Leprechaun

Every shade of green from light celery to deepest forest covers these puckered, delightfully textured leaves as the seasons change in the shade garden. Very easy to grow, distinctively different, and topped by violet-blue blooms in spring, 'Leprechaun' is an outstanding evergreen groundcover for plantings large or small.

The foliage is rounded and very stiffly held, keeping its puffy, erect look even in summer heat and humidity. The green tones darken with the warm weather, eventually looking nearly black -- a stunning effect as new foliage emerges in light spring green! Just 3 to 4 inches high, 'Leprechaun' is magical indeed.

Quick-spreading in partial to full shade, this Bugleweed asks only for moist, well-drained soil. The flowers are set above the foliage on stems 4 to 6 inches long, very abundant for weeks in early season. After they pass, the ever-changing parade of green keeps 'Leprechaun' interesting as well as beautiful season after season! Zones 3-9.

- Park Seed (link here)

I am always in the market for another bugleweed.

Female ginkgo trees

The bouquet of a ginkgo tree's fruit has strong notes of unwashed feet and Diaper Genie, with noticeable hints of spoiled butter.

- Washington Post (link here)

I would love to have female ginkgo trees in my yard.

Ten Best Herbs for Indoors

You can grow herbs indoors this winter and add that just-picked taste to your meals, even when snow is drifting up against the kitchen window. You don't even need special lights—herbs fare just fine in a bright window. Here are the best herbs for growing on windowsills and the smart techniques you need to keep them happy and healthy until you can plant outside again.

- Organic Gardening (link here)

This might be one of those "try try again" things.

Soil Organic Matter

http://www.soilandhealth.org/01aglibrary/010120albrecht.usdayrbk/lsom.html

Interesting article on soil organic matter.

Master Gardener

http://milwaukee.uwex.edu/mg/index.cfm

I mailed in my application to become a master gardener today.

$140 for a 13-week course.

If I get in, because space is limited.

And if I pass the background check.

Hardy plants for hardy souls

http://www.coldclimategardening.com/

Interesting web site.

Drama Queen

I always wanted to grow opium poppies.

Papaver somniferum 'Drama Queen'

https://www.anniesannuals.com/signs/p%20-%20r/papaver_dqp.htm

http://rosecottagegarden.blogspot.com/2007/06/drama-queen-poppy.html

Chihuly

The Desert Botanical Garden is excited to announce the upcoming exhibition by renowned artist, Dale Chihuly. The exhibit will feature new and unique works of glass sculpture located along the Garden’s trails. The exhibition will open Saturday, November 22, 2008 and remain until May 31, 2009.

“The Desert Botanical Garden is thrilled to host the beautiful work of Dale Chihuly in our magnificent desert environment,” said Garden executive director, Kenneth J. Schutz. “I am excited to see his work, with its colors and textures, placed amid the amazing palate of our desert plants. This is Chihuly’s first exhibition of his works in a desert garden environment, and is certain to be enjoyed by all residents and visitors to the Valley of the Sun.”

- Desert Botanical Garden (link here)

We visited the exhibition on Saturday, November 22, 2008 and it was excellent.

Shaina

Incredible, eye-catching red foliage all summer turning beautiful crimson-red in fall.

Unusual dwarf, bushy, tufted habit and spectacular foliage! Originally discovered as a witch's broom mutation on the popular Japanese Maple 'Bloodgood', the leaves of 'Shaina' are the same dark red all summer, but are clumped in masses for a lovely tufted look. When fall arrives the showy foliage simply intensifies, turning brilliant shades of crimson-red.

Especially choice shrubs or small trees, Japanese Maples are magnificent in form and foliage, delicately textured in spring and summer, and, in many cases, unequalled in fall color. Very tolerant of heat and humidity, they add year-round interest to the garden. Their beauty increases with age making them a lifetime investment in the landscape.

Wayside is pleased to offer this choice Japanese Maple, a proven performer in American gardens. Expect it to grow 5 feet tall and 4 feet wide within 6 to 8 years. Plant in sun to part shade and well-drained, but evenly moist soil. Zones 5-8.

- Wayside Gardens (link here)

Added to my wish list.

Chestnuts

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/food/foodanddrink/sns-fdcook3-wk4,0,4463796.story

Interesting article on chestnuts and chestnut trees.

Refers to Susan Freinkel's excellent book on chestnuts which I read and greatly enjoyed.

