On Good Friday, as if by clockwork, the daffodil buds sprang open and lit up the garden with their glow and by Easter Sunday they were on full display. Apart from a few late season snow falls, all the remaining snow drifts have melted and spring has most certainly arrived here on the Palouse. The farmers are back in the fields fertilizing and planting their spring crops such as, wheat, barley, peas, lentils and garbanzos (chickpeas).
While providing many benefits for plants over the winter months, the snow also offered refuge for creatures such as, moles, voles, and mice. Intricate tunnels, revealing a whole underground city running through our lawn and garden beds, are always a sure telltale sign that these unwelcome guests have been camping out under the tent of snow all winter long. And, although it shouldn’t come as any surprise, there is always a sense of shock and disbelief when I discover my favorite plant or perennial has been sucked underground by one of our garden guests never to be seen again. Interestingly, daffodils are poisonous to these rodents, but a whole array of bulbs are like candy to these creatures.
A native to the western United States and Canada, the dainty Fritillaria, or yellow bells as they are commonly called, are one of the first to bloom soon after the snow melts. Rich in starch, the bulbs of yellow fritillary were eaten raw or cooked by numerous Native American tribes. In May of 1806, the Lewis and Clark expedition recorded collecting the bulbs while camping along the Clearwater River here in Idaho. The Fritillaria shown in the picture above were transplanted from our pasture by my youngest son, Carson, to his native plant and grass garden where he has successfully propagated them over the past several seasons. To the observant eye, they are a sign of hope and joy for what’s to come! (for more info check out https://www.fs.fed.us/wildflowers/plant-of-the-week/fritillaria_pudica.shtml)
A great source for information on native plants and grasses of the Palouse can be found at https://www.bookpeopleofmoscow.com/product/palouse-prairie-field-guide
Happy gardening!
