Comments on: Wild Flowers of the Catskills I http://www.helladelicious.com/photos/2009/06/wild-flowers-of-the-catskills/ Local Food. Global Flavor. Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:58:04 +0000 hourly 1 By: hellaD http://www.helladelicious.com/photos/2009/06/wild-flowers-of-the-catskills/comment-page-1/#comment-4418 hellaD Mon, 18 Jul 2011 17:35:23 +0000 http://www.helladelicious.com/?p=425#comment-4418 Hi Minturn, I don't have all the answers about milkweed! They grow quite easily as the seeds are attached to milkweed silk that is carried on the wind to other areas. I am not sure if you can plant them now or in spring, but maybe you can find some wild milkweed plants and transplant a few, the seeds will then be in the area and help to grow more milkweed. The ones I am familiar with are the ones with pink flowers--so beautiful! I have seen the monarch caterpillars eating the milkweed pods, the toxins in the milkweed prevent predators from eating the butterflies and caterpillars. I have eaten milkweed pods, they are so delicious fried in butter! Just be sure you get plants that haven't been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides--I did that once too and got really sick :( I haven't used it as a tincture but I would like to look into that. The milkweed silk can also be used as an anti-allergenic fluff for stuffing jackets, pillows and comforters. I think this may even be an up an coming industry for milkweed plants. Thanks so much for your question and hope that helps a bit! Hi Minturn,
I don’t have all the answers about milkweed! They grow quite easily as the seeds are attached to milkweed silk that is carried on the wind to other areas. I am not sure if you can plant them now or in spring, but maybe you can find some wild milkweed plants and transplant a few, the seeds will then be in the area and help to grow more milkweed. The ones I am familiar with are the ones with pink flowers–so beautiful! I have seen the monarch caterpillars eating the milkweed pods, the toxins in the milkweed prevent predators from eating the butterflies and caterpillars.

I have eaten milkweed pods, they are so delicious fried in butter! Just be sure you get plants that haven’t been sprayed with pesticides and herbicides–I did that once too and got really sick :(

I haven’t used it as a tincture but I would like to look into that. The milkweed silk can also be used as an anti-allergenic fluff for stuffing jackets, pillows and comforters. I think this may even be an up an coming industry for milkweed plants. Thanks so much for your question and hope that helps a bit!

]]> By: Minturn http://www.helladelicious.com/photos/2009/06/wild-flowers-of-the-catskills/comment-page-1/#comment-4417 Minturn Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:56:54 +0000 http://www.helladelicious.com/?p=425#comment-4417 I have recently become interested in Monarch Butterflies and actually brought a couple of dozen to a friend's garden up here in the Catskills. I want to know a bit more about Milkweed. I know the Monarchs feed on them. I have located some. They are quite mature now and their flowers are finished. Do you know if you can plant milkweed seeds now or do they just have one season and I need to wait until Spring? It is my understanding that milkweed is the larvae's source of food and I know these butterflies that are coming will feed on many flowering plants in her garden and fields. They will lay eggs on the local milkweed and these 'children' could be the generation that migrate to Mexico in August. And i was wondering if its still possible to have young milkweed plants available to them too? Just wondering. Thanks for any wisdom you may have. Also if you have eaten milkweed what you have done with it and as a tincture what it might be good for. I don't know the specific name for the milkweed I have found. It had little star like pink flowers in clusters that are now finished and their leaves are quite large and flat, a bit like mullein but not fuzzy. thanks SO much, minturn I have recently become interested in Monarch Butterflies and actually brought a couple of dozen to a friend’s garden up here in the Catskills. I want to know a bit more about Milkweed. I know the Monarchs feed on them. I have located some. They are quite mature now and their flowers are finished. Do you know if you can plant milkweed seeds now or do they just have one season and I need to wait until Spring? It is my understanding that milkweed is the larvae’s source of food and I know these butterflies that are coming will feed on many flowering plants in her garden and fields. They will lay eggs on the local milkweed and these ‘children’ could be the generation that migrate to Mexico in August. And i was wondering if its still possible to have young milkweed plants available to them too? Just wondering. Thanks for any wisdom you may have. Also if you have eaten milkweed what you have done with it and as a tincture what it might be good for. I don’t know the specific name for the milkweed I have found. It had little star like pink flowers in clusters that are now finished and their leaves are quite large and flat, a bit like mullein but not fuzzy.

thanks SO much,
minturn

]]> By: Pests in the Balcony Garden 09 |-| Hella Delicious http://www.helladelicious.com/photos/2009/06/wild-flowers-of-the-catskills/comment-page-1/#comment-1543 Pests in the Balcony Garden 09 |-| Hella Delicious Tue, 28 Jul 2009 19:11:28 +0000 http://www.helladelicious.com/?p=425#comment-1543 [...] decided to plant most of my St. John’s Wort, (the seeds I wild harvested in the Catskills of New York and planted in the spring, not expecting them to all grow) in th guerrilla garden as it does quite [...] [...] decided to plant most of my St. John’s Wort, (the seeds I wild harvested in the Catskills of New York and planted in the spring, not expecting them to all grow) in th guerrilla garden as it does quite [...]

]]> By: How to Count Yarrow Stalks |-| Hella Delicious http://www.helladelicious.com/photos/2009/06/wild-flowers-of-the-catskills/comment-page-1/#comment-1516 How to Count Yarrow Stalks |-| Hella Delicious Wed, 22 Jul 2009 04:29:48 +0000 http://www.helladelicious.com/?p=425#comment-1516 [...] the I Ching is one of these things. I was fortunate a couple years ago to live in an area of the Catskills where the yarrow grew wild and free, and finally had the opportunity to read the I Ching oracle in [...] [...] the I Ching is one of these things. I was fortunate a couple years ago to live in an area of the Catskills where the yarrow grew wild and free, and finally had the opportunity to read the I Ching oracle in [...]

]]> By: My First Real Garden – II |-| Hella Delicious http://www.helladelicious.com/photos/2009/06/wild-flowers-of-the-catskills/comment-page-1/#comment-1500 My First Real Garden – II |-| Hella Delicious Tue, 21 Jul 2009 05:57:26 +0000 http://www.helladelicious.com/?p=425#comment-1500 [...] went on a trip to Cleveland in September, just when the first cold and misty weather-change hit the Catskills. The deer, worried winter was coming early, and glad to find my garden unattended with the open [...] [...] went on a trip to Cleveland in September, just when the first cold and misty weather-change hit the Catskills. The deer, worried winter was coming early, and glad to find my garden unattended with the open [...]

]]> By: My First Real Garden – I |-| Hella Delicious http://www.helladelicious.com/photos/2009/06/wild-flowers-of-the-catskills/comment-page-1/#comment-1443 My First Real Garden – I |-| Hella Delicious Sun, 12 Jul 2009 19:35:25 +0000 http://www.helladelicious.com/?p=425#comment-1443 [...] apartments ever since 12th grade and have always had at least a few plants in pots. Living in the Catskills of New York was my first opportunity to have a real garden in my own plot of land. Actually, it [...] [...] apartments ever since 12th grade and have always had at least a few plants in pots. Living in the Catskills of New York was my first opportunity to have a real garden in my own plot of land. Actually, it [...]

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