Tuesday, June 8, 2021

Curious Bugs and Thistles


When I was at the cemetery with Olga on Sunday, I saw these little flower bugs crawling around on a salmon-colored rose. And then, back home again...


...I saw what looks like the same kind of bug on our lupine.

I had no idea what these critters were, so I did some digging. I've concluded that they're Closterotomus trivialis, a relatively recent arrival in England from the Mediterranean. Apparently they're a serious pest for olive and citrus growers, although they primarily eat nettles. I'm not clear on whether they're a problem for our plants, but for now, I'm letting them be. At least they make nice pictures!

In other garden news...


...one of my jimsonweed seeds has finally sprouted. Nothing from any of the others yet. But I might wind up with at least one plant, fingers crossed.

My wildflower seedlings have not fared as well. I noticed this morning that they'd been ravaged by slugs. I found a few tiny slugs still on them and picked them off, but it may be too little too late. Honestly, if a wildflower can't prosper in the wild, what good is it?

I also noticed something ate one of my zinnia seedlings. That's not so terrible, though -- even though I thinned them (ugh!) there are still too many in the pot. Nature could stand to cull a few.


Finally, this is a bit hard to see, but that thistly-looking plant sprouted and grew from a crack in the patio next to our pot of poppy seedlings. I let it grow because I was curious about what it would become. Apparently it's called a rough sow thistle, and as you can see it has yellow flowers. In fact, it's a member of the dandelion family. I'm probably going to have to pull it out soon because I don't want it going to seed. According to Wikipedia, it makes a "palatable and nutritious leaf vegetable." Should we try it?

I can see the headlines now:

WEST HAMPSTEAD MEN DIE FROM EATING POISONOUS THISTLE
Scientists say it's easily mistaken for edible variety

Hmmmm....maybe not.

Yesterday morning I wound up being half an hour late for work, because of course when I stood up from blogging with minutes to spare, the dog also leaped up and expected a walk. I am completely unable to refuse Olga a walk when she's excited to get one. I'm not sure these are healthy priorities, but fortunately no one at work seemed to mind.

49 comments:

Anonymous said...

The bug looks green and looks like a fly, so greenfly. *Shrug shoulders*

The tabloids would of course have the headline Gay West Hampstead Men Die Eating Poisonous Thistle, giving the headline a totally different life. How many gay men are eating this thistle? Is it a recreational drug of some kind? Did they overdose? Katie in Kent ponders the possibility of a gay drug taking enclave in the lovely part of London where she once lived.

Best not eat it, I think.

e said...

Foraging or gleaning isn't the best idea for novices and besides if you want to make headlines there are more fun ways of doing that. Ans, apparently yes, to your previous inquiry.

Mary said...

Make sure you wear gloves when you pull that thistle. Ask me how I know...almost as much fun as trying to cut back juniper without gloves.

Bob said...

So, it wasn't "the dog ate my homework" but "the dog made me walk her"?

I like it.

Ms. Moon said...

I think your priorities are quite in order.

The Bug said...

We always let the thistles live and then regret it later - but you never know, some weeds are lovely!

Ellen D. said...

You certainly made it sound exotic when it looked just like a giant dandelion to me!
You are a softy at heart, Steve, especially when it comes to Olga. And that is a good thing!

Anonymous said...

It looked very dandelion-ish to me. Now I'm going to have to google around to see how thistle and dandelions are related.
I'm glad Olga got in her walk. The library can wait!

Colette said...

I love the flower/bug photos a lot!

Pixie said...

Too funny!

Red said...

With your one seeding coming up, it would be my luck that it would be a weed.

Tasker Dunham said...

We don't have any olive or citrus, and I'm not going to complain if they eat the nettles.

Pixie said...

That close up of the rose is beautiful, even with the bug on it:)

And Olga is very lucky to have you as her personal walker.

Edna B said...

I agree, the yellow plant looks just like a dandelion. When my brother and I were little, we would pick bunches of dandelions and the next door neighbor would cook their greens and let us have some to eat. Yum! They were delicious! You have a super day, hugs, Edna B.
p.s. Any day you late because of Olga, you are excused.

ellen abbott said...

one of my two volunteer daturas is putting on a bud. the other isn't big enough yet. some of my zinnias survived the snails but the marigolds look, well, eaten. they might recover now that it has finally stopped raining and the sun is out.

Sharon said...

Jimsonweed is so common here I would never give growing them from seed a thought.
That yellow flower plant does look like a type of dandelion. However, I wouldn't eat it either.

Angelicastar said...

