Author: Abi Saeed

Abiya (Abi) Saeed is the Extension Horticulture Specialist at Montana State University, located at the beautiful campus in Bozeman. She has a background in entomology, pollinator conservation, and integrated pest management. She received her Master's degree in entomology at the University of Kentucky and is currently working on her PhD in Plant Sciences at Montana State University where she is doing research on urban pollinator conservation. Prior to Montana State University Extension, she has been a horticulture educator at Michigan State University Extension and Colorado State University Extension. Abi is also a recurring panelist on Montana PBS's weekly live call-in TV show: Montana Ag Live.

The Spooky and Spectacular World of Carnivorous Plants

As a lover of the weird and wonderful, October is one of my favorite months of the year, because of Spooky Season. To celebrate, I thought it would be fun to learn about some of the weird and wonderful plants around us, especially some of the most notorious: carnivorous plants.

Little Shop of Horrors (Warner Bros.).

Whether you like to grow them, observe them in their natural habitats, or simply just learn about them, it’s easy to understand our collective fascination with carnivorous plants.… Continue reading this article “The Spooky and Spectacular World of Carnivorous Plants”

The Dirty Truth Behind the “Dirty Dozen”

By: Abi Saeed

Pesticide residues and risk assessments have been a major topic of interest and inquiry for me for over a decade, and something that I wanted to write about on the Blog for quite some time. Over the past couple of months, I have had several inquiries from people regarding the “Dirty Dozen” list, so I thought this was the perfect time to organize the evidence-based data on this topic. To see a prior post on this topic, you should also check out Jeff Gillman’s post on the Dirty Dozen from 2010 and a follow up post from 2011.… Continue reading this article “The Dirty Truth Behind the “Dirty Dozen””

An Ode to the Dandelion:

Deciphering fact from fiction for one of the most infamous plants in the world.

Dandelion in a lawn. Photo: Abiya Saeed

Dandelions can be a bit of a polarizing subject for gardeners. Some absolutely love them, while others may despise seeing these bright yellow bursts of unconformity in an otherwise ‘pristine’ lawn and garden landscape. Many often find themselves somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. Dandelions are also used as a symbol for resilience–growing despite all odds in some very harsh and unforgiving environments–often ones where few cultivated plants would successfully grow.… Continue reading this article “An Ode to the Dandelion:”

8 Legged Friends: Spiders in the Garden

Even though some may not be fond of them, we understand that most spiders are beneficial, excellent predators of arthropod pests and are extremely interesting organisms. Gardeners are often really enthusiastic about this group of arthropods and enjoy observing them in outdoor landscapes, usually at a comfortable distance. There are some of us who enjoy the company of these creatures in closer proximity, even indoors and as pets (myself included).

Jumping spider with prey.
Photo: David Cappaert, Bugwood.org
… Continue reading this article “8 Legged Friends: Spiders in the Garden”

Ants in my Plants!

Ants are a very familiar and recognizable group of insects in our homes and gardens. Due to their common presence on or around our plants and garden pests, some people consider that they may be the cause of some of the issues that we see. For the most part, ants play important and diverse roles in their ecosystems and are usually beneficial to us in our garden settings. As with every situation, however, there are always exceptions.… Continue reading this article “Ants in my Plants!”

Earthworms: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

Earthworms have held a secure place in the hearts of many gardeners for quite some time. Charles Darwin himself was endlessly fascinated by these organisms (publishing an entire book about them in 1881) writing: “it may be doubted whether there are any other animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world…”.  

Nightcrawler/Common Earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris). Photo: Joseph Berger, Bugwood.org

Recognized for their benefits to soils, including improvements in water infiltration, aeration, porosity, tilth, organic matter, beneficial microbes, and the list goes on, it is not difficult to see why.… Continue reading this article “Earthworms: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly”

Underrated Beneficial Arthropods Part 3: Nutrient Cyclers

For the third and final installment of the Underrated Beneficial Arthropods series, I will be talking about a group of organisms that is arguably one of the least recognized and most underappreciated when it comes to beneficials. Often doing most of their work ‘behind the scenes’ the nutrient cyclers, more familiarly referred to as decomposers or saprophytes, play a crucial role in our landscapes, one that is equally as important as that of pollinators and natural enemies.… Continue reading this article “Underrated Beneficial Arthropods Part 3: Nutrient Cyclers”

Underrated Beneficial Arthropods Part 2: Natural Enemies

Continuing with the theme of Underrated Beneficial Arthropods that I brought up in my December post about Underrated Pollinators– I will be focusing on the next category of what I consider the trio of beneficial arthropods (which includes pollinators, natural enemies, and nutrient cyclers).

Natural Enemies

Natural enemies are comprised of predatory and parasitic arthropods, in which one or more life stages of the arthropod feed on other organisms, such as garden pests, thereby killing them.… Continue reading this article “Underrated Beneficial Arthropods Part 2: Natural Enemies”

Underrated Beneficial Arthropods Part 1: Pollinators

The world of beneficial arthropods (insects and their relatives) far exceeds some of the common critters that we often associate with this category. Many of them perform vital functions in our own yards, gardens, and ecosystems all over the world. A very small sliver of all arthropods are considered pests of any kind though there are certainly some pretty devastating pests in this category. Most of these other organisms are either providing benefits or maintaining important ecosystem functions.… Continue reading this article “Underrated Beneficial Arthropods Part 1: Pollinators”

The Fascinating Phenomenon of Fasciation

You may have seen it on the odd flower or plant here and there or you may be intentionally growing plants that show this unique and uncommon phenomenon. Fasciation (not fascination- though it certainly is pretty fascinating) is a malformation or abnormal pattern of growth in the apical meristem (growing tip) of plants. The apical meristem is undifferentiated tissue that triggers the growth of new cells (which extends roots and shoots, and gives rise to stems, leaves, and reproductive structures).… Continue reading this article “The Fascinating Phenomenon of Fasciation”