We were treated to a fabulous talk regarding the history of camassias (camas) last night—from how the early fields of Garry oak meadows that contained masses of camassias were forever changed following the arrival of Europeans in the 1800’s to present day UK, where the camassia is very prevalent in many gardens. Janelle described a recent vacation in the UK where she noticed the abundance of camassias in many public gardens. This is in complete contrast to our local gardens where they are in very short supply—even though the plant is native to this area. It was a very fascinating talk, following the history of this beautiful member of the asparagus family and included information on how to grow this pollinator-friendly plant—both from seed or by purchasing in plant form.
Janelle advised that seeds are available for purchase from Satinflower Nursery (https://satinflower.ca/ ) in Victoria. Bulbs are available from various sources—including Streamside Nursery in Bowser (https://www.streamsidenativeplants.com/ ). For instructions on how to grow from seed, you can visit www.klamathsiskiyouseeds.com
As well as Janelle’s excellent talk, we also enjoyed this first-of-the-season, in-person meeting with the members’ plant sale, free seeds, $5 book sale, the master gardener information table, and the wonderful door prize winners who went home with camassia plants.
