhDXnLFaUWtvz5qP3kgDhnzT54/s1600/Gaper_cleaning_5_400.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDWS5m_g3dtRSkqoaTFH7xpG2JXuNlTG8xwjJ1qRiOm9tcasYY3Dz9gTgSv4w6sIKpno_xJvP6xU1xXL7DKMriE3u2MxnXk0PpbnYUA_XRbyieVdKjdRhDXnLFaUWtvz5qP3kgDhnzT54/s400/Gaper_cleaning_5_400.jpg" width="353" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> photo from the Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /></span></div><div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">One or two of the large, cleaned Horse clams yields enough clam meat for a good sized clam chowder. I packed the cleaned Horse clams into containers</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">, covered them with water and into the freezer they went.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPH3m-0NV4BwzwuLA5Yroe9od9V69-C1aC-fql4JMSxBW09jf9dHfbHxu0QxC74eLFZGhVzUasy3KQKCE8qLGTbKC2uZGSPmNjPOOOTzeYoPdcvksqCqEuHMi4H4Tl3h0Klu0MkPA7-Q/s1600/IMG_5758.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPH3m-0NV4BwzwuLA5Yroe9od9V69-C1aC-fql4JMSxBW09jf9dHfbHxu0QxC74eLFZGhVzUasy3KQKCE8qLGTbKC2uZGSPmNjPOOOTzeYoPdcvksqCqEuHMi4H4Tl3h0Klu0MkPA7-Q/s640/IMG_5758.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once our gardens are harvested in fall, we cook our potatoes, celery, zucchini and onions in with thawed, chopped Horse clams. Add a little powdered beach asparagus and powdered seaweed along with a few smoked clams...</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">and you have a clam chowder as good as it gets. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I would list the ingredients more precisely, but I seem to put chowder together a little different each time I prepare it. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">For me, chowders and stews are pretty much catch all and open for creativity.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>PACIFIC GEODUCK</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>(Panopea abrupta)</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>no restrictions other than the daily bag limit of 6</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEYE020eGlCjrjxoYerP0hPGbyuxk__GlkFjqScYyPEwmSfM6d3csPnOEJVpDjOHjsLcUxf7Otnv_ndePfG2rgJ9fx7_405fYGkR6yPLJEz2VGe0BqBYny5RZFe1UHGfb7Y2BLnTkygQ/s1600/IMG_5259.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEYE020eGlCjrjxoYerP0hPGbyuxk__GlkFjqScYyPEwmSfM6d3csPnOEJVpDjOHjsLcUxf7Otnv_ndePfG2rgJ9fx7_405fYGkR6yPLJEz2VGe0BqBYny5RZFe1UHGfb7Y2BLnTkygQ/s640/IMG_5259.jpg" width="508" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The Geoduck pictured above is about average in size. The shell is 7 inches and it weighs 4 lbs. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Geoducks have been found to weigh in at 16 lbs!</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />The Native American name for Geoduck is <i>gweduc</i> which means "dig deep." <br /><br />Geoducks are the world's largest burrowing clams. They can live 150 years or more! The age is determined by counting the rings on the shell.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Below is a sketch of a Geoduck's parts:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2cNmjJXOhjueSDBSRPrsLjeAh8SFbpA05gBG-G_P1ln9i5wk8oPkvVAIxtvo89fOx2YgakL2Fp2ZOUoQcT0-hqhEPFByqvgyBzppIvYzbxCs9PpUiaOLsNXY6ZvD0-c-ZJTdJbsoAZ0/s1600/geoduck.gif" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="482" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2cNmjJXOhjueSDBSRPrsLjeAh8SFbpA05gBG-G_P1ln9i5wk8oPkvVAIxtvo89fOx2YgakL2Fp2ZOUoQcT0-hqhEPFByqvgyBzppIvYzbxCs9PpUiaOLsNXY6ZvD0-c-ZJTdJbsoAZ0/s640/geoduck.gif" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;"> Photo from Fisheries and Oceans Canada</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The bulk of a Geoduck is edible. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Preparation of this clam for eating is unusually quick and simple. </span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cut away the shell with a sharp knife.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cut the neck (siphon) off where it meets the body.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If the outer skin of the neck does not pull off easily, dip the entire neck into boiling water for five or so seconds. Then, dip it</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> in cold water to quickly cool and p</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">ull the outer skin off of the neck. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">With a sharp knife, cut off the dark tip of the neck.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Slice open the neck.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Pull away the entire sack of guts (visceral ball, gills and labial palps) from the clam body. Discard all but the section often called the "breast" as seen to the left of the neck in the photo below.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here are the rinsed parts you will be eating:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirM-QLm5uzwL3wjQA32Fai14YyO4clgGtNJyVvfkiAY31ffl7qVClz9MH4TYiSoweVjU-BsqNlZRHAqbaHcJWsb7WlfyMtY_5VZ6kw4gSQlvV8CToYrPdURRbvAP_eTW51aNCHNCrJfns/s1600/IMG_5282.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirM-QLm5uzwL3wjQA32Fai14YyO4clgGtNJyVvfkiAY31ffl7qVClz9MH4TYiSoweVjU-BsqNlZRHAqbaHcJWsb7WlfyMtY_5VZ6kw4gSQlvV8CToYrPdURRbvAP_eTW51aNCHNCrJfns/s640/IMG_5282.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The last time I cleaned a Geoduck, I removed the outer skin from the neck and stretched it out. It was nearly 40 inches long! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I hung it to dry inside a sunny window in the house. I was curious to see the outcome. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The next day the dried outer skin was brittle. When handled, it crumbled. The texture reminded me of dried blades of bull kelp. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It certainly was beautiful before it crumbled. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSSr2xm-jgZU44AT1HNT7tw6mxPBlrkssJrBNnNltmqvsa2AOSmsgyoI_cezFdVtSIxuiGwZ6emI8w_vFyH7CkZl8theP4g0LZ53k2-i87lV_vDBwWD0bW6wavvS5qqRiDZggyCOwZPU/s1600/IMG_5278.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTSSr2xm-jgZU44AT1HNT7tw6mxPBlrkssJrBNnNltmqvsa2AOSmsgyoI_cezFdVtSIxuiGwZ6emI8w_vFyH7CkZl8theP4g0LZ53k2-i87lV_vDBwWD0bW6wavvS5qqRiDZggyCOwZPU/s640/IMG_5278.JPG" width="480" /></a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />If you have never eaten a huge, strange looking Geoduck clam, try one! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">You are in for a <i>rare</i> treat.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I italicized and am emphasizing the word, <i>rare</i>, for a reason other than the divine flavor. Nowadays, Geoduck clams are very difficult for a subsistence gatherer to locate on beaches at low tide. Local commercial divers report witnessing sea otters successfully harvesting Geoducks. With our large population of sea otters, consider yourself very lucky to find any Geoducks at all in the intertidal zone.</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In the big picture, Geoduck clams have been located on shores in various parts of the world as shallow as low tide beaches to depths of 330 feet.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Decades ago, before the reintroduction of sea otters, I searched during the lowest of minus tides on beaches south of Sitka Sound's Eastern Channel here on the west coast of Baranof Island.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> I found a few Geoducks. This is the top of a Geoduck siphon visible above the sand:</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYSTZ5GQbV6KVXWrsSf0boMQ0mocMfi64fgmQ66lNnEG4auMxXfIzMRznpNQiHrYixN1vukZ61wEysBwVcHQcuBtuH1vi6JMfh5M9FyS7vGP0Nr8Un2RupLp5JggB5vKYkWAsU0KE4nA/s1600/IMG_2726.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihYSTZ5GQbV6KVXWrsSf0boMQ0mocMfi64fgmQ66lNnEG4auMxXfIzMRznpNQiHrYixN1vukZ61wEysBwVcHQcuBtuH1vi6JMfh5M9FyS7vGP0Nr8Un2RupLp5JggB5vKYkWAsU0KE4nA/s640/IMG_2726.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"> photo by Jeff Adams</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When the tide is low, as much as a foot of the Geoduck neck might reach up out of the sand: </span></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdpDtPBa8og8qBgFUZozm-SznlU014R2iORVWk8gO-udTAKkQNTs1dIAEDoykxpEHvPnRlg5WAKYWHyMFWLIhFq014wDE7SAmP_rgUTj7DpN4K6s7jM_olKMTzJuqnQEWXaAc3nch15AA/s640/IMG_2723.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: small;"> photo by Jeff Adams</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Locating a Geoduck is only part of the challenge.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Digging the Geoduck out from it's deep home is difficult. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It can take a surprisingly long time.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The sand tends to cave in, refilling your hole.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sea water seeps in and fills the hole.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Creative thinking helps. Maybe use some sort of wide, deep cylindrical container open at both ends. I saw a wide variety of methods for harvesting Geoducks on Youtube. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Keep in mind the clam lives as deep as five feet down. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Yes. Most are probably deeper than the length of your arm! </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">While you work, the tide comes creeping in. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Good luck!</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><div style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">So, if you are lucky enough to get your hands on a Geoduck, there are wonderful recipes available to enhance the delightful flavor of this clam. One Geoduck will provide several meals, depending on its' size.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: left;">
Lots of people, including me, like to slice the neck into very thin pieces for <b>Sushi</b>. Sushi is a Japanese dish consisting of thin slices of raw seafood wrapped in seaweed with cooked rice and various vegetables.</div>
</span><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Sashimi</b> is delicious, too. Simply slice some of the raw Geoduck neck super thin. Eat the thin slices plain or with a dash of your favorite dipping sauce or wasabi. <span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">The thin slices have a slight crunch and a wonderful ocean </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">flavor.</span></div>
</span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /><b>Ceviche</b> is a delightful Latin American dish. Once again, this dish uses thinly sliced, raw Geoduck neck.<br />Soak about one pound of the thin slices in the juice of a lemon or lime for 1/2 hour. While the slices are soaking, prepare a salad. <br /><br />Chop and combine some of your favorite veggies, fruits and seasonings.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Ceviche recipes I have enjoyed included: </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">chili peppers</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">red onion </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">cucumber </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">red or yellow bell pepper </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">minced fresh garlic </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">kale </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
mango or papaya </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
soy sauce </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
a bit of brown sugar </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
toasted sesame seeds</div>
</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Mix the soaked Geoduck slices with the salad you have chopped. <br />Eat this dish while it is fresh. Ceviche!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
<br /><br />As for the tender breast of the Geoduck, our favorite preparation is fried:<br /><br /> Slice the Geoduck breast into bite size pieces. <br /> Roll the pieces in flour:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdsHOoTEhJfxTq8X2s3REf3sxPqUSBBk0AMVzenfj6s7JYU-IJoltLa3gnDsQDRLb-R3p4wUR84xWE8uxsHRFAfVn7T7e-2D702S9s8bKUeKBlmN5kyFFdGxUjGgTQW1I98R_G2KBvA8/s1600/IMG_5286.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwdsHOoTEhJfxTq8X2s3REf3sxPqUSBBk0AMVzenfj6s7JYU-IJoltLa3gnDsQDRLb-R3p4wUR84xWE8uxsHRFAfVn7T7e-2D702S9s8bKUeKBlmN5kyFFdGxUjGgTQW1I98R_G2KBvA8/s640/IMG_5286.JPG" width="480" /></a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Beat an egg or two in a bowl and dredge the floured pieces of Geoduck in the beaten egg:</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQ3QGNzAafAwFLUCktUdfsVfJEFZmkYjr-VkermnovhMwZ-8fZEmCH13mbNKYEiBjZVfLTqnAxeASxKTsgelER37lPd7aOcH-Ye3P4gBLY72sGkBSNLWi9iLSXLJ4bqKYAnvPSrKQjY8/s1600/IMG_5285.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbQ3QGNzAafAwFLUCktUdfsVfJEFZmkYjr-VkermnovhMwZ-8fZEmCH13mbNKYEiBjZVfLTqnAxeASxKTsgelER37lPd7aOcH-Ye3P4gBLY72sGkBSNLWi9iLSXLJ4bqKYAnvPSrKQjY8/s640/IMG_5285.jpg" width="508" /></a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Place a cup or two of bread crumbs in a bowl:</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTX8bMkOcOG1qiKF9tcCbMeATeXySVbiW1jOjHvOztvKuXRTDUYduXd2OTR80moINVQrou4O9a3YIjf0x1JtBXuT72C126UYXQjgsLVObGKCK9ULYZRZ5XxVTlIg0Qmj8_cEwo9pwP6ts/s1600/IMG_5290.JPG"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTX8bMkOcOG1qiKF9tcCbMeATeXySVbiW1jOjHvOztvKuXRTDUYduXd2OTR80moINVQrou4O9a3YIjf0x1JtBXuT72C126UYXQjgsLVObGKCK9ULYZRZ5XxVTlIg0Qmj8_cEwo9pwP6ts/s640/IMG_5290.JPG" width="480" /></a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Roll each piece of egg covered Geoduck in the bread crumbs:</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9W6iBMONedTybGCLhfaeSqVFaqbNmJwSE4TyYRCgXD22Pu66YZuqaeIuXUEbxzaVfb6ibrspppNMe_swLgGmULY7Q3iPw0sTQnZTh2WZ8e2z18rrHwvuv0VOJJFZbeRvzxaUiNxT1eQ/s1600/IMG_5294.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgM9W6iBMONedTybGCLhfaeSqVFaqbNmJwSE4TyYRCgXD22Pu66YZuqaeIuXUEbxzaVfb6ibrspppNMe_swLgGmULY7Q3iPw0sTQnZTh2WZ8e2z18rrHwvuv0VOJJFZbeRvzxaUiNxT1eQ/s640/IMG_5294.jpg" width="628" /></a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Heat two or three inches of some type of vegetable oil in a pot or deep fryer. You want the oil to be good and hot... medium/high on a cook top or 375 degrees in a deep fryer.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Gently drop no more than 5 or 6 pieces at a time into the hot oil on a cooktop. Double the amount if you are using an efficient deep fryer. Three or four minutes is all you should need to turn the outside a crispy, golden brown, while the inside stays tender.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The results should be the best fried clams you have ever eaten! </span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqvoR4gmUrRjKu2DMG_rnv1yOuAAmR2Fojmx4KG_Lt5hDQjHcoM4SXAKm1ziaqys-zInDPXsPrhpyHoImFGMT4aJ2A5Hh4R72NcHULhRF3Tukp2vv3EwI_ymSXYRIbScarOC6Sy9rDaM/s1600/IMG_5297.jpg"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEqvoR4gmUrRjKu2DMG_rnv1yOuAAmR2Fojmx4KG_Lt5hDQjHcoM4SXAKm1ziaqys-zInDPXsPrhpyHoImFGMT4aJ2A5Hh4R72NcHULhRF3Tukp2vv3EwI_ymSXYRIbScarOC6Sy9rDaM/s640/IMG_5297.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>PACIFIC RAZOR CLAM</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>Siliqua patula</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Lm6sHq7ZE_oJq0c5R-712_CzzXA_UWz7nJNzwfMSAWoHGbhk00C3Icm52DdVe3UmIsueVRsZibTtnAb2WZXj-3MJtpawnOSMkbCQ3SKkOdxSAXkgBBCBb0iQ0x85OqUnzSP1p2WgRyw/s1600/rc_adfg.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="411" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Lm6sHq7ZE_oJq0c5R-712_CzzXA_UWz7nJNzwfMSAWoHGbhk00C3Icm52DdVe3UmIsueVRsZibTtnAb2WZXj-3MJtpawnOSMkbCQ3SKkOdxSAXkgBBCBb0iQ0x85OqUnzSP1p2WgRyw/s640/rc_adfg.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: small;">photo from the Alaska Dept of Fish and Game</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Razor clams were the favorite clam of just about everyone I met when I </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">first </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">moved to Sitka. It was so much fun to go by boat out to the beaches, one in particular, on the southeast end of nearby Kruzof Island. Good weather and minus tides were the formula for successfully filling a bucket with Razors. We all got pretty silly chasing deep into the sand after the elusive Razor clam. There were always plenty of fellow Sitkans scattered along the beach joining in the fun. Before we knew it,</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> t</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">he tide would come up! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It could be quite challenging getting a skiff out off the beach through the growing surf. But, the Razor clams were so worth the effort. Sauteed or fried. So tender and delicious!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Well, unfortunately, it has been many, many years since those beaches I mentioned have been open for Razor clam digging.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Currently, no Razor clams may be retained anywhere in Sitka Sound. There is a daily bag limit of 50 Razor clams from the beaches on western Kruzof Island between Cape Edgecumbe and Cape Georgina. I have never personally searched for them out that way. I wonder if most of the beaches are far too steep and far too rough with big surf to host Razor clams. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">But, hey! There are bound to be at least a few good spots! It is worth a look during a minus tide if you are out that way!</span></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ARCTIC SURFCLAM</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>also known as</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>ALASKA SURF CLAM</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>(Mactromeris polynyma)</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>no </b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>restrictions, no daily bag limits</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAupHDD3jN4b_5VL9rqtO9ZzAj5mDHtrX2D27hWFGCe1-xVx5Oo01Sb15koncNVbcuBLJ2I72_gUiDpU0OfsX-hCJMnJyHr8YgNRSVTaZMsWlDokSD_ZmZknitzVb7RxKi4HPvlFZcIo/s1600/IMG_0669.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAupHDD3jN4b_5VL9rqtO9ZzAj5mDHtrX2D27hWFGCe1-xVx5Oo01Sb15koncNVbcuBLJ2I72_gUiDpU0OfsX-hCJMnJyHr8YgNRSVTaZMsWlDokSD_ZmZknitzVb7RxKi4HPvlFZcIo/s640/IMG_0669.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">These uniquely colored clams are a pretty rare sight on beaches anywhere around Sitka Sound. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">How very fortunate for me that I have an unusually thoughtful neighbor. Appreciating how much I love clams, he encouraged me to look for the Arctic Surfclam when boating considerably north of Sitka. He called them "pink neck" clams. No wonder!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sure enough, thanks to my good neighbor, I found a few beds of these clams during the very lowest of minus tides far to the north of Sitka. The ocean was super calm that day. What I discovered was that the Arctic Surfclams were few and far between on the sandy beaches. However, they were far more plentiful well below the minus tides. I tried snorkeling where the clams were more plentiful in 3 to 5 feet of ocean water. It was challenging. When I started digging, the fine sand immediately stirred up into a thick cloud. Oh, great. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This made it impossible to see anything at all.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Years ago, another acquaintance described how he and his family harvested lots of Arctic Surfclams from the beaches in Juneau. When my husband and I were last in Juneau, our visit coincided with a minus tide. Yes, I planned our visit around a minus tide! Sure enough, we discovered Arctic Surfclams on quite a few of Juneau's beaches. For several practical reasons, we did not harvest any. Sometimes the discovery of certain edibles can be far more satisfying than the possession. </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So, what little we have learned about Arctic Surfclams, is that they are quite similar to Razor clams as far as locating them on sandy beaches and flavor. Delicious. These clams are quite popular and a delicacy in Asian countries. The focus for Asian cooks is the digger foot. The digger foot is used most often in sushi and sashimi.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When the clam is opened by means of a sharp knife, you can see the pink digger foot, lower right, on the clam in the photo below.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqs56_6s6JjE04Ay-W0R9EgyPCISU3lDhS09sloMZ99rdzbJnTkt-Oip1oCypqPJS46SvJDzlFj0A_bH6JI8npmDletRL4ZVIZ_IdstKRepGPL-_zmbdigwy4TkKguaJNwXezmAlRFVk/s1600/IMG_0670.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggqs56_6s6JjE04Ay-W0R9EgyPCISU3lDhS09sloMZ99rdzbJnTkt-Oip1oCypqPJS46SvJDzlFj0A_bH6JI8npmDletRL4ZVIZ_IdstKRepGPL-_zmbdigwy4TkKguaJNwXezmAlRFVk/s640/IMG_0670.jpg" width="594" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In our kitchen, the Arctic Surfclam is utilized much the same as Razor clams: </span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cut away the gut section and discard. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Utilize the remainder of the clam.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Slice open the neck and the digger foot.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Dip the clams in milk, shaking off excess. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Coat with flour.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Either saute in olive oil ever so briefly, or deep fry.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Squeeze on a little lemon juice.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Season with a little salt and pepper.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Enjoy!</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbM7wqieTxjyvON56MEuQiedZsGGWT6u_YGOf4VbYFSioCocjfUJgZhpAFmvO7TpJX-WrFH7UecToirB3KNKvW9I5GCTyRd1_5jo9XQHyLKUSjzzqE4GPnBSi_2lGWXlssFFy7JRYDQcs/s1600/IMG_3137.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbM7wqieTxjyvON56MEuQiedZsGGWT6u_YGOf4VbYFSioCocjfUJgZhpAFmvO7TpJX-WrFH7UecToirB3KNKvW9I5GCTyRd1_5jo9XQHyLKUSjzzqE4GPnBSi_2lGWXlssFFy7JRYDQcs/s640/IMG_3137.jpg" width="524" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">You probably already know this. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Whenever you are out beachcombing, you can often determine which species of clams live in that neighborhood. Look for empty shells washed up on the beach and around the seaweed and other debris at the high tide line. If you cannot identify the shells you find, here are a couple of great reference books to help you out:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0cXEwsBsu5d4a2Oy_Oj08bL3KIEx_nSXnerIheq8BMDrKG8ajaNNThppybE3uxsIG6QQbTjnll3i_s2vPzvG8KYYhn5nYFmRNeBL1qN6Bj35D1KQkQ87FESgXau02t2ugFisyfA9d6U/s1600/IMG_5770.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq0cXEwsBsu5d4a2Oy_Oj08bL3KIEx_nSXnerIheq8BMDrKG8ajaNNThppybE3uxsIG6QQbTjnll3i_s2vPzvG8KYYhn5nYFmRNeBL1qN6Bj35D1KQkQ87FESgXau02t2ugFisyfA9d6U/s640/IMG_5770.jpg" width="576" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>HAPPY CLAMMING!!!</b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-32006573899780844792016-08-11T13:51:00.000-07:002020-03-16T12:56:35.967-07:00MUSHROOMS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKTuVOTQ_vVT5sY0fj0_KYDX6q_VAEjxJwL5bliy1j7oMrq4WHmUlCJdIdTjRuYLhd2lckZo5_HxwrJlx_Cf-MEe8FcRyOb3jvz1uQVmr1_FTFBwfVw4U9TfdRE93gfN3LvVPS8YtOU0/s1600/IMG_0149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoKTuVOTQ_vVT5sY0fj0_KYDX6q_VAEjxJwL5bliy1j7oMrq4WHmUlCJdIdTjRuYLhd2lckZo5_HxwrJlx_Cf-MEe8FcRyOb3jvz1uQVmr1_FTFBwfVw4U9TfdRE93gfN3LvVPS8YtOU0/s640/IMG_0149.jpg" width="570" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br />Although not always in great abundance, wild mushrooms grow in Sitka's temperate rainforest.<br /><br />Some years are better than others. Warm temperatures and the amount of precipitation have a lot to do with it.<br /><br />Some Sitkans spend a ridiculous amount of time hunting for mushrooms in the surrounding woods. I know this to be true from personal experience.<br /><br />Some mushroom hunters are simply more skilled at locating mushrooms than others. Some are just plain lucky...<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1nB2rL3qtp2dVVB2I0SgUXd7anx3oDuWhX_w7ugUl7nTxEI4TtqYOzNLS141ReqHjmsYWAFt9xpTEYOb0Se4u4roQsFccSXE-1rjT8YMNbdb19AwFSBvhDeV8ieLxFEpXW3LJ496LLM/s1600/IMG_4969.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI1nB2rL3qtp2dVVB2I0SgUXd7anx3oDuWhX_w7ugUl7nTxEI4TtqYOzNLS141ReqHjmsYWAFt9xpTEYOb0Se4u4roQsFccSXE-1rjT8YMNbdb19AwFSBvhDeV8ieLxFEpXW3LJ496LLM/s640/IMG_4969.jpg" /></a> <br /><br /><br />Of course, it really helps to know what to look for and where to look. Most importantly, we need to know which mushrooms are safe and palatable.<br /><br />In order to know these things, I highly recommend learning from a pro. Maybe do what I did. Sign up and attend the class at UAS Sitka named SOUTHEAST MUSHROOM IDENTIFICATION. It has been taught regularly throughout the years by brilliant, vivacious Kitty LaBounty. After time well spent in the classroom and out in the forest, participants become well equipped with knowledge, enthusiasm and confidence. It was years ago that I was one of Kitty's students. My field partner was the late Mark Moats (coincidentally the brother of a favorite student of mine, Elida Davis Horn). I will never forget Mark. His energy and sense of humor kept our hunts dynamic and hilarious!<br /><br /><br />No time for a class? Maybe you could tag along with an experienced mushroom hunter. Also, there are excellent mushroom guidebooks loaded with information and illustrations. One of the books below, MUSHROOMS DEMYSTIFIED, has 959 pages!</span><br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKlRXGM3QHIw1GeSR3ZgnWFiLxpCXZKSjmgKWwzF7B2JruMy-AK8Z5fZSRhfmsMI5ujGubADMOLOP5JmFcNc1h9vbme79wdZPJKAr-2XWdPLcyeUdxu3f-JXAHgxc2tMJMpvRabpSdCQ/s1600/IMG_4984.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrKlRXGM3QHIw1GeSR3ZgnWFiLxpCXZKSjmgKWwzF7B2JruMy-AK8Z5fZSRhfmsMI5ujGubADMOLOP5JmFcNc1h9vbme79wdZPJKAr-2XWdPLcyeUdxu3f-JXAHgxc2tMJMpvRabpSdCQ/s640/IMG_4984.jpg" width="482" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although there are a number of delicious, wild mushrooms to be found in this part of the world, I target very few when I am on the hunt. In this blog post I will be discussing only three of the mushrooms I collect for food. All three are easy for me to identify and I like how they taste.</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>GOOD </i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>HEDGEHOG</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Hydnum repandum/Dentinum repandum</b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwtxAAh5VqupjNKCCY0sOg8JBvuYfYfqQdTy5fFQyyCLgutrLpjWOeegVvMn6aF4syvCsQsFxlraO5IQcUirs5Ago18jTj8ExK78bbpBt5xDUuQcSjZ8x0OnNIJQ7ThUn6ltV6Y1nHTQ/s1600/DSC07187.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVwtxAAh5VqupjNKCCY0sOg8JBvuYfYfqQdTy5fFQyyCLgutrLpjWOeegVvMn6aF4syvCsQsFxlraO5IQcUirs5Ago18jTj8ExK78bbpBt5xDUuQcSjZ8x0OnNIJQ7ThUn6ltV6Y1nHTQ/s640/DSC07187.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
If I were to compare HEDGEHOGS to people, I would describe them as gregarious. When I find HEDGEHOGS, there are usually lots of them in the area. They are scattered around in small groups... kind of like when thirty or more people are enjoying a cookout.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Tx7zhTRhbb2g5LDbF6xZXzIJ1BF4arz23_AVulw1MKq1oJjiv-CINh0_Itul1Fw_iBZr96DEEiruk7CSGAP1xL4ZafLIdEsVjZbTBUtATSWq1XMZ4Xs2BmhvQ5LdvensoLNiDK7an9A/s1600/IMG_5077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="556" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5Tx7zhTRhbb2g5LDbF6xZXzIJ1BF4arz23_AVulw1MKq1oJjiv-CINh0_Itul1Fw_iBZr96DEEiruk7CSGAP1xL4ZafLIdEsVjZbTBUtATSWq1XMZ4Xs2BmhvQ5LdvensoLNiDK7an9A/s640/IMG_5077.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br />The fact that it is usually shady in the woods makes it all the easier to spot HEDGEHOGS. They glow a little bit in shades of whitish beige to light orange. HEDGEHOGS are medium sized... meaning the cap is from one to three inches in diameter on average. Some are smaller. Some are larger.<br /><br />Stems are often a little bit lighter in color than the caps.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1_b-QrsMvurs2nJDTY7hUlKtAPlJMlYpKlhnbEyeNWGOGRQnDqKacD-o7L2xW7SUFRxqt5yTl6f4RvjyMF04FjJcDjXogVEeao2iGyg7YXpq0Nru0HH6vpM1WvzZVZQ8G2NLeKojFJU/s1600/IMG_0884.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk1_b-QrsMvurs2nJDTY7hUlKtAPlJMlYpKlhnbEyeNWGOGRQnDqKacD-o7L2xW7SUFRxqt5yTl6f4RvjyMF04FjJcDjXogVEeao2iGyg7YXpq0Nru0HH6vpM1WvzZVZQ8G2NLeKojFJU/s640/IMG_0884.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br />The underside of the cap is covered with little spikes, sometimes referred to as teeth or spines. These little spikes break off easily when brushed against something.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoq57A60qmwQ4Gh3OzvN4X4RjKCCLiyncU_p1kwlbQiTdqxTQa8T4XPYrkPZ2rN71ua3fg76sdSnjo69C3xuOWfT2YTGF-Wtrjc3I1p2maY8QnkXjpEj0yNdUjbFLYKbLCW4aMMhTjrM/s1600/IMG_0889.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="624" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoq57A60qmwQ4Gh3OzvN4X4RjKCCLiyncU_p1kwlbQiTdqxTQa8T4XPYrkPZ2rN71ua3fg76sdSnjo69C3xuOWfT2YTGF-Wtrjc3I1p2maY8QnkXjpEj0yNdUjbFLYKbLCW4aMMhTjrM/s640/IMG_0889.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br />The surface of the cap is smooth for the most part, but can look a little scaly and cracked as they age. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbGcXzlpxg4r8D_PIOvWXTPgwblNca5Vn86n7sZSMUfCLqNgL-AoziiSiur11pgN0YeBo98ZdbBrmXdMXgOVAyHCnSpPIOmpnNcC9hyphenhyphen85zWdZ4l62mF8xD6R-na1Fi1pNQBJk4cPKdRE/s1600/IMG_0873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAbGcXzlpxg4r8D_PIOvWXTPgwblNca5Vn86n7sZSMUfCLqNgL-AoziiSiur11pgN0YeBo98ZdbBrmXdMXgOVAyHCnSpPIOmpnNcC9hyphenhyphen85zWdZ4l62mF8xD6R-na1Fi1pNQBJk4cPKdRE/s640/IMG_0873.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">HEDGEHOGS grow on the damp floor of forests and are frequently found under conifers including spruce. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />HEDGEHOGS are not uniform in size and shape.<br /><br />When a HEDGEHOG is broken into pieces, it is somewhat like breaking chalk. The fleshy interior is light colored and is not at all woody. The stalks are also like chalk. They are firm and vary in width.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /> HEDGEHOGS are popular not only because they are comparatively plentiful, but also because they are tasty. A little bit spicy.</span><br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<ul><br /></ul>