Recent plantings

Planted the following seeds & seed mixes:

1 oz Shady Area Wildflower Seed Mix (Wildlife Nurseries)

1 oz Bird 'n Butterfly Mix (Wildlife Nurseries)

1 lb Fall Maximum Mix (American Meadows)

Miscellaneous seeds given to me by generous neighbors

3 pkg. Wild cucumber (from Yuko)

1 ziplock bag Silver Dollar (from Hales Corners Historical Society)

Recent plantings

1 Belgian Mum 'Camina'

1 Belgian Mum 'Pobo Lavender'

1 Belgian Mum 'Remos Lilac'

Silky Fleece

The most irresistible Lamb's Ear ever, this delightful plant is covered with fine, silky silver hairs that glisten in garden or container. The rounded, super-soft foliage is held almost straight up on low-growing, dense, evergreen plants that spread nearly a foot wide and make a charming ground cover. Add to all this the spectacle of long, colorful lavender bloom wands in midsummer, and you have a splendid year-round accent for any sunny to lightly shaded spot!

The fuzzy foliage is just made for touching, so be sure to plant Silky Fleece where you can enjoy its fine texture and soft, silvery color up close. Bees and butterflies adore this plant, and it asks very little from you aside from regular watering during periods of drought. Best in low-humidity climates, if stressed it will sulk a bit, then rebound. Silky Fleece is very long-lived and adaptable, not at all the delicate plant it appears to be!

Don't miss this exquisite new Lamb's Ear for your garden and best containers. It will repay very little effort with many seasons of beauty. Zones 5-8.

- Park Seed (link here)

Added to my wish list.

Garden Paths

http://mptv.org/garden_paths/index.php

I try to watch Garden Paths whenever I get the chance (Saturday mornings on the Milwaukee PBS affiliate station).

They have some interesting segments, particularly those hosted by Horticulturist Melinda Myers.

Monches Farm

http://www.monchesfarm.com/index.html

Yet another area attraction that I have never visited.

Crushed oyster shells

An excellent source of calcium, these shells are a must for the veggie garden. They are also known to sweeten the soil (i.e., increase the pH), improve drainage, help keep slugs away and increase organic matter. Smashed oyster shells are particularly useful when planting squash, tomatoes, lavender or lilacs. Simply crush the dry shells with a hammer or brick (be sure to use safety glasses and gloves).

- Garden Wise (link here)

I might have to try this. I can get a 50-pound bag of crushed oyster shells at the local farm supply store for about $10.

Sequim Rare Plants

http://www.sequimrareplants.com/

They offer some interesting selections.

The variegated lily of the valley is just gorgeous.

Recent plantings

100 Crocus tommasinianus 'Roseus'

100 Crocus species mixture

100 Tulip clusiana var Chrysantha

This brings the fall total to 797 bulbs.

Groundcovers

I have to admit that groundcovers require a certain amount of work; despite the advertisements, there is no such thing as a no-maintenance solution. The soil around the plants needs to be weeded occasionally and replenished yearly with compost.

- Organic Gardening (link here)

One of the great understatements of all time.

Garden Girl TV

http://www.gardengirltv.com/

Interesting web site with lots of information.

Aster divaricatus

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=H170

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/wildflowers/aster_divaricatus.html

An aster that thrives in the woodland garden.

Definitely on my wish list.

Baby Joe

Eupatorium Baby Joe

http://www.dutchbulbs.com/store/perennials/65641

Definitely on my wish list.

Cobra

Nasturtium majus 'Cobra'

It's finally available - and ONLY from Thompson & Morgan! Our flower breeders won a Fleuroselect Novelty mark back in 1999 for this beautiful new variety, but it has taken some years to build up the seed stock to be able to offer it to our customers. The bushy, dark-leaved plants will quickly trail through borders or over the sides of containers and baskets, whilst the contrasting dark red, double blooms, exclusive to this variety, make Cobra a spectacular 'must-have' for your garden this summer!

- Thompson & Morgan (link here)

My resolution is to plant more nasturtiums next year, and this is definitely one to try.

Black Dragon

Breathe a little hot color into the shade border or sunny window this season with 'Black Dragon', an unusually richly-textured, warmly-colored foliage plant. Compact, very showy, and easy to grow, it's a must-have for anyone with a patch of shade (or empty flowerpot!) to call their own!

The leaves are spectacular, both for their red-to-midnight-purple color shading and their rippling edges, which give the plant much more presence than most Coleus. The leaves will turn color and begin to pucker at a very early age, making this one of the most fun seeds to start indoors. (For even fuller, bushier plants, pinch back the young tips a few times during the growth season.) I sowed a packet of 'Black Dragon' in successive waves about a month apart, just to enjoy the young leaves that much longer!

- Park Seed (link here)

I have to try this.

Recent plantings

1 Giant Allium

5 Gladiator Alliums

8 Woodstock Hyacinths

7 Mixed Hyacinths

40 Mixed Dutch Iris

10 Tulipa tarda (species tulips, recommended for naturalizing)

This brings the fall bulb total to 497.

