PREDICTING THE WEATHER!
This year was a little different that in the past. Because the rainy season took so long to come and we had lots of wind, many of us had our properties mowed to avoid the chance of wildfires. Normally we would have the front fields and the back fields full of Golden Crown beard, verbesina encelioides. We have some but not a lot. I do see lots of fields of gold on my daily drive to work. The Golden Crown beard is also known as the Cowpen daisy and in Spanish it is called ‘Anel del Muerto’.
In addition to the wild sunflowers in bloom, the Chamisa is in full bloom, the golden asters are in all their splendor. Add in the domestic sunflowers and Golden Crown beard and all I see is fields of gold.
Because we finally received the summer rains, we are having one of the best showings of this beautiful wildflower. Everywhere you look and drive, there are fields of golden daisies. I am reminded of a song by Sting, the lyrics ‘you’ll forget the sun in his jealous sky as we walk in fields of gold. We’ll walk in fields of gold…’
Another memory, is of my grandmother gathering the leaves of the golden Crown beard, drying them and storing them for later use as she considered the plant a medicinal herb.
HAPPY GARDENING!