<ul><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is how I often prepare HEDGEHOGS:</span></ul>
<ul><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">First you need to clean off any dirt, bugs and needles.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Trim off any bad spots and bruises. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some people scrape off the spikes on the underside of the caps. I don't. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Break up or slice the mushrooms into good sized pieces. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Now <u><i>dry saute</i></u>. This is simply a method of eliminating the water from mushrooms with a high water content.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Place the mushrooms into a fry pan. No butter or oil. Just sprinkle a little salt on them. Cook the mushrooms in the pan on medium high heat for awhile, stirring constantly. Liquid will come out of the mushrooms. Continue to stir while the mushrooms continue to cook in this liquid... until all of the liquid is gone.</span> </span></li>
<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once you have cooked out the water, lower the heat to medium and, if you like, add your favorite herbs and spices. Saute or stir fry the mushrooms in a little olive oil, butter or bacon fat. They should be browned and lovely in 5 to 10 minutes.</span>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">
<br />Cook and eat HEDGEHOGS as a snack or include them in a meal.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><b>BETTER</b></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>GOLDEN CHANTERELLE </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Cantharellus formosus/Cantharellus cibarius</span></b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv_WsZzRoY1eF4vji7t5aE6GhDvyT6xtENSK2HU5VzMWMrFoFenL2W-OVguzEtiHSfSZdGFf-ZGBC1I-DsOtJqVHu5laTdstd8GaMIN-o6qD_r_noyV1oRFTp0797wqnFyyViUXpa1cg/s1600/IMG_0874.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBv_WsZzRoY1eF4vji7t5aE6GhDvyT6xtENSK2HU5VzMWMrFoFenL2W-OVguzEtiHSfSZdGFf-ZGBC1I-DsOtJqVHu5laTdstd8GaMIN-o6qD_r_noyV1oRFTp0797wqnFyyViUXpa1cg/s640/IMG_0874.jpg" width="624" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></span></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gold on the forest floor! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">GOLDEN CHANTERELLES are a favorite of many mushroom hunters. Not only are they beautiful, but they are delicious!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The cap of the GOLDEN CHANTERELLE, as seen in the above photo, is a bright yellow/orange in color. These mushrooms grow up out of the ground. As they mature, the top of the caps often become somewhat concave and are often described as vase shaped. Size varies from small to large.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The underside of the cap has unique gills that look like ridges. The color is the same as the cap or slightly lighter. These ridges are shallow, vein-like and run part way down the solid stem. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GZAosRCeHXgoLM3KEqlVYORm9060sY7_SIazSxaclpG2SnhM1uOBsy6ymYEw_WQpW_KZgCh8OfU-1mkvMJk9mKks_30ATNIvsv3ax42x2fYAFFqxsfLVBmvalorrMLd2ZaVkqonEPlI/s1600/IMG_0878.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="504" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4GZAosRCeHXgoLM3KEqlVYORm9060sY7_SIazSxaclpG2SnhM1uOBsy6ymYEw_WQpW_KZgCh8OfU-1mkvMJk9mKks_30ATNIvsv3ax42x2fYAFFqxsfLVBmvalorrMLd2ZaVkqonEPlI/s640/IMG_0878.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Slice open a GOLDEN CHANTERELLE and see a lighter shade of flesh.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KFtNMOjXZm6O4ruFoJ1aEuXj5tP1qx9L6GUlpMfYo9PAhOgfmZ9bMuZiLXUIPEnfruPcxEosXAW6HzJ715Zyakv-GJUdjtqyfnLiYjyz7TGlZ41lttA7UH2oKPikBrYAt2uAzgDQvGw/s1600/IMG_5001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7KFtNMOjXZm6O4ruFoJ1aEuXj5tP1qx9L6GUlpMfYo9PAhOgfmZ9bMuZiLXUIPEnfruPcxEosXAW6HzJ715Zyakv-GJUdjtqyfnLiYjyz7TGlZ41lttA7UH2oKPikBrYAt2uAzgDQvGw/s640/IMG_5001.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When you find GOLDEN CHANTERELLES, they might be dirty. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In fact, they often are. </span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKS6USOx8jwBULVGlWDw1qbfx7nyQ_daCTpD3x0YSglqBaJnWriS6l4oLQeYFBZdQOyQY9Vj-j8ViuC_-A2lFNLMAgGNMGM-j5wskkmAEH9QrBrqQfbqVKb6QmjTa_P6EuZGmpd5NCMXw/s1600/IMG_4877.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKS6USOx8jwBULVGlWDw1qbfx7nyQ_daCTpD3x0YSglqBaJnWriS6l4oLQeYFBZdQOyQY9Vj-j8ViuC_-A2lFNLMAgGNMGM-j5wskkmAEH9QrBrqQfbqVKb6QmjTa_P6EuZGmpd5NCMXw/s640/IMG_4877.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Wipe off the dirt and needles, if possible. If the mushrooms need to be washed off, they will end up quite wet. That's okay. You will be doing a dry saute same as described above when cooking HEDGEHOGS. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once the dry saute is complete, add a little butter or oil and brown the chanterelles at medium heat. Use the mushrooms in any dish you like. They are so flavorful!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of my favorite recipes for GOLDEN CHANTERELLES is a simple version of </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;">CREAM OF CHANTERELLE SOUP:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u><br /></u></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>INGREDIENTS</u></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">about 1 lb of CHANTERELLES cleaned, sliced and dry sautéed & browned</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2 medium sized onions chopped</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">4 tablespoons of butter</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">4 tablespoons of flour</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 quart of chicken or vegetable broth</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 cup of whole milk or 1/2 and 1/2</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 teaspoon of salt</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/2 teaspoon of pepper</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">optional: chopped chives as topping </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><u>DIRECTIONS</u></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Melt the butter in a saucepan and cooked the chopped onions in the butter at medium heat until they are browned.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sprinkle the flour over the browned onions and stir well.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Continue with medium heat and gradually stir in the quart of broth. It should thicken nicely.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stir in the mushrooms, salt, pepper and milk. Heat on low until it is all plenty hot. But, don't let it boil because the milk will curdle.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Ladle into bowls. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sprinkle a few chopped chives on top.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy! </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>BEST</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">KING BOLETE</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Boletus edulis</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The sun was shining and the seas were totally calm both of the days my friend and I were crabbing up in Hoonah Sound. Unexpectedly, with very little warning, gale force east winds and heavy rains were predicted to come screaming down Peril Strait the afternoon of our third day. False Island was nearby. We hastily ran our boat in and tied up at the dock. The original plan for day three was to cook and clean a bunch of crab we caught, spend the night and head on home. As it turned out, we would be weathered in at False Island for several more days. What better place to get weathered in when we were in the midst of an early mushroom hunting season?!?!?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The next day, clothed in heavy rain gear, we hiked along the beautiful beaches picking beach asparagus and beachcombing. It was pouring rain. Gradually, we left the windy shoreline and headed into the beckoning woods. We were anxious to explore some old growth forest. The towering trees above the streams and ocean just might be sheltering fresh mushrooms all aglow on the damp forest floor. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> It was not long before my friend and I wandered away from each other while searching for mushrooms. We made noise and called to each other periodically remaining in earshot. All of a sudden, I heard a piercing scream from my friend. I immediately thought that she had run into a bear! I dropped everything. Grabbing my gun in one hand and my can of bear spray in the other, I ran in the direction of my friend's scream. She was not far away. To my astonishment, there she stood with a huge smile on her face and a big mushroom in her hands! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A magnificent KING BOLETE!!!</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEd6PkaaR6XY_A5siZx2GxqyCbZgjBp_uqyADLNdCptTwQLj4B6TMdN2k1JQSD4TsSorHOu5Osdj91qjR-NB0oD5baMiD6R8s4CFX_50Zi00XypdC4ImfWnkYLv0QfWPtv_IX7bBDRUY/s1600/IMG_0078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="414" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMEd6PkaaR6XY_A5siZx2GxqyCbZgjBp_uqyADLNdCptTwQLj4B6TMdN2k1JQSD4TsSorHOu5Osdj91qjR-NB0oD5baMiD6R8s4CFX_50Zi00XypdC4ImfWnkYLv0QfWPtv_IX7bBDRUY/s640/IMG_0078.jpg" width="640" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br />We found several more KING BOLETES nearby. <br /><br /> We hiked on back to the boat and fired up the stove for dinner.<br /><br /><br /><br />This is a look at a KING BOLETE sliced open:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkb_wkXaLZVLTrpFD_wtOmAo3SPM9MCuBAKcgYlf6cEgC1bIWceCyss34qcPPSiVCMF7kxrSaxBCtpd-DiM4cQKZr-w_bupDUFMsIHpV66Xiff57RxlxLA6Ea6lMmZ4BUlfYS11IijXz8/s1600/IMG_0082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkb_wkXaLZVLTrpFD_wtOmAo3SPM9MCuBAKcgYlf6cEgC1bIWceCyss34qcPPSiVCMF7kxrSaxBCtpd-DiM4cQKZr-w_bupDUFMsIHpV66Xiff57RxlxLA6Ea6lMmZ4BUlfYS11IijXz8/s640/IMG_0082.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br />The KING BOLETES were quickly cleaned.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iiU-HPmBuEqu3y_9bDqlASLpRf8PRxCoM0Zsbb6kwUIY7jmFbhWZmEp9yyVETfAbnNjDb4iwoL5Yq4aINvunjc-GAupaoZwZBAjyHYWuHCru437JSNdLdfBH5QPNS9zMKAlfI3rwRYc/s1600/IMG_0075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8iiU-HPmBuEqu3y_9bDqlASLpRf8PRxCoM0Zsbb6kwUIY7jmFbhWZmEp9yyVETfAbnNjDb4iwoL5Yq4aINvunjc-GAupaoZwZBAjyHYWuHCru437JSNdLdfBH5QPNS9zMKAlfI3rwRYc/s640/IMG_0075.jpg" width="524" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All were sliced and dry sautéed</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOckEiB66nKk-fZkckv9CDBWQ6c0s9Uv-AvBoTb_VV7ur72KKKvcdr97_ocfPy2-UoPns4OTeMZCrNWIX8tCOaidF1L6muFALWKxVQoyjFh-GWGbudOi_qSN3WfWFieCYUYdo_N32O1c/s1600/IMG_0081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqOckEiB66nKk-fZkckv9CDBWQ6c0s9Uv-AvBoTb_VV7ur72KKKvcdr97_ocfPy2-UoPns4OTeMZCrNWIX8tCOaidF1L6muFALWKxVQoyjFh-GWGbudOi_qSN3WfWFieCYUYdo_N32O1c/s640/IMG_0081.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We browned the KING BOLETES in butter and devoured them with dinner. The flavor was mild and nutty. SOOOO GOOD!<br /><br /><br /><br />I am not sure if KING BOLETES are extraordinarily delicious... or I just think that they are because they are so darn difficult for me to find!!!<br /><br /> Not only are they a rare find, but they are rarely in good shape when found. Here is a very young KING BOLETE growing up from the ground in great shape:</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBmGDig_NE_snVJ9YiXgSSrdMLrqI7ilLP91aThAXXY7Ipkfftn3E1TW_SZOsAV19LME0utl61qE0vRia9gIV4jmpu9NhmFXdzQbBo0CFnqvsFJGtd3qDa3DjGp2_YYHGVPTzGojX9mVw/s1600/IMG_0127+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="440" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBmGDig_NE_snVJ9YiXgSSrdMLrqI7ilLP91aThAXXY7Ipkfftn3E1TW_SZOsAV19LME0utl61qE0vRia9gIV4jmpu9NhmFXdzQbBo0CFnqvsFJGtd3qDa3DjGp2_YYHGVPTzGojX9mVw/s640/IMG_0127+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br />Unfortunately, there are some worm-like bugs that have radar or a super nose for KING BOLETES. I left the mushroom (seen in the photo above) in the ground overnight hoping it would increase in size. It was in the woods not far from home. When I returned the next day, it was riddled with bugs. Best not to walk away from a healthy KING BOLETE!!! Harvest it there and then!<br /><br /><br /> Another heartbreaking feature about KING BOLETES is their rush to old age. Just suppose one of these mushrooms is not attacked by bugs and worms. In a surprisingly short period of time, a lovely, firm KING BOLETE like the one seen above transforms into this:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTWFQP12DcnvMVE2nno0i-kUKLCL8D4eC5CbxdM5fJDlJIOWIGhaP2f5CSIdcfYSx1W37_yWznhIKuqZ6KdTDbhGK6P8oXdDKzeiJDplfNTl6OhYLyenNvLMhq1-GejA-U_rtezGNcHc/s1600/IMG_0151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTWFQP12DcnvMVE2nno0i-kUKLCL8D4eC5CbxdM5fJDlJIOWIGhaP2f5CSIdcfYSx1W37_yWznhIKuqZ6KdTDbhGK6P8oXdDKzeiJDplfNTl6OhYLyenNvLMhq1-GejA-U_rtezGNcHc/s640/IMG_0151.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I know. Hard to believe. The size increases like crazy. The underside of the cap becomes a wobbly, marshmallow-like sponge. The gorgeous, thick stalk becomes stringy and tough. It is totally unpalatable when it grows into this fairy tale form. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Strikingly beautiful, though, isn't it?</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>MUSHROOMS AND ART</b></span><br /><span style="font-size: large;">My very first year living in Sitka, 1975, was when I was introduced to art work on bracket fungus. Anne Aitken showed me a drawing she had completed on a chunky, woody mushroom. She said she had recently removed it from a dead, rotting tree in the woods. Fascinating! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">The winter holidays were coming up and I was pretty broke. Maybe I could find some of these "artist conks" and try my hand at drawing on them.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAhMZnC9Sk_DkbOFjxSWXpuBZs-cuEIzghvoS0RikJxafMz5Xn6h_1RnIcoE040UZUZNaDaFfIk0E-6vFrd_G9MrbFXyvRCxJKYvF9nMv-FJphUnI30enx-Idx9uRt2AhabcMZ-C0hqw/s1600/IMG_0744.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="604" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAhMZnC9Sk_DkbOFjxSWXpuBZs-cuEIzghvoS0RikJxafMz5Xn6h_1RnIcoE040UZUZNaDaFfIk0E-6vFrd_G9MrbFXyvRCxJKYvF9nMv-FJphUnI30enx-Idx9uRt2AhabcMZ-C0hqw/s640/IMG_0744.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br />Well, success was not quick and easy. <br /><br />It can take a while to locate this particular bracket fungus, Ganoderma applanatum. But, what better incentive to hike in the gloomy, dark rains of fall and winter than spotting the glowing surface of Ganoderma applanatum. I found at least one on each hike and recorded locations in a notebook for future reference. The same rotting tree would produce these fungi year after year until the tree finally rotted away.<br /><br />The pale surface on the newest growth ring of Ganoderma applanatum immediately turns brown where scratched. Transporting the fungus out of the woods without damaging the moist surface is tricky. Branches and bushes reach out from everywhere. And, it is not unusual for me to slip and fall on the uneven forest floor. The pristine surface of Ganoderma applanatum would then be subjected to abrasions... or worse. <br /><br />Long story short, it took years of experimentation and practice to locate, harvest, transport, draw and dry these amazing mushrooms to my satisfaction.<br /> For over 40 years now I have used needles to scratch lots of local wildlife onto the surfaces of lots of Ganoderma applanata. It has been challenging and satisfying to complete pieces well enough to give as gifts or to sell at local craft fairs. Here is an explanation note often enclosed in gift packages:</span><br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhegLa1pevpzPOcKkexCGA6gSpcCxm2wReyo4YiU_Dd8fkKe5ujOaa-ASYmFses1IKm_12lJ5gtv7pzC0o-M3DXuQALFntaqndC8Q2B60DTq5ypSChgmYixwXX7vKmtjgW_QZmJkj2Fs/s1600/IMG_1933.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNhegLa1pevpzPOcKkexCGA6gSpcCxm2wReyo4YiU_Dd8fkKe5ujOaa-ASYmFses1IKm_12lJ5gtv7pzC0o-M3DXuQALFntaqndC8Q2B60DTq5ypSChgmYixwXX7vKmtjgW_QZmJkj2Fs/s640/IMG_1933.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The size and shape of each bracket fungus is unique. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A friend found several (shown below) when we were out harvesting some fall plants. She gave them to me.</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYYixbobX7yUEEKcbFu8TA_M1ixgMnx7WOKs2eqFphsvnZHUpQUde9dyfLW9IqjTd0Y93v4siBoBw4a8XDnqOZ58WUXUmY-NjZlu7VZOXVJ1fXC6g1S60mHhD97lV7YS_ejnZoOSh9tA/s1600/Scan+5.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYYixbobX7yUEEKcbFu8TA_M1ixgMnx7WOKs2eqFphsvnZHUpQUde9dyfLW9IqjTd0Y93v4siBoBw4a8XDnqOZ58WUXUmY-NjZlu7VZOXVJ1fXC6g1S60mHhD97lV7YS_ejnZoOSh9tA/s640/Scan+5.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Photo by Hope Merritt</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have always found seals to be enchanting. When I examined the surface of the fungus displayed above, I saw that b</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ranches had grown into and altered the surface in two spots. I im</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">agined the spots as eyes. Perhaps an ocean scene including curious seals? </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The surface of Ganoderma applanatum dries rather quickly once it is removed from a rotting tree. So, out came my needles and the surface was scratched the next two evenings. My friend asked that I add the name of her business for use in a display. Here is the outcome:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqcAKi7Ko2H94pNv8wnGItYoApmTBKSSYs7oHwsjBP8CmJEqVAPcSEfU_cF3m2nJOBGsAVkS9o7ltxUmENjUjrjMFoV3uHeEz2D8kPV6iiFfXP2_PBiDetZVQKBRTaDiNcgzm67GDjPY/s1600/Scan+6.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzqcAKi7Ko2H94pNv8wnGItYoApmTBKSSYs7oHwsjBP8CmJEqVAPcSEfU_cF3m2nJOBGsAVkS9o7ltxUmENjUjrjMFoV3uHeEz2D8kPV6iiFfXP2_PBiDetZVQKBRTaDiNcgzm67GDjPY/s640/Scan+6.jpg" width="640" /></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Nowadays, my eyes are dimming and my hand is no longer steady. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I rarely draw on bracket fungi anymore. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If <i>your</i> hand is steady and <i>your</i> eyes are sharp, give it a try! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is a most enjoyable activity during fall and winter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another bracket fungus, Fomitopsis, is quite abundant in our enchanting forest.</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyHTy7kQbAzN-YFm1NTXeLrfri2uvEBdBdK2GCHqGwXb_MSGyueDlXrCXEUszUgVJ_Rz-oUHXgyse_EmJCAcm2Zs0gRzFqeSQ2hih9VDRSULbe6kvtkcscUTwwiCkHCokJdQyjuHDflM/s1600/IMG_7548.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqyHTy7kQbAzN-YFm1NTXeLrfri2uvEBdBdK2GCHqGwXb_MSGyueDlXrCXEUszUgVJ_Rz-oUHXgyse_EmJCAcm2Zs0gRzFqeSQ2hih9VDRSULbe6kvtkcscUTwwiCkHCokJdQyjuHDflM/s640/IMG_7548.jpg" width="480" /></a></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeFEl9ebHUNlyqj1gmzduffPp5gtX7T19tJmcdudZfEyC7EfJMizu-F6uAf-_aqazdZVuuedade7VyrL0iSWegd38zh11UrXbXbQHjEdZ8YUt9O4oN96_1266-Z83w8-BT2ueY3Ia_kQ/s1600/IMG_7539.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSeFEl9ebHUNlyqj1gmzduffPp5gtX7T19tJmcdudZfEyC7EfJMizu-F6uAf-_aqazdZVuuedade7VyrL0iSWegd38zh11UrXbXbQHjEdZ8YUt9O4oN96_1266-Z83w8-BT2ueY3Ia_kQ/s640/IMG_7539.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The lower surface of Fomitopsis does not stain nor does it invite artwork by scratching with needles when fresh and moist (as compared with Ganoderma). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">However, once dried thoroughly, artwork on Fomitopsis with paints and brushes is a common sight. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">One of my daughters surprised me with this painting of an octopus on Fomitopsis. 12" wide X 10" high.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Wow! A remarkable and cherished gift!</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNQmDDRuhhJt8cYaqUvt3W2A_2NUkl3_IRIXTkFvbbH8V8UK8uzZCdSytxHofaSMS8K0-I5czc5n7Y6dSTz2PCr1Vw5WEjUSoZ3TcwuU-gyd3z-UjmtGdvHiML0fznVng1B0SvvQATrs/s1600/DSCN4941.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVNQmDDRuhhJt8cYaqUvt3W2A_2NUkl3_IRIXTkFvbbH8V8UK8uzZCdSytxHofaSMS8K0-I5czc5n7Y6dSTz2PCr1Vw5WEjUSoZ3TcwuU-gyd3z-UjmtGdvHiML0fznVng1B0SvvQATrs/s640/DSCN4941.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy painting? Give it a try on Fomitopsis. There is such a wide range of sizes and shapes. Each one is so unique. The size and shape will often trigger your imagination fairly soon after the find. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Be <b><i>extremely</i></b> <b><i>careful</i></b> sawing or cutting bracket fungus off of a tree. It can be super simple or really challenging depending on several factors. Cutting your enthusiastic self while deep in the woods is not a reality you want to face.</span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-65017088648218359962016-04-21T21:39:00.004-07:002021-03-06T22:04:44.115-08:00BERRIES<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b> </b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></b><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There are so many flavorful berries growing in and around Sitka! </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">You will find both wild and domesticated varieties.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The berries listed below are covered in this post. They are in alphabetical order. </span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Scroll down to read about any or all of the berries.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>BLACKBERRY</b></span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>BLUEBERRY</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>CLOUDBERRY</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>CRANBERRY</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>HUCKLEBERRY</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>RASPBERRY</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>SALMONBERRY</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>STRAWBERRY</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>TAYBERRY</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>BLACKBERRY (Rubus fruticosus)</b></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b style="color: orange;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV8YnNHds-g0KBLxy035LJjPBqFGvLdXBZGidHEbaETsVcvyEHdr3Ga38nm5FbJfXfCjmVborkrYHiknq-YNoIMmKOOaVTSLgDj0yY0BWl4kX5LAMo_4JmtGgVxAJnsQg-X0UFlTlpgA/s1600/DSC07590.jpg"><img border="0" height="517" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTV8YnNHds-g0KBLxy035LJjPBqFGvLdXBZGidHEbaETsVcvyEHdr3Ga38nm5FbJfXfCjmVborkrYHiknq-YNoIMmKOOaVTSLgDj0yY0BWl4kX5LAMo_4JmtGgVxAJnsQg-X0UFlTlpgA/w640-h517/DSC07590.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSTDQiu4yTu0GgWIA9JF-eAz-qN6xYoDLWrQkZiMrtBNufIZ0eZ2P35jJveHvajIQ4shbprjsSbtPCj5gS_i9KvTFdT5jMSh_SgIfthzNFdYfFpmXoKkN-0LC1XZ-uD-aSV4ujQsnhzXU/s1600/chester+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"></span></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I was afraid to go through the woods to the blackberry patch when I was a little kid living on the south shore of Massachusetts. Very gradually, the fear gave way to courage.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Courage</i> <i>to leave the familiarity of the sunny, noise-filled neighborhood</i>... </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">and venture through the dark, silent woods to the blackberry patch beyond.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Courage</i> <i>to slip past those gigantic spider webs</i>... </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There were so many! Each web was centered with a huge black and yellow spider. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Courage</i> <i>to maneuver in among the thorniest branches imaginable</i>... </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The huge, shiny blackberries hung like treasured jewels on the long, thin, thorny branches. Even with long pants and long sleeves, I was guaranteed to be covered with bloody scratches by the time my pail was filled.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Courage</i> <i>to be in the woods filled with snakes</i>... </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">even if they were mostly harmless garter snakes.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Courage to be alone... </i></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I had an amazing friend who would venture just about anywhere with me. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">But, sometimes, </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I would go in</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">to the woods </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">all by myself</span></i><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My mother was appreciative when I came home with a full bucket of warm, shiny, ripe blackberries. She always made a blackberry pie. My mother and one of my four brothers were crazy about pie. Me? Rather than bury them all in a pie, I loved popping the biggest, juiciest of the berries directly into my mouth!</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Does everyone love blackberries? Seems like it. Blackberries do not grow wild in this part of the world. But, imports will grow happily here in Sitka. Just be sure to choose an early maturing variety. Most years, depending on Sitka's weather, early maturing blackberries will be fully ripened in September. You don't want to end up like me with <i>thousands of never-to-ripen green berries</i> on a late maturing blackberry bush. It was years ago. I foolishly dug up a random blackberry bush from a field behind the Sea-Tac airport and planted it in our yard.</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MxJKqLNyYghQN2GY43Cr1ZjDxbfWO1SwpAiEallFhjdVgvEwWzix5K9vlvTxG9pJuzWg6JSdMuYcCQA7uPQztJgAYwIkw5c90LwX1s3lTEbn6wx1N6aj0CUO1NaybRiHmmPdxKG-u5U/s1600/DSC07594.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5MxJKqLNyYghQN2GY43Cr1ZjDxbfWO1SwpAiEallFhjdVgvEwWzix5K9vlvTxG9pJuzWg6JSdMuYcCQA7uPQztJgAYwIkw5c90LwX1s3lTEbn6wx1N6aj0CUO1NaybRiHmmPdxKG-u5U/w640-h480/DSC07594.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: start;">
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-size: large; text-align: center;"><b><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: verdana; font-size: large;"> EATING BLACKBERRIES</span><br /></div>