Firefly

Plant Patent #11,038. Whether your garden needs some vertical color and fragrance, groundcover beauty, or even a neatly-trimmed flowering shrub, 'Firefly' can do the trick! This rare variegated form of Climbing Hydrangea is easy to grow, very dependable, and just about the most beautiful sight in the spring garden.

The leaves are heart-shaped and glossy green, emerging with a bright yellow outline in spring. By late spring and into summer, they are joined by large "lacecap" blooms of creamy-white. These consist of an inner circle of tiny flowers surrounded by an outer ring of much larger, open florets. Fragrant and long-lasting, they are superb for cutting, and will perfume the entire garden.

'Firefly' is usually grown as a climbing vine, reaching 25 feet long and about 3 to 4 feet wide. Its most dramatic presence is upward along tree trunks and into overhanging branches, but it also blankets unsightly fences and other structures, or scrambles across the ground. It can even be grown as a shrub about 3 to 4 feet tall and wide, provided you keep it pruned. Such versatility!

This vine is deciduous, but it's hard to mourn the passing of its leaves in winter, for this season reveals its fascinating peeling cinnamon-brown bark. It takes a season or two to become established in your garden, and then sets to work, adding about 2 feet of growth every year. No pruning is necessary unless you like; it thrives in any well-drained soil receiving full sun (farther north) to partial shade (farther south). Discovered by Dan Benarcik in New England, it is one of the most exciting new plants to grace the garden. Enjoy! Zones 4-7.

- Park Seed (link here)

Black Hills Spruce

Picea glauca var. densata

http://www.2shoptrees.com/blackhillsspruce.htm

http://www.arborday.org/treeguide/TreeDetail.cfm?id=174

http://www.ndsu.nodak.edu/forestservice/towner_nur/bh_spruce.htm

Sorbaria 'Sem'

Sem is an improvement in just about every way over older Sorbaria varieties. Compact, better-branched, and more dense than others, it creates a tight, bushy little mound in the garden, making a fine low hedge or accent planting as well as a shrub border standout. Next, it offers pinkish-red spring leaves that turn chartreuse and remain that way till frost. Finally, it covers itself with white blooms over a long summer season. Elegant, space-saving, and beautiful!

Sem forms a neat 3-by-3-foot shrub in the partly shaded garden, adding great texture to the garden. Not "patchy" or "thin" like other Sorbarias, it covers itself first in foliage, then in charming blooms that last from midsummer till season's end.

This shrub is easy to grow and quite adaptable, thriving in any well-drained soil. It is especially valuable for northern climates. Zones 2-7.

- Wayside Gardens (link here)

Corpse Flower

The city is about to get a snoot-full of its very own, very rare, very huge and very smelly "corpse flower," which is about to bloom at the Milwaukee Public Museum.

This titan arum blossoms only once every six years, and it has its tubers set on nothing less than becoming the biggest flower in the world.

- jsonline (link here)

Recent plantings

41 Triumph Tulips

This brings the fall total to 426 bulbs.

1 Tanacetum vulgare (Tansy)

1 Strawberry (everbearing, but variety unknown)

1 Chysanthemum 'Remos Lilac' (Belgian Hardy Mum)

Blossom Farm

http://www.blossomfarm.com/index.html

They offer over 200 varieties of perennials and herbs, including such treasures as comfrey and costmary.

Sassafras albidum

Recommended as a native alternative to weeping willow by the Lady Bird Johnson Wildflower Center (link here)

'Birch Mountain' - This unusual mutation features leaves that are marbled with irregular patterns of white variegation. It was discovered by Glastonbury, CT by Mark Sutcliffe recently and has not entered production yet. At best, it is probably a novelty for collectors.

- UConn (link here)

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun to part shade. Prefers moist, acidic, loamy soils. Tolerates dry, sandy soils. Large taproot makes transplanting of established trees difficult. If root suckers are not removed, tree will spread and begin to take on the appearance of a large multi-stemmed shrub.

- Missouri Botanical Garden (link failed)

TyTy

http://tytyga.com/

Features a lot of interesting history of trees.

Organic Fungicide

Actinovate is an organic fungicide that is perfect for any lawn or garden, used for the suppression/control of root rot and damping-off fungi and of foliar fungal pathogens. The active ingredient is a patented bacterium that grows around the root system or foliage. It can be used as a soil drench or as a foliar spray. When applied to soil, Actinovate also breaks down minerals and micronutrients making them more readily available to plants, resulting in stronger and healthier plants. 2 oz. package makes up to 28 gallons of spray or drench. Can be applied up to the day of harvest. OMRI listed.

- Harris Seeds (link here)

Agastache aurantiaca

A truly amazing display! Tall, brightly colored spikes of tasselled florets appear to burst out like flames from the lanced and highly perfumed foliage. Very quick and easy to grow, this lovely perennial will enhance your borders and containers, whilst its balmy fragrance will attract insects away from your summer patio! Excellent first year flowering variety.

