Roadside Imports: Chicory

Roadside Imports features plants that are introduced to Michigan and have naturalized.  Some of them are invasive and should never be planted in gardens.  Today's featured species is largely not invasive.  

Driving along roadsides here in SE Michigan in June and July will often treat the riders with a lovely blue show.  These "wildflowers" are actually from Europe and western Asia, and are known to most as the Chicory (Cichorium Intybus).

Taken along a road outside of Waltz.

They have seen use for a very long time as greens, herbal medicine, and the roots are often ground up as a little bit of fun for coffee.  I've never consumed nor grown them for any of these purposes, but last year one did end up in my curbside cactus patch, growing right out of play sand and granite stones.  You see them in similar situations along roadsides, and they tend to enjoy disturbed and open sites such as these.  That said, while they are easily at home here in Michigan, they never really take things over.  Sure, in prairie and savanna restorations they often go crazy, but once the larger grasses and flowers take over they don't make much more of a show.  This is indicative of their original, ancient home over in Eurasia, probably fire-disturbed grasslands and clearings.  They seem to like it dry, but not overly so, as indicated by the overall distribution in their native and introduced ranges; they get sparse out west and the further east into Russia one goes.

If you want to grow them in your garden, they seem to thrive under harsher conditions of neglect.  I have never seen them for sale before, probably because they are largely considered a weed, but they grow extremely easily from seed.  That said, if you have a rather open, neglected flower bed, they will probably pop up for you on their own!  They look lovely, they are all flower in terms of structural effect and dominant features, and they are great deer food (which can either be great for trying to provide a distraction or terrible for attracting them even more). 

Nursery Review: Block's Stand And Greenhouse

When I started this blog a few weeks ago, the planting season was getting underway and local gardeners such as myself were in their full spring fever.  Nurseries around the area were crowded full of plant fanatics and eager growers looking to tell winter to buzz off, and the concept of writing to share with all of you the rush was... a bad idea.  To new growers, the thought of having you smashed into a mob full of overly-energetic retiree-aged hobbyists and fanatical master gardeners is amusing but also intimidating.  Let's be honest, April is a time when you see the good, the bad, and the ugly in the gardener's world.  Now, however, the crowds have died off a bit, the staff is more than eager to keep sales running smooth, and nurseries are a grand place to visit.  I'm going to show you around a few of my favorites. 

To be fair, most of them are downriver, on the west side, or even further in both directions.  I know some of the more experienced visitors here will shout out names like Telly's and Eastern Market, as well as a slew of places I might have never heard of.  As we all know, however, metro Detroit consists of people who think that anything on the opposite side of Woodward is terra incognita.  By all means, suggest a place for me to go, but in the meantime you are going to see a lot of "west side nursery story".  Our first visit takes us south, actually.

The most incredible selection, in terms of sheer volume of healthy, hearty plants that you will find anywhere in SE Michigan is going to be at Blocks at Eureka and Middlebelt, just outside of Metro Airport.  You know how I said things get nuts at nurseries in late April and early May?  They get positively INSANE at Blocks.  This is because they grow their own stuff for the most part, they have incredible quality to it, and they have tons of stuff. 

Picture this times 20, and you have Blocks.  HUGE.

Mind you, they also tend to actually sell out of stuff, too.  Remember what I said about avoiding the crowds?  I apologize.  Don't do it for Blocks.  Learn to handle the mob, get some good plants, and go within the first week of their opening at the top of May.  Next year, if I still maintain this blog, I will make a reminder post about them around that time.  They are simply that good.  Their staff is helpful even under the insanity period, they carry a wide variety of selections of everything from fruit trees to exotic veggies, and their pricing is, well, affordable.  I am particularly fond of their 3 for 10 one gallon perennial pots; they seem to have a unique selection every year and said sale has brought many new perennial friends into my life.  For comparison, many gallon perennials cost anywhere from 7-20 dollars at most other local nurseries, and are often big box grower purchases.  Blocks sells you their own stock, for the most part. 

For the novice gardener, they are an excellent place to dive in to the hobby/calling and get lost for a few hours.  You will find everything from good, cheap garden hardware (like those adorable frog watering cans) to every sort of plant you will ever need to start making your little slice of paradise with.  They also have seeds, roots, mulch, and more free advice than you can shake a stick at.  Yes, Blocks will be intimidating if you are starting out, but it will also be convenient, one-stop shopping with help right around the corner.  Your wallet, if nothing else, will thank me, both in terms of initial investment and with how well your purchases do. 

For those with more advanced green thumbs, all I have to say is that if you have never been here, go.  In my opinion, Block's is going to offer a selection every bit as worthy as Eastern Market, and the prices and attitude are far, far less elitist.  Don't get me wrong, Eastern has some incredible stuff if you enjoy city driving, parking, and if your credit score is good enough to get you a bank loan.  At Blocks, you might have to park a fair piece from the gate, but you won't have to fight to get a spot, and the staff will actually smile at you.

Speaking of smiles, my two friendly cashiers.  They are friendly while not sacrificing efficiency; the crowd behind them was also ringing out and yet the lines were pretty decent.

OK, so I exaggerate, but for the most part, the experience in Romulus is going to be a bit less stressful than at the Market.  I accordingly promote Blocks as a worthy EM level alternative. 

The downside to them is that they do tend to sell out rather quickly, before summer even really gets going.  If you are finicky about frost and want to wait until Memorial Day to do your planting, you will most likely be out of luck.  The other drawback, to some at least, is that they are not very much into display.  Their flats are healthy and beautiful, but presented in unremarkable rows and tables.  For the novice, this can sometimes be a deterrent from getting too excited about the place; my best piece of advice is to go with a more experienced gardener who can point the way and draw you to some truly great purchases.  For my needs, the no-frills approach to the display works out just fine; Blocks is pretty much an essential trip for the basics concerning veggies and annuals every year, and a bonus in regards to perennials.  I come for the quality and affordability.  If you want a show while you set up the backbone of your garden, go to Eastern Market. 

Blocks is located at Eureka and Middlebelt in Romulus, Michigan.  It is two miles away from I-275's Eureka exit, and over 3 from I-75's Eureka exit, so fairly easy to get to from many places in SE Michigan.  I tend to combine my annual binge at Blocks with visits to other downriver nurseries, which can be another reason in justifying driving from as far away as Lansing or Port Huron to pay them a visit. 

Best time to visit: Early May (or whenever they open, usually the last weekend of April). 

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