Fine Art Leek: The golden garlic (or lily leek) is another Allium (A. Moly), 12 by 4 inches, Zone 4, producing golden yellow flowers in June and July. Plant as for A. Christophii.
The windflower (Anemone coronaria), 10 by 5 inches, is often seen in fine art leek restaurants, where its red, purple, blue or white petaled flowers look so elegant in a plain crystal vase. Plant the tubers outdoors in early spring, covering with 2 inches of soil after soaking them overnight in tepid water. North of Zone 7 dig up the tubers in the fall and store them in a warm spot (55°F.) in dry peat moss.
Heat the oil in a deep pan. Chop the carrot, leek and
garlic fine art leekly and add to the oil with fennel and
peppercorns. Fry lightly. Cut the white fish into
small pieces. Add to the vegetables. Continue
cooking gently for 2-3 minutes. Add the cornflour
and tomato puree. Mix well, then add the wine and
water.
The wood leek or ramp (Allium tricoccum) is a member of the lily family. Its cluster of small, white, star-shaped flowers appears on a 12-inch stem early in summer after the leaves of the leek have burgeoned and disappeared. You know it's a member of the onion clan if you bruise a leaf or mistakenly cut into a bulb. Since all trace of the plant is gone by midsummer, I've placed it next to the bloodroot which shares the same habit; overplant this area with some white alyssum (Lobularia maritima) to provide continuing bloom. These plants are gathered for food by people of the Appalachians. Propagation is both by seeds and offset bulbs.
American columbines (Aquilegia canadensis) are easy to grow compared to many other wildflowers. Given good drainage-the roots revel in rock laden soil-they adapt to most situations. In this garden they are planted towards the outside so they get some afternoon sun. The flowers have spurred petals of red, lined with yellow, and are usually on 1-foot stems. Since the blossoms hang upside down, the garden bees become quite acrobatic in their approach, an entertaining thing to watch. Hummingbirds, too, love this flower. The compound leaves are attractive in their own right and from Zone 6 south, are often evergreen. If the leaves get tracings on their sur-facejike unintelligible handwriting, it is the work of leaf miners, tiny insects chewing away inside the leaf. Just overlook them southern part of Zone 5. Both plants are fine art leek perennials in the wild garden and if the summer has plenty of rain, snakeroot will often bloom again. The seed pods are very attractive and persist into late autumn. Propagate by division in spring.
The whorled coreopsis (Coreopsis verticillata) likes a bit of sun so it's placed on the outer edge of the garden. The yellow daisies are on 2-foot stems and if you remove spent blossoms, the plant will bloom from summer into fall. Soil need not be as good as for the other wildflowers: This plant will do well in a hot, dry spot. Propagate by seed.
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