Posted by Emily
We are very lucky to have a professional photographer working with us on our project. His name is Paul Bick and some of you have probably already seen him in your garden. Paul will be visiting all the gardens in our study over the next few weeks and taking photos to help us document the physical and biological characteristics of each garden. I'm excited to see his photos because my smart phone camera can never do justice to the beauty in the gardens. We will probably post some of his photos on this website, for those gardens who have given permission. We are also happy to share photos of your garden with you. It will probably be a while before Paul finishes taking all the photos and organizing them, but please get in touch with me in October if you would like to ask about photos of your garden. In the meantime, say 'hi' to Paul if you see him in your garden!
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Posted by Alexis Cichorium intybus Family: Asteraceae Common English name: chicory Native to Eurasia; invasive in North America Chicory, and its use to either stretch coffee or substitute it entirely, has a history that spans the globe. While people usually started making chicory coffee during times of scarcity or blockades, in some places (notably India and New Orleans, LA) making chicory coffee has become a tradition and the flavor is often preferred. To prepare the roots, wash them and cut them in small even pieces. Cut them to a size that would fit easily in a coffee grinder. Roast the root pieces in a shallow pan in a 350 degree F oven until they are dark brown and brittle. Once cool, they can be ground and used like coffee. Advertisements and packaging for chicory coffee from around the world. Composite image compiled by Alexis Smith. The mature, flowering plants are easily recognized in Chicago. They can grow around 4 feet tall and have showy blue flowers that are about an inch and a half in diameter. There are some blue-flowering wild lettuces that look very similar superficially, such as Lactuca floridana. However, those species are more likely to be found in moist thickets and woods, while chicory thrives in disturbed soils (Peterson 1977). Chicory leaves are also edible, although some people may find their flavor bitter. When the plant is young and only basal leaves are present, it can be difficult to tell them apart from the leaves of dandelion (Taraxacum officinale) or wild lettuces (e.g. Lactuca canadensis, L. serriola, both of which are found in disturbed soils). If you are only trying to forage some greens to cook with dinner, telling them apart is not so important. They are all pretty tasty sautéed in olive oil with some fresh garlic, salt, and pepper. More importantly, I have never heard of any poisonous look-alikes and I have searched very hard for them! A general rule with wild greens is that young, tender leaves are tastier and more digestible than older, tougher leaves. Chicory harvested at the Lawndale Triangle Garden. Photos by Alexis Smith. I have found no information about North American insects that use chicory as a larval host plant. This makes sense because the genus is comprised of 6 species that are all native to Eurasia (Street et al. 2013). However, chicory could still benefit urban North American pollinators. Chicory has a long flowering season (Peterson 1977) which could make it a reliable nectar resource for bees and butterflies.
Chicory has been used medicinally throughout much of the world. Its traditional uses are all so interesting that I could not decide how to summarize them. I recommend reading Street at al. (2013) if you also find that interesting. Sources Cited: Peterson LA. 1977. Edible Wild Plants: Eastern/Central North America. Peterson Field Guide Series, no 23. Houghton Mifflin Company: New York, NY. Street RA, Sidana J, and Prinsloo G. 2013. Cichorium intybus: traditional uses, phytochemistry, pharmacology, and toxicology. Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2013/579319 Posted by Emily Previously, I posted a list of birds that Rebecca had seen in or near the gardens during her two 10-minute point counts. Rebecca has now had a third observation period in the gardens and we can add three more species to our previous list: the gray catbird, indigo bunting, and one of my very favorite birds - the blue jay. The gray catbird and indigo bunting are both migratory species that spend winter months in the southeastern-most part of the United States and Central America. The blue jay is usually a year-round resident in our area but some populations may be partially migratory. I love them for their beautiful plumage and the clever look in their eyes. Although this won't be part of our 'official' scientific inventory, gardener and blog reader Sharon shared an observation of another new species in the gardens: common nighthawks. These birds tend to forage in the evening (which is probably why we never saw them) and eat flying insects almost exclusively, making them a friend to gardeners and urban residents in general.