- Thompson & Morgan (link here)

Added to my wish list.

Diatomaceous Earth

There is a lot of conversation these days about diatomaceous earth. DE is a form silica. It is a natural material composed of diatom skeletons. Diatoms are aquatic phytoplanktons which are one-celled plants that are responsible for much of the food and most of the oxygen that is consumed on earth. Diatoms represent the major process where silicates from the earth’s crust are recycled. Diatoms absorb silica acid and use it to make porous microscopic shells composed mostly of silica dioxide (SiO2). When these living creatures die, the shells sink to the bottom of oceans, rivers or lakes and accumulate. Over millions of years the sediments become diatomaceous earth deposits. These large deposits are mined, ground into a powder form and sold as natural diatomaceous earth.

- The Dirt Doctor (link here)

Northern Juneberry

This Juneberry grows wild on the shores of Lake Superior in pure sand and is one of the highest yielding wild species. The plant is covered with 3/8" dark purple to black fruit with a bright plum flavor. Fruit quality of this species is very good and makes a very good sauce even without sugar. Dwarf species shrub from 3 to 8 ft. with heavy production of berries covering the top of the plant. Recommended for more northern gardens. Hardiness -40 °F.

- Oikos Tree Crops (link here)

Added to my wish list.

Recent plantings

35 Triumph Tulips

This brings the fall total to 385 bulbs.

Leonardite

Leonardite as a source of humic acids for crop production was discovered in the 1960's. Researchers at the US Bureaus of Mines began to experiment with applications of crushed leonardite to agricultural soils. They found that applications of the material. at rates of 100 to 2,000 per acre, increased yields of potatoes, sugar beets and other crops.

- Healthy Home Mall (link here)

Humex is a natural soil conditioner and plant bio-stimulant. Contains natural humic substances found in geological deposits that can be best described as highly compressed and preserved organic matter called leonardite. Humex will improve the physical and chemical properties of poor soil, increase nutrient availability and stimulate soil micro flora. Humex contains 12% potassium, which helps make plants more resistant to drought. Humex is good to use in conjunction with other fertilizers to increase their availability. Excellent for seed and transplants. One to two tablespoons per gallon of water is sufficient for most applications.

- Oikos Tree Crops (link here)

Recent plantings

26 Lily (White Flower Farm's Naturalizing Mix)

50 Winter Aconite

40 Grape Hyacinth

6 Allium aflatunense (Purple Sensation)

20 Tulip (Queen of the Night)

24 Triumph Tulip

Total = 166 bulbs

Combined with the previous 184 means 350 bulbs planted this season so far.

Species Tulips

Sources of species tulips recommended by Richard Wilford (2006) Tulips: Species and Hybrids for the Gardener.

http://www.brentandbeckysbulbs.com/

http://www.bulbmeister.com/

http://www.odysseybulbs.com/

Heirloom tomatoes

The result is "The Heirloom Tomato" (Bloomsbury, $35), a book that not only celebrates what it calls "the world's most beautiful fruit," but also acts as a manual for home gardeners.

- Washington Post/Star Tribune (link here)

Hydrangea 'Pia'

Hydrangea macrophylla 'Pia' sports a very dwarf, compact habit only 2 feet tall and wide. And proving that good things do come in small packages, 'Pia' produces truly outstanding flowers that maintain their color regardless of soil pH. The 4- to 5-inch flowerheads are a rich rose-pink, occasionally flushed with purple, even in acid soils.

- Park Seed (link here)

Chinquapin

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/native/castanea_pumila.html

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=CAPU9

Recent plantings

136 Daffodil bulbs

48 Grape Hyacinth bulbs

A total of 184, far short of the 395 bulbs I planted last fall, but there is a lot of planting time remaining.

Korean Pine

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/trees-new/pinus_koraiensis.html

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/81179/

Chinese Chestnut

The odor given off by the flowers may be considered offensive to some people.

- http://www.treehelp.com/trees/chestnut/chestnut-types-chinese.asp

Excellent.

I did not know this when I planted mine.

A bonus feature.

Fagus grandifolia

American Beech

http://www.hort.uconn.edu/plants/f/faggra/faggra1.html

http://www.missouriplants.com/Greenalt/Fagus_grandifolia_page.html

http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=FAGGRA

Whatcom Seed Company

http://seedrack.com/index.html

Offer rare and unusual seeds, including datura and ginkgo.

The Ginkgo Pages

http://www.xs4all.nl/~kwanten/index.htm

A web site dedicated to the tree Ginkgo biloba.

Helianthus divaricatus

Woodland sunflower

Kemper Center for Home Gardening (link here)

Connecticut Botanical Society (link here)

http://2bnthewild.com/plants/H284.htm

Added to my wish list.