Hi Olga, Steve and Dave. Although I grew up in the suburbs, and live in the suburbs now, but don't eat the weed unless you plant it as in veggies. (laughing) Don't make the news the wrong way. Atleast make it where you can see it too. We will miss you. Make sure Olga doesn't eat any of it, or Dave. Growing up we used to eat the black berries, plums and something called bull nettles. They were nutty. Poke salad was one of our favorites but my mom knew how to cook it. That's a wild green that is suppose to be poison if it's not cooked right. They do have poke salad festivals in Oil City, Louisiana. I haven't had any in 20 years now. I have no idea where to find it here.

Catalyst said...

OLGA RULES!

Moving with Mitchell said...

I do the same thing with imagined headlines. One of my early ones: "Brooklyn boy dies in plane crash from London to Pisa. He was found holding hands across the aisle with his best friend who just happened to be on the same plane." That was around 1974. So sorry about sending you that Closterotomus trivialis. I must have swatted it too hard when I found it on our terrace.

Margaret said...

I love salmon colored flowers! Thistles are edible? My mother's Italian relatives collected baby dandelion greens and made salad out of them with hard boiled eggs and dressing. I would not partake.

Sarah said...

I have never seen bugs like those before so am not surprised they are a more recent arrival. A dog in need of a walk is a perfect excuse for lateness!

The Padre said...

This Post So Bugs Me - Come On Olga Girl , Lets Find You Something To Eat

Cheers

jenny_o said...

Even if the thistle was not poisonous, it looks kind of pointy - you might end up with a lacerated tongue :)

It's really nice that your workplace is flexible enough that you could give Olga her walk.

Elizabeth said...

I wish I'd had you next to me with your camera to take a photo of the amazing dragonfly that landed on a tomato vine in my backyard today. I honestly was so close that I saw his eyes swivel.

Steve Reed said...

Cool! It amazes me that you get wildlife even in the heart of LA. Although we get it in the heart of London, so I don't know why I should be surprised.

Steve Reed said...

I tried it last night (see next post) and it WAS a bit prickly. But not so prickly that it couldn't be eaten!

Steve Reed said...

If you ever dog-sit I can see that I'm going to have to put her on a diet afterwards! LOL

Steve Reed said...

Aren't they odd? I'd never seen them before either, and then to see several in the span of a few days!

Steve Reed said...

I actually like dandelion salads -- Dave and I occasionally get them in restaurants. (Where they must provide a huge profit margin!)

Steve Reed said...

I KNEW IT WAS YOU!

Steve Reed said...

Always. She is the queen of the pack.

Steve Reed said...

I've never eaten poke salad -- and I know not to try, since I don't know how to prepare it! I like the idea of foraging some wild food, though. Apparently nettles here in England can be eaten too, but collecting them sounds potentially painful.

Steve Reed said...

Georgia O'Keeffe famously painted jimsonweed, so I should have known it would be common in the Southwest!

Steve Reed said...

I really don't want to have to put down slug pellets but I think I might have to, just to give these seedlings a chance.

Steve Reed said...

We have dandelions in our garden as well. We could make a heck of a salad!

Steve Reed said...

It is a nice color. We have a similar one in our own garden.

Steve Reed said...

I completely agree. Have at it, I say.

Steve Reed said...

Ha! That is entirely possible. Time will tell!

Steve Reed said...

They turned out OK, didn't they?!

Steve Reed said...

I'm not sure this is related to true thistles, the purple kind. It's just called a thistle because it's spiny, I think.

Steve Reed said...

It's funny -- the more I learn about the weeds that appear in our garden, the more interesting they become! They're plants in their own right!

Steve Reed said...

I once let a purple one live and we had little sprouting thistles the next season. I eventually had to pull them all up because I learned it's a variety that quickly takes over!

Steve Reed said...

Yeah, could be, actually. :)

Steve Reed said...

She did! She FORCED me.

Steve Reed said...

I haven't pulled it yet. I'm avoiding it. :)

Steve Reed said...

Ha! Fortunately I don't think this plant really resembles anything poisonous. I'm sure it's harmless. :)

Steve Reed said...

Did you once work for The Sun, Andrew? You've definitely captured their tabloid sensibility! LOL

Mike O'Brien said...

There's a kind of slug pellet that is non-toxic to all but slugs and snails. Iron phosphate is the only ingredient. In the US, one brand name is Sluggo. That's what we use in certain sections of the garden.

Chris from Boise (on Mike's computer again)

Mike O'Brien said...

Nettles are actually pretty good and extremely nutritious. We wear gloves while harvesting and washing. Cooking denatures their stingy-ness. One of our farmers market vendors raises nettles for sale - I was amazed to see it at the market.

Chris from Boise