Spring is upon us

After a long wait through winter Spring is almost here in the Appalachia mountains of Virginia. Here are some pictures of ramps, Allium tricoccum, that I am planting to reestablish the over harvested population in my area. The seed can take 2 years to germinate and once it does it takes 7 years to flower. So when people dig them for the bulbs the plants are gone I focus on what I feel is the most sustainable harvesting method where I only cut the leaf and leave the bulb to grow again next year. I plant out bulbs and seeds that I purchase. 20180331_162353.jpg They stay super tiny the first couple of years but with time become my most beloved Spring perennial native food.