Midwest Fruit Explorers

http://www.midfex.org/

Tons of information on backyard fruit gardens.

Beauty of Cobham

Interesting new bee balm available from Dutch Gardens (link here).

Worms spread weeds

Scientists have discovered that “underground gardening” by earthworms is contributing to the spread of giant ragweed, a plant that causes sneezes and sniffles and is one of the nation’s most irritating weeds.

- Weed Science Society of America (link here)

Bizarre.

Invasive species and diversity

Exotic species receive lots of attention and create lots of worry. Some scientists consider biological invasions among the top two or three forces driving species into extinction. But Dr. Sax, Dr. Gaines and several other researchers argue that attitudes about exotic species are too simplistic. While some invasions are indeed devastating, they often do not set off extinctions. They can even spur the evolution of new diversity.

- NY Times (link here)

Interesting article on invasive species and diversity.

Symplocarpus foetidus

Skunk cabbage.

Added to my wish list, there are not enough stinking plants in my garden.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Skunk_Cabbage

http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/symplocarpusfoet.html

Silphium perfoliatum

Cup plant.

Added to my wish list.

http://www.hort.net/profile/ast/silpe/

http://www.botany.wisc.edu/wisflora/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=SILPERvPER

Silphium laciniatum

Compass plant.

Added to my wish list.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silphium_laciniatum

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=F580

Oenothera speciosa

Showy evening primrose, Pink primrose, Showy primrose.

Added to my wish list.

http://www.wildflower.org/plants/result.php?id_plant=oesp2

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oenothera_speciosa

http://www.gardensandnature.com/perennialflowers/eveningprimroseshowy.html

Garden Muck

During the drought time, when it was empty of water, I excavated the garden pool. I hauled 21 loads (8 gallons per load using large Tubtrugs (link here)) for a total of 168 gallons of muck, which I spread around the garden.

Hopefully, this is like that annual flooding of the Nile, and will enrich the soil accordingly.

Best quote of the Labor Day weekend

"We could not possibly have invited anyone over because we didn't know anyone up here."

Priceless.

Ferry-Morse

http://www.ferry-morse.com/

Lots of gardening information.

Ironweed

http://www.hortmag.com//article/plantthisironweed

Vernonia noveboracensis

Added to my wish list.

Seven Sons

Available from Park Seed (link here)

On my wish list.

Carpenter Weed

http://www.hort.net/profile/ast/silpe/

On my wish list.

Saw one out by the Oconomowoc Art Fair this summer, and it was spectacular.

Sharks in Lake Mighigan

There's no telling what might turn up in Lake Michigan.

Rich Fasi of Traverse City says he found a dead 2-foot shark in the water while fishing on West Grand Traverse Bay on Wednesday.

The saltwater fish was a juvenile blacktip shark, said Mark Tonello, a fisheries biologist from the Michigan Department of Natural Resources.

- AP/azcentral (link here)

Motherwort

"According to the early writers, there was no better herb than Motherwort for "strengthening and gladdening the heart.""

- Maida Silverman (1977) A City Herbal: Lore, Legend, & Uses of Weeds

I have been treating it like a noxious weed. Who knew?

Leonuris cardiaca

Wildflower Information

http://wildflowerinformation.org/default.asp

Huge amounts of information on wildflowers.

Haunted Hales Corners

Hales Corners - Whitnall Park

For a sure sighting, head to this massive park and watch for a woman in a white gown holding an infant. Sometimes she talks and sometimes the baby cries. She appears in several locations throughout the park, but for the best view stay in the parking area. She appears around 11pm.

- page 292, in the Haunted Wisconsin section of Wisconsin Day Trips (2005) by Mary M. Bauer

Lavender

Lavender is a tender perennial that should be planted in well-drained soil in as much sun as possible, said Ron Pesche of Luxembourg Gardens in Franklin.

- Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (link here)

Ron Pesche is one of my favorite growers.

Dwarf Japanese Maples

(recommended by Mike Groarty)

Butterfly
Hoshi kuzu
Pixie
Red Elf
Waterfall

Wild parsnip

Wild parsnip to be exact, a perennial weed with sap that is harmful to human skin and is so corrosive it can cause blisters as severe as a second-degree burn.

- Star Tribune (link here)

No wild parsnips in the garden yet.

Wild Ones

http://www.for-wild.org/

Very preachy advocates of native plants.

Rain Gardens of West Michigan

http://www.raingardens.org/Index.php

Lots of good information.

Midwest Gardening

http://www.midwestgardening.com/

Web site of gardening columnist Jan Riggenbach.

Has some good tips.