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Bake the blackberries in a pie.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There may be nothing more delicious than a bowl of vanilla yogurt or ice cream topped with lots of fresh, ripe blackberries.</span></span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Blackberry jam on toast is divine.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Warm up some blackberry sauce for pancakes or waffles. </span></span></li></ul><div style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>BLUEBERRY</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-xhzssOmAejzOz0qHWlYkMUJLbeVHCLBlGi0XsTGThirRB4gT7wXlqZTbgIOBQaEbS6uysHd26WtnkGbyXkN_7BANPCrEaLOFnnpFHGYplRccTbDL9XJekVM4Qw-3pLU_yuFpOC2pEQ/s1600/IMG_1500.jpg"><img border="0" height="626" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc-xhzssOmAejzOz0qHWlYkMUJLbeVHCLBlGi0XsTGThirRB4gT7wXlqZTbgIOBQaEbS6uysHd26WtnkGbyXkN_7BANPCrEaLOFnnpFHGYplRccTbDL9XJekVM4Qw-3pLU_yuFpOC2pEQ/s640/IMG_1500.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sitka became my home in 1975 when I was in my mid-twenties. This was well before the days of GPS and Google Earth. With my youthful courage still intact, I flitted about picking blueberries on many a mountainside. Fortunately, my courage gave way rather quickly to caution! Yes, I became <i>very</i> cautious.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Cautious about the weather...</i></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sitka weather can change from fine to terrible i</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">n no time at all.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> Heavy winds, soaking rains and thick, blinding fog are not uncommon.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">P</span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">roper rain gear and boots are a must. Hypothermia is an unfortunate reality both on land and sea.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Cautious about the dark</i>...</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I remember thinking I had plenty of daylight left to venture into the woods after work. No. Hiking out as twilight turned to dark was idiotic. And terrifying. It is remarkably slick in these woods with far too many hidden, steep drop-offs. Besides rain gear, wearing an emergency backpack nowadays, including a good headlamp, makes sense. And a firestarter. And a GPS device. And a means of communication. Most importantly, tell someone where you are going before you leave.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Cautious about injury...</i></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Is it just me, or do other people trip and fall a lot in the woods? I get so busy looking up and around at everything that I not only trip and fall, but I also crash into trees and low hanging branches. I have never had any serious injuries, but I have had countless cuts and bruises. And, knives and I have not always been the best of friends.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i>Yes, you may have guessed it, cautious about bears...</i></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I am in awe of bears. And, I am more afraid of bears than anyone I know. I am, after all, an intruder on ancient feeding grounds. There are more than 1000 giant brown bears (Ursus arctic sitkensis) living here on Baranof Island weighing as much as 800 pounds. Each. </span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Berries are right up there with salmon on the bears' grocery list. </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">C</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">onstant, loud, annoying noise usually scares bears away</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> in the wild.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> I bang an old, long-handled, metal sauce pan on rocks. I also attach a can of bear spray to my wrist and holster a powerful gun... just to be on the safe side. Some people find a flare to be useful. Mostly, I have learned to cautiously back out and away when I sense any presence of bears.</span></span><br /><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The three wild blueberries we target in late summer and early fall are:</span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b>DWARF BLUEBERRY (Vaccinium caespitosum)</b></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span></span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgED1c1iSmVJoOy6hbSCQOn7BW5jOQFsXZITbtm4lC71EtIxN4KDVXRIn2RI9Ucoq7p1Wn-gmShgSJcIv9f2pe3yH6gO3s_d3DgWLKhXqbhhh8NGMCKwjhbcOGw73G3-J8UoSk0GaKFE5M/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1842" data-original-width="2048" height="575" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgED1c1iSmVJoOy6hbSCQOn7BW5jOQFsXZITbtm4lC71EtIxN4KDVXRIn2RI9Ucoq7p1Wn-gmShgSJcIv9f2pe3yH6gO3s_d3DgWLKhXqbhhh8NGMCKwjhbcOGw73G3-J8UoSk0GaKFE5M/w640-h575/IMG_1596.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The dwarf blueberry is a low, alpine shrub with very small, toothed leaves and round, blue, sweet berries. These are my favorite blueberries. Most years the weather conditions around here are such that these berries are scarce. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is when I am picking these particular blueberries that I am most grateful to a woman I admire so much, Amy Johnson, for allowing me to peek through her window to the world.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Below is a photo I took </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">on the best day ever</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">picking the best of blueberries</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">with my best fur buddy!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJqbEP834y6vUbyI3t4Ucab6IOnKIdSwxl0tKCggY8R3QBuYFfl-3vvi-3NrzexIgUPzBpjRVpYhPcKMuRj-MZB5jiFRj147cTV8XGDcNgK3jepcSuQGlXLFof9vVd0fIjyxKB2Pjsko/s1600/10560345_1454677238141166_908499261471882958_o.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiJqbEP834y6vUbyI3t4Ucab6IOnKIdSwxl0tKCggY8R3QBuYFfl-3vvi-3NrzexIgUPzBpjRVpYhPcKMuRj-MZB5jiFRj147cTV8XGDcNgK3jepcSuQGlXLFof9vVd0fIjyxKB2Pjsko/s640/10560345_1454677238141166_908499261471882958_o.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><b>EARLY BLUEBERRY, BLUE HUCKLEBERRY (Vaccinium ovalifolium)</b></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6CQILNsw6UAknfRr4VsxCeeQUFaUg_z1ZsZhCMhBjFqQjvlJOmh4X6btSlMPqzYr_8SY47ZHkWWDdJwDWAwFUvcN1I1p_j71bIjkBMbWTJ6cBfhArzliAvEAQ0qdiCExfIj1mVEY1-I/s1600/IMG_2046.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja6CQILNsw6UAknfRr4VsxCeeQUFaUg_z1ZsZhCMhBjFqQjvlJOmh4X6btSlMPqzYr_8SY47ZHkWWDdJwDWAwFUvcN1I1p_j71bIjkBMbWTJ6cBfhArzliAvEAQ0qdiCExfIj1mVEY1-I/s640/IMG_2046.jpg" width="572" /></a></b></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This is about a three foot tall bush with curved stems and firm, juicy, blueberries. The ripe berries have a bluish, powdery looking bloom. So plentiful, it is these berries that usually find their way into our freezer. Hanging on branches at mouth level, these blueberries are our dog's favorite.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="color: orange;">ALASKA BLUEBERRY (Vaccinium alaskensis)</span> </b></span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5bESEWoXsLceN_fturL44ChdpSlVIKaGc-ke_IrHx2Mv1Pp61fPr7f2nUo52pzkShAQaV6vl2PUx0k5CxGcM4sb2_o3Hc_CFXeUtF7YGLbEKKEREAmfWDYAD61FbyGYaeeKIVzUDKdA/s1600/IMG_4782.jpg"><img border="0" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjC5bESEWoXsLceN_fturL44ChdpSlVIKaGc-ke_IrHx2Mv1Pp61fPr7f2nUo52pzkShAQaV6vl2PUx0k5CxGcM4sb2_o3Hc_CFXeUtF7YGLbEKKEREAmfWDYAD61FbyGYaeeKIVzUDKdA/s640/IMG_4782.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The Alaska blueberry bush is up to six feet tall. The berries are large and nearly black with a very distinctive shape. Up there at eye level, big and bold, these are Mr. Welsh's favorite.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Picking blueberries in the wild is so enjoyable. But, considering the large amount of berries we pick annually, you'd think it might get a little tedious. No problem when using a berry picker!</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLS3cFYY9gx2eg9FpJe4HwSyLK35USssGxVpUFUtH7iqD5lqP1Aj7VBHbI5qeutqTKngmGq4tHb90OKZDNG_FcG13X55QWndV1qXvOarkEB8jb8Q9Arrmbbuqxl6JrRYFNuuDwVVDYB3A/s1600/DSC07581.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLS3cFYY9gx2eg9FpJe4HwSyLK35USssGxVpUFUtH7iqD5lqP1Aj7VBHbI5qeutqTKngmGq4tHb90OKZDNG_FcG13X55QWndV1qXvOarkEB8jb8Q9Arrmbbuqxl6JrRYFNuuDwVVDYB3A/s640/DSC07581.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Raking in some leaves and branches along with the berries is unavoidable. We have a method that helps reduce the number of stems and leaves that end up in the picker with the berries. Grab a branch below the berries with one hand. Twist the cluster of berries and leaves so the branches are somewhat vertical. W</span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">ith your other hand,</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> you can slowly rake the bulk of the berries into the picker in an upward motion.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b> </b>Once you get the hang of it, very few stems and leaves end up inside the picker.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My darling Mr. Welsh happens to be ingenious and creative. A</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">fter first picking berries together with our little boys, a</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> five gallon bucket of blueberries was staring us in the face. There were lots of leaves and other debris mixed in with the berries. Mr. Welsh quickly built us a "berry board." We placed the board on a table indoors. The board has a built in lift on the upper end. We rolled the berries down the board, a few cups at a time, into a large bowl. The leaves, stems and other debris stayed behind on the board. We wiped all of the waste off the board periodically as we worked. The berry board sure makes quick work of berry clean-up!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHYY0cb5tZ8jJzRekEeO7owGli_PZf6cbWDFBX1m-mmDfymW_-lpgVkDbyeucWW2LElJDgtQtasqgETprEN3kSLw2JkwkOuJyElaGMhZtotscmySiBL1eBcKi7NQ0BZPO6ZCNx0Qz0tU/s1600/IMG_3669.jpg"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEHYY0cb5tZ8jJzRekEeO7owGli_PZf6cbWDFBX1m-mmDfymW_-lpgVkDbyeucWW2LElJDgtQtasqgETprEN3kSLw2JkwkOuJyElaGMhZtotscmySiBL1eBcKi7NQ0BZPO6ZCNx0Qz0tU/s640/IMG_3669.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">After decades of use, the berry board has changed color by absorbing the stain of the blueberries and huckleberries.</span></span> </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once we have cleaned the blueberries, we package and freeze them. Lots of the blueberries are placed on trays to be frozen individually. I slide the tray into a freezer for an hour or two. Once frozen, they go into </span></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">ziplock bags, milk cartons or are sealed inside vacuum bags. Then the blueberries are stored in a freezer.</span></span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sHAlF4ByH-PK8-GqHPw-4-Pm0L_kQuqHo6SxjXXorQ7poj__3a0XkGq8SOb4mUgWrFtaUYw7R2ClEu1ehb0bOjWGuGhg_Scg_JfVdCa0E3HdCuSbacLndE7G1MLCmwrsOMnICGXe1y0/s1600/IMG_1615.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-sHAlF4ByH-PK8-GqHPw-4-Pm0L_kQuqHo6SxjXXorQ7poj__3a0XkGq8SOb4mUgWrFtaUYw7R2ClEu1ehb0bOjWGuGhg_Scg_JfVdCa0E3HdCuSbacLndE7G1MLCmwrsOMnICGXe1y0/s640/IMG_1615.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">These frozen blueberries will be used at a later date in hot cereal, for snacks, green drinks, smoothies and blueberry muffins:</span></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQA6yukd8aRZph0DWHVYncKMWdFa8sYMeJDcnTEpj4EkrmmdCFA-2C0ZeaGFiv8oFtqUMgTNn7fb8i2oEIys-5yMgwVx1jlCYaY7OomYgMxUIIju8JjXecDK97TYdAWLnHsbpjLOXqNKg/s1600/IMG_1468.jpg"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQA6yukd8aRZph0DWHVYncKMWdFa8sYMeJDcnTEpj4EkrmmdCFA-2C0ZeaGFiv8oFtqUMgTNn7fb8i2oEIys-5yMgwVx1jlCYaY7OomYgMxUIIju8JjXecDK97TYdAWLnHsbpjLOXqNKg/s640/IMG_1468.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">or maybe pancakes:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiLtbdJq18EPq00Xt76rG5sqQBHgBYgAMz0_cf7SARJ6ig8Mypf_cp43ZFUNIPIeXg6q4NMNLmVs-wZcHbLm80C15ctXG_PakPDn1yI39JnAby-SYGgoVdfxejLaOGw9VDhhMMn-C5lA/s1600/IMG_0404.jpg"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGiLtbdJq18EPq00Xt76rG5sqQBHgBYgAMz0_cf7SARJ6ig8Mypf_cp43ZFUNIPIeXg6q4NMNLmVs-wZcHbLm80C15ctXG_PakPDn1yI39JnAby-SYGgoVdfxejLaOGw9VDhhMMn-C5lA/s640/IMG_0404.jpg" width="554" /></span></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Some of our fresh blueberries are loaded directly into clean, empty milk cartons for freezing. They stack well in a freezer. A half gallon of frozen berries is a good amount to thaw and cook into a pie or some other baked good.</span></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We also like to have plenty of blueberry sauce on hand. Add it as a flavorful sweetener when making green drinks. Add it to the second stage when making kombucha. It is so very delicious warmed up and drizzled on top of yogurt, ice cream or pancakes. </span></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I like to call these blueberries as well as other prepared berries </span></span></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><i><b>FLOWER FAIRY FOOD.</b></i></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5tEDZCZeSO90AeumUeROPc7j4dqv9BfOZlpYLudLOEfUOrk8CHD990N36Xd10TthJabMznHp2Lv5Y7ZlIIGUY6z6Dj4-HSNfKw7lDvCuQ4vLuX1jrKvcn2fJx5BYJ8w7wFkDube9UBo/s1600/IMG_3634.jpg"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN5tEDZCZeSO90AeumUeROPc7j4dqv9BfOZlpYLudLOEfUOrk8CHD990N36Xd10TthJabMznHp2Lv5Y7ZlIIGUY6z6Dj4-HSNfKw7lDvCuQ4vLuX1jrKvcn2fJx5BYJ8w7wFkDube9UBo/s640/IMG_3634.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><b>BLUEBERRY SAUCE</b> is so simple to make! </span><br />
<ul><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
<li>Bring a pot full of fresh or frozen blueberries to a boil, stirring frequently. </li>
<li>Stir in a bit of lemon or lime juice... what would amount to about 1 teaspoon per pint jar of jam. </li>
<li>Add an amount of sugar to suit your own taste. We like it barely sweet. </li>
<li>Bring it all back to a boil. Boil the mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.</li>
<li>Pour the hot mixture into clean, sterile canning jars. </li>
<li>Wipe any drops of sauce off the jar rim with a clean cloth before screwing on sterile lids firmly.</li>
<li>To be sure of a secure vacuum seal on your lids, place the jars with lids inside of a big pot of boiling water, being sure the water is above the top of the jars. There are special tongs available for purchase to accomodate this procedure. Boil the jars, called a HOT WATER BATH, for five or so minutes.</li>
<li>Turn off the heat after the bath and remove the jars carefully. Place them on a counter. As the jars cool, you will hear each jar "pop" as the seal is made.</li>
<li>If any of your jars do not seal, store them in the refrigerator and use them up first. Sealed jars can be safely stored on a shelf without refrigeration.</li>
</span></ul>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here is a short stack of blueberry pancakes filled with blueberry sauce and whipped cream. </span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span></span><br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Warning! There is a price to pay for eating so many blueberries at one time. You will have a blue-toothed smile for a while!</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">
</span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LZIP789_mJK9rIlBVDesRFEPhpccef1Vv6W7xfhhLaFWMocPN4nM7s6LCERsSnk1Et83YvohUnnAPyHs_scm0sLsgBXUjBxX_sSUlFff_72MTqJk5No80f9L0mrW7TDDqkXt7jaWPRs/s1600/IMG_3718.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LZIP789_mJK9rIlBVDesRFEPhpccef1Vv6W7xfhhLaFWMocPN4nM7s6LCERsSnk1Et83YvohUnnAPyHs_scm0sLsgBXUjBxX_sSUlFff_72MTqJk5No80f9L0mrW7TDDqkXt7jaWPRs/s640/IMG_3718.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>CLOUDBERRY (Rubus chamaemorus)</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIP2ENOAuJWYCI8XuAdupTpHmbYv6u86ci0oPof6gwFil6OM9OrsYhybZaTVYNZLZ41JGV-3ZJ0No0SuDQNKIUOrFc2p-613uu2QsU-GXAub8_twQo8w15DfNZ510oYHgHhPaNDjZ5oo/s1600/IMG_1715+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: black; font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="618" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFIP2ENOAuJWYCI8XuAdupTpHmbYv6u86ci0oPof6gwFil6OM9OrsYhybZaTVYNZLZ41JGV-3ZJ0No0SuDQNKIUOrFc2p-613uu2QsU-GXAub8_twQo8w15DfNZ510oYHgHhPaNDjZ5oo/s640/IMG_1715+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cloudberry wearing morning dew.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cloudberries are sometimes referred to as nakals, akpiks, avrons, salmonberries, baked-apple berries and yellow berries. Seems to depend on who you are and where you live! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The cloudberry plant is so strikingly beautiful and unique that it is embossed on Finland's two-Euro coin! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Unfortunately, cloudberries are not plentiful around Sitka. Slim-pickings or not, finding a few cloudberries is well worth the time it takes. If you start searching long and hard in muskeg areas around mid-July, you just might have some success. Cloudberry plants are less than a foot tall. The thick umbrella-like leaves usually have five lobes with toothed edges and can be used medicinally.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I loved reading the information about cloudberries in this book:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCzWD2KOlEVD2RvG8fdifEwhkwsc52a1hdx-_y75jf59OuMEB7iG5DnhLCBEqaxrD-_42krTE8KSa1PUIa_IBbyIl6QbQ4hAYT81UlYNzxAhkU7-wZl6QOTLwyrz0Bol3BBi9d3P6tv4/s1600/IMG_3763.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguCzWD2KOlEVD2RvG8fdifEwhkwsc52a1hdx-_y75jf59OuMEB7iG5DnhLCBEqaxrD-_42krTE8KSa1PUIa_IBbyIl6QbQ4hAYT81UlYNzxAhkU7-wZl6QOTLwyrz0Bol3BBi9d3P6tv4/s640/IMG_3763.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />A fascinating fact I read about the cloudberry, "Once picked, these berries can be stored in a cool place for months without extra preservation." </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cloudberries contain a natural preservative!<br /><br /> </span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cloudberry plants here in Sitka appear to grow a single, white flower. That single, white flower matures into a single berry. One berry per plant! The berry is firm and red initially. Don't pick the unripe, firm, red berry. Wait until the berry matures to a salmon shade (yellowish orange). It will be soft and sweet. I think the flavor of cloudberries is similar to apricots. Pick these treasures carefully by hand. A berry picker is not helpful with cloudberries.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The only ripe and ready cloudberry in the photo below is in the upper left corner.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjjnP_ZF6xsCE3veAhZjAVx8H5jr1lwTK5ZvJeCPoq7FG1ptoJUTwBRqnyGGyalyrvLeO7NGACRoZ9roqhuoY8siR-JAR0rFNVyXbSgWOyBD1jK2TAtMNbw_VUI7XNoor7dC6aQP2zGOc/s640/IMG_1716.jpg" width="488" /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The summer of 2015 was the best of all years for me when it came to finding cloudberries. It was thrilling! The weather was unusually warm and sometimes dry. So, it was inviting to wander noisily through muskegs. If I found more than a few cloudberries, I carefully loaded them into a container with a lid and brought them home. Look at that color!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4OUWwP9UivhZCMm8LwQzK5PXDr8pq6Pd2J2lYuAA009nmVe0GFv1Olze9mIK6ewF9nq-nfZ0O3b9wJenAvpRHQW6jHmdVwMB2-pe_UKeWFxjdZ3-EBHe7WKwN0VHI50HrBc-TxCLSk8/s1600/IMG_1718+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF4OUWwP9UivhZCMm8LwQzK5PXDr8pq6Pd2J2lYuAA009nmVe0GFv1Olze9mIK6ewF9nq-nfZ0O3b9wJenAvpRHQW6jHmdVwMB2-pe_UKeWFxjdZ3-EBHe7WKwN0VHI50HrBc-TxCLSk8/s640/IMG_1718+%25281%2529.jpg" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I had a half gallon jar in a freezer into which I kept adding more and more cloudberries. There was nearly a quart ready to freeze after the first outing! I know that does not sound like much. But, it is really a good score, considering the scarcity of cloudberries around here!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHuaw9_XXD7R4oEbDNLO0-cyjWd8_cAm40QWgxxoqZN05lsBcaWLoiKni3Hu3QQW0MF4B_3-WgiBsHNlaZd6bcAFzVnUvtiTh3XY6lzj0W1-s0kqjWLp4kyvGMgdJ2PTZMflc2uPdEJ8/s1600/IMG_1766.jpg"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUHuaw9_XXD7R4oEbDNLO0-cyjWd8_cAm40QWgxxoqZN05lsBcaWLoiKni3Hu3QQW0MF4B_3-WgiBsHNlaZd6bcAFzVnUvtiTh3XY6lzj0W1-s0kqjWLp4kyvGMgdJ2PTZMflc2uPdEJ8/s640/IMG_1766.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Shortly after my successful cloudberry outing, I stopped by to visit a dear friend. It was her birthday. What a surprise to see her birthday cheesecake! It was dazzling! Yes, I ate a big slice. It was delicious!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaTSG4x_BpaJ8Gd9LCzOIzBiEavXnSJuFXBDQph48cBq762PotxE-2b6Fsu_xR2grg3abRgo__QJUwI_00Xgx5Rm8mH2Gagrfs-m2dm65qfLoCbCoInC-mrdlwEXDctJuFTe494X-eIc/s1600/IMG_1690.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlaTSG4x_BpaJ8Gd9LCzOIzBiEavXnSJuFXBDQph48cBq762PotxE-2b6Fsu_xR2grg3abRgo__QJUwI_00Xgx5Rm8mH2Gagrfs-m2dm65qfLoCbCoInC-mrdlwEXDctJuFTe494X-eIc/s640/IMG_1690.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: small;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></span></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange;"></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In all, there was a half gallon of cloudberries in our freezer by summer's end. This was more than enough for me to make some cloudberry sauce.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The cloudberry seeds are somewhat large and uninviting in sauce. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I thawed the frozen berries and forced them through a sieve.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPiWEbTYS8wswGVX98v_Pixj3FxexWf3UeUsUBm1t9WVsdCajLeRtsSY3jbgiIX-gNtCcRnZgL5AEFuB8DpZP5zZTLvQUq_93jHQc-l9PaDgIGdL0Sjd1YjnpemkGZXVskotYcwXzeXs/s1600/IMG_3128.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAPiWEbTYS8wswGVX98v_Pixj3FxexWf3UeUsUBm1t9WVsdCajLeRtsSY3jbgiIX-gNtCcRnZgL5AEFuB8DpZP5zZTLvQUq_93jHQc-l9PaDgIGdL0Sjd1YjnpemkGZXVskotYcwXzeXs/s640/IMG_3128.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The seeds stayed behind in the sieve while the remainder of the berries dripped down into the bowl below.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVw_0VPJtkWUZxIyGolVYqvE8pCdpPrbfaUcgmGro2cxlUYGC7ZPTfoSa2DQ6bojHdZmRnukzRE-Y_uzlaNp80DdAZtQMkkjWwFPX_lqaenii6obkWWxzKi-VgMuWKKc5JJtzW9yDlat4/s1600/IMG_3130.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVw_0VPJtkWUZxIyGolVYqvE8pCdpPrbfaUcgmGro2cxlUYGC7ZPTfoSa2DQ6bojHdZmRnukzRE-Y_uzlaNp80DdAZtQMkkjWwFPX_lqaenii6obkWWxzKi-VgMuWKKc5JJtzW9yDlat4/s640/IMG_3130.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The seeds were packaged and frozen. I am hoping to promote the growth of more cloudberry plants by drying and sprinkling the seeds into a muskeg come spring.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQaEIupypfUUfjtptwZclLNorFyeevF9dQxo2gftkNqvgipjeGtG0lX_fYQykR-_yeBwT39_Wv4RRBGedWd7VUq0QudWRBWYezZOvcNo0E8ysE9lHrPu9eZ5R7fP7HCiyr3M7OdeXE8w/s1600/IMG_3132.jpg"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBQaEIupypfUUfjtptwZclLNorFyeevF9dQxo2gftkNqvgipjeGtG0lX_fYQykR-_yeBwT39_Wv4RRBGedWd7VUq0QudWRBWYezZOvcNo0E8ysE9lHrPu9eZ5R7fP7HCiyr3M7OdeXE8w/s400/IMG_3132.jpg" width="365" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />The liquified cloudberries in the bowl were made into an extraordinarily delicious sauce. After warming up the liquid, I added sugar to taste. I brought the mixture to a boil and boiled it for 4 to 5 minutes. I poured it into half-pint sterile jars and covered the jars with sterile lids. After a ten minute bath in boiling water, the jars of sauce are ready for the shelf.<br /><br />There was a little bit of warm sauce left over, so I poured it over some vanilla ice-cream. Heavenly!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIcRpfOh2SCxi6CsIVBnLQ4C1dbTwpQhVMccBTevo7guDJydZoYJJMIZht9_5RKiE0ajxIA0ZKnXqdwvrJuNcNxtJsHkfG_RTn6Hu7t838tZ11yLbei9hzJgCI1OsKOk-3w1rvjroDKs/s1600/IMG_3134.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbIcRpfOh2SCxi6CsIVBnLQ4C1dbTwpQhVMccBTevo7guDJydZoYJJMIZht9_5RKiE0ajxIA0ZKnXqdwvrJuNcNxtJsHkfG_RTn6Hu7t838tZ11yLbei9hzJgCI1OsKOk-3w1rvjroDKs/s640/IMG_3134.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It's fun to do something different with cloudberries each year when there is a good harvest. One year I made juice. Another year it was raw, uncooked, fruit leather.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">To make this fruit leather:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Use the liquified cloudberries minus the seeds. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If you want it sweeter, add and mix in honey or maple syrup to satisfy your taste.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Add and mix in any herbs or spices you like for flavor or nutrition. I added some of our powdered seaweed. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Pour the liquid on dehydrator trays lined with either non-stick sheets or parchment paper. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Spread it with a large spoon or spatula so it is no more than 1/4 inch thick.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Dehydrate for 12 hours or more at 95 degrees. You will know it is done when it peels off easily from sheets or parchment paper.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cut into whatever shapes or sizes you prefer.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Roll your leather inside something like parchment paper, wax paper or plastic wrap. I also roll fruit leather up without any wrapper and store it in a container in the refrigerator or freezer. </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When there are only a few cloudberries around to harvest, I like to pick and eat them for breakfast with yogurt and granola. Sprinkled on oatmeal is good. And, just imagine how delicious cloudberries taste after dinner in a bowl floating on a little cloud of whipped cream!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>CRANBERRIES</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><b>BOG CRANBERRY </b>(Vaccinium oxycoccos) </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Not my favorite berry to eat, but probably my favorite to pick. I am not sure why I get so excited about picking these cranberries each year. It is probably the thrill of the find. Cranberries are pretty rare in this neck of the woods. Actually, they don't grow in the woods. They grow in our marshy muskegs. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO9zfrTHSPukta-OUUXhyphenhyphenYObgzoYOpPqMkTTu5645kFzkamsp9WdiBlPT0Q820zBxaCvXTw5uipR08v-YVPaKsylTGnv8FHzyFRWR4lpvSqy900d4Xvb75feID72PtBpUBEH3fLqOb6s/s1600/IMG_2356.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtO9zfrTHSPukta-OUUXhyphenhyphenYObgzoYOpPqMkTTu5645kFzkamsp9WdiBlPT0Q820zBxaCvXTw5uipR08v-YVPaKsylTGnv8FHzyFRWR4lpvSqy900d4Xvb75feID72PtBpUBEH3fLqOb6s/s640/IMG_2356.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Bog cranberries are so tiny! Each cranberry is 1/2 inch at most. They vary in color and shape. See the cranberry in the photo above that looks like a little Gala apple? If you could consider berries adorable, these berries are adorable.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><b>LOW BUSH CRANBERRIES</b> also grow in our area and are often referred to as lingonberries (Vaccinium vitis-idaea).</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmx8en8cwuFLa1AFH_0Dp2oev43eXE9h3GkWsCJMDWLFmNX4T2Lg3cOPqQYQM44ciTRSd7hRuJdzBEcC4PprOYvPKUB36TpZ32hyphenhyphenIERCCPFxIWiOlZw1Iag6LigTytWkDBtkLA8uy4fk/s1600/IMG_0378.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmx8en8cwuFLa1AFH_0Dp2oev43eXE9h3GkWsCJMDWLFmNX4T2Lg3cOPqQYQM44ciTRSd7hRuJdzBEcC4PprOYvPKUB36TpZ32hyphenhyphenIERCCPFxIWiOlZw1Iag6LigTytWkDBtkLA8uy4fk/s640/IMG_0378.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Lingonberries are much brighter and uniformly red. Also, the little bush grows upright above the moss compared with bog cranberries.</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUkxQfv0aeqbNGFvVU5RaXR4UnKZxOegnIp8GQqXOecGKRtcJeAEBq2Fm5iYgYjANuL61ggViheXDTRwsJNdEa6vp6t0j4ZJuMtnw82sF8UTGHv4fDtLTDyElwQ6rFYzd6k5JrC8yRXs/s1600/IMG_0368.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbUkxQfv0aeqbNGFvVU5RaXR4UnKZxOegnIp8GQqXOecGKRtcJeAEBq2Fm5iYgYjANuL61ggViheXDTRwsJNdEa6vp6t0j4ZJuMtnw82sF8UTGHv4fDtLTDyElwQ6rFYzd6k5JrC8yRXs/s640/IMG_0368.jpg" width="450" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /><b>HIGH BUSH CRANBERRIES</b> (Viburnum edule) have been a rare sight, but also grow in the wild in our area. The berries grow on a tall, erect shrub with maple shaped leaves. (Sorry, no photo yet).<br /><br />All kinds of cranberries are welcome in my cranberry bucket!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br />Let's focus on the bog cranberry...</span> </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Most years, it is not until late September that I start looking for bog cranberries. The rumor is that they sweeten up <i>a little bit </i>after a good frost. Not that cranberries ever really sweeten up. They don't. By waiting until late September, I know I will have a chance at spotting these tiny berries. They turn from a pale color to variations of red as they mature. </span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It takes a while to get an eye for bog cranberries. There is a lot going on color-wise in a muskeg. Once you spot a cranberry, it is worth dropping down on your knees and looking closely around the berry you first spotted. There are often quite a few more cranberries hiding under cover! All I saw at first below were the two most outstanding berries. On closer inspection, there were at least 15 more!