Q: At a neighborhood dinner, a guest said he planned to pick the wild onions in his yard and use them in recipes. Are they edible? — Barb O'Connor, Tucker
A: The "wild onions" we notice in lawns now are probably wild garlic, Allium vineale. Wild garlic leaves are round, while wild onions, Allium canadense, have flat leaves. Both plants are edible, but make sure no herbicides have been applied to them before using in the kitchen. Remind your friend that he won't get many kisses after dinner if he doesn't brush his teeth first!
Q: In mid-January, my eyes became really itchy, puffy and swollen. This happened to me last year as well. Allergists say I am likely allergic to some sort of pollen. What is making pollen this time of year? — Allison Giardina, Alpharetta
A: I can't think of anything. The Atlanta Allergy Clinic (atlantaallergy.com) posts daily pollen counts and they report almost no pollen is being shed in January-February. Trees and grasses are cited as frequent allergy offenders, but they won't be releasing pollen until the weather warms up. In my opinion, you should look elsewhere for a cause of winter allergies.
Q: A while back, I heard an advertisement for a hand cream for gardeners with dry skin. Do you know its name? — Jim Arnold, Marietta
A: I've used Udder Butter before with good results. It was invented to heal skin cracks in cow udders, but it works very well on dry human hands. I've seen similar products (Bag Balm, Anti-Monkey Butt Cream, etc.) on display beside the cashier at hardware stores.
Q: We are taking care of my elderly parents' home in a subdivision named Huckleberry Ridge. What are huckleberries? Will they grow here? — Jeff Wigley, Rome
A: "Huckleberry" is a name given to several plants. True huckleberry is Gaylussacia baccata. It grows mostly in the Northeast and Canada. The blueberry family Vaccinum contains various small-fruited plants known as huckleberry, lingonberry, sparkleberry, farklebery, partridgeberry, etc. All of them grow best in the Appalachian mountains, so my bet is that you won't have much success growing any of them here.
Q: We have a large compost pile, and every time we dig in it the soil is full of what we call angel hair roots. Tiny and white, they grow in it even if we keep the pile covered. — William Earnest, Woodbury
A: The tiny root-like things are called hyphae. They are the "roots" of the beneficial fungi that break down your yard waste to make compost. There is no problem having them in a compost pile. They will quickly regrow after you turn the pile but will disappear when mixed into a new landscape bed.
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