Garden Detective

My mailbag contains quite a few letters from readers complaining about their neighbors. The way I see it, either we haven't learned how to compromise in a diplomatic fashion or we've become intollerant. Or maybe we're just surrounded by inconsiderate people.

Granted, when neighbors prance around their backyards in the buff in full view of the children, plaintiffs have a valid gripe, in my opinion. But sometimes the lines get blurred when, for instance, someone isn't on board with their neighbor's choice of plants or fences. I wasn't in love with my neighbor's new solid white vinyl fence, but in all fairness, it's his fence. It's a free country.

A former neighbor loved wildflowers. Her front yard was, in my opinion, a mess. And she was so proud of it. You see where I'm going with this?

But years ago, I had neighbors who installed an "in ground" pool. I use the quotation marks because it wasn't in ground in the traditional sense. Instead of excavating to a depth that would accommodate the pool, they pretty much laid the pool on the ground, put in a 6-foot-tall retaining wall and brought in truckloads of topsoil to raise their backyard elevation. Next, a 6-foot chain link fence was added atop the wall.

Now, I'm no expert on local building ordinances, but that didn't seem right. The wall dividing our properties went from being 2 or 2 1/2 feet high, to being 6 feet high. And with the fence, we had a 12-foot barrier between us at some points. It didn't help that my property was downhill.

So I did the only thing I could do: I installed 14 evergreens to soften the hardscape. Did I want to do that? Absolutely not. Did I resent the expense? You bet.

People are angry that their neighbor's bamboo, for instance, is invading their yards. I feel your pain, but there isn't much you can do if your neighbor has a penchant for the invasive, yet legal, plants. Ditto for English ivy and a host of other perceived nuisances.

In a perfect world, a friendly chat with the neighbor would result in a compromise. But in the future, you might want to check with rottenneighbor.com before buying a new house. Just in case.

If you can't beat 'em, eat 'em!

With weeding season in full swing, lots of folks -- myself included -- will be spending at least part of the holiday weekend cleaning out their garden beds. Instead of ditching those weeds, why not consider the activity a harvest and put those good-for-you greens to good use?

If you want to forage through your weeds for edibles, there are plenty of safe, nutritious greens growing in your backyard. Just be very careful about identifying them; mistaking lily of the valley for bear's garlic, for instance, could be lethal. Be sure to follow "Jessica's Rules for Consumption," below, and rinse all vegetation before indulging.

Last week, I pulled up some tender, young dandelion leaves from the backyard, gave 'em a good rinse and constructed a salad with them, adding sliced hard boiled eggs, olive oil, salt and pepper, just like Mama used to. So yummy!

Bon Appetit!

Click photo to enlarge	Weed (Latin name)	Edible part(s)	Uses
	Burdock (Arctium minus)	Roots, leaves	Add to soups and stews; Cooking with baking soda helps break down tough fibers
	Chickweed (stellaria media)	Leaves	Harvest before seeds form, add to salads
	Dandelion (Taraxacum officinale)	Leaves and flowers	Add to salads, steam or sauté. Young flowers can be battered and fried.
	Lambs quarters (Chenopodium album)	Leaves and young shoots	Add to salads, cooked in place of spinach
	Plantain (Plantago major)	Young, tender leaves	Blanche, sauté
	Purslane (Portulaca olearacea)	Leaves, stems	Add to salads, Blanche, sauté
	Shepherd's purse (Capsella Bursa-pastoris)	Leaves	Peppery flavor. Blanche, sauté
	Wild violet (Viola papilionacea)	Leaves, flowers	Add to salads, dip in egg whites and coat with fine sugar

Jessica's Code of Consumption

• If you can't be absolutely certain you are correctly identifying the weed, pass it up. Better to have a smaller salad than to visit the emergency room - or worse.

• Never eat any part of a plant unless you are sure that the specific part is edible. Many plants, even some commonly consumed ones, have only one edible part. For instance, did you know tomato leaves are toxic?

• Unless specifically noted for use in salads, be sure to cook weeds.

• Avoid picking weeds that grow in an area where animal droppings are found.

• Do not eat weeds found growing in areas that have been treated with pesticides or herbicides.

• Don't pick weeds from the side of the road, where exhaust fumes from cars are readily absorbed into nearby plants.

• Unless you are a weed scientist, don't rely on yourself. Bring an illustrated reference book - like "Handbook of Edible Weeds," by James A. Duke (2000, CRC Press) on your hunt.

All photos are courtesy of Andy Senesac Ph.D., Weed Science Specialist,
Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Suffolk Co.

Invasive weeds are non-native plants that somehow get into our environment and grow like crazy until they take over and, often, choke out our own native vegetation. This is bad, not only because plants that rightfully belong here have to fight a losing battle for survival, but also because of the trickle-down effect invasives have on insects and wildlife, which end up losing their valuable food sources.

Many invasive weeds have been brought over from Europe and Asia, either deliberately or accidentally. Deliberate introductions occur when immigrants or American tourists bring plants from other countries. These plants might have been courteous in their home countries, but in our environment they go berserk. Sometimes seeds inadvertently hitch a ride on cargo imported from overseas.

According to The Invasive Plant Council of New York State, invasive plants "pose one of the greatest threats to the conservation of biological diversity, and are a significant problem for land managers across New York State."

As a home gardener, you can do your part by diligently removing invasive weeds, refusing to purchase invasive species (yes, many invasive perennials are sold in local nurseries and by mail order,) and planting native alternatives instead.

Check with these local nurseries for native plants:

The Invasive Plant Council of New York State is currently targeting six invasive plants. Keep an eye out for these local offenders:

Diagrams courtesy The Invasive Plant Council of New York State