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4YtS1gKabOrAzZ7v0bR86xjAJx_6KwI5IvbbWPnf_Or3UH5IJTNDa4LAV-M7tJc9_h4iGCsWmILtnaN3cJ8626ZNsQxvQ0Ic_DGzg52bdcgIWDpd8kJ3v2CXbZkPee_GNYGAbF5kUXA/s1600/IMG_1738.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE4YtS1gKabOrAzZ7v0bR86xjAJx_6KwI5IvbbWPnf_Or3UH5IJTNDa4LAV-M7tJc9_h4iGCsWmILtnaN3cJ8626ZNsQxvQ0Ic_DGzg52bdcgIWDpd8kJ3v2CXbZkPee_GNYGAbF5kUXA/s640/IMG_1738.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Look at the thread-like stems on the tiny evergreen vines!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ryZW2VF2MVS6-xMYt3nD6XNj0zF10AF5X96jfsCqtjB-ksvvwmoER0zxXjnDFV30ppP7yLHm_ekYXOcoox6elKyHzI549k1bJsOU23uY026ptADIL-XErGrC6wqJb-Smqo26z_r1h0k/s1600/IMG_2339.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6ryZW2VF2MVS6-xMYt3nD6XNj0zF10AF5X96jfsCqtjB-ksvvwmoER0zxXjnDFV30ppP7yLHm_ekYXOcoox6elKyHzI549k1bJsOU23uY026ptADIL-XErGrC6wqJb-Smqo26z_r1h0k/s640/IMG_2339.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I wish I could recommend using a berry picker with these berries. But, no. Best to pick these little berries individually by hand. A picker would scoop up too much of everything else!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I love to locate and harvest enough cranberries each fall to make my own cranberry sauce for special fall and winter meals. Some years cranberries are so scarce that no sauce makes it to the dinner table. But, depending on the weather, there have been good harvest years. Last year was unusually good. Over two quarts harvested in one day was striking it rich!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kbMhBlJAtmstCM_xbaPCkzgjQu8JKA0jhLXpg9jNdhsPXstfARGneVN_ei7PUJHwr_z1Bs57C-Rmf4Ui0gMzB-uhi3Fvc_t34two8LwCfOdQMtRbXXpqXGkIiQq1JvgJRy7teVc-Ivs/s1600/IMG_2369.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7kbMhBlJAtmstCM_xbaPCkzgjQu8JKA0jhLXpg9jNdhsPXstfARGneVN_ei7PUJHwr_z1Bs57C-Rmf4Ui0gMzB-uhi3Fvc_t34two8LwCfOdQMtRbXXpqXGkIiQq1JvgJRy7teVc-Ivs/s640/IMG_2369.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I made a batch of cranberry sauce. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is simple to make.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLt4i3YdbKbG3dnafuH7btKK2JCTANAdDje5MZdOOgBvLbgG_JbjqiJOraHmGBn7POYI6rhuVfzXfUrW3HhB6nBIHCzTDfFeUNKoI4LpJtbWCK8uTYDul_6nwtnEk6_Nag_rLhFn3sqbA/s1600/IMG_3770+%25281%2529.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLt4i3YdbKbG3dnafuH7btKK2JCTANAdDje5MZdOOgBvLbgG_JbjqiJOraHmGBn7POYI6rhuVfzXfUrW3HhB6nBIHCzTDfFeUNKoI4LpJtbWCK8uTYDul_6nwtnEk6_Nag_rLhFn3sqbA/s640/IMG_3770+%25281%2529.jpg" width="586" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">CRANBERRY SAUCE</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">INGREDIENTS:</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">1 CUP OF SUGAR</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">1 CUP OF JUICE OR WATER</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">4 CUPS OF FROZEN OR FRESH CRANBERRIES</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Clean any debris from cranberries. Place them in a bowl of water and scoop out any moss, leaves, stems, etc.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Drain the berries.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Mix one cup of sugar and one cup of juice or water together in a saucepan. I like to use apple or orange juice. Bring this mix to a boil. Stir often and well.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Add four cups of cranberries. Stir while bringing the mix back to a boil. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Simmer this mix at lowest temperature for about 10 minutes. Stir periodically. You will see the cranberries burst open. The sauce is done! </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If you like to add additional flavors to your cranberry sauce, add it and stir it in at the finish of cooking. Some people add orange or lemon zest, raisins, chopped nuts and/or spices. Your choice.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cranberries will keep for a long time in a refrigerator. I have never checked to see how long. If I have an abundance of cranberries, I like to freeze them for later use. We have a vacuum sealer. I like to vacuum a cup or two of cranberries per bag and then store them in a freezer. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiectDU7Oy-FwD5bDOJKbyzYqeiNeF7MFfkRMUJOCYqfIInCbMMNAsxMcH_4IcTpc-f8ZHJkX7YEKrUXxEjrPkCXxvcwBJ5PIiyM8CrV2xxjvcEU9mw8d9ow9-1A-N9XvgyLC73z_aBexo/s1600/IMG_2372.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiectDU7Oy-FwD5bDOJKbyzYqeiNeF7MFfkRMUJOCYqfIInCbMMNAsxMcH_4IcTpc-f8ZHJkX7YEKrUXxEjrPkCXxvcwBJ5PIiyM8CrV2xxjvcEU9mw8d9ow9-1A-N9XvgyLC73z_aBexo/s640/IMG_2372.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I include one of these small packages of cranberries periodically when making pancakes or some kind of baked good.</span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">These CRANBERRY PECAN MUFFINS are especially good:</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIZowbrZ_0sKq8VImZZRaUsNJvrOsERqmrQihVjhgHNQ9QP-9xUo6hvtLmRwD69Hoer98c7dnxtXcCsABHkEGA_RKr2XBZe6bNLvtEBqpj04rFjX0qW-mTBT7X9c6aC0neIBjTwjJU3Q/s1600/IMG_2758_2.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcIZowbrZ_0sKq8VImZZRaUsNJvrOsERqmrQihVjhgHNQ9QP-9xUo6hvtLmRwD69Hoer98c7dnxtXcCsABHkEGA_RKr2XBZe6bNLvtEBqpj04rFjX0qW-mTBT7X9c6aC0neIBjTwjJU3Q/s640/IMG_2758_2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />INGREDIENTS:<br />2 EGGS<br />1/2 CUP SOFTENED BUTTER OR VEGETABLE OIL<br />1 CUP SUGAR<br />1 TABLESPOON VANILLA<br />1/2 CUP MILK<br />1/2 CUP YOGURT<br />2 CUPS FLOUR<br />1 TEASPOON BAKING POWDER<br />1/2 TEASPOON BAKING SODA <br />1/2 TEASPOON SALT<br />2 CUPS FRESH OR FROZEN CRANBERRIES<br />1 CUP COARSELY GROUND OR CHOPPED PECANS <br />OPTIONAL: 2 TABLESPOONS POWDERED ALARIA OR ANY OTHER POWDERED SEAWEED</span><br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgb(0, 0, 0); -webkit-text-stroke-width: initial; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal; min-height: 14px;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />DIRECTIONS:</span><br />
<ul><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
<li>PREHEAT OVEN TO 375 DEGREES F </li>
<li>BEAT THE EGGS IN A MIXER BOWL </li>
<li>ADD AND MIX IN THE BUTTER, SUGAR, VANILLA, MILK AND YOGURT </li>
<li>ADD IN AND MIX AT LOW SPEED THE FLOUR, BAKING POWDER, BAKING SODA, SALT (AND ALARIA) </li>
<li>WITH A LARGE SPOON, STIR IN THE CRANBERRIES AND PECANS </li>
<li>PLACE 12 PAPER LINERS IN A MUFFIN TIN. FILL WITH THE BATTER EQUALLY </li>
<li>OPTIONAL: PLACE A PECAN HALF ON THE TOP OF EACH BATTER FILLED CUP </li>
<li>BAKE 25 MINUTES </li>
<li>REMOVE FROM MUFFIN TIN AND PLACE ON A RACK TO COOL </li>
<li>ENJOY!</li>
</span></ul>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<ul>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Cranberries are not only nutritious, but they add an interesting, tart flavor kick to many dishes. </span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Sprinkle a few on top of a green salad. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">We have added a handful of cranberries and chopped pickled beach asparagus to bland sandwiches such as diced chicken or halibut. Stir in a little mayo and stuff it all inside pita bread. Or, roll it up in a tortilla, romaine lettuce leaf or large mustard leaf.</span></span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Blend a handful of cranberries in with a smoothie or green drink.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>HUCKLEBERRY (Vaccinium parvifolium)</b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOQAUUpZD9DooKFgzHseJE2eEkFwn2K93Fi_3gyNfMDYa1qCby9iGp5P6WVKz9xholWkmlLX_QuyBVRLWz60SyaIBCs75RJJaeoYj5eLDlJ_ZhBI8TPUUwX49TZ74k7XM2zYFF9DJ5mc/s1600/DSC07192.jpg"><img border="0" height="540" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBOQAUUpZD9DooKFgzHseJE2eEkFwn2K93Fi_3gyNfMDYa1qCby9iGp5P6WVKz9xholWkmlLX_QuyBVRLWz60SyaIBCs75RJJaeoYj5eLDlJ_ZhBI8TPUUwX49TZ74k7XM2zYFF9DJ5mc/s640/DSC07192.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
Red huckleberries grow abundantly in the Sitka area. The berries are somewhat translucent in shades of pink and red. The shrub grows in open as well as shaded locations in and around town and the forest. It is anywhere from 4 to 8 feet tall with ridged green stems. The bell-shaped blooms usually appear in late March and early April.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGVygWD8Hpt4GSUtdiDKa2XHR8QCUc6LnkkcSsQlGsnzLGaZJ9yqqCzRahbmpl30RwRLz_0PbEveGKn9QdHxjF1-soMIe-uJE6fqPLQsVt_lSwwPWN43kfUC1tjwZ4rBLzaSFvDmLGPA/s1600/IMG_3795.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBGVygWD8Hpt4GSUtdiDKa2XHR8QCUc6LnkkcSsQlGsnzLGaZJ9yqqCzRahbmpl30RwRLz_0PbEveGKn9QdHxjF1-soMIe-uJE6fqPLQsVt_lSwwPWN43kfUC1tjwZ4rBLzaSFvDmLGPA/s640/IMG_3795.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Healthy huckleberry shrubs with ripe berries are a spectacular sight! There can be hundreds of beautiful red berries on a single shrub.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZxdBFOXZOii5jguioEdCJE45qUQGLkIzelwH7kJ1Z307oxw_uqbKxkTSUa05ZdlKJGZsXXKfTspUHjRMoTpa27m5dfIhW7HWfAUHiU_y0Ll-SVIUFVKhyyiEPH-zEUSrDl_0SALnWNI/s1600/IMG_4778.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ZxdBFOXZOii5jguioEdCJE45qUQGLkIzelwH7kJ1Z307oxw_uqbKxkTSUa05ZdlKJGZsXXKfTspUHjRMoTpa27m5dfIhW7HWfAUHiU_y0Ll-SVIUFVKhyyiEPH-zEUSrDl_0SALnWNI/s640/IMG_4778.jpg" width="492" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It does not take long to pick a good supply of huckleberries when using a berry picker.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Sometimes a few blueberries get mixed in when we pick huckleberries. It is irresistible when ripe blueberries are nearby.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We enjoy using fresh huckleberries when they are in season. We are sure to pick enough huckleberries to freeze, same as our blueberries, for later use. Some are frozen individually on trays, vacuumed sealed and placed in a freezer. These are often used for such things as smoothies, green drinks pancakes and muffins.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj455xlZUph3e7lzpHEZxWWCUj4j7kaWDJITJYBMgL7D_069wByceE_ysxx-ejwA_QMMeQ7B3iCWR3K7Ks6fpw2MtIvaySS1cVhmwfbPIw30JB7zPMzfTUPPIzjgASNlZcN-_jPo5fpJBA/s1600/IMG_2164.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj455xlZUph3e7lzpHEZxWWCUj4j7kaWDJITJYBMgL7D_069wByceE_ysxx-ejwA_QMMeQ7B3iCWR3K7Ks6fpw2MtIvaySS1cVhmwfbPIw30JB7zPMzfTUPPIzjgASNlZcN-_jPo5fpJBA/s640/IMG_2164.jpg" width="518" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Some are poured directly into empty milk cartons and frozen for use in such things as pies and sauces.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyNcXGfALKPX_-RLfa5PVgxdQTRdiTFUdx4fMMn5V8Knvx279Stv6fJMDchskFeLasfL8I8Dw-hOS7GF9QZ-mSuNZwvw5vSvZAMyfAljQSFZHmXE4LBCGuqEuVrO08YGEGctNl5kz0Jw/s1600/IMG_2167.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcyNcXGfALKPX_-RLfa5PVgxdQTRdiTFUdx4fMMn5V8Knvx279Stv6fJMDchskFeLasfL8I8Dw-hOS7GF9QZ-mSuNZwvw5vSvZAMyfAljQSFZHmXE4LBCGuqEuVrO08YGEGctNl5kz0Jw/s640/IMG_2167.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So into a pot some berries go to make a family favorite:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB81toC5NCgqlEvW3s9G-CF51HnQpCLQuGCSH840IJDIwkan54zMMGYLy-CHoNdq8ZRRcLF7rVnuhYqb1JNpSM0vxZIojmBPqi8NMmzUsEO952b2DCkEflzHZVh3jDuyxdvERTSDEHEOE/s1600/IMG_2012.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB81toC5NCgqlEvW3s9G-CF51HnQpCLQuGCSH840IJDIwkan54zMMGYLy-CHoNdq8ZRRcLF7rVnuhYqb1JNpSM0vxZIojmBPqi8NMmzUsEO952b2DCkEflzHZVh3jDuyxdvERTSDEHEOE/s640/IMG_2012.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><b>SPICED HUCKLEBERRY SAUCE</b></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<ul><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
<li>Use fresh or frozen huckleberries... as many as you wish. </li>
<li>Thaw frozen berries. </li>
<li>Zap berries in a blender briefly so as to break skins.</li>
<li>Pour the huckleberries from the blender into a big cooking pot, paying attention to how many quarts of berries you have once they have been blended. </li>
<li>Bring the pot of huckleberries to a boil, stirring frequently. </li>
<li>Stir in a bit of lemon or lime juice... about 1 teaspoon per quart.</li>
<li>Stir in an amount of sugar to suit your own taste. I use three cups of sugar for 4 cups (1 quart) of berries.</li>
<li>Bring it all back to a boil. </li>
<li>Boil the mixture for about 5 minutes, stirring constantly.</li>
<li>Pour the hot mixture into clean, sterile, canning jars. </li>
<li>If using pint-sized jars, add 1/2 teaspoon each of cinnamon and nutmeg to each jar. Stir well. Use less if using smaller jars.</li>
<li>Wipe any drops of sauce off the jar rim with a clean cloth before screwing on sterile lids firmly. </li>
<li>To be sure of a secure vacuum seal on your lids, place the jars with lids inside of a big pot of boiling water, being sure the water is above the top of the jars. There are special tongs available for purchase to accomodate this procedure. Boil the jars, called a HOT WATER BATH, for five or so minutes.</li>
<li>Turn off the heat after the bath and remove the jars carefully. Place them on a counter. As the jars cool, you will hear each jar "pop" as the seal is made.</li>
</span></ul>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If any of your jars do not seal, store them in the refrigerator and use them up first. Sealed jars can be safely stored on a shelf without refrigeration.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As you may have noticed, this process is almost identical to the process of making blueberry sauce. The main difference is the addition of spices. Another difference you will notice when you go to eat this huckleberry sauce is how thick it is. There is a significant amount of pectin in huckleberries, so it thickens up on its own, as thick as jam, without any additional pectin.</span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBvcO0IBS2IWq7PpjL3Sxvu8hzZZhyphenhyphenOVZuYNFCUK2pe42xnXzkPyaQagYnDV8JYA5EslWxwkVw1Gng4pTJNTEgPxSXhOgc2n_9nc13soP_Zsyn8_h3boNEd86jVcvllLj2fngu_9ZK7Y/s1600/IMG_3807.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLBvcO0IBS2IWq7PpjL3Sxvu8hzZZhyphenhyphenOVZuYNFCUK2pe42xnXzkPyaQagYnDV8JYA5EslWxwkVw1Gng4pTJNTEgPxSXhOgc2n_9nc13soP_Zsyn8_h3boNEd86jVcvllLj2fngu_9ZK7Y/s640/IMG_3807.jpg" width="624" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Spiced huckleberry sauce on toast or pancakes tastes a lot like eating apple pie!</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>RASPBERRY (</b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>Rubus idaeus / Rubus strigosus)</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2pif5DeNfhbusEhwah7BZ_DIfcNDjIQg27YkTIdm31iFfiD_Iya-Qr9b5Botp2m9fJAC0Z9_vCk7E0PiLYEUKkhTLJ4xbHb8unSObhEPqygG7VrROJy-wyi4Mt6UhdhmTndYe2eh6fQ/s1600/IMG_1677.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK2pif5DeNfhbusEhwah7BZ_DIfcNDjIQg27YkTIdm31iFfiD_Iya-Qr9b5Botp2m9fJAC0Z9_vCk7E0PiLYEUKkhTLJ4xbHb8unSObhEPqygG7VrROJy-wyi4Mt6UhdhmTndYe2eh6fQ/s640/IMG_1677.jpg" width="592" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />It was over 30 years ago that I purchased several varieties of raspberry from a local business. They grew so well!<br /><br />Unfortunately, I did not record the names of plants in those days. Fortunately, it doesn't really matter. Whenever anyone sampled the raspberries in our gardens and asked for the variety name for ordering purposes, I simply dug up some starts for them. <br /><br />Raspberries come up all over the place around here!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When a delphinium was transplanted from our yard into our covered garden a number of years ago, some raspberry roots must have been in the soil. Here is what happened:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyZyVTGd00iitJGpA6I8hy1Iw-J6iA5lIMVkbP3XTo4-kyorl9RFqZIUCpnXm_Qi-YqiKxayYYDKxwJdXTcgPTnd_8csOjQEsWqtE9JWqOdG6g33plgybEXT6uTvWejNIWKEH5r_yG6U/s1600/IMG_1679.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKyZyVTGd00iitJGpA6I8hy1Iw-J6iA5lIMVkbP3XTo4-kyorl9RFqZIUCpnXm_Qi-YqiKxayYYDKxwJdXTcgPTnd_8csOjQEsWqtE9JWqOdG6g33plgybEXT6uTvWejNIWKEH5r_yG6U/s640/IMG_1679.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Then the roots crawled from the covered garden under a wall and into our greenhouse. Here is what happened:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbzpIHNIRBACfQ470aU2NQUsBt4xmL8mMHgtMmTZwV0P5B6Bih-01tg3CNyk64_m3vSnHBkYky-fc-Sr1wLGLOuv04ehGsygBmJXoLLD77sRaOvkon_GHV9GU2BqkpSsVkJSeFiC2yvk/s1600/IMG_1683.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvbzpIHNIRBACfQ470aU2NQUsBt4xmL8mMHgtMmTZwV0P5B6Bih-01tg3CNyk64_m3vSnHBkYky-fc-Sr1wLGLOuv04ehGsygBmJXoLLD77sRaOvkon_GHV9GU2BqkpSsVkJSeFiC2yvk/s640/IMG_1683.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My daughter, with a personality as sweet as the ripest berries, found a good patch to pick. </span><span face=""\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Our raspberries usually grow and ripen just fine outdoors.</span><span face=""\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBQc1wKlhPy8iFOhe8lwZl8sObNuio0SnOSXe-TUD8UAuzY2wtqHCrdiw4y-MEHJAVGOOg2tEvMEmc8wirX8_gRoUxLAgrZq3Fdz_7cGcw1ORbctWao-2yRabtok6YMbUnCsc72TuJUg/s1600/Scan+14.jpg"><img border="0" height="590" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBQc1wKlhPy8iFOhe8lwZl8sObNuio0SnOSXe-TUD8UAuzY2wtqHCrdiw4y-MEHJAVGOOg2tEvMEmc8wirX8_gRoUxLAgrZq3Fdz_7cGcw1ORbctWao-2yRabtok6YMbUnCsc72TuJUg/s640/Scan+14.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />But, raspberries <i>love</i> being protected from rain in the covered garden and greenhouse. <br />No mold grows. <br />No slugs lurk around sliming things up. <br />The berries grow so sweet, plump and ripe that they seem to be begging your fingers to pick them!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQNr_BSK8-MWBYjfCIyu5YvnJCptbx1Op-2Vm1nI6WBmUXL0P2-jXte-Q_kaKdeAvw_4w0vjm-A2UvtFQpz6t5CpyGbpM1uc16kJYwz5jMbF7m0SRCIHzOVTYIBofM4eBXk8KE85CjwY/s1600/IMG_1681.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcQNr_BSK8-MWBYjfCIyu5YvnJCptbx1Op-2Vm1nI6WBmUXL0P2-jXte-Q_kaKdeAvw_4w0vjm-A2UvtFQpz6t5CpyGbpM1uc16kJYwz5jMbF7m0SRCIHzOVTYIBofM4eBXk8KE85CjwY/s640/IMG_1681.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
And pick them we do! By the bucket!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLI104mgsGvZwbCgqrCoIxT6meJ15n2egkOdKLLkMqZPb6dctMIz-51P3QaurQ5zPpieObL30Y5B2se7Z6slu1UqE6Sk0v9cgPGKki5bvTtFDBfPgsGvY2g6F3ShOK2IT1voU5f2BME4/s1600/DSC06880+%25281%2529.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigLI104mgsGvZwbCgqrCoIxT6meJ15n2egkOdKLLkMqZPb6dctMIz-51P3QaurQ5zPpieObL30Y5B2se7Z6slu1UqE6Sk0v9cgPGKki5bvTtFDBfPgsGvY2g6F3ShOK2IT1voU5f2BME4/s640/DSC06880+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Years ago, my son... so cheerful, helpful and fun... picked way more than he ate. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8B95pk0235u7ryImPsCb14vKmFI6aNU2tp3ZNiTCgrBJoyjsd8lu3Zb8tc6w2d4rrP9rxTtj_L-8fDpLN60XMcv6d-XheUlS0MSyJgc54qCQFEFppTPGBCWzkKmzV2QrXzOmTG5PgITg/s1600/Scan.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8B95pk0235u7ryImPsCb14vKmFI6aNU2tp3ZNiTCgrBJoyjsd8lu3Zb8tc6w2d4rrP9rxTtj_L-8fDpLN60XMcv6d-XheUlS0MSyJgc54qCQFEFppTPGBCWzkKmzV2QrXzOmTG5PgITg/s640/Scan.jpg" width="456" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
I am so grateful that raspberries grew by mistake in our covered garden and greenhouse. Ripe berries usually appear in the greenhouse as early as May. Then they ripen in the covered garden as early as June. Raspberries are ripe in the outside gardens by July or August. How amazing! We eat fresh raspberries from as early as May until as late as December! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cQdTxy6OAtWlXnpmZ7Sq6wSIw_LPcqParQIxAe2B2-b6KUhaiI1aoxViGyqx_z2Pkt8QVMGxKlpwHSAzxsLE2aWDmy2g7kj41-2YjDBQ87YO-ldB4dShbCUERtTyatOGNIUs43tyyjY/s1600/IMG_3177.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-cQdTxy6OAtWlXnpmZ7Sq6wSIw_LPcqParQIxAe2B2-b6KUhaiI1aoxViGyqx_z2Pkt8QVMGxKlpwHSAzxsLE2aWDmy2g7kj41-2YjDBQ87YO-ldB4dShbCUERtTyatOGNIUs43tyyjY/s640/IMG_3177.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Both the raspberries and celery seemed to call my name when I visited the greenhouse. I was compelled to pick some of each for a snack.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Hmmm. Which will I eat first?</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When there are more fresh raspberries than we can manage (I know, hard to believe), we freeze them for later use. Some are frozen on sheet pans. They are vacuumed into small bags and stored in the freezer for winter snacking. These frozen raspberries are also handy for adding to smoothies, green drinks and desserts.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuWq5AD1MYf5PWGsCqBp4vQU43f9CKv1JrCR1hOwd_d6fidPdv4IdPkBdPAeT149EVR3726-gKvN3RPIXHmKFLL8wgiYIu35hhlzjddcXtQOfL843juGUSe6_S3PLJzppcbgVBm61Ucg/s1600/IMG_1576.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnuWq5AD1MYf5PWGsCqBp4vQU43f9CKv1JrCR1hOwd_d6fidPdv4IdPkBdPAeT149EVR3726-gKvN3RPIXHmKFLL8wgiYIu35hhlzjddcXtQOfL843juGUSe6_S3PLJzppcbgVBm61Ucg/s640/IMG_1576.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large; text-align: left;"><br /></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Lots of raspberries are smashed and frozen inside empty milk cartons and tubs.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4ujgGZ1CrHPOCnDsCs_ToxrXbLjhXjJ4GZhXhwLRBUaV_vhbHURvDhSOH5bOSZKW37hsRfuxvyzbXrFOLlA_m3uHoQOw2K5gM5Rmcic_L5gcuiYmwW1Pp4q2YF9P4jSZpgegI_hNbrY/s1600/IMG_3202.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj4ujgGZ1CrHPOCnDsCs_ToxrXbLjhXjJ4GZhXhwLRBUaV_vhbHURvDhSOH5bOSZKW37hsRfuxvyzbXrFOLlA_m3uHoQOw2K5gM5Rmcic_L5gcuiYmwW1Pp4q2YF9P4jSZpgegI_hNbrY/s640/IMG_3202.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The smashed, frozen raspberries will be thawed at a later date and made into juice, jam or some kind of baked good.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
Jam?<br />Oh, the fragrance of raspberry jam! <br />I have spent entire days making raspberry jam. <br />It is usually a rainy, indoor, fall day. <br /><br />My mind wanders back to my early days in Sitka. It was the beautiful, smiling, Joni Didrickson Lewis who invited me over for the evening to learn the art of JAM. My life has never been the same! </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Each year, as fall turns to winter, there are cases of all kinds of jam stacked around the house for family, friends and neighbors.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> Thank you, Joni! You have no idea how much you changed my life.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />Back to reality as the entry door opens, the cool air swirls in and around with the aroma of raspberry. Family members arriving home in late afternoon. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Warm raspberry jam on soft, fresh, home-made bread... in place of dinner.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedml_v-STJQwfy3myWm_fq-wT2HQFIIv93c84mqc0VWaPr2rLZCkHKZLtcfHTTCkpipfBzn_IHJw6OdZoM71eILR0DKUV84Yk8Lj2bbUAfTV3Vlm0gSmRvDBShn_wsmFA_PGoX-FHTcw/s1600/IMG_3180.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhedml_v-STJQwfy3myWm_fq-wT2HQFIIv93c84mqc0VWaPr2rLZCkHKZLtcfHTTCkpipfBzn_IHJw6OdZoM71eILR0DKUV84Yk8Lj2bbUAfTV3Vlm0gSmRvDBShn_wsmFA_PGoX-FHTcw/s640/IMG_3180.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />So lets make some cooked raspberry jam!!!<br /><br /><br /> INGREDIENTS</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">5 cups of mashed raspberries. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Use fresh or frozen raspberries. Thaw if frozen.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">4 cups sugar or more (I like it barely sweet).</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice, fresh or bottled.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">about 1/2 to 1 teaspoon butter to help reduce foaming (optional).</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">1 package (2 ounce) of MCP pectin. There are quite a few choices when it comes to pectin.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> But, we will keep it simple here and use a common brand available locally. There are directions inside the pectin box, but my directions are a little different.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3d3-xXbIqeyYbTN2HaGFcrRnK6k_9yJ-51Mz7hgQX-22verlXqXflj6J0q4GYV9wzgWqoV_sS7bIVSpGuVPZvblKMOT3Y1c63N8uJ5OV1_mlFMcZGx_dQ0dHAa-F2zv7xztXwn9yAwtc/s1600/IMG_3904.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3d3-xXbIqeyYbTN2HaGFcrRnK6k_9yJ-51Mz7hgQX-22verlXqXflj6J0q4GYV9wzgWqoV_sS7bIVSpGuVPZvblKMOT3Y1c63N8uJ5OV1_mlFMcZGx_dQ0dHAa-F2zv7xztXwn9yAwtc/s400/IMG_3904.jpg" width="352" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">DIRECTIONS</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Before you get to cooking, be sure you have cleaned and sterilized (boil in water about 5 minutes) some canning jars and lids. Use the size you prefer. I have used 8 ounce (1 cup), 12 ounce and 16 ounce (pint-sized) jars.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Stir together the 5 cups of mashed raspberries, the lemon juice, the pectin and the butter in a large cook pot. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Bring it all to a boil for about a minute, stirring often. I use a long handled, stainless steel spatula for stirring. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Add the four cups of sugar.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Bring it back to a full boil, stirring regularly. </span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Boil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Remove from heat and pour or ladle into jars.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Fill, leaving about 1/2 inch of space at the top of each jar.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">With a clean cloth or paper towel, clean off the top of each jar.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Screw on lids. The way I learned this step was to use two piece lids. Once screwed on, I flipped the jars with lids upside down for about 5 minutes. Then I turned them right-side up and that was it. Done. Nowadays, we are encouraged to place the jars with lids in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. This means you fill a large pot with water, bring to a boil, add covered jars so there is an inch or two of water above the jars, bring back to a boil... and boil for 10 minutes. Remove from boiling water and cool. The hot water bath is to insure a safe seal.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once the jars have cooled, let them sit at room temperature for a day. </span></li>