Horseweed

http://www.ag.uiuc.edu/~vista/html_pubs/WEEDS/183.html

Ambrosia trifida, also known as giant ragweed

Prarie Moon Nursery

http://www.prairiemoon.com/

Huge selection of forbs, trees, shrubs, vines, ferns, etc.

Garden Party

One of these Daturas was called Toloache and is probably Datura innoxia. It was used as a painkiller in certain initiation rituals and given as a narcotic to the ritual sacrifices. For this purpose the preferred method of administration was either by enema or as a rolled-up leaf suppository which reduces some of the less pleasant side effects of the drug.

- http://www.b-and-t-world-seeds.com/Datura.htm

When Rick Nelson was singing about a garden party, is this what he meant?

Proof that E.T. exists

(Thanks to Logan for this one.)

Another bear attack

Officials at the Great Smoky Mountains National Park say a black bear mauled an 8-year-old Florida boy and the boy's father was injured while defending him.

- AP/ajc (link here)

In spite of the danger, I would still like to see a bear in the garden.

Lamphreys

(Thanks to Elizabeth for calling my attention to this one.)

Federal officials are stepping up their war on sea lamprey in an effort to rein in a growing population of the invasive, parasitic fish in Lake Michigan.

- Muskegon Chronicle (link here)

McCormick & Schmick's

We ate dinner at the new McCormick & Schmick's last night (motivated by a $50 gift certificate, a door prize from the Firefly art fair).

Excellent food, but the service, though friendly, was glacially slow.

Life in the food chain

A mountain lion has snatched a Labrador retriever from a bedroom in the foothills southwest of Denver, and the dog's dead body was found nearby.

- AP/azcentral (link here)

In spite of the danger, I would still like to see a cougar in the garden.

Black Dragon

Deep and dense, the foliage on this small tree is highly aromatic.

A delight in miniature form, this splendid new Japanese Cedar reaches only 5 feet tall and 7 feet wide after 10 years' growth, but every branch is suffused with color, fragrance, and even a handful of small cones! Very slow-growing, 'Black Dragon' is drought-tolerant and ready to thrive in any sunny to partly shaded area.

The habit of this evergreen conifer is fastigiate when young, becoming increasingly pyramidal as the years pass. The branching is very dense, and the foliage the darkest, richest green yet seen in the family. When it begins to set cones, they are small and unbelievably profuse.

Asking only for protection from strong, drying winds, 'Black Dragon' is ideal in containers as well as the garden. Its lush habit looks full and healthy year-round, and it is hardy to -10 degrees F. Make this fine Japanese Cedar a standout in your landscape! Zones 5-9.

- Wayside Gardens (link here)

Still on my wish list.

Ancient Egyptians

"The mouth of a perfectly happy man in filled with beer."

- Ancient Egyptian saying (quoted by Niall Edworthy in The Curious Gardener's Almanac (2006))

Nearly Native Nursery

http://www.nearlynativenursery.com/index1.cfm

Impressive selection of perennials, shrubs, trees, and vines.

Nice selection of ferns.

Seven Sons

Heptacodium miconioides -- Seven Sons Flower- provides beautiful, sweetly fragrant cascades of sparkling white flowers in late summer. For many plants this would be the highlight, but this is only the beginning of this rare tree's spectacular drama. Flowers soon transform into fruits surrounded by large, glowing red and purple calyces more gorgeous than the flowers- an effect that lasts 4 to 5 weeks (well into late fall), increasing even further when the prominently-veined leaves turn a gorgeous purple.

This eye-catching delight grows rapidly to about 15 feet. Adaptable to sun or shade, although best color is achieved when planted in sun. Whitish, exfoliating young bark turns rich brown at maturity, giving rise to its nickname "The Crepe Myrtle of the North"! Winner of the Gold Medal Plant Award of the Pennsylvania Horticultural society. Zones 4-9.

- http://www.parkseed.com

Definitely on my wish list.

Horn Dog Barley Wine

http://www.flyingdogales.com/beer-horn-dog.asp

Dark and malty, this beer packs a punch in both flavor and alcohol content (10.2%).

Bears are dangerous

A woman walking her two dogs in a rural area of Southern California was attacked and severely injured by a bear, but managed to escape and drive herself to a nearby fire station.

- AP/azcentral (link here)

In spite of the danger, I still hope to see a bear in the garden some day.

Zappa Plays Zappa

No one seemed more excited to be hearing Frank Zappa’s old songs Tuesday at the Potawatomi Bingo Casino Stage than his son Dweezil, who along with a tremendous backing band gave a stirring review of the late rock composer’s vast catalog.

- Bob Purvis, Journal Sentinel (link here, look for the July 1 reviews)

I was there.

Great music, but not the greatest venue.

One of the worst concentrations of cigarette smoke I have ever been around.

