When You Gotta Go, Go Green

Here’s a bit of the fact-filled, intrepid reporting we at Garden Professors are pleased to provide.

Just back from a visit/droolfest to Pennsylvania’s "Golden Triangle" of horticulture: Swarthmore’s Scott Arboretum, Chanticleer, and Longwood Gardens. 

At closing time on Saturday, I was wandering through the cavernous halls of the Longwood conservatory, looking for either my travel companion John Greenlee (Mr. American Meadow Garden), or the restroom.  Found one, then followed the signs to the other…

Whoa.… Continue reading this article “When You Gotta Go, Go Green”

A lawn alternative we can support: Conifers!

As many of the blog readers are aware, I do a lot of writing about conifers.  In the process I mingle with members of the American Conifer Society or ‘ACS’ for short -although some wag has suggested that ACS actually stands for Addicted Conifer Syndrome, such is the devotion of these enthusiasts for their beloved conifers.  A couple weekends ago I was privileged to attend the first ever ACS ‘Illinois Conifer Rendezvous’ hosted by Rich and Susan Eyre, owners of Foxwillow Pines nursery in Woodstock, IL. … Continue reading this article “A lawn alternative we can support: Conifers!”

Big-time quiz solved

I was going to call this quiz a ‘stumper’ but that would have been a giveaway – not to mention a horrible pun!  This is a sycmore (Platanus occidentalis) and, as noted by a couple of folks, the large size is due to being produced by stump sprouts.  Now I know why Linda says this is such a good class!

Big time Friday quiz

Got bogged down with various and sundry items earlier this week and missed my regular post.  I’ll do my penance by taking Linda’s spot on the Friday quiz while she heads out for a cross country meet (her son’s, not hers). 

The photo below was sent to me this week by a homeowner in Grosse Pointe, MI.  Two part question: 1) What is it? (not that hard)  2) How did it get so freakin’ big?

Dig it up and give it another chance!

Too often I’ve come across relatively young trees, shrubs, and vines that are surviving, but not thriving.  Every year they struggle gamely to put on a few new leaves, grow a few more inches, but something’s fishy and it’s not fertilizer.   Today I’m going to try to convince you to give these languishing woody species a second lease on life.

Long-time readers of this blog will remember some of the root horrors I’ve (literally) uncovered in containerized and balled-and-burlapped plants. … Continue reading this article “Dig it up and give it another chance!”

Pssst…over here…trees got nothing on us…

We usually look up to the trees for the spectacle of fall foliage color but there’s plenty happening down low.  Ornamental grasses in autumn are, of course, amazing – I think I’ll give them a post of their own.  But there are a few perennials that consistently deliver good fall color instead of turning to brown, crunchy paper.

For the shade to part-shade garden, Polygonatum odoratumthen ‘Variegatum’ is a plant for three seasons. Arching stems
spring forth in, well, Spring, with fresh green and white variegated
foliage.… Continue reading this article “Pssst…over here…trees got nothing on us…”

Mystery shoot identified (no big surprise, apparently)

Readers were too smart this week!  Yes indeed, this is a coconut, improbably found at a Home Depot in Seattle:

Unfortunately, in our climate this can only be an indoors plant, and even a McMansion won’t be able to contain it for long.

Gold stars to Ed, Deb, John, Jess, Jimbo and Ginny!

Bee studies, blogs, and biases

My original posting last Wednesday (“Ignorance and the so-called “bogus” bee study“) has generated some vigorous discussion, which is exactly what I hoped it would do. At some point, one of our readers posted the link on the original blog site, where it generated the following response:

“The issue on CCD and these studies that point to “causes” other than pesticides comes down to a question: What came first? The pesticides or the problem.… Continue reading this article “Bee studies, blogs, and biases”

Mystery shoot

Today’s photo is part of the ongoing "what the heck is it?" series.  As you can see, there’s a shoot emerging from a brown mass:

What’s the brown mass?  And what is the shoot emerging from it?  Answers and more photos Monday!

Where the Money Comes From

After reading Linda’s excellent post yesterday I got to thinking about all of the discussions I have had over the years with people who didn’t know or understand where we (and by we, I mean my research group) got the money to do the work which we do.  Oh, they thought they knew, but they were usually way, way off.  So here I’m going to give you a terribly over-simplified version of the types of money that a professor can get to conduct the research that they want to conduct.… Continue reading this article “Where the Money Comes From”