<li><span face=""\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Refrigerate any unsealed jars.</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Best storage for sealed jars is in a dry, cool, dark location. We store some of our jams and dried goodies on shelving we built in our entry hallway:</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaQGN-bPZ2Ka6GlitZKLWVTAiEj0OOrsbDZOlh-_l0ZEK9yStQ6D-qbOFddKZVULAZJ5kLf_hkDKprEVd6nEhB7hOeLOJskBv92VIdPLTSFH26nX6PS93Dpb7fSzfYY4fcKTXlIQjsj8/s1600/DSC07407.jpg"><img border="0" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUaQGN-bPZ2Ka6GlitZKLWVTAiEj0OOrsbDZOlh-_l0ZEK9yStQ6D-qbOFddKZVULAZJ5kLf_hkDKprEVd6nEhB7hOeLOJskBv92VIdPLTSFH26nX6PS93Dpb7fSzfYY4fcKTXlIQjsj8/s640/DSC07407.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">SALMONBERRY (Rubus spectabilis)</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJb2u8puMdsINHgsMVuaZchcgOnsyuilBroMuFcOLeb7oAwUyXulP5O5Bu7H8-UOLh9e-grXvCnZV64-QllEnZSWNBtxsyeL1QE-QmZ5ulJHfM75L7AadW_eWYc4Ho3Po1QLBKNqZJZdY/s1600/IMG_3856.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJb2u8puMdsINHgsMVuaZchcgOnsyuilBroMuFcOLeb7oAwUyXulP5O5Bu7H8-UOLh9e-grXvCnZV64-QllEnZSWNBtxsyeL1QE-QmZ5ulJHfM75L7AadW_eWYc4Ho3Po1QLBKNqZJZdY/s640/IMG_3856.jpg" width="616" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Salmonberries are the first wild berries I gather around here </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">each year. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />The bright pink flowers quickly yield to hard green berries. When the green berries grow and ripen, they glisten in glorious shades of yellow and red. There may not be a juicier berry on earth! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6qFAaeJS072a60NxLurOJn9OQXH8iVQVrsa5xyuBw35mCNPCh7I1WQpxzP2GeIMyE8WtKPDKRbH8vmiuh55uL6UD_TK1thsGrFMuyVD-1sDIh3kfIXJ4RC2766u3LzutjzFxSBXK1fs/s1600/DSCN0518.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm6qFAaeJS072a60NxLurOJn9OQXH8iVQVrsa5xyuBw35mCNPCh7I1WQpxzP2GeIMyE8WtKPDKRbH8vmiuh55uL6UD_TK1thsGrFMuyVD-1sDIh3kfIXJ4RC2766u3LzutjzFxSBXK1fs/s640/DSCN0518.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br /><br /> </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I must admit, I have never gone beyond picking, and immediately eating, salmonberries. On site. It's what I do. Hey, it's what lots of people do!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLr-soa5Xgxk52y9_XG-9OpkY1lLVXS7AvQVWZ2Xi-JQjjHx_dVaHbKs1kSj-yZYgf9i4PS7IXftcATMPbhL9gCAGvjE3OD5cIWKk_3KDR9HBQ1xLuprjaMyxq7mPwuooPBSTRP02PJg/s1600/IMG_4225.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidLr-soa5Xgxk52y9_XG-9OpkY1lLVXS7AvQVWZ2Xi-JQjjHx_dVaHbKs1kSj-yZYgf9i4PS7IXftcATMPbhL9gCAGvjE3OD5cIWKk_3KDR9HBQ1xLuprjaMyxq7mPwuooPBSTRP02PJg/s640/IMG_4225.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">This year (2016), there were astonishing numbers of blooms on each bush. Far beyond anything in memory.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1SchF2AibX33ZZOsXXxJUNQWqjla9SnxaRQH_Wu58Fj2H6g8hwi88V-ueAhU_rHQf9qENHvcUXdYaVKtjbCepqyaS3hku_QIUPvgOZK-F_X3kNVBUpDBdP7sGWcarPJRZcT4pu3POjQ/s1600/DSCN0314.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS1SchF2AibX33ZZOsXXxJUNQWqjla9SnxaRQH_Wu58Fj2H6g8hwi88V-ueAhU_rHQf9qENHvcUXdYaVKtjbCepqyaS3hku_QIUPvgOZK-F_X3kNVBUpDBdP7sGWcarPJRZcT4pu3POjQ/s640/DSCN0314.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />And those blossoms transformed into astonishing numbers of berries! They were not all ripe at the same time. It was possible to pick gallons of salmonberries intermittently from late May until early July.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlPnF3JRwbejE45HW3Wgg9fHZWNJ47B7JlDwyHAKwoKJwb9D1wUi_SyM_WHN3p7qAxVN4ShJMqgzeDv6L-tRSZBfcwQWI3mgNrHFedVRUv3IDr9gftUEI608FL3QK8XJP2bPZI4IuPGs/s1600/IMG_4414+2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnlPnF3JRwbejE45HW3Wgg9fHZWNJ47B7JlDwyHAKwoKJwb9D1wUi_SyM_WHN3p7qAxVN4ShJMqgzeDv6L-tRSZBfcwQWI3mgNrHFedVRUv3IDr9gftUEI608FL3QK8XJP2bPZI4IuPGs/s640/IMG_4414+2.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The colorful berries were huge and juicy.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiA4XSsKnMrjFZMlVGpNC7y4ZgsPJlO0itQaU4LTafwjrGUFAO2sksIYUL3c3dbkEQb6Ikdon9tS6o6EyxlSlUMuI8DKILJy3W48tScP8E5kNES8cwQviNtX5AOJn34pg9nh0Tfk2m2g/s1600/IMG_4422.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiA4XSsKnMrjFZMlVGpNC7y4ZgsPJlO0itQaU4LTafwjrGUFAO2sksIYUL3c3dbkEQb6Ikdon9tS6o6EyxlSlUMuI8DKILJy3W48tScP8E5kNES8cwQviNtX5AOJn34pg9nh0Tfk2m2g/s640/IMG_4422.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It is simple to determine which salmonberries are past their prime. They begin to brown. Once over ripe this year, they were especially attractive to what I think are those dopey MARCH FLIES and our ever present SLUGS.</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bqlME2T0EBrSHWY_bxMye_RTdTr8PqEgaNibyXDXCPq2PqsL-mVD4VMPqQStauWI92x4DTqcSLMkMYGrNyn1BAuwawt_o-ywqBbX9NRyZQy6wBIQVZRLQSLsNaPZCDtmOHOA1HYsfQs/s1600/IMG_4363.jpg"><img border="0" height="630" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9bqlME2T0EBrSHWY_bxMye_RTdTr8PqEgaNibyXDXCPq2PqsL-mVD4VMPqQStauWI92x4DTqcSLMkMYGrNyn1BAuwawt_o-ywqBbX9NRyZQy6wBIQVZRLQSLsNaPZCDtmOHOA1HYsfQs/s640/IMG_4363.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The March fly (Bibio albipennis or Bibio xanthippes) "has a passion for nectar, walking and landing all over anything that it can attach to while it waits to mate." Klas Stolpe wrote an interesting article about these flies in the Juneau Empire back in June 2012.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And, of course, we have lots of opportunities in Sitka to witness slug behavior. Slugs wisely take advantage of our home gardens and pretty much everything yummy in the wild! They have little trouble gliding around on Sitka's wet foliage. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">2016 has been a great year for me to get creative in the kitchen with salmonberries. Late in the fall, I started to take advantage of my gallons of frozen berries. I found it best to use the berries the same day they are thawed. When thawed, they look nearly as bright and colorful as when they were fresh! </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurdQprvVzv5JfmdPf-Z9vbRUdITxOz2GXh4eQDoNR4JDaASve7Xmx9HCH9DSqUm6LlE49qNBpsnnvvr24mn7VuKr4avBm1B49OxP_6igs0rCiPJ73mAg15tQFWfJlPH2heoZ8tElF3Q8/s1600/IMG_5657.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgurdQprvVzv5JfmdPf-Z9vbRUdITxOz2GXh4eQDoNR4JDaASve7Xmx9HCH9DSqUm6LlE49qNBpsnnvvr24mn7VuKr4avBm1B49OxP_6igs0rCiPJ73mAg15tQFWfJlPH2heoZ8tElF3Q8/s640/IMG_5657.jpg" width="562" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
After a day or two, the thawed salmonberries tend to brown, even if refrigerated.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">So, I got right to it. Because I was interested in experiencing the pure salmonberry flavor, I made SALMONBERRY JUICE. Lots of juice. I used our juicer/steamer, added a pinch of sugar to enhance the salmonberry flavor and canned the juice to store for later use.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkn7ZK_5AuDydEC01xaO_yO349VKBYYWAN8nhU3dw_AXFMX1xXh3Hoeg_tth_JsHL2GZLGZOcOeaemymHmQ4gHIvcdZF0N2ESdrCsC96KaBncr6_FxVgNCAtkT02inRfxItc-m2g6jz9A/s1600/IMG_5686.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkn7ZK_5AuDydEC01xaO_yO349VKBYYWAN8nhU3dw_AXFMX1xXh3Hoeg_tth_JsHL2GZLGZOcOeaemymHmQ4gHIvcdZF0N2ESdrCsC96KaBncr6_FxVgNCAtkT02inRfxItc-m2g6jz9A/s640/IMG_5686.jpg" width="586" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Here it is!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGxUQEWqi_t7hwYEVpzYBWUZw0g26ir7EXykGpZRGWm5YxgGQfTppKT0bn6lo6933qIXvS9shJVSwIW1sGY3FTDKYeq-5Aj91oA85EpN43hjsqDyKhnklmi3hyphenhyphenCX2eTXwebu28n7kElk/s1600/DSCN1838.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimGxUQEWqi_t7hwYEVpzYBWUZw0g26ir7EXykGpZRGWm5YxgGQfTppKT0bn6lo6933qIXvS9shJVSwIW1sGY3FTDKYeq-5Aj91oA85EpN43hjsqDyKhnklmi3hyphenhyphenCX2eTXwebu28n7kElk/s640/DSCN1838.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The color and flavor are both unique. The juice is delicious and well worth the effort.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Next up, SALMONBERRY JAM/SAUCE </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Not following the directions on the small box of MCP pectin entirely, I used the following ingredients in the following amounts:</span><br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">five cups of gently blended salmonberries</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">1 small box of pectin</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">1/4 cup of lemon or lime juice</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">3 cups of sugar</span></li>
<li><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">1/2 tsp of butter to reduce foaming</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I let this all come to a boil and kept it boiling for 6 minutes. The results were thick enough for jam... and loose enough for sauce.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJDsEDEvB2T6GVc9Yy5E_1SWPiv3Lk2MgGSB1PU30wZbAhGVrEdNYcdsKVH7fDnLYtZjX7E-fybWCCQt2vvmleIf3eKHJxa87qoMOgf1jbmHJeWO_k0Sd92MR9K44QoTGDD8dhq-Qzls/s1600/DSCN1841.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzJDsEDEvB2T6GVc9Yy5E_1SWPiv3Lk2MgGSB1PU30wZbAhGVrEdNYcdsKVH7fDnLYtZjX7E-fybWCCQt2vvmleIf3eKHJxa87qoMOgf1jbmHJeWO_k0Sd92MR9K44QoTGDD8dhq-Qzls/s640/DSCN1841.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> I love that the colors in these pint size jars of salmonberry jam varied depending on the colors that predominated in each of the frozen containers of berries as they emerged from the freezer.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Among other things, I look forward to enjoying this unusual treat in the making of my home brewed kombucha, to flavor and sweeten green drinks/smoothies, on pancakes and with oatmeal.</span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>STRAWBERRY</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIB2WVvhNPQK34_A9Sy_1y_ApXWKCI0nnNqW1q-JJ1EfDxTZGZPdU9uGp-DI1tARvSk0ICR2Jwl6HTm8wkdZYBwy8ty6ffxU_t2MAtbjxfF88P2hlBBwFwji7bg8un1_8pQ0iB8Y_LMQA/s1600/DSC06905.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIB2WVvhNPQK34_A9Sy_1y_ApXWKCI0nnNqW1q-JJ1EfDxTZGZPdU9uGp-DI1tARvSk0ICR2Jwl6HTm8wkdZYBwy8ty6ffxU_t2MAtbjxfF88P2hlBBwFwji7bg8un1_8pQ0iB8Y_LMQA/s640/DSC06905.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br />We have grown so many different kinds of strawberries over the years! <br /><br />At first, we grew some common garden varieties that fell into the category of everbearing day-neutral strawberries. Commercially grown, we purchased and grew Tri-Star, Seascape and Eversweet... along with quite a few others.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Gradually, we parted ways with these strawberries.</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">For our tastes and needs, we settled on three kinds of strawberries:</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>MUSK STRAWBERRIES (FRAGARIA MOSCHATA)</b></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7R5Oh1AeuGE7sdJ8qnuOArbqGvhjv8jBRDLS_igvsc_VMDB4E3ctZ7f1dHuntAT3LTt6lzmpVyR8DxXhva6ZlAAfzavu7WLdusTkhlQiUDVDWZ_hFRHhX3BAxQV7GZn7P6tcoeN-W8g/s1600/DSC06901.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjN7R5Oh1AeuGE7sdJ8qnuOArbqGvhjv8jBRDLS_igvsc_VMDB4E3ctZ7f1dHuntAT3LTt6lzmpVyR8DxXhva6ZlAAfzavu7WLdusTkhlQiUDVDWZ_hFRHhX3BAxQV7GZn7P6tcoeN-W8g/s640/DSC06901.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We purchased and grew both of the musk strawberries available at the time, Profumata di Tortona and Capron.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It took a couple of years for these strawberries to get comfortable with our weather. Two to three decades later, they are still here. And, they are so happy in our gardens that they spread like ground cover.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqdstl7PKGSuZmFaWBAPxA6n47rON0AEdNIomIv8Y5iftToG-bEB8MYOyQ5J4vIui-vg5pqIKUkChveLvdgDsEIUHQhyphenhyphen95ncytjQ7v42-IMasigPYYHOhFaQvlE0qqKltkK0usaWa3I4/s1600/IMG_3895.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivqdstl7PKGSuZmFaWBAPxA6n47rON0AEdNIomIv8Y5iftToG-bEB8MYOyQ5J4vIui-vg5pqIKUkChveLvdgDsEIUHQhyphenhyphen95ncytjQ7v42-IMasigPYYHOhFaQvlE0qqKltkK0usaWa3I4/s640/IMG_3895.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The fragrance of these berries is heavenly! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The flavor is a combination of strawberry, raspberry and pineapple. Heavy on the pineapple. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When ripe, the musk strawberries are somewhat white on the underside and dark pink on top. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The musk strawberry plants do not yield all that many berries, but they are the most uniquely flavorful of our strawberries.</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When my kids were little, I told them that musk strawberries are <i>flower fairy food. </i>We were reading lots of children's books and I could not help myself.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>ALPINE STRAWBERRIES (Fragaria vesca)</b></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtEKJnZxvUehcux4BwmjtyUgySe9UBz3Keup3aAAVxqUztQGV1fWjAuMbYm1tFVa3euxICAdN2LSYoDOY_FcBhEqvw5FiK-fvcIUb-kkj8Hh_odo3BddkFBqbRWvyAYX8Qy8oQofTshU/s1600/DSC06909.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigtEKJnZxvUehcux4BwmjtyUgySe9UBz3Keup3aAAVxqUztQGV1fWjAuMbYm1tFVa3euxICAdN2LSYoDOY_FcBhEqvw5FiK-fvcIUb-kkj8Hh_odo3BddkFBqbRWvyAYX8Qy8oQofTshU/s640/DSC06909.jpg" width="538" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ruegen Alpine</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Like most alpine strawberries, the Ruegen alpine does not send out runners. It is a short, perennial plant that reproduces by seed. Under the tubs where our upright alpine strawberries grow, there are always lots of little new plants growing where a berry or two dropped off the plant. </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The berries are plentiful, tiny and sweet.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">These everbearing little gems do not mind growing in shade! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqD5YZ7_W6atP5xnEB_3sM9z1JYYjEPGR83B75Xitqm5_FV2UomzslDAbdQ1UhDG7H2Vanu4fQhlfjRPuxsf1JO0RbCagzUP5azA0-zc1g0qTw7N7GWdxbxQOOjGUrhZgRtSa5XUctVm4/s1600/IMG_1875.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="616" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqD5YZ7_W6atP5xnEB_3sM9z1JYYjEPGR83B75Xitqm5_FV2UomzslDAbdQ1UhDG7H2Vanu4fQhlfjRPuxsf1JO0RbCagzUP5azA0-zc1g0qTw7N7GWdxbxQOOjGUrhZgRtSa5XUctVm4/s640/IMG_1875.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Alpine Yellow Wonder </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Alpine Yellow Wonder is another strawberry with unusual flavor. This tiny wonder also has a hint of pineapple. As with Ruegen, there are no runners... just lots of little berries throughout the summer on upright 10 inch plants.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>WILD STRAWBERRIES (Fragaria virginiana)</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Eie1R42hhJyFxIrwkqLYDGzqdqqt-iVzhFyaA_hZ9eBthGHLFCHbd2CNkLvxebskp1twlPIOQ_Vlsy0cm0fwP_FnvVK4CxCrP0o3Ar9SljRhZXu93nTDc4BhBmnYU047omxpnJAJlVY/s1600/IMG_1778.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8Eie1R42hhJyFxIrwkqLYDGzqdqqt-iVzhFyaA_hZ9eBthGHLFCHbd2CNkLvxebskp1twlPIOQ_Vlsy0cm0fwP_FnvVK4CxCrP0o3Ar9SljRhZXu93nTDc4BhBmnYU047omxpnJAJlVY/s640/IMG_1778.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The wild strawberry is definitely a berry to rave about in a temperate rain forest. You will run into them above beaches, hiding in grasslands, along sidewalks, bordering rivers and various other surprising locations. There are lots of wild strawberries growing near our airport and our ferry terminal as if eager to welcome tourists and travelers. </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The countless wild strawberry plants in and around our own gardens originated from a dozen or so plants offered by a friend, Eve Grutter. She thought they came from somewhere down by Wrangell, Alaska.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Growing cheerfully in sun or shade, wild strawberry plants spread by runner and sure pump out the berries! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The blossoms are lovely and plentiful beginning in April.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H8d1ZQM0tMtq7aT7Pqf60W_adRjwZ1l-lvd5YJj5zmv7lkAc5PAHd9jpdj4AQN7VFs6xa9fwLvgduK8zh9R9egPxCmOpH7SoaywWJTBOl9Bq8HVUFCF2XvnVPo9k19t2zPKBISxXFT8/s1600/IMG_1080.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3H8d1ZQM0tMtq7aT7Pqf60W_adRjwZ1l-lvd5YJj5zmv7lkAc5PAHd9jpdj4AQN7VFs6xa9fwLvgduK8zh9R9egPxCmOpH7SoaywWJTBOl9Bq8HVUFCF2XvnVPo9k19t2zPKBISxXFT8/s640/IMG_1080.jpg" width="612" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We have our wild strawberries growing in tubs</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39mbt4PV66AUN633UhhXgdIU1rDhOUoghXy6LlLIPYDrXDY04VTDv7Ste0XoGIaOjSCkEiHbpgLtVhYTY6UIjrTycMtx3An5oN1roV2fKaOB9nl_MDb3xm2o5DhdduGRUJuXqsm_YttU/s1600/DSC06808.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi39mbt4PV66AUN633UhhXgdIU1rDhOUoghXy6LlLIPYDrXDY04VTDv7Ste0XoGIaOjSCkEiHbpgLtVhYTY6UIjrTycMtx3An5oN1roV2fKaOB9nl_MDb3xm2o5DhdduGRUJuXqsm_YttU/s640/DSC06808.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">And cascading down from the top of rock walls.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpkKYLiMkkOapIjqIHHTxr0mQfbigwZR9uhwLs3aFIN8OgV-sRHlRtlk77QhqgIk4mqPWZw__VTmwwoK86YHqyiGhTYKwrRxQ6fd3DsLPNxYhJ933kjALrVoJAE-QirCc7qjG2xQkXBc/s1600/IMG_0827.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMpkKYLiMkkOapIjqIHHTxr0mQfbigwZR9uhwLs3aFIN8OgV-sRHlRtlk77QhqgIk4mqPWZw__VTmwwoK86YHqyiGhTYKwrRxQ6fd3DsLPNxYhJ933kjALrVoJAE-QirCc7qjG2xQkXBc/s640/IMG_0827.jpg" width="546" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Wild strawberries do well when it is cool and rainy, but loved the warmer, dryer weather we had last summer. We harvested over 10 gallons of wild strawberries from our gardens for later use. That was on top of the berries we all picked and enjoyed fresh throughout the summer.</span></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif"><br /></span></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif">Strawberries do not ripen after they are picked. I checked on the strawberry patches most every day, picking the ripe berries. Some days it was a big job!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBRa3WU3YikHNADmsq0xF8o1sx8oZ3CgfF4C92rC-f1ROvM1m-5B9dMgVDTlMG5XdNakyG_ahc4ouTXqAcJDWva_lQIfUdgkzei_oVXesGKNyW4Snqoaro2oTmB8V83sHwHhcdoTu5_M/s1600/DSC06836.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaBRa3WU3YikHNADmsq0xF8o1sx8oZ3CgfF4C92rC-f1ROvM1m-5B9dMgVDTlMG5XdNakyG_ahc4ouTXqAcJDWva_lQIfUdgkzei_oVXesGKNyW4Snqoaro2oTmB8V83sHwHhcdoTu5_M/s640/DSC06836.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Once picked, I removed the green caps and any other debris. The berries were placed in a single layer on baking sheets and placed in the freezer for a short time until frozen.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrFq266Ru_IRrxXMDs-b86WnrdW2AXFPsd1SzI_UmIF9vE2AFiQnrAN07nF43h5A0r9h7OKssw1TiB3omZtgt24kGXUm09umDC4Tt4NiRhjERCyahPPBrWlASN7dpobyovKxNw3WP4W4/s1600/DSC06791.jpg"><img border="0" height="542" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgrFq266Ru_IRrxXMDs-b86WnrdW2AXFPsd1SzI_UmIF9vE2AFiQnrAN07nF43h5A0r9h7OKssw1TiB3omZtgt24kGXUm09umDC4Tt4NiRhjERCyahPPBrWlASN7dpobyovKxNw3WP4W4/s640/DSC06791.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
Once frozen, the berries were transferred into ziplock bags, vacuum bags or empty milk cartons for storage in the freezer.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2bE8VorHeMs26cIc40X1VmBkLpH4AOyVgxYspVUggzJ8ShHIaTm1Rp2zWI0BBcutAPLAmslUyU46K7ubFWSqcSYa-W1igZFZrfyyhKzprfeTIDo_Maa4FGICFMTBSpVaLqSDkTB6YbQ/s1600/DSC06802.jpg"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV2bE8VorHeMs26cIc40X1VmBkLpH4AOyVgxYspVUggzJ8ShHIaTm1Rp2zWI0BBcutAPLAmslUyU46K7ubFWSqcSYa-W1igZFZrfyyhKzprfeTIDo_Maa4FGICFMTBSpVaLqSDkTB6YbQ/s640/DSC06802.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
Once things slowed down a little in fall, it was fun to make </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">WILD STRAWBERRY JUICE</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yMJ5q_1u9O4y7J8XythKhkQ-BnGooBnfbUDURNO0_QfGit4sP3mXPZFD_bHy1dbEh0nUSlA8yvbO5xKETm-j2CrYna9xxXtlvgueT6xtrr0hFQ_pjwSKOK1rSNiOeGGOuaVHeHE8YRY/s1600/IMG_3601.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9yMJ5q_1u9O4y7J8XythKhkQ-BnGooBnfbUDURNO0_QfGit4sP3mXPZFD_bHy1dbEh0nUSlA8yvbO5xKETm-j2CrYna9xxXtlvgueT6xtrr0hFQ_pjwSKOK1rSNiOeGGOuaVHeHE8YRY/s640/IMG_3601.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
</span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">
WILD STRAWBERRY JAM</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-93MFamt8dwkXaRN3A47634a-6TQkElNauTr8AaINvJgxlN5uXK_Cc7c6nbv2hfdD55hg-LDdamIfB2jE7ZlJdzrMjd9-XPGOMcAoQY3M3Af-7Hg1mIGwjWyaOfkqX6wmOSumNYBBe0g/s1600/IMG_3846.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-93MFamt8dwkXaRN3A47634a-6TQkElNauTr8AaINvJgxlN5uXK_Cc7c6nbv2hfdD55hg-LDdamIfB2jE7ZlJdzrMjd9-XPGOMcAoQY3M3Af-7Hg1mIGwjWyaOfkqX6wmOSumNYBBe0g/s640/IMG_3846.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> </span></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">WILD STRAWBERRY COBBLER</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-6H1TSeR7Xp2XsgUh31zfW8991vc4QhUptXcY4xPVSjLuuykYtk8SyN68vrEeKacVtqOY2CgOJdX5EmoQoAuvo7QSXtRMpf6ummG65e_KwFEJlx2uTGjQy_zET9W3B17aTULziox6AQ/s1600/IMG_1353.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-6H1TSeR7Xp2XsgUh31zfW8991vc4QhUptXcY4xPVSjLuuykYtk8SyN68vrEeKacVtqOY2CgOJdX5EmoQoAuvo7QSXtRMpf6ummG65e_KwFEJlx2uTGjQy_zET9W3B17aTULziox6AQ/s640/IMG_1353.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">WILD STRAWBERRY ICE CREAM </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">We have a nifty electric ice cream maker.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhjZxUarXGMY7xj1AOsGrsz_x_kR9mg1MR97jnuqh-8zHtZhWExEWjSOuGhthaXLGrMQI9cbdXxwC2Avow6oN2lg2lQFvrGkqiptpJBA4dDMRqe6ubZPOYhL91wAbroYKTl56RVe5Oc8/s1600/IMG_3877+%25281%2529.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYhjZxUarXGMY7xj1AOsGrsz_x_kR9mg1MR97jnuqh-8zHtZhWExEWjSOuGhthaXLGrMQI9cbdXxwC2Avow6oN2lg2lQFvrGkqiptpJBA4dDMRqe6ubZPOYhL91wAbroYKTl56RVe5Oc8/s640/IMG_3877+%25281%2529.jpg" width="496" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />Using a bunch of frozen berries from a ziplock <br />along with whole milk <br />and a little wild strawberry jam...<br />it got all mixed up in the blender.<br />I poured the mix into the bowl of the ice cream maker.<br />The timer was set.<br /><br />In about 30 minutes, we had ice cream.<br /><br /><br />Now the big decision... enjoy</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"> wild strawberry ice cream in a bowl</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuaf3gDQOfuS7VcYrR51gD4EANJf0ePZK1bRoYNupWiUsSjGuPhglcarHFgHODLJUn4ElkWMy04gG2CYAoKTLwEgKp00gpsjCJKBToskaGlcgdfdl1VZ8rBulzQ0Rj9a4_Adtr5hDjy4/s1600/IMG_3879.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOuaf3gDQOfuS7VcYrR51gD4EANJf0ePZK1bRoYNupWiUsSjGuPhglcarHFgHODLJUn4ElkWMy04gG2CYAoKTLwEgKp00gpsjCJKBToskaGlcgdfdl1VZ8rBulzQ0Rj9a4_Adtr5hDjy4/s640/IMG_3879.jpg" width="498" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: large;"><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">or in a cone?</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphgahfptXJ-k31mfM6EK5yP7wuufTg-8o-BU62fvVmXjuhjPPwCUPeMlcYnVPwkD9-12Y5vNgfAVFuKYxYzW3oKcBCP_erspqbc3zrOni5_2YaFKAkbULpfgBFDdWUbknpMEg9dlzcvo/s1600/IMG_3889.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiphgahfptXJ-k31mfM6EK5yP7wuufTg-8o-BU62fvVmXjuhjPPwCUPeMlcYnVPwkD9-12Y5vNgfAVFuKYxYzW3oKcBCP_erspqbc3zrOni5_2YaFKAkbULpfgBFDdWUbknpMEg9dlzcvo/s640/IMG_3889.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /><br />WILD STRAWBERRY/RHUBARB SWEET AND SOUR SAUCE</span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">One more use of strawberries worth noting is to mix them in equal amounts with chopped rhubarb. Use fresh or frozen ingredients. Thaw if frozen. <br /><br />Use a blender to mix the strawberries and rhubarb together making a sauce. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">In a sauce pan, bring this rhubarb and strawberry sauce to a boil, stirring frequently. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Reduce the heat and simmer and stir for 5 minutes or so. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face="Verdana, sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I like to cook up a big batch at one time and can the sauce in jars same as I do when making berry jam (see raspberry section). This results in plenty of ready-to-use sweet and sour sauce for us... and extra jars to give as gifts!</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b>TAYBERRY (Rubus fruticosus x Rubus idaeus)</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMLNlAm7JkXbWjC9n06UIgEV5Mudze3R_2HhuwlR-qq9hU98-_6R4gXH8aoQp_bM-xx9VEG1p1e3aT_9W52m7qsug3RMWQU2TL0SUzIjrzxJpcQa57rP4P7e4if-risSC2FoywXWXW20/s1600/IMG_4893.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifMLNlAm7JkXbWjC9n06UIgEV5Mudze3R_2HhuwlR-qq9hU98-_6R4gXH8aoQp_bM-xx9VEG1p1e3aT_9W52m7qsug3RMWQU2TL0SUzIjrzxJpcQa57rP4P7e4if-risSC2FoywXWXW20/s640/IMG_4893.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="color: orange; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">You may never have heard of tayberries. No wonder. Tayberries came on the scene from Scotland fairly recently... in 1979. These unusually large, long, narrow, purple berries with super thorny canes are a cross between blackberry and raspberry!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6QRcp5uCUJ2FPZQIzdoRRgwQmKZuTbMd8rMcAXaqRHRSyZ-CHlnUHDuE7sTaADI2jMyHc4HG78H_JU4VyuCaPt4OqvJdQytmdA8fDB7KZsCNP1ifzGs3U6no_u6-eC8SqebWCOWbZ4k/s1600/IMG_7281.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL6QRcp5uCUJ2FPZQIzdoRRgwQmKZuTbMd8rMcAXaqRHRSyZ-CHlnUHDuE7sTaADI2jMyHc4HG78H_JU4VyuCaPt4OqvJdQytmdA8fDB7KZsCNP1ifzGs3U6no_u6-eC8SqebWCOWbZ4k/s640/IMG_7281.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It was about 15 years ago that I ordered some tayberry starts from a catalog. The canes grew fine as well as the berries. But, it was usually so cool here in the fall that very few berries ripened. After a few years, I gave up on the tayberries. I dug them out and used the garden space for something else. A few years later, the canes reappeared. Some roots had remained in the soil. I am so glad they did! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">Whenever we have a halfway warm summer and fall, the tayberries flourish! </span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">As the tayberries ripen, I pick and store them in a container in the freezer.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTBa5uG_tgnOfzF-iZn4MLyW13P5UFes19wlxUczxX8PRqwV4sdoiEyefAwL6db835ddU6Nh6Nso_TERAkqWe2dsv9Fvnip5PuWvHfOLBAde1Ay0_dpQM_zCoFToUYCFsoBX2fOvqpM4/s1600/IMG_7303.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyTBa5uG_tgnOfzF-iZn4MLyW13P5UFes19wlxUczxX8PRqwV4sdoiEyefAwL6db835ddU6Nh6Nso_TERAkqWe2dsv9Fvnip5PuWvHfOLBAde1Ay0_dpQM_zCoFToUYCFsoBX2fOvqpM4/s640/IMG_7303.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">If enough tayberries find there way into the freezer, I make jam!</span><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2smxZwi78uhzakhHHI5Rr5s4kctravuGH6J7xx2MP4qoAa1lbG_zFuAS8xhcNGKc2Kfke8Z8_scWo3y2Leks4KqulrMgXsKoh8n4m1QB5xIHysEpOeNYNzLitwuqd53Li9v787rKEH7w/s1600/IMG_3850.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2smxZwi78uhzakhHHI5Rr5s4kctravuGH6J7xx2MP4qoAa1lbG_zFuAS8xhcNGKc2Kfke8Z8_scWo3y2Leks4KqulrMgXsKoh8n4m1QB5xIHysEpOeNYNzLitwuqd53Li9v787rKEH7w/s640/IMG_3850.jpg" width="480" /></a><span style="font-size: x-large;"> </span></div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">The method described in the raspberry section </span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">for making jam w</span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">orks well for most berries, including tayberries.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6vVJNldioAjqU-CP4cVNBKQaBtE4UZfKwoys3mTr8DBv6j-i08E6d_JihMLwmc2fmH53G_NDNaHj_i_CtTnxV0NJQ9Z5o37Yb4EXiJ3I7MRas7_Lqu5_X_vP7whnsKEixX0GgE__HF0/s1600/IMG_3851.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi6vVJNldioAjqU-CP4cVNBKQaBtE4UZfKwoys3mTr8DBv6j-i08E6d_JihMLwmc2fmH53G_NDNaHj_i_CtTnxV0NJQ9Z5o37Yb4EXiJ3I7MRas7_Lqu5_X_vP7whnsKEixX0GgE__HF0/s640/IMG_3851.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">My Auntie Alcione visited with my mother, Louise, periodically throughout my early years. She was a kind and insightful woman. I especially loved her frequent smiles and her velvet voice.</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">When she and my mother were together, Auntie Al would often describe anything she found to be wonderful as <i>ELEGANT...</i>food, paintings, the view. It made me laugh whenever I heard her say, "Isn't that elegant, Louise?"</span><br />
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">It has been many years since I have had the good fortune of being in Auntie Alcione's company. I thought of her after I received a gift from a Sitka couple, Greta and Tim. It was a container of raspberry liqueur made from their own raspberries. Yes, it was ELEGANT!</span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">I personalized a recipe. It should work well for all kinds of berries. Here it is: </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-N9cdNUJwPl8lnkOiDp8tnLZibbKWI7AmcJE2XePUyUZO8qAIhTZkgnEwOjZp3GXTVv8o-XGQ0REfDNQq0p8_s-wBcUf1Gw1XqhTIr30VRVdR609SPCwy16rEKhyphenhyphenqKxiElJ2yqAgtY7g/s1600/IMG_7644.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-N9cdNUJwPl8lnkOiDp8tnLZibbKWI7AmcJE2XePUyUZO8qAIhTZkgnEwOjZp3GXTVv8o-XGQ0REfDNQq0p8_s-wBcUf1Gw1XqhTIr30VRVdR609SPCwy16rEKhyphenhyphenqKxiElJ2yqAgtY7g/s640/IMG_7644.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbHdj7bi1nph0fqV8OKRRrnMAfUzNKLvbQbrB2H2qwPS7mics9YyPTUEt_yua026uRbY0vV5dpSWrb2EOkjVJru-iyWvnA-JDcwjqjyhpvmwbufR3bdj5tu7gM5UHCSQEquwOucwqP18/s1600/IMG_7639.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisbHdj7bi1nph0fqV8OKRRrnMAfUzNKLvbQbrB2H2qwPS7mics9YyPTUEt_yua026uRbY0vV5dpSWrb2EOkjVJru-iyWvnA-JDcwjqjyhpvmwbufR3bdj5tu7gM5UHCSQEquwOucwqP18/s640/IMG_7639.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">RASPBERRY LIQUEUR</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: large;">There is so much more information to share about berries in and around Sitka. But... this blog post is already soooo long! </span><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i>HAPPY PICKING!!!</i></span><br />