Grizzly attack

Officials believe she [mountain bike racer Petra Davis] was attacked by a startled mother grizzly bear who may not have heard the girl's approach on the trail next to a noisy stream.

- AP/Denver Post (link here)

Sprecher Root Beer

"Our No. 1 root beer, from Sprecher in Wisconsin, a wonderfully balanced and complex brew, uses a combination of corn syrup and honey...."

- NY Times (link here)

I love Sprecher.

St. John's Day

Today was St. John's Day.

If you harvest and burn St. John's Wort on this day, it is supposed to bring you good luck for the coming year.

We will see how that works out.

Dr. O'Grady

Dr. O'Grady, longtime resident of Hales Corners, passed away, and we attended the visitation at the funeral home this evening.

Many years ago, he gave us some red-twig dogwoods, and they have been a cherished part of the garden ever since.

Every day that I am out in the garden, I am reminded of Dr. O'Grady and his generosity.

Chocolate vine

Akebia quinata

Missouri Botanical Garden

Unicorn

A deer with a single horn in the center of its head - much like the fabled, mythical unicorn - has been spotted in a nature preserve in Italy, park officials said Wednesday.

- AP/azcentral (link here)

Have not seen any such unicorns in the garden yet.

Momordica balsamina

Bitter melon or Balsam apple.

Sounds like an interesting annual vine.

NC State University has a brief description of it (link here).

Beware tomatoes

An outbreak of salmonella food poisoning first linked to uncooked tomatoes has now been reported in nine states, U.S health officials said Tuesday.

- AP/Newsmax (link here)

Remind me to carefully wash my tomatoes when I harvest them.

Beware melted Crocs

An 8-year-old boy out walking with family members in Colorado Springs severely burned part of his foot on an underground patch of burning coal dust that had heated the ground to 800 degrees Fahrenheit.

The boy, whose name was not released, suffered second-degree burns as the fire melted his Crocs shoe.

- Denver Post (link here)

I wear Crocs in the garden all the time and they have not melted yet, but I guess I better be careful.

Beware Fake Moose Photos

The St. Ignace News wishes to clarify that widely-circulated emails of photographs purporting to show a moose calf born in Naubinway were not at any time printed in this newspaper, as the emails claim. Some of the e-mails fraudulently use the logotype of this newspaper. The calf and its mother are shown near the front door of a house. The information about the moose calf is not authentic, and at least one Web site uses the same photographs with a similar story about the calf being born in another state. This newspaper cautions readers that such hoaxes could be designed to transmit computer viruses.

- St. Ignace News (link here)

I still want to see moose while driving through the UP of Michigan.

First hummingbird

I saw the first hummingbird of the season at the backyard feeder today.

The fathead experiment continues

I saw several fatheads zipping around the garden pool today.

Amazing how they survive against all odds.

Transesterification

Grease is transformed into fuel through a chemical process called transesterification, which removes glycerin and adds methanol to the oil, leaving a thinner product that can power a diesel engine.

- AP/Miami Herald (link here)

I had no idea that grease was so valuable.

Gilbert Brown was ahead of his time.

Whitman Farms

http://www.whitmanfarms.com/default.asp

When they say they are growers of unusual trees, they mean it.

Moosewood

Acer pensylvanicum

The Moosewood, as it is called locally, was the first Stripe-Bark Maple to be described, and still holds its own among a vast number of exotic Asiatic species. Bold, lobed foliage unfurls in spring green, later turning butter yellow before dropping. Then is exposed a phantasm of striking, finely striated, phosphorescent bark of white and green. These are seedlings from our trees, that we raised from seed collected in Antrim County, Michigan in 1987.

- Heronswood (link here)

Add this one to my wish list.

Spam

Sales of Spam — that much maligned meat — are rising as consumers are turning more to lunch meats and other lower-cost foods to extend their already stretched food budgets.

- AP/Star Tribune (link here)

I like Spam.

Grilled spam with a slice of Vidalia on a fresh-baked roll.

Not bad at all.

Uncle Jim's Worm Farm

http://www.unclejimswormfarm.com/

He is serious about his worms.

And I would like to do some worm composting.

Korean Evodia

http://oregonstate.edu/dept/ldplants/teda.htm

Vincent, M.A. 2004. Tetradium daniellii (Korean Evodia; Rutaceae) as an escape in North America. Michigan Botanist 43:21-24.

Uncommon Small Flowering Trees

Recommendations from the Plantations at Cornell University (link here)

Tetradium 'Danielle' (Korean Evodia)

Koelreuteria paniculata (Golden Rain Tree)

Heptacodium miconoides (Seven-son Flower)

Amelanchier grandiflora 'Autumn Brilliance' (Serviceberry)

Stryax japonicus (Japanese Snowbell)

Buying land on the moon

Williams, who describes himself as the "Lunar Ambassador to the United Kingdom", is the owner of MoonEstates. He claims to have sold around 300,000 acres of moon land since he and his wife, Sue, founded the Cornwall-based company eight years ago. One-acre plots of lunar turf go for about $40.

