

Farmers and Farming
The efforts of plant explorers, plant breeders, and farmers have freed most people from the never-ending and onerous task of gathering...
Jul 31, 2022


Cats and Plants
Despite horrible cat related experiences in my youth, and even though I have a confirmed (although mild) cat allergy, I AM A CAT LOVER....
Jun 30, 2022


US vs THEM, and being objective
Labelling, like native and nonnative, flummoxes me and hamstrings us. On the surface the distinction, essentially us vs them, seems...
May 31, 2022


Leaves of Three
Remember the old adage, leaves of three, let it be OR leaflets three, quickly flee? These proverbs were meant to help identify poison ivy...
Apr 30, 2022


A TALE OF TWO CITIES, and a Dane
I recall loathing my time in Mrs. Sailor's English (Literature) during high school (late 1960s) in south central Illinois. Boy, was I...
Mar 31, 2022


Gold Thread False Cypress - Commonly (Mis)used
Gold thread false cypress (Chamaecyparis pisifera) is a Sawara cypress frequently (mis)used in landscaping -- 'Golden Mop' is predominant...
Mar 1, 2022


Witch-hazels
Witch-hazels (the genus Hamamelis) may be my favorite flowering deciduous woody ornamental. I was tempted to say shrub, but witch-hazels...
Feb 1, 2022


When Choosing a Place - Garden v House
One can find many "reality" programs on the telly. Those programs featuring real-estate (i.e., shopping for homes) are especially...
Jan 1, 2022


Citrus in the Compost
You may have read somewhere (probably on the internet -- so it must be true) that putting citrus peel in a compost pile is a bad idea. I...
Dec 1, 2021


Mastership, Really?
Research has shown that when individuals are asked to self-assess their ability in relation to other people, many are prone to...
Oct 31, 2021