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYVLPM5TiKoIQA3TQ5cl9kQzhcImhegPqazDtjIoNkmx1Kmn2AGtERySZUZyUt99j9jqut5UXzJqIzD4oGTcSX9exjFKWn8P8owSIDhHsFbGM5BqCNH6zdcxcu5lwBP17_rkIe_0RYr0/s1600/IMG_4534.jpg"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYVLPM5TiKoIQA3TQ5cl9kQzhcImhegPqazDtjIoNkmx1Kmn2AGtERySZUZyUt99j9jqut5UXzJqIzD4oGTcSX9exjFKWn8P8owSIDhHsFbGM5BqCNH6zdcxcu5lwBP17_rkIe_0RYr0/s640/IMG_4534.jpg" width="474" /></a></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span face=""verdana" , sans-serif" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-88047318929990091612016-02-26T18:47:00.003-08:002018-02-14T11:50:05.088-08:00PEAS<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Much like my experience with beans... the bland, canned peas of my early years have yielded to fresh, flavorful green gems grown in our fertile gardens. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Peas grow well in cool weather. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, yes, peas grow well here in Sitka. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eOlWMNCzVbIuVmPYlb5CmBXAiuWXBgNxJjP2eP2fq3R9oTfZV2V4w-cEwgIc2COnR87LlusCPE8bBRoXFg8nbtluyZARL_crgjDiaxNlItTuh-OEKsObGNoUHgpReMR6_Fa0LM4lx4M/s1600/DSC06788.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="570" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8eOlWMNCzVbIuVmPYlb5CmBXAiuWXBgNxJjP2eP2fq3R9oTfZV2V4w-cEwgIc2COnR87LlusCPE8bBRoXFg8nbtluyZARL_crgjDiaxNlItTuh-OEKsObGNoUHgpReMR6_Fa0LM4lx4M/s640/DSC06788.jpg" width="640" /></a></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There is more than one type of pea. Let's look at the most common three:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>SHELLING PEAS</b> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The most familiar type is the shelling pea. Open the mature pod and remove the peas. Eat the peas, not the pod. This variety of pea is often enjoyed fresh off the plant as a snack and added to salads. Shelled peas are added to a vast array of cooked meals. If they are not all gobbled up soon after harvest, shelled peas are easily canned, frozen or pickled.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of the shelling peas we have grown and enjoyed are: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ALDERMAN (TELEPHONE POLE) - With the best of all flavors, these plants are 8 feet tall and need support.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">CANOE - 2 1/2 feet tall. Semi-leafless means good air circulation. The curved pods are loaded with more peas than most varieties. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">GREEN ARROW - 2 feet tall. Pods are paired like twins! </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">MAESTRO - 2 feet tall. The pods reach out from the plant when mature.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SERGE - 2 1/2 feet tall. Semi-leafless <i>and</i> self supporting!</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpj_FSy6RlMIrx6j355WElKRgsQsZEgbdq8vdTGLOfGyaDGcnjXRbcxsh2r42C7u9UOLlLik6sDdqGibr9WSYxVhUKqaApPclRd-wLQCq09U_sP6SXfYK1uRuUVw-MUIYqrD4-Drt5Ugk/s1600/IMG_3581.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpj_FSy6RlMIrx6j355WElKRgsQsZEgbdq8vdTGLOfGyaDGcnjXRbcxsh2r42C7u9UOLlLik6sDdqGibr9WSYxVhUKqaApPclRd-wLQCq09U_sP6SXfYK1uRuUVw-MUIYqrD4-Drt5Ugk/s640/IMG_3581.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>SNAP PEAS</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Highly productive, snap pea plants grow lots of edible pods. Yes. Pick and eat the entire thing! When the peas inside the pod plump up and mature, so does the pod! Snap peas are deliciously sweet when picked and eaten fresh off the plant or when lightly cooked. I <i>especially</i> <i>love </i>snap peas pickled with garlic and dill.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of the snap peas we have grown and enjoyed are</span><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">:</span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">CASCADIA - 2 to 3 feet tall. Unusually sweet.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SUGAR ANN - Dwarf, sweet and self supporting.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SUGAR DADDY - 2 feet tall and self-supporting.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SUGAR LACE - Dwarf, semi-leafless and self supporting.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SUPER SUGAR SNAP - 5 feet tall. Unusually productive.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mOrrqz574kgp1nJVtCOGq-eknh3g4eA438e-F4MOLNY6hKzfimUJ-fi_7LL1uOuUClki0pMveOozyGUJihrxb1lU37UNuN5bha-gD_FLwxqdDGo-PsRgsgOTxz8vwLKdMcwb-MiFoO4/s1600/IMG_3587.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_mOrrqz574kgp1nJVtCOGq-eknh3g4eA438e-F4MOLNY6hKzfimUJ-fi_7LL1uOuUClki0pMveOozyGUJihrxb1lU37UNuN5bha-gD_FLwxqdDGo-PsRgsgOTxz8vwLKdMcwb-MiFoO4/s640/IMG_3587.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>SNOW PEAS</b></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As with snap peas, eat the sweet and tender pod and all! Unlike snap peas, the peas stay small inside the pod at maturity and the pods are flat. Snow peas are easy to grow and highly productive. Snow peas are eaten most often in salads and stir fries.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Some of the snow peas we have grown and enjoyed are:</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">MAMMOTH MELTING SUGAR - 4 to 5 feet tall.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">OREGON GIANT - 2 1/2 feet tall. The pod is giant!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">OREGON SUGAR POD II - 2 to 3 feet tall. Highly productive.</span></li>
</ul>
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYm9FNM3G7ZaeLAZe_5-B0ZTWxurdVy-x-50NqBfP37BZbekbABEXmOjn_A1cyWHyIKjajB5luuzaxO5jC5tQibxGCbCEUVIHzjHydxC-9eFx7kAFk4v32k4ov1q8Tyl8YQj8OpdYDRB4/s1600/IMG_3578.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYm9FNM3G7ZaeLAZe_5-B0ZTWxurdVy-x-50NqBfP37BZbekbABEXmOjn_A1cyWHyIKjajB5luuzaxO5jC5tQibxGCbCEUVIHzjHydxC-9eFx7kAFk4v32k4ov1q8Tyl8YQj8OpdYDRB4/s640/IMG_3578.jpg" width="640" /></span></a><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>GROWING PEAS</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Growing peas is simple and fun. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sometime in spring (we like mid-April) prepare an outdoor garden area for your peas. Some people start peas as early as March and others as late as July. Depending on the variety, maturity will be 60 to 90 days after your pea seeds sprout.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Peas like good drainage, composted organic matter, neutral soil (around a pH of 7) and one of your sunniest locations.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We had to do lots of terracing over the years in our steep yard in order to create garden beds. Consequently, we have lots of fencing. When choosing a location, keep in mind that most pea plants need to be supported or tied up to fences, trellises etc. Some pea varieties are self-supporting. Here is an example:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8z9aNUbWy612IWdukm3e76wFHBVYbFvxoauFn2sORA6TOVNh8J8ledjevuG2-bGKBW1RIgLT-0rPARkmOC3QVi8p57TlfusEZtDXTBJHzdNHD4f_FKT5IZHIuKgV9xo56NRsqohFAbeA/s1600/IMG_0860+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8z9aNUbWy612IWdukm3e76wFHBVYbFvxoauFn2sORA6TOVNh8J8ledjevuG2-bGKBW1RIgLT-0rPARkmOC3QVi8p57TlfusEZtDXTBJHzdNHD4f_FKT5IZHIuKgV9xo56NRsqohFAbeA/s640/IMG_0860+%25281%2529.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Self-supporting pea plants grow lots of tendrils. The tendrils attach the pea plants to each other and fences with no help from people!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd87zVYleIoCShi0THm0vrv8AAjZhYv6Qed0Mz7eZiGKQhPub45yM-08CyE8wtLh1UgAP48X6T8nAQScK4E2Umtwh9ldcF5RII71wg-XUy1806K13i5Hk0l9wAypPy_Z4Gk5xvXFQH604/s1600/DSC05531.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd87zVYleIoCShi0THm0vrv8AAjZhYv6Qed0Mz7eZiGKQhPub45yM-08CyE8wtLh1UgAP48X6T8nAQScK4E2Umtwh9ldcF5RII71wg-XUy1806K13i5Hk0l9wAypPy_Z4Gk5xvXFQH604/s640/DSC05531.jpg" width="580" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once your ground is prepared, choose your peas. It gives the peas you are planting a boost if you soak the peas a few hours, or overnight, in water that is room temperature:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvKdwP_EveGDG17GYXv0ilFgViipFx1afWVm8Y_WSxB-cwbe26otv1cFXDviCTDAF-Z6xUOUpYfWR-A_FvHpUfnKb-CHvnfkfxspCAU1HmbBKkzVnKamGoT1yrW9J1wRZ56AvU28ooGQ/s1600/IMG_0861.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuvKdwP_EveGDG17GYXv0ilFgViipFx1afWVm8Y_WSxB-cwbe26otv1cFXDviCTDAF-Z6xUOUpYfWR-A_FvHpUfnKb-CHvnfkfxspCAU1HmbBKkzVnKamGoT1yrW9J1wRZ56AvU28ooGQ/s640/IMG_0861.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-size: large;">After the peas have soaked, drain off the water. They are ready to plant. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I removed the fencing temporarily from the area where I intend to plant the peas. This is not necessary, but it made the process more convenient and accessible for me. I am planting the peas so plants will grow on both sides of the fence. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I dug two shallow ditches, about 1 1/2 inches deep on either side of the fence line. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I sprinkled the peas, not all that carefully, into the two ditches. I will spread and space them when I cover the seeds with soil.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCz8kpmoa-nHs7FbnX-ilOmIWuOqQ-mxsjiy-hqTAwZiws3FXIyqjqq0lUjFv-LOUbynhFakJqB53QDUUbLfeqyTPxb7Dit1c3qwZpC6WI8UXGozOXx9g-Xepd7Uo14yCjOK6CHR8wTpg/s1600/IMG_0790_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCz8kpmoa-nHs7FbnX-ilOmIWuOqQ-mxsjiy-hqTAwZiws3FXIyqjqq0lUjFv-LOUbynhFakJqB53QDUUbLfeqyTPxb7Dit1c3qwZpC6WI8UXGozOXx9g-Xepd7Uo14yCjOK6CHR8wTpg/s640/IMG_0790_2.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">On hands and knees, I spaced the pea seeds about 1 inch apart and covered them with the surrounding soil. They like to be planted down about 1 inch under the soil.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once covered with soil, I patted the soil down firmly over the pea seeds. Apparently, they like a little pressure for optimal germination and growth. Sprouts usually appear about 1 to 2 weeks later:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMXXgNaR6NRysBSvci4Kw8ZD7p3Y4NsTnXytDeOK1Me6Kng4uNihGr0huwZUs6b5hIcnvN5kSkvZnoYECfO5EaDScMRoWFrGJDz_r2PzFaCnHG2mefFUGCarvbBfiqJUP9s2H2_OpbH0/s1600/IMG_0959.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOMXXgNaR6NRysBSvci4Kw8ZD7p3Y4NsTnXytDeOK1Me6Kng4uNihGr0huwZUs6b5hIcnvN5kSkvZnoYECfO5EaDScMRoWFrGJDz_r2PzFaCnHG2mefFUGCarvbBfiqJUP9s2H2_OpbH0/s640/IMG_0959.jpg" width="418" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gently water your peas regularly. They like to be kept moist, but not soaking wet. You don't really need to cover the peas with a floating row cover, but I usually do. This is not so much to keep them warm, but rather to keep out ravens, crows and other birds. If a bird spots an exposed pea seed or two, it can lead to a digging and feeding frenzy!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Plant growth is vigorous when conditions are right:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfL-fY1YRoWilA2sMwGFFB0gGCWy1Hs8LIsq_RQErH47Qzk2dKaUT9UfMcP9Lph1PC6Y2hNWbI5vZtxjFTgQjGXY_HP1W_s_MuwWA98k_XveKdyHHz4IYNvIyVjxyIM_VGwIK1rH9PJk/s1600/IMG_1091.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYfL-fY1YRoWilA2sMwGFFB0gGCWy1Hs8LIsq_RQErH47Qzk2dKaUT9UfMcP9Lph1PC6Y2hNWbI5vZtxjFTgQjGXY_HP1W_s_MuwWA98k_XveKdyHHz4IYNvIyVjxyIM_VGwIK1rH9PJk/s640/IMG_1091.jpg" width="468" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">By mid-summer you will be snacking on peas!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We almost never have enough peas to freeze or pickle. It doesn't matter how many we grow. They are so delicious when fresh picked that they disappear in no time at all. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last summer we had a bumper crop. It was probably because it was an unusually warm summer. I pickled a case of peas before anyone but me got their hands on the last of the peas. They sure are tasty in winter!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fQt76yCi5jcG4rPw9O9Wa82supS05gL4Pz2VCEipf4aNP85mkWXs6tQacXoNgnVc1aKmfn8yfoAiKnUp7gOBoNl7aGNqwAzx4q0q4yxxmusF-NISWtn1DDkXd6dIR4f0IAD89Uk54tY/s1600/DSC07013.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fQt76yCi5jcG4rPw9O9Wa82supS05gL4Pz2VCEipf4aNP85mkWXs6tQacXoNgnVc1aKmfn8yfoAiKnUp7gOBoNl7aGNqwAzx4q0q4yxxmusF-NISWtn1DDkXd6dIR4f0IAD89Uk54tY/s640/DSC07013.jpg" width="552" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>HAPPY GARDENING!!!</b></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-9005042574687426062016-02-22T14:30:00.000-08:002017-04-04T13:11:48.231-07:00BEANS<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Canned green beans were common fare in my early years. Most everyone thought they tasted pretty good. Canned green beans frequently graced the table at home, in schools, in restaurants and at holiday gatherings. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What about the taste of beans straight from the garden? Well, once we ate fresh homegrown beans, there was no looking back. Incomparably delicious! And nutritious!</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapoWMbVCe_0p40t3NeQWjIGJ43GsFle8Itaiv-jDnWIwYFQCIXWUL52KGn7vwVJp_u7_VHxEdGzX3OzuYb3ws57XqqY_sdbv8hDdeIsezSkSIgAyFjOOfLL-ldoIOTbEAo7d74Ezbjqw/s1600/IMG_1800.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgapoWMbVCe_0p40t3NeQWjIGJ43GsFle8Itaiv-jDnWIwYFQCIXWUL52KGn7vwVJp_u7_VHxEdGzX3OzuYb3ws57XqqY_sdbv8hDdeIsezSkSIgAyFjOOfLL-ldoIOTbEAo7d74Ezbjqw/s640/IMG_1800.jpg" width="534" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In general, beans are a warm weather crop. The seeds sprout in soil 60 degrees and above. The plants are happiest in those temperatures, too. So it comes as no surprise that bean plants do not show much enthusiasm outdoors in our mostly cool, damp environment. Although we have had some success with a few varieties pampered outdoors under floating row covers, it is in the warmth of our greenhouse that beans have truly flourished. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>POLE BEANS</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Initially, like thirty years ago, I chose to grow <b>POLE</b> beans in our greenhouse on trellises. We grew several varieties including: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">BLUE LAKE</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">KENTUCKY WONDER</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">LIANA </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">RED NOODLE </span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Unfortunately, they attracted aphids beyond belief! </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a few years of battling aphids, I quit growing beans. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Although I had tons of energy for gardening, I did not have much experience or insight all those decades ago. Now I have insight and experience, but not nearly as much energy!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am thinking now that my aphid problem had little to do with the bean type, which was what I presumed back then. The problem was probably a consequence of the environment in which the beans were grown. I have not had an aphid problem with any kind of bean plant once I heeded the following:</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beans like to be kept warm.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beans like a slightly acidic soil. With our acidic volcanic soil, we are pretty much okay in this area.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beans are not heavy feeders, so go easy on the fertilizer.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Beans are not happy with lots of nitrogen. So, go easy if adding any manure or herring eggs. Too much nitrogen results in lots of greens and very few beans.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Beans tend to grow shallow roots. Consequently, the roots go dry rather quickly. They need to be kept moist. So, <i>water frequently</i>. Mulching the soil around the base of the bean plant does wonders for retaining the </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">moisture in the soil below. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bean plants do not like their leaves to be wet, especially as they fill out and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">have less air circulation. Water the base of the plant, not the leaves.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>BUSH BEANS</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When I learned about the existence of </span><i style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b>bush</b></span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> beans, I gave beans another try. Bush beans are considered the most trouble free of all bean types.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are many bush bean varieties.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Here are a couple of varieties we enjoyed in the past:</span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTT3GTFwHIWk_QbFtrM8uCPI5gfPyy4QjJ2DOVd0HAxe41lObD0Ooe-9AyoNyUlnApl-kZtgLJGWYjeaNIbUJG0SsCDIy2JYKl3HLYObFf0XWckL75_ysCzrpAV8KMbI-nWMfmSko8no/s1600/IMG_3534.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxTT3GTFwHIWk_QbFtrM8uCPI5gfPyy4QjJ2DOVd0HAxe41lObD0Ooe-9AyoNyUlnApl-kZtgLJGWYjeaNIbUJG0SsCDIy2JYKl3HLYObFf0XWckL75_ysCzrpAV8KMbI-nWMfmSko8no/s640/IMG_3534.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Last year's bush bean varieties:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWJW2F0Xb8YhxPHiPre6uAKQgYZ_G1gTDHaK-kx2oeCatRoievIl76Y7Nz8I6QnUos5NrcMeZ_ydIzjxdxJKcHPIxVRr75ySqger-0E2eO1_eWO4r6Ov-BzgE34N7Ke06QNqh3EJN-VA/s1600/IMG_3594.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="470" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHWJW2F0Xb8YhxPHiPre6uAKQgYZ_G1gTDHaK-kx2oeCatRoievIl76Y7Nz8I6QnUos5NrcMeZ_ydIzjxdxJKcHPIxVRr75ySqger-0E2eO1_eWO4r6Ov-BzgE34N7Ke06QNqh3EJN-VA/s640/IMG_3594.jpg" width="640" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">These three bush bean varieties will hopefully be growing in our greenhouse this year:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaavpk8sAkQkvMsozpEPKayNN14ue_NLQhAwUgdLT3hSI4A3ILur_h3UdYLqfVquwIsjjL9KMF86WriITBz4qoYMQh5LJ_4hpi5Xayg4c7CICmJo9R-InCtTjWL9KneknNaUjfOe6how/s1600/IMG_3536.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggaavpk8sAkQkvMsozpEPKayNN14ue_NLQhAwUgdLT3hSI4A3ILur_h3UdYLqfVquwIsjjL9KMF86WriITBz4qoYMQh5LJ_4hpi5Xayg4c7CICmJo9R-InCtTjWL9KneknNaUjfOe6how/s640/IMG_3536.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>FAVA BEANS</b></span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfWCaTer12G7xESzZ96PAqeTCae9kaCVAMnTIhHG1KjMPXzE99qNt28E32-hcCxnwk7emiM5mdfzoVkaugjo-a3AFFItiZME2vG4nPaNXC88uu8PX2KNzR7DV_7OZPFWTcY-34dlv8sM/s1600/IMG_4905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilfWCaTer12G7xESzZ96PAqeTCae9kaCVAMnTIhHG1KjMPXzE99qNt28E32-hcCxnwk7emiM5mdfzoVkaugjo-a3AFFItiZME2vG4nPaNXC88uu8PX2KNzR7DV_7OZPFWTcY-34dlv8sM/s640/IMG_4905.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><span style="font-size: large;">When you read the information on FAVA bean</span><span style="font-size: large;"> seed packets, it might be confusing. Unlike the heat loving pole and bush beans described above, fava beans are described as growing well in cool, coastal climates... similar to peas. As it turns out, fava beans are, in fact, ancient members of the pea family! This is good news! </span></span></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uhB8bgCCRI72pGejdKMLgPOPIxI0yRGEbOcnqo5ATJsV5s9rm-xuaHSLTtlZ6R94EZoBPT4pvTnjF8Hel0PPC02MehGTW8vJPXZRH8qN_NYjTttV4mI1xA0tou-qXHOHmgjr14-jErY/s1600/IMG_3533.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6uhB8bgCCRI72pGejdKMLgPOPIxI0yRGEbOcnqo5ATJsV5s9rm-xuaHSLTtlZ6R94EZoBPT4pvTnjF8Hel0PPC02MehGTW8vJPXZRH8qN_NYjTttV4mI1xA0tou-qXHOHmgjr14-jErY/s640/IMG_3533.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are some healthy FAVA bean starts grown from seed:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphtEymKcir1ZTsQnI_slUbLknoqptgeLQyx_Yuo0t0qpVTYLUjmjen3CyDUpxsvxTV0dko9-kSmlNDhA0KP4JuPfbP1nsG95SLccpYwNN_oz93qOuSFRo9YF7PG2sb6JV9ggulZGawyw/s1600/IMG_3992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="598" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphtEymKcir1ZTsQnI_slUbLknoqptgeLQyx_Yuo0t0qpVTYLUjmjen3CyDUpxsvxTV0dko9-kSmlNDhA0KP4JuPfbP1nsG95SLccpYwNN_oz93qOuSFRo9YF7PG2sb6JV9ggulZGawyw/s640/IMG_3992.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The pretty flowers on the FAVA bean plants crowd together:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid93hmeXtKgUXaRtYD6Pv28ReYSRAbQr0R6vKOTz7VlYE11zk7RVqpCc5TKWAwp5MdazpDZioPS5NZx7dzNVXPruGB-BVbOIBt9CAF-OLk8ssRluQbHUbsWxn9Hv53lB-v5cLUWqknls8/s1600/IMG_4904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid93hmeXtKgUXaRtYD6Pv28ReYSRAbQr0R6vKOTz7VlYE11zk7RVqpCc5TKWAwp5MdazpDZioPS5NZx7dzNVXPruGB-BVbOIBt9CAF-OLk8ssRluQbHUbsWxn9Hv53lB-v5cLUWqknls8/s640/IMG_4904.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The bad news, and what discourages many people from growing FAVA beans, is the amount of work it takes to prepare them for most recipes. Here is the scoop:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>HOW TO PEEL FAVA BEANS</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bring a quart of water with 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil in a pot.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">While the water is heating, remove all of the beans from the pods.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When all of the beans have been removed, drop the beans into the boiling water for two minutes. (This is called blanching).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After two minutes, scoop the beans out of the boiling water and drop them into a bowl of very cold water to cool them quickly.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Drain the cooled beans.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remove the outer skin of each bean by splitting the bean skin open and squeezing out the bean.</span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Once the FAVA beans are skinned, they are delicious: </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">added to salads</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">on top of toasted, crusty bread with cheese melted on top</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">added to seafood fettuccine</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">as a side dish: mix fava beans with steamed asparagus and top with toasted ground almonds and a lemony dressing or sauce.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fava beans <i>really are delicious</i>. You might decide they are worth all of the work once you have enjoyed their buttery, nutty flavor. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am aware of a quick and easy way to prepare FAVA beans. <i>GRILLING!!!</i> Grill the unopened FAVA bean pods slowly, turning the pods frequently for 10 minutes or so until they look a little charred. Remove the pods from the grill and cool them a little. If you grill the FAVA bean pods when they are young and tender, you can enjoy eating the pod and all. If you have more mature pods, pop them open and enjoy the steamed beans from inside with a little lemon and your favorite dipping sauce.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fava beans have done well in our gardens... both outside under a floating row cover and inside our greenhouse.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>STARTING BEAN SEEDS</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Why do I start bean seeds at the end of April??? It is a matter of space.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In April and May there are a large number of plant starts crowded together in our greenhouse. They are in the greenhouse hardening off and waiting for warmer weather to be planted outdoors. I start the bush bean seeds inside my house at the end of April. After the beans sprout, they grow quickly to a good size by the end of May. This coincides with when I move most of the other vegetable starts out of the greenhouse for transplanting into the outdoor beds. Once the cool weather plants are moved outdoors, there is plenty of space in the greenhouse. The bean starts, along with other heat loving plants, are transplanted into very large pots or directly into the warm soil floor of our greenhouse.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Let's look at starting bean seeds:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2JCqhIsIRX3OnxSUX6e1FX7JEmV02VbqZzS9F7rzibN24Emqh8lypc1r8N9PQYJWkFX7IdDurudLpT3y31J-FRCEzDGI5Cqysw_p4voXIm5QZCyYgCeq8RP-qfmTjT0vcdh9uGB-69E/s1600/IMG_0781_2.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge2JCqhIsIRX3OnxSUX6e1FX7JEmV02VbqZzS9F7rzibN24Emqh8lypc1r8N9PQYJWkFX7IdDurudLpT3y31J-FRCEzDGI5Cqysw_p4voXIm5QZCyYgCeq8RP-qfmTjT0vcdh9uGB-69E/s640/IMG_0781_2.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fill 4" pots with potting soil or seed starting mix.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Place the soil filled pots on a tray of some sort.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Poke anywhere from three to five holes in the soil of each pot. The hole should be about 1 inch deep.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Drop a bean seed in each hole.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cover the beans with some fine sand or soil. Press the soil firmly over the seeds.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gently water all of the pots until well moistened.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Place the tray in your warmest, sunniest window. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You can use a seed warming mat, but it is not necessary.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cover the tray of pots loosely with clear </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">plastic.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remove the plastic cover regularly to gently water.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most beans will sprout in about 10 days.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here are some bean starts </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">at the end of May </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ready to be planted in the greenhouse:</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIojnypXOTG-2dQPoqI_Qr7xiAIHAWi5S98y-xp_CZ7J6p83IieVk3Xj0S42anAS-oGf7UstHVA2Z_fK3iCNmLD-HToIQ5-seg-JhBUQX8MsbXig3fFb5cq3O4c_VAGnTHVSiReaISCjM/s1600/IMG_0859.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIojnypXOTG-2dQPoqI_Qr7xiAIHAWi5S98y-xp_CZ7J6p83IieVk3Xj0S42anAS-oGf7UstHVA2Z_fK3iCNmLD-HToIQ5-seg-JhBUQX8MsbXig3fFb5cq3O4c_VAGnTHVSiReaISCjM/s640/IMG_0859.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In no time at all they were happily growing inside the warm greenhouse in large black pots. The pots used were 15" tall with a diameter of 18 to 20". Three or four of the healthiest plants were transplanted into each of the pots:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8zIYdfBMg6Psb1EXsuL4SnkE2A5rT-2PWDdx9PfbDbaRRfqOSp88xthFOZL0mJCp87ND4sfkn_Dksco5NbzfsV_-M-WysGQ0AgjugfBaUj_wl2CKlD0mdOOa9urBhRIAGsAlc0-WTLA/s1600/IMG_1216.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj8zIYdfBMg6Psb1EXsuL4SnkE2A5rT-2PWDdx9PfbDbaRRfqOSp88xthFOZL0mJCp87ND4sfkn_Dksco5NbzfsV_-M-WysGQ0AgjugfBaUj_wl2CKlD0mdOOa9urBhRIAGsAlc0-WTLA/s640/IMG_1216.jpg" width="538" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The first of the bush beans were ready for picking in July. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It seems the more you pick, the more they grow!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">ROYAL BURGUNDY:</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQxVGgUu0fb7sZZS6vbiQG9OqU9toBwvriDkpdt2K2nQ3lFFIpuqcuig0vuqIbALpsZSKmgEVobzuPe48ifMw0kDbPmmBu79vR_SfkIpuPw0r4gUq2XYoN1c9OE1ZWaUqX6h3WsZ0xkc/s1600/IMG_1520.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizQxVGgUu0fb7sZZS6vbiQG9OqU9toBwvriDkpdt2K2nQ3lFFIpuqcuig0vuqIbALpsZSKmgEVobzuPe48ifMw0kDbPmmBu79vR_SfkIpuPw0r4gUq2XYoN1c9OE1ZWaUqX6h3WsZ0xkc/s640/IMG_1520.jpg" width="422" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /><br /><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">FRENCH GOURMET GREEN BABY FILET TYPE:</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXE6GkoGxYGucDS3O-RLv6VSCYqs75vvjoX2ZNILxdpn8r2FANmUo24rPzcshbMqcC8CcuaZQvuJghj2BbA7v4wNp5EbPZl9HXhJBogtUcfWBnNs-VBh2h7o3H0SoH1FTSEGJtkHLaCg/s1600/IMG_1800.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxXE6GkoGxYGucDS3O-RLv6VSCYqs75vvjoX2ZNILxdpn8r2FANmUo24rPzcshbMqcC8CcuaZQvuJghj2BbA7v4wNp5EbPZl9HXhJBogtUcfWBnNs-VBh2h7o3H0SoH1FTSEGJtkHLaCg/s640/IMG_1800.jpg" width="424" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The DOW GAUK plants did not produce well. After reading the fine print, it turns out that they are not actually beans. Like FAVA beans, DOW GAUK beans are actually peas. And, DOW GAUK grows like a pole bean, not a bush bean! I might try growing them again anyhow. I will be more conscious of the soil preparation, watering and other issues. Something bean-like that tastes similar to asparagus just might be worth the effort!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-large;"><b>COOKING BUSH AND POLE BEANS</b></span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Our quick and easy favorite recipe for both bush and pole beans is to simply </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">steam the beans about 5 to 8 minutes, until just tender,</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> and sprinkle on our favorite seasonings or some crumbled smoked salmon. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A little fancier and more flavorful approach starts the same: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Steam the beans for about 5 minutes. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">While the beans are steaming, cook two or three bacon strips in a medium sized fry pan.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remove the cooked bacon and drain on a paper towel. Remove all but a tablespoon of the bacon fat from the fry pan. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once the beans have steamed, remove from the pot and drain.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Saute the drained beans briefly over medium-high heat, two or three minutes, in the fry pan containing the tablespoon of bacon fat. Stir constantly and then remove from heat.