A few years ago when I was in Lisle, Illinois I took this photo of turf:
Can you see the filmy white substance within the turf? What is it?
Answer and another photo on Monday – have a great weekend!
Category: Friday puzzle
Friday puzzle solved…finally
We’re back to civilization, so I can finally post the answer to the puzzle. I’ve been without cell service and our only computer access was dial-up at a glacial 37.2 kbps. Yes, kbps.
Back to our puzzle. Here’s a larger version of Friday’s photo:
It is bark, as many astute readers pointed out. As far as I know, it’s a London plane tree (Platanus), but given the promiscuity of the genus, who knows exactly what species or hybrid it is?… Continue reading this article “Friday puzzle solved…finally”
Friday quiz time – and happy Valentine’s Day
I thought it would be fun again to do a “what is it” photo:
Answer and a larger photo on Monday…if I can. I’ll be on a dial-up modem and who knows if I can actually get anything posted. If I can’t, it’ll be up Tuesday.
And from all of us Garden Professors, have a happy Valentine’s Day!
Friday puzzle untangled
Well, either the puzzle was too easy or you guys are too smart! Deb, Christopher, Lori, Foy, Jim, and Hap go to the head of the class – it was, indeed, staking material left on way too long. Here’s a photo from over 10 years ago. I’m not sure this is the very same tree, but it’s from the same parking lot/torture chamber:
I “liberated” these trees with my handy wire-cutters (never leave home without them) shortly after taking the pictures. … Continue reading this article “Friday puzzle untangled”
Friday quiz…better late than never!
As you know, I wanted to get something intriguing for this week’s puzzler from the NW Flower and Garden Show. Alas, there was nothing that jumped out at me, so I’m digging into my photo archives.
Here is a recent photo from a parking lot tree. About four feet up the trunk, I found this interesting growth. No, I don’t know what the tree species is because (a) it wasn’t in leaf and (b) I’m a taxonomy klutz. … Continue reading this article “Friday quiz…better late than never!”
Friday quiz…yes it’s coming
As you might know, I’ve been at the NW Flower and Garden Show this past week, and yesterday I had two seminars to give. So I didn’t have a chance to post a quiz, and this morning I’m back over for a few hours before I’m done.
I’m hoping to find an interesting Garden Prof question topic at the show, so I’m taking the camera today. If I can’t, I have a backup. But I promise there will be a question up by today!
Friday puzzle answer(s)
Wow! What a lot of great brainstorming over the weekend! I would venture to say that The Garden Professors have the smartest students in the world.
On to the answer…or answers. First, the phenomenon. It’s called paraheliotropism – literally, a movement to protect (the leaves) from the sun (yes, Trena, it is a tropism!). This is the opposite of another phenomenon called heliotropism, or solar tracking. Sunflowers famously do this, as do a number of arctic species that collect solar warmth for the benefit of their pollinators. … Continue reading this article “Friday puzzle answer(s)”
Friday puzzle
Spring is coming…and soon herbaceous perennials will poking their leaves up through the mulch:
Obviously as leaves first emerge they’ll be vertically oriented – but these ones have remained vertical days after emerging. Eventually they’ll become horizontal. But today’s question is – what’s the advantage in remaining vertical? And what’s this phenomenon called?
Answer on Monday – have a nice weekend!
Friday’s puzzle solved
Here’s Friday’s photo without my edits:
As you can see, there are tell-tale globs of hot glue around the base of the bud on the right. Hap was correct – it’s yet another “cactus strawflower” whose cactus portion had disintegrated, leaving only the strawflower graft behind. But out of context it could easily be mistaken for a bulb of some sort. Let the buyer beware!
Friday fun, part 2
OK, enough tormenting of my fellow GP. On to today’s photo challenge.
Is it a miracle? Is it a resurrection plant? How do you explain these large buds emerging from the soil?
A disclaimer: a portion of this photo has been Photoshopped. I promise the altered area was not of plant material. Monday’s answer will include the untouched photo in bigger context