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July 05, 2007 - The lily's fleeting beauty12A • The Suffolk Times • July 5, 2007 Suffolk Times pholos by Paul Sloutenburgh Left: Right now the predominant roadside flower is the orange day lily. Keep your eyes open for clumps of these colorful flowers along the highway. Right: Day lilies are an old -time favorite. The only bad habit of these plants is that they spread and need thinning; otherwise they'll dominate your garden. The lily's fleeting beauty If I were to ask what is the most common color of the flowers you see today along the roadway, nine out of 10 of you would probably say "orange." What plant would that be? It would be the common "day lily," a plant of China and Japan, where it is consid- ered an important vegetable in a wide variety of dishes. Focus I have been told that both the buds and flowers make ON excellent eating, but only NATURE When one knows these plants well should they pick and eat by Paul them at all. Stoutenburgh I can vouch for its goodness as a vegetable when picked as it is just coming out of the ground. My only experience ever eating day lilies was when we were doing a survey of osprey nests on Gardiners Island. I was fortunate, for the well - known naturalist Dennis Puleston acted as cook and boiled the early shoots for us and served them with butter and salt. They were the closest thing to asparagus you could ask for. In the home garden this is one plant you don't have to "baby," for it needs little attention and is bypassed by bugs of all sorts. It is easy to transplant and will grow almost anywhere. Once established, it multiplies easily into tight clumps of wonderful bright orange blossoms. I just moved some that had gotten lost in the woods in the shadow of the trees They have to have sun if you want vigorous growth and lots of blossoms. Make an effort to look inside this colorful lily and you'll see the true beauty that day lilies possess. When picking these lilies for bouquets, you'll find the blossoms last only a day, as the name implies. Another plant that's joining the roadside parade of color right now is chicory. It grows three- to four - feet high and on its stem are dollar -size light blue flowers. I've never really gotten what I consider a good color photo of chicory; for some reason that lovely plant with its blue evades me to this day. Chicory comes to us from across the sea, where they say it is used in cooking and drinks. However, it never seemed to take on here as a food. Here again, you must know your plants if you want to try this. All the literature about chicory emphasizes that the greens must be picked when they are young; otherwise they are bitter. Some like to blanch their chicory plants by putting flowerpots over them (the same idea as the French with their white asparagus). As the plant grows without sun, it becomes white, with no trace of bitterness. The root of chicory is long and tapered, much like the root of the common dandelion. Probably the use of chicory we'd be most familiar with is as an additive in coffee. Often when hiking you'll come across some of these wayside plants in the most unusual places. Yet with a little detective work you can come up with a Joseph L. Townsend INSURANCE Serving the North Fork since 1950 HOMEOWNERS • MARINE • AUTO • LIFE 800 - 564.0933 •216 MAIN STREET, GREENPORT • 477 -0153 Left: This single blossom of a day lily only stays for a day, as the name implies. Below left: Chicory has one of the most delicate colors of blue you can find. It's a plant that can withstand hot, dry places because of its long taproot. Suffolk 1 ones pholos by Barbara Sloulepinug), reason these forgotten flowers are there. Probably there was once a house in the area. As time worked its mysterious ways, the area once again returned to what it was before man arrived. We can only speculate what might have hap- pened to some snug little home whose owners could no longer make a living off the land What joy can be and had given up. found in picking With the property un- attended and forgot - ten, decay started its plants for the table. endless job of turning everything back to soil, so that today only the flow- ers remain. It's this process of decay that saves us from being buried under our own garbage, along with the remains of trees, plants and animals that would pile up year after year, until everything was smothered. Back to our roadside plants. If we were early risers and it was the beginning of spring, we might catch the scent or smell of the shadblow. After the delicate white blossoms fade away and the weather becomes warm, insects arrive to do their job of pol- linating. It's then we might enjoy the berries that the shadblow produces. They taste just like blueber- ries, so remember — early spring, white flowers on bushes, then edible berries follow. Of course, in today's age of food allergies, we all know what we can eat and what we cannot, so al- ways be aware of what you are eating. Surely the folks from the old country knew the value of many of the wild plants. We often see old and young today along the roadside collecting leaves of dandelions for their dinner. It's like so many things that are passed by in our busy lifestyle — yet what joy can be found in picking just the per- fect plants for the table. First American Title Insurance Company of New York Think First - Think First American Please call our office today to speak with a qualified sales representative. Shelley Herent • Cell: 631 -807 -3100 400 W. Main St., Riverhead, NY 11901 •631 -727 -5700 • www.FirstArnNY.ann k R . r otherwise they are bitter. Some like to blanch their chicory plants by putting flowerpots over them (the same idea as the French with their white asparagus). As the plant grows without sun, it becomes white, with no trace of bitterness. The root of chicory is long and tapered, much like the root of the common dandelion. Probably the use of chicory we'd be most familiar with is as an additive in coffee. Often when hiking you'll come across some of these wayside plants in the most unusual places. Yet with a little detective work you can come up with a Joseph L. Townsend INSURANCE Serving the North Fork since 1950 HOMEOWNERS • MARINE • AUTO • LIFE 800 - 564.0933 •216 MAIN STREET, GREENPORT • 477 -0153 Left: This single blossom of a day lily only stays for a day, as the name implies. Below left: Chicory has one of the most delicate colors of blue you can find. It's a plant that can withstand hot, dry places because of its long taproot. Suffolk 1 ones pholos by Barbara Sloulepinug), reason these forgotten flowers are there. Probably there was once a house in the area. As time worked its mysterious ways, the area once again returned to what it was before man