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Crumble the cooked bacon strips and sprinkle over the beans before serving. </span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We sometimes harvest enough pole and bush beans to do some pickling. </span></span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRVuhyphenhyphenM_gqhbh79tZmCW3MUhUTgvyNPG03P872OgCv8vOB4Sjhyphenhyphen2TfG3eeBudhybUHHk4UvrSh4qY7nOdaDUENxTXInu0MtsX_bazOnywIQKD24NTCAl4Ez-CFDjnZi_c-fg2htVBDjg/s1600/IMG_3328.jpg" imageanchor="1"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxRVuhyphenhyphenM_gqhbh79tZmCW3MUhUTgvyNPG03P872OgCv8vOB4Sjhyphenhyphen2TfG3eeBudhybUHHk4UvrSh4qY7nOdaDUENxTXInu0MtsX_bazOnywIQKD24NTCAl4Ez-CFDjnZi_c-fg2htVBDjg/s640/IMG_3328.jpg" width="480" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The pickling process takes a little time, but is pretty simple:</span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cut the beans 3 to 3 1/2 " to fit a pint-sized canning jar.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Steam the beans until just tender... 3 to 5 minutes. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remove the beans from the steamer and dump them into very cold water for about 5 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Drain the cold beans.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Decide how many pint-sized canning jars you will be using and sterilize them in boiling water.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Place 1 clove of garlic, whole or chopped, into the bottom of each pint sized canning jar. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Add fresh or dried dill weed to each jar. I like to use a lot of dill, so I grow my own.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fill each jar with the cut beans.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Make a 50/50 mix of apple cider vinegar and water. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You will need about 1 cup of liquid for each pint jar. Bring this liquid to a boil in a sauce pan. </span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cover the beans in each jar with the boiling mix. There should be a space at the top of the jar of about 1 inch.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Place sterilized lids on the top of each jar and screw on sterilized rings.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Submerge the filled and covered jars in a boiling water bath for 10 minutes.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><i>HAPPY GARDENING!!!</i></b></span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirY_H3gEEcV3Yg8Szmb6OgPgPy4LyB-0smLl3iMvGX6KbPtoZbzATkxlxSazZIujIhuANT6csC8qWS5-ale4OsTknWBOdieZwwLtEdu3LNFl0lBLwTUpwrgCZA8Gln47200hyaaCxt2Ao/s1600/DSC06916.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirY_H3gEEcV3Yg8Szmb6OgPgPy4LyB-0smLl3iMvGX6KbPtoZbzATkxlxSazZIujIhuANT6csC8qWS5-ale4OsTknWBOdieZwwLtEdu3LNFl0lBLwTUpwrgCZA8Gln47200hyaaCxt2Ao/s640/DSC06916.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-9712691671518126802016-02-07T20:25:00.001-08:002017-04-04T13:12:10.668-07:00SPINACH<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8bKWfVYMJmwtzwR-gnGGOai29WNj-Z3ttu_24hdRko2NRm3Y1RdgKnyKiXi6CwGYBEzj2FNrKucT4-Ui_7_3MjRMGQMidMkZ2wkC-qzNOQK23nTrMx4otUSCVzaMN54XQK8l_z7OOQw/s1600/IMG_1885.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge8bKWfVYMJmwtzwR-gnGGOai29WNj-Z3ttu_24hdRko2NRm3Y1RdgKnyKiXi6CwGYBEzj2FNrKucT4-Ui_7_3MjRMGQMidMkZ2wkC-qzNOQK23nTrMx4otUSCVzaMN54XQK8l_z7OOQw/s640/IMG_1885.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I can't believe I love spinach! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spinach was one of those vegetables I could barely choke down when young. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I undoubtedly practiced the best of my disappearing vegetable tricks whenever spinach, all mushy and wet, showed up on my plate.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, now I love to eat spinach and I love to grow spinach. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fresh, homegrown spinach <i>and</i> a good recipe make all the difference!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have grown and enjoyed many spinach varieties. Let's have a look at a few we found to be outstanding: </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>EVERLASTING SPINACH</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEXx17aigkQF7l17xsKP51vf0IViD9q7zfKtkKKFjSW1Wnou1rVCiURdP4z5-w_7h0ybIQu95F1F6D0uS0UXft3rJB9K8YsvgrC3Moe9jAcVMGl1UToSXSCbxnfLMpsHMTa7KgCAurIc/s1600/IMG_3522.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjEXx17aigkQF7l17xsKP51vf0IViD9q7zfKtkKKFjSW1Wnou1rVCiURdP4z5-w_7h0ybIQu95F1F6D0uS0UXft3rJB9K8YsvgrC3Moe9jAcVMGl1UToSXSCbxnfLMpsHMTa7KgCAurIc/s640/IMG_3522.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Maybe this spinach got the name EVERLASTING for more than one reason. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">First of all, it did not bolt in our garden throughout the entire season! When a plant <i>bolts</i>, it produces flowers and seeds. The leaf production diminishes as the energy goes to the flowers and seeds. Many varieties of spinach tend to bolt when the summer days warm up and lengthen.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In fertile soil, the beautiful, savoyed (crinkled) leaves of a vigorous EVERLASTING spinach plant will grow large and healthy throughout the summer and into fall. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Another reason for the name </span><span style="font-size: large;">EVERLASTING</span><span style="font-size: large;"> is because this spinach is, in fact, a biennial plant! This explains the failure to bolt the first year. A biennial plant ordinarily grows leaves the entire first season. The second year, the biennial plant grows flowers and seeds before it dies off. So, if you allow it, you will likely see your EVERLASTING spinach plants revive the second year to produce flowers and seeds.</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">A third reason for the name EVERLASTING, at least from my viewpoint, is because this variety of spinach will always have a place in our gardens. </span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>MONNOPA SPINACH</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMeeBGKL-CPNrmZasN2y_3l-o0AEbH5XJnxhF34YsTAvYgdsWDwHG28tLo8y83_1fcXfNLEqRU-R-p8LUmZ6evrzBa0_ecf-kk04JEpgNXR55uJiMMmUVeWZDehDvxjh8JE3Zr0PZmf0/s1600/IMG_3525.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeMeeBGKL-CPNrmZasN2y_3l-o0AEbH5XJnxhF34YsTAvYgdsWDwHG28tLo8y83_1fcXfNLEqRU-R-p8LUmZ6evrzBa0_ecf-kk04JEpgNXR55uJiMMmUVeWZDehDvxjh8JE3Zr0PZmf0/s640/IMG_3525.jpg" width="572" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;">Spinach, in general, is known to contain oxalic acid. The </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">bitter taste of spinach is, at least in part, a consequence of oxalic acid. Also, it sounds like this oxalic acid can interfere with the absorption of calcium and possibly other beneficial minerals in our diets. So, it is good to know there is a sweet tasting spinach found to be low in oxalic acid. MONNOPA!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">MONNOPA spinach is unusually tasty. We have been eating it off and on for nearly 30 years. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As with many spinach varieties, MONNOPA is an annual and tends to bolt by mid-summer if started in spring. I let the plants bolt and harvest the seeds by summer's end. No need to purchase seeds the next year if you harvest and save your own!</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have enjoyed MONNOPA leaves in the fall months by starting more seeds and planting another small bed in June or July.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>NEW ZEALAND SPINACH</b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6IEcWla_6vCD5XDoQ9NuSf0r9wwsiW5P1TW1FeQWCwllef6ABwEcL_v6YWOD7VnROdG7_7F9VW0qsrB0ijy6jnwJ-xk8l6QE3_Oi20uZtwxa3PHqzMjWMRIiAZYstwVFXtMeLo2pUF0/s1600/IMG_3527.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_6IEcWla_6vCD5XDoQ9NuSf0r9wwsiW5P1TW1FeQWCwllef6ABwEcL_v6YWOD7VnROdG7_7F9VW0qsrB0ijy6jnwJ-xk8l6QE3_Oi20uZtwxa3PHqzMjWMRIiAZYstwVFXtMeLo2pUF0/s640/IMG_3527.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Tetragonia tetragonoides</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Do a little research and you will learn that NEW ZEALAND spinach is not a true spinach. It was called "spinach" because it looks and tastes a lot like spinach. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NEW ZEALAND spinach is a perennial in some parts of the world, but has acted like an annual in our gardens. It dies off by winter, never to return. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NEW ZEALAND spinach is not early to bolt. Luscious stems and leaves are plentiful for harvest all through the summer and into fall. The plants continuously grow and spread covered with deep green, succulent looking leaves of various sizes. The upper stems are tender and easily picked with attached leaves for good eating. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gradually, by early fall, small yellow flowers begin to form. The plant tends to die off here in Sitka before seeds mature.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NEW ZEALAND spinach is high in oxalic acid. It might reduce the oxalic acid a tiny bit by dropping the leaves and tender stems into boiling water (called blanching) for 2 or 3 minutes. Next, cool the greens in a container of cold water. Finally, drain. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy blanched NEW ZEALAND spinach mixed in with sautéed onions or leeks. These greens are delicious in an omelet or quiche! Maybe add to a stir fry. Enjoy the greens chopped into a salad. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">It is simple to vacuum and freeze your blanched NEW ZEALAND spinach after draining it well. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">After blanching and draining, we have also dehydrated these greens and blended them into a powder. The powder is a quick and easy addition to such things as soups, smoothies, green drinks... and so much more.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>STARTING SPINACH</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's use NEW ZEALAND spinach for the example here.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In the past I liked to start my spinach seeds around mid-April. But, nowadays, it makes more sense to start them in early April. You will likely be successful starting them even earlier. Spinach plants do not seem to mind being cool once the seeds have sprouted.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So, let's get those seeds sprouting indoors!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Soak your seeds for several hours, even overnight, in room temperature water. These seeds are large!</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1M8RzcFmRvdrmXw0F20PnQYXsshUmpNES0BqDC6HmCYpraFLgnvLUk7V_V6iNRXesJAsuX0kfqXtoT7m_GaSUGed0oHmIY-Xe-xPibhZp_qhE2f6Ylp9CESvcVQ8Zd-gipG0nwHYmEU/s1600/IMG_1111.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjr1M8RzcFmRvdrmXw0F20PnQYXsshUmpNES0BqDC6HmCYpraFLgnvLUk7V_V6iNRXesJAsuX0kfqXtoT7m_GaSUGed0oHmIY-Xe-xPibhZp_qhE2f6Ylp9CESvcVQ8Zd-gipG0nwHYmEU/s640/IMG_1111.jpg" width="370" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Fill 4" pots with potting soil or a seed starting mix.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Plant 2 or 3 seeds in each 4" pot. The seeds should be planted about 1/2 inch deep.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Place your pots on a tray in a warm location or on top of a seed starting mat.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Keep the soil in the pots moistened, but not soaking wet.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Loosely cover the tray of pots with plastic, except when uncovered for watering. </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDCdoFFrtAJYOh3A3wl2jGI5hv5_c3jrYJ4n4sgz9xtMd0Rlq0Jw9qrvH0hB_hUHzogqzYqO94fVrhZzJEHW8lsoWl0w2xsE54xMTJArXmh8T4GEJi98M4SvXACARrt2jKfhf3SyRScg/s1600/DSC06572.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinDCdoFFrtAJYOh3A3wl2jGI5hv5_c3jrYJ4n4sgz9xtMd0Rlq0Jw9qrvH0hB_hUHzogqzYqO94fVrhZzJEHW8lsoWl0w2xsE54xMTJArXmh8T4GEJi98M4SvXACARrt2jKfhf3SyRScg/s640/DSC06572.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most spinach seeds are not quick to germinate. It can take a few weeks before you see your little sprouts.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NEW ZEALAND spinach seeds, in particular, can take as many as 3 weeks to germinate... and not all at the same time. Not all of these seeds will germinate. That is why I like to put 2 or 3 seeds in each pot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once the majority of the seeds have germinated, remove the plastic cover. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">No need for the seedling heat mat either. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Keep the plants moist and warm indoors in your sunniest window until they are a couple of inches tall. At this point, the plants will look sizable and healthy. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Move the tray of plants out to a cold frame or greenhouse for a week or two. A protected, outdoor location will help the plants get accustomed to being cool at night. This is called hardening off. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Meanwhile, prepare a raised bed of fertile soil for your spinach starts. In general, spinach likes a somewhat sweet soil. Because of the volcanic ash in our soil, you might want to till in some shell sand or store bought sweetener with your spinach soil to raise the pH of the soil a little. Go easy if you use lime! </span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Here is a close up look at my NEW ZEALAND spinach starts when they were ready to plant outdoors in a raised bed.</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBFqLQSNVYgi52VZ5o9OvrdnerVrWgvAtMHitzM8Hm7CO5IlXZuw4du8GCV7XcETncPt-DTwISHRyJX8g3XTwRbLWKyKp5T-s1M_3Qz4EKJ3Lf41gRvHKwR6vyO7g2ljnNiTG6UeuiNk/s1600/IMG_1885+%25282%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixBFqLQSNVYgi52VZ5o9OvrdnerVrWgvAtMHitzM8Hm7CO5IlXZuw4du8GCV7XcETncPt-DTwISHRyJX8g3XTwRbLWKyKp5T-s1M_3Qz4EKJ3Lf41gRvHKwR6vyO7g2ljnNiTG6UeuiNk/s640/IMG_1885+%25282%2529.jpg" width="520" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">So into the ground went the starts. If there was more than one plant in a pot, I separated them so each plant has its' own spot.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">They were planted about 1 foot apart.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfBCCoSfbQac3KwjmYzVG7PDxlDk6r0sumdDvsLeV8M1B9oKW8P_WXv62FqBZyqUfg0h6KqRq9YRA5drTewonv3Zx9Ft33NvJiGatwd57Pe8Kb5ohCZ2jpe27x0CLnCOq8gY7NA1fFKY/s1600/IMG_1890.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJfBCCoSfbQac3KwjmYzVG7PDxlDk6r0sumdDvsLeV8M1B9oKW8P_WXv62FqBZyqUfg0h6KqRq9YRA5drTewonv3Zx9Ft33NvJiGatwd57Pe8Kb5ohCZ2jpe27x0CLnCOq8gY7NA1fFKY/s640/IMG_1890.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Notice there is a little bowl type depression around each plant. Spinach likes to be moist. So, whether from rain or a watering hose, the bowls fill up around each plant to insure that the roots get plenty of water.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Best to cover the entire bed loosely with a floating row cover. Although they do not bother NEW ZEALAND spinach, aphids like some spinach varieties. The floating row cover will keep out pests and it will increase the soil temperature significantly. No need to remove the floating row cover for watering. Rain and sun pass through the cloth. Keep the row cover in place with rocks or some other weight.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddBP2LuZ0pBxW52EdC1An0iUJ4bVw1P39cuAm8Fr9XOOnIX5M3cuWtTgHtKqZK3XOl8krQ0WYIM_GQg4Ju5-GcDgz9FFBZFTpu4REizb9JpT-2ZSQ0w_TUy8n_8FIgvNgr3Ce415iDNY/s1600/IMG_2147+%25281%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="578" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjddBP2LuZ0pBxW52EdC1An0iUJ4bVw1P39cuAm8Fr9XOOnIX5M3cuWtTgHtKqZK3XOl8krQ0WYIM_GQg4Ju5-GcDgz9FFBZFTpu4REizb9JpT-2ZSQ0w_TUy8n_8FIgvNgr3Ce415iDNY/s640/IMG_2147+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a productive summer with lots of harvesting, here is a look at some of the NEW ZEALAND spinach plants in early fall. They are beginning to show their tiny yellow flowers. This is when I made a final large harvest, blanched it all, dehydrated it all and blended it into a powder for use throughout winter and spring.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAOr-AFpLqWgE6Mw04oLA4vDdQ7MDUatAvqPJBYgV26njpgzJaa96MZnH0-vd9GHWLiWyMr4sPjYeUVKbFR11ezxLJGV3OCh4gTc255yHvh8HufuNX2osch1WE3B56ydvGNsDw3vLNYk/s1600/DSC06868.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibAOr-AFpLqWgE6Mw04oLA4vDdQ7MDUatAvqPJBYgV26njpgzJaa96MZnH0-vd9GHWLiWyMr4sPjYeUVKbFR11ezxLJGV3OCh4gTc255yHvh8HufuNX2osch1WE3B56ydvGNsDw3vLNYk/s640/DSC06868.jpg" width="636" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">There are so many varieties of spinach! I encourage you to try at least one new variety each year. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">HAPPY GARDENING!</span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span>Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-51148896580387462342016-01-29T17:12:00.000-08:002017-04-04T13:12:34.390-07:00PARSNIPS<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfT4Zpayp60G0neREHRDxLrZEbsMa5TL6d1OgNvmWx0AQQByiSkppEAY6D6KwwzqyTitW7NEWikUdNssLvAFzNmhYbdlxh5WPI1ptw41LEJbKSzdqbM78H2H-ydS235LeUggSYHsRV220/s1600/IMG_2716.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfT4Zpayp60G0neREHRDxLrZEbsMa5TL6d1OgNvmWx0AQQByiSkppEAY6D6KwwzqyTitW7NEWikUdNssLvAFzNmhYbdlxh5WPI1ptw41LEJbKSzdqbM78H2H-ydS235LeUggSYHsRV220/s640/IMG_2716.jpg" width="600" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pastinaca sativa is the scientific name for parsnips. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Similar to carrots, parsnips are biennial. They</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> grow a deep root and green tops the first year. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The second year, parsnips flower and seed before dying away. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Looks like parsnip consumption is unusually beneficial to human health</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">! The</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> post below is from <b>Organic Facts</b>:</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphp3PZh1vftRZByEDcVjgxjhrUEaRwNlfCx_cO4JPGBizdcD8-9a7kP6jxsOlQxEOn163CLXwqxxpiWxZ-g53Dqmxtdw1nr64bOsJWxsxrSuk17X1snh6tcc-H5_nT7rAMJWfXIfTrEQ/s1600/parsnipinfo.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhphp3PZh1vftRZByEDcVjgxjhrUEaRwNlfCx_cO4JPGBizdcD8-9a7kP6jxsOlQxEOn163CLXwqxxpiWxZ-g53Dqmxtdw1nr64bOsJWxsxrSuk17X1snh6tcc-H5_nT7rAMJWfXIfTrEQ/s640/parsnipinfo.jpg" width="474" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Parsnips have been welcome in our gardens off and on for many years. Parsnip seed germination, however, has been challenging... until the last few years, that is.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's dive right into the WHEN and HOW of growing parsnips.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>WHEN AND HOW TO GROW PARSNIPS</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mid-April is a reasonable time to begin preparation so that parsnip starts will be ready to go outdoors into the ground early in May. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is best, but not necessary, to prepare your outdoor bed for parsnips sometime in fall for planting the next spring. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whether prepping the soil in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">fall or spring, <b><i>lightly </i></b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">enrich the soil for the parsnips.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> Hopefully, your soil already has plenty of sand included. If your soil is about 1/3 sand, it will promote good drainage and good passage for growing roots. </span></span><br />
<ul>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Expect to spend at least a day on this project. Any fall day will do, but pick a day around mid-April if doing this in spring. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span><br />
<ul>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Gather some of the loose seaweed mix from the high tide line of a beach. As with carrots, it is best to go lightly with the nitrogen in your parsnip bed. Too much nitrogen, such as overdoing chicken manure or herring eggs, will result in hairy looking, forked roots. So, include very little, if any, herring eggs in the seaweed you gather. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spread the seaweed mix on top of your intended parsnip row. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you have some totally decomposed organic matter, spread <i><b>a little</b></i> evenly over the top of your seaweed covered parsnip row. </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mix all of this new top layer into the soil underneath with a shovel or rototiller.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If possible, cover the prepared row with a tarp. This will help to warm the soil and promote decomposition of added nutrients.</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>STARTING PARSNIP SEEDS</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Mid-April is not only when you want to have your outdoor garden bed primed for growing parsnips, it is also when you need to get the parsnip seeds going indoors. If you haven't yet purchased your s</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">eeds, here are some varieties that have done well in our gardens:</span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBRzI6h0rK4Hvstaqdb2RJlvNc-N-K1A5Jzhar3_wWBvmQXu_goKbn2MJ_oJdToTWR30Ij1L8z_5QEnPgpZwtwu0AnMlHaMtkT1Eai9uPIh0cNKMjX9eZ3dMT7g6Rl2_vbT1A2vy7v64/s1600/IMG_1225.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUBRzI6h0rK4Hvstaqdb2RJlvNc-N-K1A5Jzhar3_wWBvmQXu_goKbn2MJ_oJdToTWR30Ij1L8z_5QEnPgpZwtwu0AnMlHaMtkT1Eai9uPIh0cNKMjX9eZ3dMT7g6Rl2_vbT1A2vy7v64/s640/IMG_1225.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div>
</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtTS7Jlvzw9vvLeCGRI9glZ3sKDaySbWzOudNuMIAtQLaNOCZNiDXzU_7hATCGPjghOdTipZGATwd_E_DEnB2sn4N7vpBUhQcuClYrsc4JWMKYAZymPiRailU_9tfktvzj8JoZLwFymg/s1600/IMG_1231.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCtTS7Jlvzw9vvLeCGRI9glZ3sKDaySbWzOudNuMIAtQLaNOCZNiDXzU_7hATCGPjghOdTipZGATwd_E_DEnB2sn4N7vpBUhQcuClYrsc4JWMKYAZymPiRailU_9tfktvzj8JoZLwFymg/s640/IMG_1231.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AhMeDIEqfrx0GQydBk5Xfc3iqxF5XIw1t6nAsF9X6S9WvqCrpWpaWMiLe1bYtdftvwOUnylC9V8FsTqdpkJefaCnyeqqa04Z5aozp9QeA5Fqmhyw38mCxN33HKFnbjRCF5iou8L8PDs/s1600/IMG_1228.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_AhMeDIEqfrx0GQydBk5Xfc3iqxF5XIw1t6nAsF9X6S9WvqCrpWpaWMiLe1bYtdftvwOUnylC9V8FsTqdpkJefaCnyeqqa04Z5aozp9QeA5Fqmhyw38mCxN33HKFnbjRCF5iou8L8PDs/s640/IMG_1228.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvC8ZoYqYdeIoF0MbhNRbFhd1d2x7iEiD6V4-2QRroO44TmyptdwipBd-dFbN4XnQo-xGZ8E9CLBm_Dy57MCIrc8YSfRkJfQU9-TgV6j5-TNEXqS-7FN-T_Sob6-uvtfCZhHd8usGLU9c/s1600/IMG_1227.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvC8ZoYqYdeIoF0MbhNRbFhd1d2x7iEiD6V4-2QRroO44TmyptdwipBd-dFbN4XnQo-xGZ8E9CLBm_Dy57MCIrc8YSfRkJfQU9-TgV6j5-TNEXqS-7FN-T_Sob6-uvtfCZhHd8usGLU9c/s640/IMG_1227.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Notice the wet seeds to the left of each seed packet???</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Yes, wet seeds. A parsnip seed is more reluctant to germinate than the average seed. You will get advice from some seed companies and websites encouraging you to soak parsnip seeds in a container of room temperature water overnight before planting. That proved to be good advice. But, in my experience, it did not improve germination enough. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A little more research led to another step.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Parsnip seeds take an average of three weeks to germinate if kept comfortably warm and moist. So, let's make them comfortable! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After soaking the seeds overnight, moisten a paper towel. Spread the paper towel on top of a glass or plastic plate. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spread the wet seeds out over the wet paper towel.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBfTqv5XbXI-eZhNtKcnnNKSw5UdjyYiTn1dPzF716ITCkXUo8jizN_uI9x5gPlHHbQEFYAfHEvsMAftCw2Tzet6QTHWLptQZCrSRr3EEas22uLfL1gDzz6CJFr74FZz54etk82m-SNY/s1600/IMG_1104.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcBfTqv5XbXI-eZhNtKcnnNKSw5UdjyYiTn1dPzF716ITCkXUo8jizN_uI9x5gPlHHbQEFYAfHEvsMAftCw2Tzet6QTHWLptQZCrSRr3EEas22uLfL1gDzz6CJFr74FZz54etk82m-SNY/s640/IMG_1104.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Slide the plate inside a plastic bag. I use clear plastic so I can watch what is going on and to allow light to enhance germination. Leave the plastic bag open a little so air can circulate.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqy9eAZu5VHKy5hGUDsbyo92gx_lxsPjNSNc-th4nresW0LxAt2NRJV40qoJt6AgdtprQmH8g-_z1oCmjMyIyxz3ze29vCO7yus_MQsz00ajb_g78pfETeMjwUNq-tyF_6hdsDV3rjzOk/s1600/IMG_1107.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqy9eAZu5VHKy5hGUDsbyo92gx_lxsPjNSNc-th4nresW0LxAt2NRJV40qoJt6AgdtprQmH8g-_z1oCmjMyIyxz3ze29vCO7yus_MQsz00ajb_g78pfETeMjwUNq-tyF_6hdsDV3rjzOk/s640/IMG_1107.jpg" width="626" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Set each covered plate somewhere noticeable in your home so you don't forget about it. Check every few days to be sure the paper towel and seeds are moist. Spray or sprinkle water on the seeds whenever they are not looking moist.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a couple of weeks, you will see little plants beginning to sprout from the seeds!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt8ZzPz0VxP3fJHDyApX1kv0WqZudh5eZlJlYue7F2d4SSI79HXH9OLV-l9zMmR7UzRpPisQ-qMHVTQMaK5nEQbFNUtJHZ_Ce4F4BwTO98HazPFHgX-zJGVTwuBb7-ayf-1XgWflkCSs/s1600/IMG_1223.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidt8ZzPz0VxP3fJHDyApX1kv0WqZudh5eZlJlYue7F2d4SSI79HXH9OLV-l9zMmR7UzRpPisQ-qMHVTQMaK5nEQbFNUtJHZ_Ce4F4BwTO98HazPFHgX-zJGVTwuBb7-ayf-1XgWflkCSs/s640/IMG_1223.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The wet seedlings are difficult to handle. I grabbed some tweezers for use when I need to transport individual sprouted seeds.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0SN_4j5bLyd2BgBWaRjRr6G6Y56oEiZffhUnVg3sDfm1L7jeZHpUivCFE8HT5vmIiNMqevz8kLiK6LwZxIOjnsedJZH9U1AOwwuBhzTnO2mSMShsvG__UWy35cXMcb1z1lLpOFx0Y98/s1600/IMG_1233.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF0SN_4j5bLyd2BgBWaRjRr6G6Y56oEiZffhUnVg3sDfm1L7jeZHpUivCFE8HT5vmIiNMqevz8kLiK6LwZxIOjnsedJZH9U1AOwwuBhzTnO2mSMShsvG__UWy35cXMcb1z1lLpOFx0Y98/s640/IMG_1233.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most of the parsnip seeds will sprout by the end of week three. Time to go outdoors and uncover the row of soil you prepared for your parsnips! Before planting the tiny parsnips, turn or rototill the soil in the parsnip row once again to make it light and fluffy. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Shovel the prepared soil into a nice, raised row or bed.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When you are satisfied with the look of the raised bed, using your finger, gently press indentations of 1/2 to 1 inch into the soil. They should be about 4 inches apart. One sprouted seed needs to be placed in each indentation. Use tweezers or something similar, if available.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZUo9Fq9ZxYtrZShjmEhqHyLaytec3MU7AZyQI4vGph9CtPmcAIDqeKUnTAih9sZXCTcjGY5YWtkzLPqAb5-oc37PCqdL5tSuA8CXpdjv5P8Q2FS4-8lMDBrx4SgLoAvCZuF7GVr8OiQ/s1600/IMG_1239.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCZUo9Fq9ZxYtrZShjmEhqHyLaytec3MU7AZyQI4vGph9CtPmcAIDqeKUnTAih9sZXCTcjGY5YWtkzLPqAb5-oc37PCqdL5tSuA8CXpdjv5P8Q2FS4-8lMDBrx4SgLoAvCZuF7GVr8OiQ/s640/IMG_1239.jpg" width="538" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When all of the little starts are placed in an indentation, gently water with a hose while the little starts are still exposed. Here is how a sprout looked after the gentle watering:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aieae8f6zjkXczOa8xvi6eSEa7ux11PjXiRIfspCGkPhlvbsJEbs5uaWl2B8T7COj29UW3EDbpRu_38o6ad_xgZOodtDYPB4FYX6Tzyk8TLit_EcXguLEaECHIY_hFnM-GLgIfsGduI/s1600/IMG_1243.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6aieae8f6zjkXczOa8xvi6eSEa7ux11PjXiRIfspCGkPhlvbsJEbs5uaWl2B8T7COj29UW3EDbpRu_38o6ad_xgZOodtDYPB4FYX6Tzyk8TLit_EcXguLEaECHIY_hFnM-GLgIfsGduI/s640/IMG_1243.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sprinkle about 1/2 inch of fine soil or sand on top of each little start. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When this is accomplished, gently water the entire row again. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cover with a floating row cover. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Water gently every few days, if it is not raining, with the floating row cover in place.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After a week or two, lift the floating row cover and check the growth. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All of that preparation resulted in success!!!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOPdm6qLcxTiIMLEBE25Iq8NabLP7KyskdkqZva0Mcsbe5rj5w0iS4oQtY5kR3ZQn5eHCMaPlKVmxHLkmY7UreGsDh-W9heZYAbx_Ep0_Qw5Ql1-1xEvKixuxWZb75HOz-n7rOVnKwdw/s1600/DSC06769.