Like most everyone, I’d never heard of National Hummingbird Day but when I saw it promoted on my Facebook feed I decided to use my blog-post day to celebrate the mesmerizing critters I’d been compulsively watching and sometimes videoing in my garden. Below is a sample clip, shortened from the 5+ minutes this guy spent … Read more
Many gardeners find botanical names a bit intimidating. I’ve been working in horticulture for 25 years and I still find some a bit tricky. I know that others in my line of work do too, despite this being the language of our profession. Common Language The whole point of using Latin and Ancient Greek for … Read more
I visited a garden recently which was quite pleasant and had been partly professionally designed. And I tried to work out why my terrible dissatisfaction crept in. You must forgive me – the truculence seems built in. It rightly alienates a large number of people. But perhaps it does have its uses. Besides consoling other … Read more
Three false starts,. Big chunks of text highlighted and deleted like so many wads tossed at a wire wastebasket. That’s how it has been trying to write down my opinions here on why garden clubs and plant societies are struggling. Apparently, I seem to be a tad bit resentful of having missed their heyday. Perhaps, … Read more
Individuals and institutions worldwide are wisely examining their relationship to race, though often with predictably controversial results. In 2021, The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew announced in a ten-year Manifesto for Change that it would “decolonize” its collections. This would take the form of signage acknowledging the roles of colonialism and slavery in the cultivation and … Read more
Ranting Locally – a Letter to the Editor I submitted this letter to the editor of my local paper with the title “No-Mow Presents Problems for Lawns” This year the City of Greenbelt’s “No-Mow April” campaign encourages residents to avoid mowing this month, in order to encourage flowering for bees. I’m pro-bee, too, but … Read more
Guest post by Natalie Levin Composted manure, blood meal, bone meal, and fish emulsion are popular soil amendments. We routinely use these materials in our gardens. But consider adding your own menstrual blood or urine to your watering can and suddenly you might be a pervert. Despite this double standard, I maintain that using one’s own … Read more
Now that “No Mow May” is half over, I want to support Susan in her recent critique of the “no mow” movement. I totally agree with her that if you’re going to have a lawn, you may as well follow basic (and sustainable) lawn health guidelines, which this movement appears to completely subvert. I don’t … Read more
Probably all of us know about the GMO issues, pro and con. How should they influence our planting as home gardeners? Or should they influence us at all? Some foods regularly appear in the grocery store labeled as “non-GMO,” generally in large fonts. You may also notice the same thing regarding seeds for planting in … Read more
3 minute, 22 second read. It’s difficult to chew and enjoy an aged, grass-fed steak when you’ve been living on a diet of McDonalds cheeseburgers – or a sautéed portobello when you’ve got a freezer full of Quorn. If you choose the first option(s), you’re going to give your mouth a workout, and delight your … Read more