arrived. We can only speculate what might have hap- pened to some snug little home whose owners could no longer make a living off the land What joy can be and had given up. found in picking With the property un- attended and forgot - ten, decay started its plants for the table. endless job of turning everything back to soil, so that today only the flow- ers remain. It's this process of decay that saves us from being buried under our own garbage, along with the remains of trees, plants and animals that would pile up year after year, until everything was smothered. Back to our roadside plants. If we were early risers and it was the beginning of spring, we might catch the scent or smell of the shadblow. After the delicate white blossoms fade away and the weather becomes warm, insects arrive to do their job of pol- linating. It's then we might enjoy the berries that the shadblow produces. They taste just like blueber- ries, so remember — early spring, white flowers on bushes, then edible berries follow. Of course, in today's age of food allergies, we all know what we can eat and what we cannot, so al- ways be aware of what you are eating. Surely the folks from the old country knew the value of many of the wild plants. We often see old and young today along the roadside collecting leaves of dandelions for their dinner. It's like so many things that are passed by in our busy lifestyle — yet what joy can be found in picking just the per- fect plants for the table. First American Title Insurance Company of New York Think First - Think First American Please call our office today to speak with a qualified sales representative. Shelley Herent • Cell: 631 -807 -3100 400 W. Main St., Riverhead, NY 11901 •631 -727 -5700 • www.FirstArnNY.ann The Suffolk Times • July 5, 2007 e ly9s ee t a 9 l beaut.v If I were to ask what is the most common color of the flowers you see today along the roadway, nine out of 10 of you would probably say "orange." What plant would that be? It would be the common "day lily," a plant of China and Japan, where it is consid- ered an important vegetable in a wide variety of dishes. Focus I have been told that both ON the buds and flowers make excellent eating, but only NATURE When one knows these plants well should they pick and eat by pawl them at all. Stoutenburgh I can vouch for its goodness as a vegetable when picked as it is just coming out of the ground. My only experience ever eating day lilies was when we were doing a survey of osprey nests on Gardiners Island. I was fortunate, for the well - known naturalist Dennis Puleston acted as cook and boiled the early shoots for us and served them with butter and salt. They were the closest thing to asparagus you could ask for. In the home garden this is one plant you don't have to "baby," for it needs little attention and is bypassed by bugs of all sorts. It is easy to transplant and will grow almost anywhere. Once established, it multiplies easily into tight clumps of wonderful bright orange blossoms. I just moved some that had gotten lost in the woods in the shadow of the trees. They have to have sun if you want vigorous growth and lots of blossoms. Make an effort to look inside this colorful lily and you'll see the true,beauty that day lilies possess. When picking these lilies for bouquets, you'll find the blossoms last only a day, as the name implies. Another plant that's joining the roadside parade of color right now is chicory. It grows three- to four - feet high and on its stem are dollar -size light blue flowers. I've never really gotten what I consider a good color photo of chicory; for some reason that lovely plant with its blue evades me to this day. 'Chicory comes to us from across the sea, where they say it is used in cooking and drinks. However, it never seemed to take on here as a food. Here again, you must know your plants if you want to try this. All the literature about chicory emphasizes that the sreens must be picked when they are young; pert: This single blossom of a day lily only stays for a day, as the name implies. Below left: Chicory has one of the most delicate colors of blue you can find. It's a plant that can withstand hot, dry places because of its long taproot. Suffolk Times photos by Barbara ;;n T 0 s mo Ir T ca un m W yp i L C T _O O 4J L 3 EI o � a) O L O � V N U) d O O N bA O. _ E _ 3 = V t L ++ w � C y Q a _ 0,0 a� R T � O M L � 7 L O Q' T N C. CD O a) O Y � Cc . t ++ T 0 c — -0 4, U m C Q M o v a> o 4 +. N o L a+ CD o t �a (n f° 0 o °) Cs M c � 0 .O o ao a� r � +, 3M C O M s R it R uLnerwise tney are bitter. Some like to blanch their chicory plants by putting flowerpots over them (the same idea as the French with their white asparagus) As the plant grows without sun, it becomes white, with no trace of bitterness. The root of chicory is long and tapered, much like the root of the common dandelion. Probably the use of chicory we'd be most familiar with is as an additive in coffee. Often when hiking you'll come across some of these wayside plants in the most unusual places. Yet with a little detective work you can come up with a reason these forgotten flowers are there. Probably there was once a house in the area. As time worked its mysterious ways, the area once again returned t what it was before man arrived. We can only speculate what might have hap- pened to -some snug little home whose owners could no longer make a living off the land What joy can be and had given up. found In picking With the property un- attended and forgot- Just the perfect ten, decay started its plants for the table. endless job of turninia Paul I c;vrfyLning hack to soil, so that today only the ov ers remain. It's this process of decay that saves us from being buried under our own garbage, along with the remains of trees, plants and animals that would pile up year after year, until everything was smothered. Back to our roadside plants. If we were early risers and it was the beginning of spring, we might catch the scent or smell of the shadblow. After the delicate white blossoms fade away and the weather becomes warm, insects arrive to do their job of pol linating. It's then we might enjoy the berries that the shadblow produces. They taste just like blueber ries, so remember — early spring,,white flowers on bushes, then edible berries follow. Of course, in today's age of food allergies, we all know what we can eat and what we cannot, so al- ways be aware of what you are eating. Surely the folks from the old country knew the value of many of the wild plants. We often see old and young today along the roadside collecting leaves of dandelions for their dinner. It's like so many things that are passed by in our busy lifestyle — yet what joy can be found in picking just the per fect plants for the table.