Sorry to be late with my post this week – I was away reviewing grant proposals. It was interesting and useful work, but really drains your brain. So with that being said, my post is long on pictures and short on words.
One of the things that bugs us GP types is poor plant placement. Why bother planting a tree if you’re not going to allow it to grow naturally? Here are some photos to mull over the weekend. … Continue reading this article “Why bother having trees?”
One of the first courses a horticulture student takes is plant materials, or, in the case of a forestry student, dendrology. Why? Pretty simple; it’s hard to select plants if you don’t know what they are and what they’ll do in the landscape. Of course, the classic example is a large tree or shrub planted in a tight spot that eventually devours an entire house. But we usually don’t have to look too far to find situations where a homeowner or landscaper clearly had no idea what plant he or she was dealing with. … Continue reading this article “The importance of knowing your plants”
It’s spring and the dandelions are happy to see you! I’ve taken photos of two groups of dandelions just footsteps away from one another. The populations are both in full sun, with similar types of soil and water availability. You’ll note that one group has very short flower stalks, while the second has longer stalks:
So what’s responsible for the difference in flower stalk length? And for extra credit, what’s the scientific term for the phenomenon?… Continue reading this article “A Taraxacum teaser”
Yesterday I received a call from an administrator at a large military base. (I have to tell you that anytime I get a call from someone in government I immediately start wondering about “the file” that I’m sure is kept on me. No, I’m not paranoid, but I’m an outside reviewer for a number of graduate student theses from the University of Agriculture in Faisalabad, Pakistan. In fact, I’m doing two right now. So every once in a while I am sent a brown paper package from Pakistan. … Continue reading this article “Size matters.”