IT’S ABOUT TIME
BY DAVID WAGNER
J
une is a big gardening month. Early winter greens
have been used up and cleared away while the
sugar snap peas should reach maximum
production. The solstice, June 21 this year,
marks when the bush beans should have been
planted. I like both peas and beans because they are so
easy to grow from seed. The critical issue is protecting the
seedlings from sneaky herbivores like pill bugs and sow
bugs. These nonnative pests hide in mulch or between
rocks of the raised beds. They creep out at night to devour
the tender plumule just as it starts to emerge from between
the cotyledons. If that tiny bit of leaf bud is lost, the whole
plant is doomed.
This is a banner year for the bigleaf maple. The winged
fruits, called double samaras, are being produced in greater
BIGLEAF MAPLE
DOUBLE SAMARA
OUR
WINGS
ARE
LOCAL, FREE RANGE,
OUR MENU IS
LOADED WITH
ALL-NATURAL, HORMONE
& ANTIBIOTIC FREE AND
VOTED “READERS CHOICE
VEGETARIAN &
abundance than last year. I have been following their
development on a neighborhood tree, taking pictures of one
particular flower cluster every week or 10 days. I thought this
was an ordinary tree but only recently noticed that instead of
the usual pair of wings, more than half the flowers have triple
samaras and a few with four wings are seen. It demonstrates
that trees, like people, have individuality.
Snow still blocks the high country trails. Long days are
ideal for low-elevation exploration. Stream fishing should be
good while fishing is picking up at Diamond Lake. Watch for
fawns and other animal babies; birthing season is in full
swing for many.
David Wagner is a botanist who has lived in Eugene for more than 30 years.
He teaches moss classes and leads nature walks. He may be reached at fern-
zenmosses@me.com
GLUTEN-FREE ITEMS
OUR BURGERS ARE WE SERVE SALADS,
1 ST PLACE WINNER”
MADE WITH LOCAL, ALL-NATURAL,
SANDWICHES, BURGERS,
HORMONE & ANTIBIOTIC DESSERTS AND OF COURSE
FREE BEEF AND PORK
WE PRIDE OURSELVES
WINGS
HOW YOU
LIKE
MAMA
FULL BAR
ON BEING A “FROM
SCRATCH” KITCHEN
THAT USES ONLY THE BEST PRODUCTS
WE OFFER A
WITH A DIVERSE SELECTION OF
ROTATING TAPS
NOW?
420 W E S T 13T H AV E
541-653-9999
H O T M A M A S WIN G S.COM
eugeneweekly.com • May 30, 2013
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