Looks like a rainy week ahead and the fireworks tonight might be a damp scenario. Nice shot of chicory (Cichorium intybus) above growing along all our roadsides and looking quite colorful thru mid-summer. Chicory flowers open and close at the same time every day. Each flower only lasts a day and opens up in the morning and closes/fades in the hot afternoon sunlight. Brought from Europe back in the 1700s, chicory has naturalized over a good portion of North America and has become a fixture along our gravel road edges. Chicory has a long history as a coffee substitute (no caffeine though!) as the roots can be ground and brewed in to a strong coffee. Related to endive and radicchio, chicory roots can also be consumed as a vegetable after being boiled (raw is ok too) and have been eaten for thousands of years. Flowers and young leaves are also edible and there are many folk remedies for the use of chicory as well. I'm sure many of you have notice the Japanese beetles back in your areas. My yard has a significant population that has started on our kiss-me-over-the-garden-gate (Polygonum orientale). Nice vacation but a busy week ahead with preparations for our upcoming iris division and Home Garden Tour and Luncheon.
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