From treasured to noxious in two generations

Tansy, chamomile, dandelion, Ox-eye Daisy, Purslane, Lamb’s Quarter: the list of out-of-favor plants continues to grow, while the poison-makers like Monsanto and Bayer laugh all the way to the bank.

In my collection of herbal/gardening books that date back to the 1600s with Culpeper and Gerard, and continue with a historical early American compendium on the plantings from the time of the Pilgrims, I have gleaned incredible information regarding the benefits of plants that are today overlooked or relegated to the classification of “weeds.”

Growing up in the ’30s, I accepted that “pigweed” (Lamb’s-quarter) was a delightful green vegetable, that purslane — so pretty with its red stems and dew-drop leaves curling around and across the garden — was great in soups and stews, and that dandelion greens were a salad standby.

Grandma Riesland, owner of the nearby Chilco post office/store, swore by Tansy growing among her Peonies (as I do today), and her dog slept on a bed comprised of an old Army blanket strewn with tansy heads and leaves (great flea-stoppers).

Recently, during the heroic work overseen by Kathy Cousins (a true treasure) to restore the Pack River Delta to its pristine native habitat, wild chamomile — a non-native — was discovered and pulled out by hand. This in itself is not a bad thing, because to return the Delta into the fabulous waterbird flyway it once was, true nature had to be restored.

However, some area purists went ballistic with fervor and decided we should all get rid of our chamomile. Please, don’t get on that bandwagon. If you want an all-true native landscape, so be it. But remember that chamomile has been here since the colonists. I have always pointed out that many of our native, established wildflowers, and heirloom species introduced by the first colonists and passed on through the pioneers, all have their own estimable value in our landscapes and lifestyles.

Following is a partial list of plants grown in the first gardens sown by the pilgrims: asparagus, beets, burnet, cabbage, carrots, chervil , comfrey, cucumbers, dill, fennel, gillyflowers (Dianthus, Pinks, Sweet William), ground ivy (Ale hoof), hollyhocks, lavender, leeks, marigold , mints, parsnips, parsley, peas, Pennyroyal, purslane, roses (several kinds), rosemary, sage, sorrel, thyme, tansy, turnips, and various grains such as wheat, oats and rye. They learned of corn from Native Americans.

It’s obvious that their gardens were a mixture of vegetables, herbs and flowers, all of which were of use to them either as edible, medicinal, or practical — such as dye plants. They obviously knew about trap crops, since today we benefit their heritage.

We know that mint of all sorts planted with cabbage and/or tomatoes, and catnip repels squash bugs.

Tansy, interspersed among your blackberries, raspberries, roses, and peonies, serves as a trap crop, as well as flea repellant and dye plant. (At the end of growing season, I simply easily pull out superfluous tansy plants, leaving a few for next year).

The afore-mentioned chamomile has for years been known as a tonic for headache, fever, earache and gastric distress. In the garden, it’s a great companion to cucumbers and beautiful in the patch among the vines.

A word about the Ox-eye daisy: When it was given the “noxious” connotation, I had a cow. I’m so sick of being told what we’re allowed to grow and what we’re supposed to kill. I love my beautiful Ox-eyes. They charm me all summer long, make beautiful bouquets with the Campanula glomerata that has gone wild here, and nod to me as I pass by. But being a basically law-abiding citizen — I conducted an experiment. When each plant was through blooming and only the dead flowers remained, I gathered the stems together in my gloved hand and pulled the plant completely out of the ground, roots and all.

Maybe it’s my admittedly poor soil, or the lack of rain at the time, but it worked great. So I have done my lethal pulling, and cutting off and leaving a only a few for next year.

Final note: When it comes to knapweed and hawkweed, I am not in the least hesitant to get rid of them. They are a bane to the countryside everywhere. Pulling is successful in some cases and ground conditions — and always wear gloves when pulling knapweed — it is truly “noxious” and actually caused cancer in the hand of a local man years ago, causing him to lose his thumb and forefinger.

I’ve had no trouble pulling the hawkweed; one must be sure to get the rosette at the base and all the roots — but if it doesn’t work for you, simply buy a gallon of white distilled vinegar and pour it directly onto the rosette and it should do the trick. (Do it after a rainy spell for best results).

Valle Novak writes the Country Chef and Weekend Gardener columns for the Daily Bee. She can be reached at bcdailybee@bonnercountydailybee.com or by phone at 208-265-4688.