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1st poppy pops up at preserve
Valley Press on ^ | Saturday, March 8, 2008.

Posted on 03/08/2008 1:34:27 PM PST by BenLurkin

Out on Lancaster's west side sits the Antelope Valley California Poppy Reserve. Downtown, at the State Parks Mojave Desert Information Center, senior park aide Judy Elgin fields phone call after phone call inquiring about the reserve. "Almost every call we get this time of the year is, 'Are there poppies yet?' When I tell them there are no poppies yet, some people are really disappointed," Elgin said.

However, since Wednesday, Elgin doesn't have to disappoint callers - the reserve has its first poppy of the season.

The 1,800-acre reserve, on Lancaster Road (Avenue I) at approximately 150th Street West, might have a couple of more poppies pop up since Wednesday, but it probably will be at least several weeks before the celebrated wildflower blooms with any consistency.

Jean Scott, interpretive specialist for the Mojave Sector of State Parks , walked some of the trails at the reserve Wednesday morning, looking for poppy plants.

"Some of the poppy plants are big enough to be identifiable, but none are almost regular size," Scott said, cupping a young poppy plant with her hands. "I think there's the beginning of a bud."

"We have red stem filaree blooming on the side of our walks and a poppy bud has been seen by one of our researchers, but it will be a while before we start seeing poppies."

Overlooking the first poppy at the reserve would have been easy. The stem was only a couple of inches high and wind gusts bent the young flower almost sideways. The flower was just off the exit road beyond the park's kiosk.

"I hope it's a sign of a good bloom that's coming," Scott said after she learned of the sighting.

Elgin said she hopes to pass on poppy updates to enthusiasts who phone the information center.

(Excerpt) Read more at avpress.com ...


TOPICS: Arts/Photography; Gardening; Outdoors; Travel
KEYWORDS: antelopevalley; poppies; poppypreserve; travel
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To: gardengirl; Gabz; All

“My grandma used to have a recipe for dandelion wine. Is it really wine or is it more of a tonic?”

Well, I think our Grandmas most likely referred to it as a “tonic” so they could drink some every day, LOL!

This is basically the recipe I use. I don’t add the cloves (just a personal taste issue.) A big, glass Gallo Wine bottle works great for letting it “cook” after you’ve added the yeast. You leave the screw-top off, of course. You can also put an everyday kids balloon on top and watch it fill up, which ensures that your “yeastie beasties” are properly doing their thing. (I use regular yeast for bread baking, but the GOOD stuff; not just a packet from the grocery, which I find to be unpredictable at best. I like the French yeast I get through the King Arthur’s Flour website.)

Dandelion Wine

Dandelion wine does not require any special equipment to make. Just dandelions, some sugar and yeast, oranges and lemons, and pots to boil water in. This recipe uses cloves, which I think give it a nice touch. If you have dandelions around, give it a try!

* 1 package dried yeast (which is 2&1/4 teaspoons)
* 1/4 cup warm water

* 2 quarts dandelion blossoms
* 4 quarts water
* 1 cup orange juice
* 3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
* 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
* 8 whole cloves
* 1/2 teaspoon powdered ginger
* 3 tablespoons coarsely chopped orange peel
* 1 tablespoon coarsely chopped lemon peel
* 6 cups sugar

Dissolve the yeast in the warm water. Set aside.

Wash the dandelion blossoms well. Put them in the water with the orange, lemon and lime juices. Add the cloves, ginger, orange and lemon peel, and sugar. Bring to a boil and continue to boil for an hour. Strain through filter paper (coffee filters work great.) Cool. While still warm (but not hot), stir in the yeast.

Let stand overnight and pour into bottles. Allow uncorked bottles to set in a darkened place for three weeks. Then cork and store bottles in a cool place. Makes about 4 quarts.


41 posted on 03/11/2008 4:35:37 PM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: Diana in Wisconsin; gardengirl

I’ve never had dandelion wine, but the hubby said we aughta try, considering if it weren’t for dandelions we’d have little green or other color in what is supposed to be our “lawn.”


42 posted on 03/11/2008 4:49:58 PM PDT by Gabz (Don't tell my mom I'm a lobbyist, she thinks I'm a piano player in a whorehouse)
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To: Gabz

half the world is trying to eradicate them and the other half is busy blowing dandelion fluff!

Guess which half I’m on! We have some of the most beautiful wildflowers here and sometimes it seems I’m the only one who sees them. Little wild iris, abour 4” high, royaly blue/purple with orange stripes in the middle, tiny white violets that are about an inch and a half tall with lance shaped leaves, wild azealeas the color of apple blossoms that smell like heaven.

When I was little, we lived on a farm in Ohio. I knew where the wildflowers were then, too. I know it wasn’t for my sister, because her birthday is wrong. It had to be for my brother—sis is 3 years younger, bro is 4. My bday is in Feb, his in Apr. I can remember picking dog tooth violets for Daddy to take to the hosp when Mom had the baby.
The violets grew on a hillside, away from the house. Even at 4 I knew where they were, how to get them, and get back to the house. Scary, huh? I must have given my parents fits—an 80 acre farm in the middle of nowhere, and a toddler with no fear whatsoever.


43 posted on 03/12/2008 3:51:17 AM PDT by gardengirl
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

That party sounds like a blast! I love the idea of a tea party, but have never hosted one. I bet my friends would like this.

I may give that a shot, with the flowers on top of the cream cheese. Cheese is my favorite food, so I’ll try it any way it’s prepared.

Whenever I think of triscuits and cream cheese, I think of my daughter around 2 years old. She got out the cheese and triscuits and spread the cheese herself. She managed to get cheese and triscuits on herself and all over the table before we noticed. Normally, I wouldn’t have seen the humor in the big mess, but it was just hilarious that day. We took a few pictures for posterity’s sake :)


44 posted on 03/12/2008 7:17:01 AM PDT by chickpundit (I will abide under the shadow of the Almighty.)
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