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Show Competition, recreation Review Wednesday July 8, 1987 and fitness ' IB Lavender lupines and bright yellow muie ears provide a smattering of color on a mountainslope rising out of Farmington Canyon. N Its Youve got to stop and e 3 -- smell the mule ears. So might say state ornamental horticulturist Bill Varga, of the Utah State University Extension Service. W1 These mule ears dont be long to ornery oversized bur; tC s 4 . . $?' J J ' : i s t4 . Tv -- , i?4 ', f -- ... -- 2 I I v x V- - fv i rfj "4 fVLW'j irSf-' ktr&L . v.') ft. i: - ros although one musj admit that could easily qualify as one of lifes memorable j moments. Mule ears is the common name of one of an innumeral ble array of flowers that annul ally decorate the rocky slope? of the Wasatch Mountains. ( Monkey flowers, wild gera niums, penstemons and lul pines are just some of the' many colorful varieties that can be found in the area. And one of the best places to enjoy the local flora (fauna also) is just out Davis Countys back yard, up Farmington Canyon. I love to go up Farmington Canyon," Varga said in an in- 4 r terview at the state botanical Delicate penstemon provides a colorful backdrop for a yellow Monarch butterfly. gardens in Farmington. i iiti me. pure enjoyment for Just being there, looking at the flowers and wildlife, Varga said. I wish I had the time to take off up there right now, but Ive got these meetings. . ." his voice tailed off. Fortunately Varga does find the time to relax in the nature he spends hours a week working around. And he says now is the perfect time to explore the upper reaches of the Canyon and the nearby mountain peaks. Right now is as good a time as youll get for the attractive plants in the very high mountains, Varga said. In July you have to go to 0 foot level to the get the real showy plants. The best time for the showy plants in the lower elevations is April and May. Then you can start at the first switchbacks and work your 8,000-10,00- way up. But no matter what time (during the growing season) you go up, youll find different plants in bloom. One of the great things about it is that you have a different experience every time you go. The variety is also influenced by the weather conditions of previous years. For years many ppeople have thought Sego Lillies were dying out, but with the wet cycle weve had the past few years. Ive seen fields of Sego Lillies. Ive seen Sego Lillies where I couldnt imagine them being, frequents for work and recreation. Although looking for and I identifying the local flora is I closely related to his work, ; Varga hastens to add that a degree in biology or botany is not necessary to enjoy nature walks or even to begin to be- - ; come familiar with the vanet- - ; ies of plants and animals this habitat supports. ; The best thing for anyone to do who is interested in ! learning about and identifying the local plants and animals is .. just to get out. It seems like people want a ! cookbook of instant knowledge about which plants are which. But thats not how it works. That isnt how I learned any of what I know. You just have to go out : and start looking. Then after ; awhile you start to begin to see similarities between plants and you begin to find out theyre related. Thats how ' you start, Varga said. The USU Extension Service also has a few publications available that will be helpful for beginners or experienced horticulturalists to identify varieties of plants. One book Varga recommends is Moun- - ' v tain Plants of Northeastern Utah, Circular 319 of the Ex- tension Services. It is a 142 page publication with illustrations that costs $2.50. Varga said. Unfortunately, according to Varga, many people who look for only the ornamental plants miss some of the more inter- esting varieties. Often when people go they want to find the really showy plants, and they want an abundance. But people need to learn about the other plants ' too. Take Miners Lettuce for example. Miners lettuce is probably not a plant youd notice unless you were looking carefully. But once I show it to you, it is so different youll never forget it. And it is edible. It tastes like lettuce, and the miners and early settlers used to eat it. Thats where it got its name, he said. Varga is a transplanted Ohioan who came out West to attend Utah State University. He stayed because he loves the openness of the country he t Bill Varga, a state environmental horiculturalist, examines a sulfer flower in Farmington Canyon., f 1 Mmtri Uttwc Photos by Rodney Wright Story by Cary Hatch : ; ; |