It was a lovely hike, even if the plants were all still dormant. Coming back to the car, I bent over to unlace my hiking boots, only to discover that my laces were a solid mass of stickers—graceful foxtails, round … Continue reading
“There’s something wrong with my fern! It has dots all over the leaves. It must be some sort of disease! What should I spray it with?” I was sitting at our county extension’s Master Gardener Help Desk, answering questions when … Continue reading
Can plants hear? At first glance, this seems like a silly question. Plants don’t have ears, so of course they can’t hear. But wait—do organisms need ears to hear? What is hearing, anyway? Given that sound consists of a series … Continue reading
It’s a common question. You’ve just planted a new tree. In the process, the plant has lost a significant portion of its roots—sometimes up to 95! Should you prune back the crown to compensate? The intuitive answer would be yes. … Continue reading
New gardening books seem to pop up as regularly as springtime dandelions. Most simply rehash what has been said before—perhaps with a new twist or better photos. But How Plants Work: The Science Behind the Amazing Things Plants Do (Science … Continue reading
Moss. To those of us in Colorado, moss conjures images of soft green blankets cushioning the forest floor, or carpeting the north side of a tree in a verdant forest. To my daughter in western Washington, moss is that soggy … Continue reading
I first saw this poem published on the Garden Professors blog. It made me smile, so I’m sharing it with you. I hope you enjoy it too. Botany There should be no monotony In studying your botany; It helps to … Continue reading