Posted by Emily
Our final set of study sites includes 24 gardens. Each garden is so unique and interesting - it has been really fun seeing the ingenuity, creativity, and diversity in each garden. Our study design attempted to balance a number of different factors. These were some of the major considerations when we selected sites:
In case you were wondering which gardens are part of our study, I've put together a partial list here: http://chicagocommunitygardens.weebly.com/our-study-sites.html. I struggled a little with how to group them, as I still don't know all the Chicago neighborhoods or community areas. If I placed your garden incorrectly, let me know in the comments! Posted by Benji
I would like to compliment the new-this-year Lawndale Triangle Garden on their kid-friendly play area and this garden bed's impressive insect diversity! Posted by Alexis Emily suggested that there might be some interest in the edible weeds found in the gardens. Foraging for weeds and researching how people have used them (ethnobotany) are favorite hobbies of mine. I will be highlighting a few of the common weeds over time, starting with yellow wood sorrel (Oxalis stricta). Oxalis stricta, from Wikimedia Commons. Oxalis stricta Family: Oxalidaceae Common English name: yellow wood sorrel Other common names (Kindscher 1987): -“hade-sathe” (Omaha and Ponca; refers to all wood sorrels and means “sour herb”) -“skidadihorit” (Pawnee; refers to all wood sorrels and means “sour like salt”) -“aw-tawt-an-ya” (Kiowa; means “salt weed”) Native to North America and in Illinois This is one of my favorite plants to snack on while I am weeding my garden. The lemony taste is really refreshing, and it makes a nice reward for diligently fighting the inevitable: WEEDS! However, the plant contains oxalic acid (much like spinach, rhubarb, or chocolate) and should not be consumed in excess. An excess of oxalic acid can inhibit calcium absorption and should especially be avoided by people with kidney stones (Peterson 1977). At first glance, the wood sorrels (Oxalis spp.) look like many clovers, but note their three heart-shaped leaflets. In addition to its yellow flowers, yellow wood sorrel differs from other wood sorrels (such as violet wood sorrel, Oxalis violacea) in that its seed pods are erect and its stalks are bent. Yellow wood sorrel has small yellow flowers that have five petals each. In the Andes, a related species (Oca, Oxalis tuberosa) is cultivated for its edible tubers. The tubers of our local wood sorrels are also edible but not very large (Kindscher 1987). While I have personally never had wood sorrel that survived beyond my garden, Peterson (1977) suggests that the leaves could be added to a salad or used to make a cold drink. To make the cold drink, steep the leaves in hot water for 10 minutes, add sugar or honey, and chill. Non-humans also like to eat wood sorrels. In the Americas, the genus Oxalis is the host plant of Galgula partita, a moth in the family Noctuidae (Robinson et al. 2010). The genus hosts other insects worldwide. Wedgling moth, Galgula partita, by Andy Reago & Chrissy McClarren. Sources Cited:
Kindscher K. 1987. Edible Wild Plants of the Prairie: An Ethnobotanical Guide. University Press of Kansas: Lawrence, KS. Peterson LA. 1977. Edible Wild Plants: Eastern/Central North America. Peterson Field Guide Series, no 23. Houghton Mifflin Company: New York, NY. Robinson GS, Ackery PR, Kitching IJ, Beccaloni GW, Hernández LM. 2010. HOSTS - A Database of the World's Lepidopteran Hostplants. Natural History Museum, London. http://www.nhm.ac.uk/hosts. (Accessed: 6 July 2017). posted by Emily
Rebecca conducted two 10-minute 'point counts' in each garden to survey birds. Here are all the birds she observed in or near the gardens during during her counts:
Have you seen any birds in the garden that aren't on our list? If so, let us know in the comments. By Cynthia It was a good day of dragonfly observations in Three Brothers Garden. This beauty is a female and is known to sun itself while perching in open spaces. Libellula lydia is also known as the Common Whitetail.
Posted by Emily
One of our southside study sites is the Pullman coop-op (https://www.cooperationoperation.org). This is such a beautiful and interesting garden full of nature and art. I saw several American Goldfinches pulling seeds out of thistle plants in the garden but wasn't able to get a good photo of them. I was able to capture a few other interesting aspects of the garden in the photos below. Posted by Emily Today I went to some of our more southern gardens with Rebecca and took photos while she did bird surveys. I noticed a few things. First, it's berry season! I saw these beautiful ripe berries at several gardens today. Second, milkweed is not just for monarchs! Cornell Oasis must have 100s of common milkweed plants around the garden. I conducted a brief survey and didn't spot any monarch caterpillars. However, I saw a variety of other insects on the flowers and leaves. Third, soldier beetles are back! I saw the first ones I've seen this year on dill flowers in Edna White Century Garden. These are beneficial insects that feed on garden pests as well as flower pollen. They may even pollinate some flowers.
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