This past weekend GP Jeff Gillman and I were in Midland, Michigan for two different conferences and had a chance to catch up over dinner (Boulevard burgers – best in Midland) and a couple of cold Bell’s stout ales. It was nice to visit with Jeff since we have so much in common but rarely get to see each other. As you might suspect, our conversation centered on negotiating the perils of the tenure and promotion process at research intensive universities, dealing with bumbling administrators, and, of course, our fellow Garden Professors. … Continue reading this article “Keep Calm and Carry On…”
The roots of the rhody problem
There were several good shots at analyzing Friday’s unhappy rhododendron. Mature leaf size can be determined by light levels, as both Lisa B and Tom & Paul suggested. Moving a plant from a low to high light environment could cause this change in leaf size. This rhododendron hasn’t been recently transplanted, however, so we can eliminate light levels as a cause. (And there was no other impediment to light, such as the presence of shading plants.)… Continue reading this article “The roots of the rhody problem”
Friday puzzle: unhappy rhododendron
Today we have a diagnosis question. Consider this unhappy rhododendron:
While there is more than one problem with this poor thing, the one I’d like you to think about is why the newer leaves are smaller than the old leaves. (They are fully mature.) There are two parts to this question:
1) What is the physiological reason that the leaves are smaller? (In other words, what is directly causing this difference?)
2) Knowing this, what does this tell you about the underlying problem?… Continue reading this article “Friday puzzle: unhappy rhododendron”
Random thoughts from the NW Flower and Garden Show
Last week was Seattle’s NW Flower and Garden Show. This multi-day extravaganza features display gardens, educational seminars, and many opportunities to spend $$$. I had a little free time one day and shot some pictures, which I present here along with my commentary:
The Good
The “perfect” lawn is no longer just a monoculture of grass. At least two of the display gardens had flowers scattered for a designer version of ecoturf:
And a very cool repurposing of old heating vent covers as part of a patchwork of groundcovers:
The Questionable
A gorgeous Japanese maple (Acer palmatum), “born” in 1893:
I’m sorry.… Continue reading this article “Random thoughts from the NW Flower and Garden Show”
Off-label Use of a Chicken*
[Extremely] Preliminary research results from the University of Maryland indicate
chickens may be of interest in the fight against Halyomorpha halys, the brown
marmorated stink bug.
There are good stink bugs and bad stink bugs. The brown marmorated stink bug is a bad one. A relatively new introduced pest, it is piercing, sucking, and generally ruining vegetable and fruit crops (as well as some ornamentals) across a good part of the U.S. There are apparently few natural predators for this imported species and they reproduce like mad, thus the potential for this to become a very serious economic issue.… Continue reading this article “Off-label Use of a Chicken*”
When trees attack!
We typically think of trees as the ‘good guys’; they shade our homes and yards, they take up carbon dioxide and pollutants from the air, they give us oxygen. What’s not to like? Well, like a lot of good guys, trees can also have a dark side. One of the more sinister habits some trees have is getting into sewer lines. Some studies estimate that trees are responsible for up to half of sewer line repair costs. … Continue reading this article “When trees attack!”
Mystery teeth revealed
Friday’s puzzle was tough! Several of you were on the right track – this is a carnivorous plant. Right away Deb suggested a pitcher plant (then got sidetracked with chestnuts), but Derek was spot on with his guess of the “spiky bits” on a Nepenthes pitcher:
What the function of these spiky wings are is not clear to me; I did a little checking in the literature but failed to find anything convincing. It does seem to suggest a close relationship with fly traps. … Continue reading this article “Mystery teeth revealed”
Friday mystery teeth
I’ve spent most of this afternoon at the NW Flower and Garden Show. During my visit, I snapped a photo of this toothy plant part:
So the questions for today are….
What is this plant part?
What plant did it come from?
(And if you know its scientific name, that actually answers both questions at once.)
My husband is convinced this is too small a part of the plant for anyone to figure out the answesr. … Continue reading this article “Friday mystery teeth”
Breaking up Tree Week with an Important Announcement! (Or Not — depending on how you feel about shameless plugs)
OK, here it is, my one and only shameless plug — because my publisher says: Hey! You need to at least let people know that the book exists!
So — I’m excited to say that my next book, How The Government Got In Your Backyard, which I co-wrote with my good friend (and old college roommate) Eric Heberlig, who is an Associate Professor of Political Science at UNC Charlotte, is finally out.
In case it isn’t immediately obvious, I love to write.… Continue reading this article “Breaking up Tree Week with an Important Announcement! (Or Not — depending on how you feel about shameless plugs)”
Tree terrors continue
You might remember back in October 2009 I gave one of the first Friday quizzes. The featured tree had epicormic shoots, and Monday’s answer revealed the neglected wire staking that was slowly girdling the main trunk. (Be sure you click on those links to see what the tree looked liked in 2009.)
I thought you might be interested to see what this tree looks like now:
A picture is worth a thousand words….many of those unprintable.… Continue reading this article “Tree terrors continue”