Animal, Vegetable, Irritable

I’m a big Barbara Kingsolver fan. Just finished “Prodigal Summer” – her tall, lanky, introverted, 40-something forest ranger-heroine encounters handsome, mysterious, much younger guy in the woods; sparks fly, etc.  Rowr!  Ahem.

I really enjoyed “Animal, Vegetable, Miracle” when it came out a couple of years ago. It was the perfect dead-of-winter read as she captured flawlessly the itch to grow things, the scent of thawing soil, the joys of mud, the overwhelming greenness of spring, the mess of canning tomatoes.… Continue reading this article “Animal, Vegetable, Irritable”

Turf trickery

Now I feel a little guilty.  You tried to answer Friday’s puzzle so seriously, and I was taking liberties with photography:

I think this is the coolest garden stairway I’ve seen yet.  The buffalgrass tolerates moderate foot traffic, and it lends a fluid look to the otherwise hard edges of the steps.  And you can’t tell from looking, but it both felt and sounded silky.  Best of all, it doesn’t require mowing.  (This is the Rolston/Cohn garden, part of the garden tour put on by the GWA in Dallas last week.)

Dallas mystery turf

During my trip to Dallas last week, I saw several low-water lawns, including this one using buffalograss (Bouteloua dactyloides):

The question is – why does have this wave structure?

Another revealing picture and answer on Monday!

How to Kill Buckthorn

Last year we completed a small research study on how to kill buckthorn.  If you live in the upper Midwest then you’re familiar with this plant as a shrub which has escaped cultivation, been spread by birds, and generally made a nuisance of itself, particularly at the edges of forested land.

Buckthorn is notoriously difficult to kill after it gets more than about a foot high.  It laughs at single applications of roundup. If it’s pulled out of the ground any roots that don’t come with it have a good chance of sprouting shoots themselves, and it seems to enjoy being treated with organic herbicides like vinegar. … Continue reading this article “How to Kill Buckthorn”

Sheet mulching – benefit or barrier?

Alert reader Matt Wood pointed out a recent article in the NY Times on mulching with newspaper and wondered about my take on the topic.

For use on landscapes, I do not like sheet mulches of any stripe.  They tend to hinder to air and water movement, most especially in unmanaged landscapes like restoration sites.  A classic example is the use of cardboard or newspaper covered with wood chips.  The chips are easily dislodged, exposing the sheet mulch which quickly dries out and becomes hydrophobic. … Continue reading this article “Sheet mulching – benefit or barrier?”

It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a …Butt?

So we last left off discussing the issue regarding the fact that the point is incumbent on us that one can’t refer to a native as "invasive" withou…

Look!

What’s that??!
There! Amongst the Pachysandra!

Is it a freshman? Perhaps passed out in our campus garden in despair after yet another stinging defeat of the Hokies?

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Nay, ’tis a pair of Calvatia gigantia – Giant Puffballs.… Continue reading this article “It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a …Butt?”

Another W.O.W.

We’ve been beating up nurseries over Why-Oh-Why (W.O.W) do they sell things like Scot broom.  Here’s one of my  favorite W.O.W’s from the landscape side (Homeowner division).

Why-oh-Why do people think grass clippings make a good mulch?!  This photo comes from near my home.  The homeowner put the clippings down about two months ago.  All the trees were dark green and healthy before the clippings were put down.  Note how chlorotic the trees in the middle have already become and the dead lower limbs where the trunks were covered.  
… Continue reading this article “Another W.O.W.”

A freakin’ violet

Friday’s puzzle scared you off!  Matt was correct – this is an African violet (Saintpaulia spp.).  But unlike other African violets, this one never opens its flower buds (Sandy nailed it!).  Originally cultivated in Germany, these plants are marketed in the US by Optimara Violets.  That’s all I can tell you about this quirky little cultivar.

 

Friday puzzle – from Dallas!

I’m in Dallas for the next 4 days attending the GWA (Garden Writers Association) annual conference.  (I get to give a talk on Horticultural CSI on Sunday!)  Tonight we had a slew of vendors to explore, and among the offerings I found this plant:

So today’s question – what is this plant?  And what makes it so unusual?  The first question might be easy – the second one, not so much.

Answer and more info on Monday!

Are Fertilizer and Insecticide Spikes a Good Idea?

One of the products that I often hear gardeners raving about are their fertilizer / pesticide combination spikes which are supposed to not only feed your plants, but also kill all of the insects which attack them.  I, personally, have not used these products, but I’m generally the kind of person who says “If it works for you then keep using it”.  Still, these spikes bug me a little.  Here’s why.

First of all I should point out that I’m not opposed to fertilizer spikes by themselves. … Continue reading this article “Are Fertilizer and Insecticide Spikes a Good Idea?”