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuOPdm6qLcxTiIMLEBE25Iq8NabLP7KyskdkqZva0Mcsbe5rj5w0iS4oQtY5kR3ZQn5eHCMaPlKVmxHLkmY7UreGsDh-W9heZYAbx_Ep0_Qw5Ql1-1xEvKixuxWZb75HOz-n7rOVnKwdw/s640/DSC06769.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">A closer look:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35JftWOlQF-Yp6-23oNIpZMzbMrJLdIIfypKGiSeqBtU5Tv434cft8U_mOIpukIKJlQupNQnUt_OxXl4au9SwKAgKvUTWZe92MRa-g2v3-GPjlXLm5mLpI_1AZtp3QHg5Yg_MxBwcKjY/s1600/DSC06771.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi35JftWOlQF-Yp6-23oNIpZMzbMrJLdIIfypKGiSeqBtU5Tv434cft8U_mOIpukIKJlQupNQnUt_OxXl4au9SwKAgKvUTWZe92MRa-g2v3-GPjlXLm5mLpI_1AZtp3QHg5Yg_MxBwcKjY/s640/DSC06771.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Life with parsnips is pretty simple once you get the seeds going and out into the ground. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">For the remainder of the summer, and well into fall, the floating row cover is removed temporarily a few times for weeding. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The parsnips are watered well about once each</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> week, if it is not raining. Remember, no need to remove the floating row cover to water.</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Let's pull the floating row cover back and have a look after our first hard frost:</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixROotwJmrDRjiKNJn4tL1SO7RAl1VL9ATsLwPbJSW-CqNZjm9hVPyvDH21n4tNU20ffoJiH4azeE0SZ2YzvtOjnqp9HVyGz1AgdRZLRW6npr34pSw2jx3aTsdfaXYRxiOwj6qGiJklOY/s1600/DSC07343.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixROotwJmrDRjiKNJn4tL1SO7RAl1VL9ATsLwPbJSW-CqNZjm9hVPyvDH21n4tNU20ffoJiH4azeE0SZ2YzvtOjnqp9HVyGz1AgdRZLRW6npr34pSw2jx3aTsdfaXYRxiOwj6qGiJklOY/s640/DSC07343.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The frost causes the starches in parsnips to change into sugars. The change in flavor is remarkable! The parsnips are ready for harvest. Dig some up! We use a pitch fork to get deep under the roots to lift them out without damage.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOq_-WDSR-IbSEuwPNe7Nm87a7NrYBdBkicPrv8kYJKMxAiMGpM0eRPshgiSaREnYI3ycCli922bv-51aH5maoMFgz813kuT9wY8N7ccgVdZiVo-JtN7qyuZvxd3W-i8s8y0_uh1wFBA/s1600/DSC07347.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivOq_-WDSR-IbSEuwPNe7Nm87a7NrYBdBkicPrv8kYJKMxAiMGpM0eRPshgiSaREnYI3ycCli922bv-51aH5maoMFgz813kuT9wY8N7ccgVdZiVo-JtN7qyuZvxd3W-i8s8y0_uh1wFBA/s640/DSC07347.jpg" width="626" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Parsnips will grow quite large, but the best flavor and texture are enjoyed with medium-sized roots. Parsnips tend to get a little woody when super-sized. But, no problem! Simply cut out the woody center. The remainder is just fine!</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zVk8qX0bHX6rcInqfjTU1urBreDzae-zOdj1piZgRn79yxhHJBdJtsP1hZPC4-Gc5YADqNSmpcYkElnwp0wbMpV8gNMYG0Ddtu7ChlxMlQUuAg1Cw9NPY373thqH3futeDk6q2Vuo0c/s1600/IMG_3481.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_zVk8qX0bHX6rcInqfjTU1urBreDzae-zOdj1piZgRn79yxhHJBdJtsP1hZPC4-Gc5YADqNSmpcYkElnwp0wbMpV8gNMYG0Ddtu7ChlxMlQUuAg1Cw9NPY373thqH3futeDk6q2Vuo0c/s400/IMG_3481.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>EATING PARSNIPS</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">After digging up your parsnips, rinse well.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDD1ctWSKiFItypQGqMuxfsrd47URRIObksWBJtqiGfU0cbar7vFJrN7z2BnH0dyNmN9im396K1ZunhBuWyesDFzQzHNa4qhU1FpBfvijg5Sb3R1-LzZ9lwFzz0eNFPZHnZyCmQTVjKI/s1600/DSC07350.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbDD1ctWSKiFItypQGqMuxfsrd47URRIObksWBJtqiGfU0cbar7vFJrN7z2BnH0dyNmN9im396K1ZunhBuWyesDFzQzHNa4qhU1FpBfvijg5Sb3R1-LzZ9lwFzz0eNFPZHnZyCmQTVjKI/s640/DSC07350.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">You will need to scrub them well or peel.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDVtcANQJSF3Jr5flqSIIh7RJBs4bRUrzhBWLBgFuUxnJBsoJgLf8R3fWeCfMsEuwAGbioOcDxBIVx4rvhXcOlsdOzmtBTVsDsj_zE4s1KTJ9d89NUYF3_V_mFWQAii_D_IAoTwF8gko/s1600/IMG_3473.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifDVtcANQJSF3Jr5flqSIIh7RJBs4bRUrzhBWLBgFuUxnJBsoJgLf8R3fWeCfMsEuwAGbioOcDxBIVx4rvhXcOlsdOzmtBTVsDsj_zE4s1KTJ9d89NUYF3_V_mFWQAii_D_IAoTwF8gko/s640/IMG_3473.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>RAW PARSNIPS</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">With a somewhat sweet flavor, parsnips taste great when grated into salads and slaws. Grate fine or coarse.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDFa5yfKUhm3hrDp3RgMbP4xGiBWE2z8xcLtKVnYimgh5ahPvNp-BscoOw0kM3CIBzBZby3Dgg3Gygc_1D49NsAsJRIlxsP2wdKrV37f0mrN3sSfPwmR8PQa5GuZ8vZ6Z5HvrkDTEOSc/s1600/IMG_3475.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdDFa5yfKUhm3hrDp3RgMbP4xGiBWE2z8xcLtKVnYimgh5ahPvNp-BscoOw0kM3CIBzBZby3Dgg3Gygc_1D49NsAsJRIlxsP2wdKrV37f0mrN3sSfPwmR8PQa5GuZ8vZ6Z5HvrkDTEOSc/s640/IMG_3475.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>COOKED PARSNIPS</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Parsnips combine well with other vegetables for mashing... with potatoes, cauliflower, leeks and more. Might be best to steam the parsnips separately because they cook up faster than you think... especially if you chop or grate them first.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Or, steam and mash parsnips on their own. Add a little butter, salt, pepper, milk and parmesan cheese. Yum.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Chop or grate parsnips and add them to soups, stews or stir fries. Parsnips add wonderful flavor to lamb stew. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I really enjoy parsnips in a hot, creamy soup in winter.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>PARSNIP AND LEEK SOUP</i></b></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">INGREDIENTS:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3 tablespoons butter or olive oil</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">4 medium-sized parsnips, grated</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2 large or 4 medium sized leeks, chopped</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 quart chicken or vegetable broth</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 cup milk</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">salt and pepper</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">crumbled bacon</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">At the bottom of a medium-sized soup pot, melt the butter at medium heat. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once melted, add the parsnips and leeks. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stir regularly until the parsnips and leeks have softened. This will take maybe 10 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Add the broth, turn up the heat to high and bring to a boil. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Lower the temperature and simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remove from heat and let it sit about 10 minutes to cool down a little.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Blend in a blender until creamy. It will need to be done a little at a time. Pour pureed soup back into the pot.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When it all has been blended and returned to the pot, add the milk and heat at lowest temperature. If it seems too thick, add more broth or milk. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Salt and pepper to taste. Some people like it hot and stir in a little cayenne pepper sauce. Maybe try this in your own bowl rather than the whole pot!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once it is warmed up plenty, serve in bowls.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sprinkle crumbled bacon on top. (Chives work well, too).</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Serve with toasted, crusty bread spread with your favorite pesto!</span></li>
</ul>
<ul><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04Iv5_9pNx0AH5LRGzraCb5HdJQXCjigtcbhwaltBY228XGso5tYFFpiLgBgy2Ls6jUsZtebgAdvW7ROfc_-8Y4KT9S33OlEdgg0_MIs8WEJO6dYAREY93avjGGJJe2ulx395Dqv4ipw/s1600/IMG_0206.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh04Iv5_9pNx0AH5LRGzraCb5HdJQXCjigtcbhwaltBY228XGso5tYFFpiLgBgy2Ls6jUsZtebgAdvW7ROfc_-8Y4KT9S33OlEdgg0_MIs8WEJO6dYAREY93avjGGJJe2ulx395Dqv4ipw/s640/IMG_0206.jpg" width="546" /></a></div>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b><i>ROASTED PARSNIPS</i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Roasted parsnips are delicious.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 400 degrees.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Scrub or peel the parsnips... how many depends on how many people. Maybe one or two medium sized parsnips per person.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remove woody core if the parsnips are large.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cut the parsnips into pieces about 3" by about 1/2".</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a large bowl, stir the parsnip pieces around in one or two tablespoons of olive oil. Stir until the parsnips are well coated with the oil.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Place the parsnip pieces in a single layer on a cookie or baking sheet.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sprinkle with salt, pepper and any other seasoning you like.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Roast in the oven for 15 minutes, then turn the parsnips over. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Roast another 15 minutes once turned.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Enjoy!</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYsXqZFlq0NIoX_7xNzHXCyuwaZIPAJzMns2NfVwiNi6IRziJyOc5O8_cAC1keiDX0kKgdcwzadK3xBDb7ri_N16QF6kLQGxinERaNxE2cd4Py_fRr0z7PG5UjWZZ-TlLzxdEDzZi4EI/s1600/IMG_3489.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDYsXqZFlq0NIoX_7xNzHXCyuwaZIPAJzMns2NfVwiNi6IRziJyOc5O8_cAC1keiDX0kKgdcwzadK3xBDb7ri_N16QF6kLQGxinERaNxE2cd4Py_fRr0z7PG5UjWZZ-TlLzxdEDzZi4EI/s640/IMG_3489.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Parsnips ca</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">n be peeled, grated and added to baked goods much like carrots. </span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Martha Stewart provides a delicious recipe for </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> <i>SPICED PARSNIP CUPCAKES</i></b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmUt_C4rslk4LAo6mdJM9VM6kWF8IaD1dta_pN-YqNeje2729xvp7MlASeriOCkXEOuiDhRYtLGIjyr0HSPVGiOGA6953DUpsF_tMJijPnoxp96M-ommGEWSDmThBYlesMDUtME62Nvc/s1600/IMG_3482.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmUt_C4rslk4LAo6mdJM9VM6kWF8IaD1dta_pN-YqNeje2729xvp7MlASeriOCkXEOuiDhRYtLGIjyr0HSPVGiOGA6953DUpsF_tMJijPnoxp96M-ommGEWSDmThBYlesMDUtME62Nvc/s640/IMG_3482.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">INGREDIENTS:</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 cup of flour</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 teaspoon ground cardamom*** or pumpkin pie spice</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/4 teaspoon salt</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3/4 cup light brown sugar</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2 large eggs</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2/3 cup vegetable oil</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3 teaspoons vanilla extract</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">2 cups grated parsnips</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/2 stick butter, room temperature</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/2 cup confectioners' sugar</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Preheat oven to 350 degrees.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whisk together flour, cardamom, baking powder and salt.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, eggs, oil, two teaspoons vanilla and parsnip.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Stir the first mixture into the second mixture.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Place 12 muffin liners in a muffin pan. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Divide the batter equally among 12 liners.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Bake 20 minutes.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cool cupcakes on a wire rack.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When the cupcakes have cooled, use a mixer and beat together the cream cheese, butter, confectioners' sugar and 1 teaspoon vanilla. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Spread the frosting on the cooled cupcakes.</span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">***</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;">Cardamom has such a unique flavor! The flavor is especially fresh and true if using seeds still in the pod rather than previously ground seeds. I like to double the amount in the recipe. Break open 20 seed pods and shake out the seeds. Grind the seeds fine in a mini coffee grinder, or something similar.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4HAfKFg7NC-zoUDR6DDdcwSBUs65v10wTrXbKyfYcGRKtlIACAZFR0UWTT9nZ9DN6TG-QLmJZWRHq4C5bPeDg4qECkAaX1rgh8fz7FGaumIwMxv-8_ERqrp8XdzaWlIxc6BebtjdzjM/s1600/IMG_3470.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4HAfKFg7NC-zoUDR6DDdcwSBUs65v10wTrXbKyfYcGRKtlIACAZFR0UWTT9nZ9DN6TG-QLmJZWRHq4C5bPeDg4qECkAaX1rgh8fz7FGaumIwMxv-8_ERqrp8XdzaWlIxc6BebtjdzjM/s400/IMG_3470.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Have you ever juiced parsnips????? Give it a try! </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Juice parsnips on their own or added in when juicing other fruits and vegetables.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4JdT3g-aF5-MRToDqQPAV62uFZS9vlaLI-8nHMDC62odsdhEGIScrinaYw0shTrqn-tqAZFG2Z1QavpnystZQl5Tsp3OE0XqKdbv15NQUbTLJNsEQG4krJuC0TE7YjftM8KlTuA3SIU/s1600/IMG_1976.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb4JdT3g-aF5-MRToDqQPAV62uFZS9vlaLI-8nHMDC62odsdhEGIScrinaYw0shTrqn-tqAZFG2Z1QavpnystZQl5Tsp3OE0XqKdbv15NQUbTLJNsEQG4krJuC0TE7YjftM8KlTuA3SIU/s640/IMG_1976.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6860418422329359576.post-15610807234468046582016-01-25T19:36:00.000-08:002019-01-07T16:00:03.610-08:00KALE<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqO16vkpp7Yeu93ao86RVjNns3Tu76RVZnL-epUDGX2oXWDtp1kj8oVjy4Lvp6N1pQj9oDigJqyXTUfa4LrFC4OOX8OumBz7XbfbirDTJ29YeggtlWjw-3Ng0DDT9_knU0gy180IJSis/s1600/DSC06395.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkqO16vkpp7Yeu93ao86RVjNns3Tu76RVZnL-epUDGX2oXWDtp1kj8oVjy4Lvp6N1pQj9oDigJqyXTUfa4LrFC4OOX8OumBz7XbfbirDTJ29YeggtlWjw-3Ng0DDT9_knU0gy180IJSis/s640/DSC06395.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kale has been grown in Sitka far back into the past. It </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">sure has grown in popularity the past few years. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And, no wonder! </span></span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kale is a nutrient rich superfood. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kale prefers cool, damp weather. It grows happily in our climate. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Best of all, kale overwinters regardless of weather conditions! </span><span style="font-size: large;">If you start some kale around midsummer, you can go out to your garden and harvest your kale all the way through winter and on into spring! Tough plants! </span></span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO6nlSctu2KuU5i8KvPoVK4WByAbOoaH2qAgqSU1z2obG3YVnO_IvFBpyuLr_GFOX0X8f9JOV5vZLFzRfLgqp3dL148KMoZHTPpaArWy3scDDxA50mrhVUwBNd5_ZrUq79sMS_JLZXdI/s1600/DSCN5287.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLO6nlSctu2KuU5i8KvPoVK4WByAbOoaH2qAgqSU1z2obG3YVnO_IvFBpyuLr_GFOX0X8f9JOV5vZLFzRfLgqp3dL148KMoZHTPpaArWy3scDDxA50mrhVUwBNd5_ZrUq79sMS_JLZXdI/s640/DSCN5287.jpg" width="432" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Most kales are biennial meaning the plant will flower and go to seed in its second year before dying away.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have grown quite a few varieties of kale in our gardens. The three varieties we have relied on most years are:</span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">SIBERIAN</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">NERO DI TOSCANA (also known as LACINATO or DINOSAUR)</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">RED RUSSIAN</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>SIBERIAN KALE</b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGbmPYa85Sv1CGY3__dn-dnVX1ZInVOGP9fEzpkmxxyJLoOqXxP2K8lEX1ShOarJTEod8iA3CfhAA3XkHs7aqLTrGiwjppeNmKXLqhXekL05G_nIRRukxdJspbla035unoPLkLEJib4AE/s1600/DSC06870.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGbmPYa85Sv1CGY3__dn-dnVX1ZInVOGP9fEzpkmxxyJLoOqXxP2K8lEX1ShOarJTEod8iA3CfhAA3XkHs7aqLTrGiwjppeNmKXLqhXekL05G_nIRRukxdJspbla035unoPLkLEJib4AE/s640/DSC06870.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">SIBERIAN KALE FULL GROWN IN THE FALL GARDEN </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Siberian kale is delicious added to salads when young and tender. It holds up very well through winter both in flavor and quality. Grown outdoors, a floating row cover seems to be all it requires for a little protection through winter. Just the other day, this is late January, I went out and picked a bunch of fresh leaves to add to our fruit smoothies. </span><span style="font-family: "\22 verdana\22 " , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The flavor is mild and slightly sweet. </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSA3HUCYOrh4wWAuvQg0ihhWBEq14Od8U-HIlT234-faOj68LHsQnTWre8bQj_EIfFgQDafPkh5QsLynpzDmXdX860hhnNUC5BCAdkKccohmG-0XMvLPzCW1k-GxEjTOdcISvGFl5uno/s1600/IMG_3512.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjSA3HUCYOrh4wWAuvQg0ihhWBEq14Od8U-HIlT234-faOj68LHsQnTWre8bQj_EIfFgQDafPkh5QsLynpzDmXdX860hhnNUC5BCAdkKccohmG-0XMvLPzCW1k-GxEjTOdcISvGFl5uno/s640/IMG_3512.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We have also enjoyed this kale in stir fries. And, it is delicious lightly steamed and drained with a little soy sauce and lemon. Try including 2 or 3 cups of stem free, steamed and drained kale in a blended, creamy potato onion soup.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwmlniVzpJA_2Yf4pUzEGfo9cUlmoDrz_UL60t1O3FCTHNucAyS9iHYurbjpwyeyOsYuI2jV-Ps19OYkDiM_bfCbLztHY8tzl2TuhogEVLXubxFI1qN60kSOOeBQ8aSxZQY2Ofi44CJI/s1600/IMG_3429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkwmlniVzpJA_2Yf4pUzEGfo9cUlmoDrz_UL60t1O3FCTHNucAyS9iHYurbjpwyeyOsYuI2jV-Ps19OYkDiM_bfCbLztHY8tzl2TuhogEVLXubxFI1qN60kSOOeBQ8aSxZQY2Ofi44CJI/s640/IMG_3429.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">SIBERIAN KALE LEAVES PICKED FROM THE GARDEN IN JANUARY</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>NERO DI TOSCANA KALE</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>also known as </b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>LACINATO, DINOSAUR or BLACK PALM</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxS1XcCa89T-Ij6NoG_VQP8pz30U_RZHpELpWa5wCVn_xevr5AA04KZ6NhPLbbdRNTzX7RisO7QmAxzYtX7C4DrswoO7n9BM07VZGp4-x-V3lfr2acsz6h52NUqhCciXNYeljouoJaRI/s1600/IMG_0536.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBxS1XcCa89T-Ij6NoG_VQP8pz30U_RZHpELpWa5wCVn_xevr5AA04KZ6NhPLbbdRNTzX7RisO7QmAxzYtX7C4DrswoO7n9BM07VZGp4-x-V3lfr2acsz6h52NUqhCciXNYeljouoJaRI/s640/IMG_0536.jpg" width="472" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This dark green, long-leafed kale is a favorite when steamed, drained, chopped and added to soups and stews. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dinosaur kale is cold hardy and tastes even sweeter after the first frost. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is also the kale I choose most often when making kale chips.</span></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b> KALE CHIPS</b></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Pick about 4 cups (packed) of kale leaves.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Rinse off kale leaves, spin off water and remove stems.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Toss leaves in a large bowl with 1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">until the leaves are well coated.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Sprinkle with grated parmesan, salt and/or your favorite seasonings. Toss again.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Place on a cookie sheet or baking pan and roast 5 mins.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Flip the kale leaves over and roast for 5 or so more minutes until the kale leaves start to look slightly brown and crispy.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Remove from heat. Cool. Enjoy!</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOwhuus_RfULTP41_iea0GX2UAwRhgufqIbaP549-drdP8cMDFYyZWmAQJshKa_LfShWm_SzPAiyBD-y_C8wcXkSc6HnwRUHQY_sbgqiYyFXuWd4tio213rTDc03vk-UxR67n2ZcJgqc/s1600/IMG_7581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrOwhuus_RfULTP41_iea0GX2UAwRhgufqIbaP549-drdP8cMDFYyZWmAQJshKa_LfShWm_SzPAiyBD-y_C8wcXkSc6HnwRUHQY_sbgqiYyFXuWd4tio213rTDc03vk-UxR67n2ZcJgqc/s640/IMG_7581.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>RED RUSSIAN KALE</b></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfs7ABnsgSWvan419Gx1x-pH1NJwUdjbUarBcOH3qCXmP-XIdxmPra7LqD7TlwfGif92J_m8pw2vdzmRN8RKET2eVpV6XRIH27LAg70pCvDV3uXeA0oHcM-jnOc0IYpXbnqtFXpH_jyE/s1600/DSC05528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="566" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzfs7ABnsgSWvan419Gx1x-pH1NJwUdjbUarBcOH3qCXmP-XIdxmPra7LqD7TlwfGif92J_m8pw2vdzmRN8RKET2eVpV6XRIH27LAg70pCvDV3uXeA0oHcM-jnOc0IYpXbnqtFXpH_jyE/s640/DSC05528.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">RED RUSSIAN KALE IN THE FOREGROUND</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It was many years ago at a garden conference in Juneau that a man named Cliff Lobaugh got me hooked on kale. Cliff said to the collection of people in his audience, "Let's take a break." Then he set out a huge container of </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>red russian kale/french sorrel pesto</b> along with a tray of all kinds of crackers. We all stuffed our faces.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> <b>RED RUSSIAN KALE/FRENCH SORREL PESTO</b></span></div>
<div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3 cups of chopped red russian kale</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 cup of french sorrel</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/2 cup of olive oil</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/2 cup of parmesan cheese</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/4 cup of nuts, preferably pine nuts</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">3 cloves of garlic</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1/2 cup of chopped leeks or onions</span></li>
</ul>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Whiz all of the ingredients together in a food processor until it looks a little chunky, but not pasty. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">No cooking involved.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Freezes well.</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cliff told us that in early winter he would pick all of his red russian kale, put it in a big plastic bag and store it outside his house in the cold to be utilized throughout the winter.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>CASPER</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">When looking through the Territorial Seed Company early in 2018, I read about CASPER kale. It was described as the "tastiest, sweetest and crispiest we've ever tried!"</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We gave it a try and, yes, it truly is delicious... and beautiful! Give it a try.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZleJumFIOcfbai-p8PZ2MjcDs8Ggdghb-f2RCAtfYr_KIp4JACq6im4WH8w1h4Wnq3lK2KnxPZLwf80rM9B8RQpgiRmvG5gQzAHE8p2gXZh3QKX4gjKaFyPB1TX3fhft2ozPiMf5_kk/s1600/IMG_7511.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSZleJumFIOcfbai-p8PZ2MjcDs8Ggdghb-f2RCAtfYr_KIp4JACq6im4WH8w1h4Wnq3lK2KnxPZLwf80rM9B8RQpgiRmvG5gQzAHE8p2gXZh3QKX4gjKaFyPB1TX3fhft2ozPiMf5_kk/s640/IMG_7511.JPG" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>PLANTING KALE</b></span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Early in May, prepare a garden bed outdoors for kale. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We like to gather a bunch of seaweed that includes a spattering of herring eggs from the high tide line of a beach after the herring spawn. Seaweed often breaks free and washes up collecting at the high tide line after a bout of bad weather. We turn or till this seaweed into a patch of fertile soil.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFrJuEZhBvDLhBQsEbMpFJaFyxoG07c0FqxKalLXdw6Mx1lUFq29a0ks8U6gXIof5RLUhv6gt4w6O0NmpiFhg2Ul209Jl25BSCRHKF4vZOFf08WTZBmNczCNzIxEbYP9M_VgtDIn63Rg/s1600/IMG_0732.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAFrJuEZhBvDLhBQsEbMpFJaFyxoG07c0FqxKalLXdw6Mx1lUFq29a0ks8U6gXIof5RLUhv6gt4w6O0NmpiFhg2Ul209Jl25BSCRHKF4vZOFf08WTZBmNczCNzIxEbYP9M_VgtDIn63Rg/s640/IMG_0732.jpg" width="488" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">We shovel it up into raised beds.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbDaTlXrKhtt9n53ubFAEYUWlIdAlQTRvJe3iplDbEYt96BmoTbzl3oL7SEHwmFBTsZ4JSldrqyWPf8CNeu-s-2dBlhn6MtfX7TdfZGjwmGy4ymNCm7ZQx8QfL9Wac2EYvG4-BQb15Cs/s1600/DSC07006.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbDaTlXrKhtt9n53ubFAEYUWlIdAlQTRvJe3iplDbEYt96BmoTbzl3oL7SEHwmFBTsZ4JSldrqyWPf8CNeu-s-2dBlhn6MtfX7TdfZGjwmGy4ymNCm7ZQx8QfL9Wac2EYvG4-BQb15Cs/s640/DSC07006.jpg" width="480" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Plant individual kale seeds about 1/4 to 1/2 inch deep, about 4 inches apart. I simply take a seed between thumb and forefinger, push it into the soil and release. Some years, if I am growing a large bed of kale, I will carefully sprinkle or broadcast the seeds on top of the bed hoping the seeds will land about 4 inches apart. I then take a rake and gently rough some soil over the seeds.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"> </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you are planting more than one variety, remember to label each variety. </span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Once you have all of the seeds planted, gently water with a hose, if it is not raining. </span></li>
</ul>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxq2Y5JyzRNqi458VBuFzOX4zbjPu5WN2gv1JN2fMyWer4eP9rsXhQ6n4ENF6i6uCT8jcOZycg0ma-L_NOqgMqHsjlTKF3uQR2ES0ObUznXC68OQaEDIAQ87aoJulKf1xdHcQ79N2IKs4/s1600/IMG_0890.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="558" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxq2Y5JyzRNqi458VBuFzOX4zbjPu5WN2gv1JN2fMyWer4eP9rsXhQ6n4ENF6i6uCT8jcOZycg0ma-L_NOqgMqHsjlTKF3uQR2ES0ObUznXC68OQaEDIAQ87aoJulKf1xdHcQ79N2IKs4/s640/IMG_0890.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Cover your bed of kale with a floating row cover.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxSnlnh3GaZRocf4zZpVR5x_erZwYvqwTdfMrwOAksz59gc_nxFJ0oYGlRtLbv0aP0t4wjubsTxgM907AVxa9cJe8-k8U_sYl4lVRmCdMvwtu7S1G07cHJWW17Pufdfr2jPAvn3pqIpM/s1600/IMG_0757.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="460" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxSnlnh3GaZRocf4zZpVR5x_erZwYvqwTdfMrwOAksz59gc_nxFJ0oYGlRtLbv0aP0t4wjubsTxgM907AVxa9cJe8-k8U_sYl4lVRmCdMvwtu7S1G07cHJWW17Pufdfr2jPAvn3pqIpM/s640/IMG_0757.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Kale is not really bothered by any garden pests, but a row cover will increase the soil temperature. The extra heat will promote good growth and healthy plants. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Be sure to water regularly unless it is raining. Watering can be done without removing the floating row cover. </span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">As the plants grow, thin them to about 12 inches apart. Enjoy the leaves from the pulled plants as an addition to a green salad.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">If you want your kale plants to continuously produce sizable leaves for eating throughout the season, harvest and eat the lower and outer leaves regularly.</span></li>
</ul>
<br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Depending on the size and health of the kale plants you started in May, you might want to start another bed of kale late July for use throughout the winter.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>PERENNIAL KALE</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Territorial Seed Company </b>now advertises a perennial kale named KOSMIC KALE. Think I will have to try it!!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">The perennial kale named SEA KALE is already a most welcome plant in our gardens. Read about it in the post on this blog named PERENNIAL VEGETABLES:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><a href="http://sitkavores.blogspot.com/2015/03/perennial-vegetables.html">http://sitkavores.blogspot.com/2015/03/perennial-vegetables.html</a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
Florence Welshhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00369117804101119796noreply@blogger.com0