Sorry, its been awhile since I checked on this post... Ok, Kudzukween, Amy and Mimi--Yes, all that 20 acres is my hubbies and mine. We bought it December of 06---it's just south of the Sequoia National Forest in California. Ok, yes, the last photos are of Baby Blue Eyes (those were not on our land but the 20 acre parcel next to ours. I'm still trying ot figure out what for sure the white one is. The small light blue ones are Pygmy Leaved Lupine (Lupinus bicolor). The dark purple tall skinny ones are Brodiaea, Wild Hyacinth (Dichelostemma capitatum). I'm not sure what the little hot pinks ones are yet. There are the Goldfields (Lastenia californica) (carpet of yellow). The one that is a green water lily looking like leaf with the small white flower in the center of the leaf is called Miners Lettuce (Claytonia perfoliata)--that one I only found in one place so far. We are going out again this Saturday so I hope to find more and get some more photos. WE bought on a fluke---my hubby was the one jumping on this one and he's the one to generally think a situation/possibility to DEATH before he acts on it. For the mean time it will be used as a Getaway (that's what I refer to it as for now) until the home we are in now is paid off (about 12 years). If we still have it by that time (because there are so many options) we would like to build a home there---like a retirement/ partial live there place. WE think we know where we would want the actual home site to be. It's perfect views of the back of the Tehachapi mountains to the South and the Sequoias to the North. We camped there last Labor Day weekend which was interesting. We have a power pole so whatever we build we have to bring power from there ($$$$). We alse need to dig a well which we think we'll do in the next few years. We think we'll have to go 400 feet. Can't have a home unless you have water....better to know sooner than later, right? It's going to cost in the 20-30K just for that--so Whoa Nellie, one thing at a time. If money were not an issue it would have already been done. :-) We are not believers of the "Global Warming" issue, but we definitely want to go solar. We would have both solar and electric just to be "tied in" whatever benefits they say that is because as I know it now we would not get $$ if we made extra---just credit. I guess if we ever did get enough credit we could leave the lights, fans, etc. on all day and all night just to use the credits up. (heheheheehheee). I think we would have propane as well since I don't think there is access to natural gas. Hubby was thinking of a log cabin type home. I laugh---everyone has a log cabin looking home in the hills. He looked up one that may be good for us---the Michelle Kaufmann Glidehouse. It's simple and is built smartly in design and efficiency. Anyway, I can keep babbling. It's exciting....It's hard to wait. Thanks for reading/listening. Love, Jules Here is a link that might be useful: Michelle Kaufmann Designs--Glidehouse

I agree with the general considerations Dennis offers, as they closely match my winter gardening experience. IME claytonia prefers spring seeding. Both it and mache are top notch when it comes to cold hardiness, claytonia being probably the single cold hardiest vegetable I grow. But I do not plant it anymore because it has become feral in several beds. Mache germination depends on the variety (I have two). True valerianella (a relatively large plant) germinates more slowly and irregularly than a smaller, wilder variety which also has naturalized in a few beds. The naturalized one does prefer fall germination, with overwintering and a crop that is available in late March- early April. Even as it bolts the leaves remain neutral-flavored.

Definitely not Claytonia perfoliata. Looks like a weedy Asteraceae, as suggested. Have you seen it flower? Is it rhizomatous, i.e. if you dig up a plant, is it linked to other plants by the roots?

The basal leaves, which are what you have, come first. The stems with two fused leaves surrounding the flowers come later.