- CNN (link here)

I have not yet bought any.

The gardening conditions are very difficult.

Crabapples

Stunning display of blooms on the crabapple trees this year, the best in several years.

Maybe they liked all the extra snow last winter.

Smilax hispida

Also known as greenbrier, bristly greenbrier, catbrier, etc.

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=A154

Sounds like my kind of vine.

Crazy ants in Houston

In what sounds like a really low-budget horror film, voracious swarming ants that apparently arrived in Texas aboard a cargo ship are invading homes and yards across the Houston area, shorting out electrical boxes and messing up computers.

- AP/Chicago Tribune (link here)

No crazy rasberry ants here in the garden yet.

Eryngium yuccifolium

Rattlesnake Master

http://www.hort.net/profile/api/eryyu/

http://www.2bnthewild.com/plants/H367.htm

It might be handy to have one in the garden just in case I want to handle some rattlesnakes.

Sunlight Gardens

http://www.sunlightgardens.com

Wildflowers, ferns, vines, etc.

"And as you know, dig a $10 hole for a $5 plant."

- quote from the Sunlight Gardens website

I subscribe to that view, but a great many others do not.

American Hazelnut

"Anyone who has tried to collect these nuts (also called filberts) in late summer has found that he is not alone in appreciation of them. Squirrels, chipmunks, jays, deer, grouse, quail, and pheasant usually get there first."

- A Field Guide to Trees and Shrubs, 2nd Edition (1986) by George A. Petrides

Recent Plantings

May 9, 2008

[1] Thymus praecox 'Coccineus' (Red Creeping Thyme)

[2] Euonymus fortunei 'Kewensis' (Dwarf Wintercreeper)

[1] Sedum kamtschaticum

[1] Carex spp. 'Bowles Golden' (Golden Sedge)

[1] Polemonium caeruleum 'Brise d'Anjou' (Jacob's Ladder)

Mallards

Five (5) male mallards in the backyard at once today, a new record.

Logan wins again

Logan Petro won his fight at Kickdown 50.

He is now 2-0.

We are all very proud of him.

http://mmabuzz.com/index.php/kickdown-50-results.html

Cichorium intybus

Chicory, AKA Coffeeweed

www.missouriplants.com (link here)

Dogfish Head Chicory Stout (link here)

Goldsmith

"An enlivening, handsome, well-behaved groundcover for shaded border or sunny garden alike."

- Heronswood (link here)

An exciting new variety of comfrey.

Easyliving Wildflowers

http://www.easywildflowers.com/index.html

Impressive list of selections.

Woodstock Wild Flower Nursery

http://www.woodstockwildflower.com/index.html

Lots of interesting selections.

Quagga mussels

Because of ideal conditions in the lakes on the lower Colorado River system with the right mix of food, calcium, dissolved oxygen and water temperature, quaggas have a reproduction rate three times that of those in the Great Lakes region. They reproduce six times a year instead of two, and a single female lays as many as 1 million eggs.

- Las Vegas Review Journal (Link here)

Interesting idea on the redear sunfish as a predator.

Nature deficit disorder

A term has been coined for the outdoors disconnect suffered by such children: nature-deficit disorder. The phenomenon is epidemic in a generation that spends more time indoors than out and is more familiar with YouTube and "Guitar Hero" than with tadpoles and pine cones.

- Denver Post (link here)

Pathetic.

Dog Strangling Vine

Vincetoxicum nigrum

http://tncweeds.ucdavis.edu/esadocs/vincnigr.html

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/crops/facts/ontweeds/dogstrangling_vine.htm

Seems like it should be worth growing just for the name alone.

Recent Plantings

May 7, 2008

[1] Sedum (Ewersii vsr. Homophyllum)

[2] Sedum reflexum

[1] Hosta x fortunei ('Patriot')

[1] Metensia virginica (Virginia Bluebells)

[1] Osmunda claytoniana (Interrupted Fern)

Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds

http://rareseeds.com/

92-pound carp

Bowfishing for gar from the shore in backwater above the Melvin Price Lock and Dam No. 26 on the Illinois side of the Mississippi River near Alton, Opel shot a 92-pound, 8-ounce bighead carp with a compound bow and arrow.

- Belleville News-Democrat/Miami Herald (link here)

I have shot carp with a bow, but they were just minnows compared to this fish.

Urban Farmers

(Thanks to Elizabeth for calling my attention to this one.)

This urban agriculture movement has grown even more vigorously elsewhere. Hundreds of farmers are at work in Detroit, Milwaukee, Oakland and other areas that, like East New York, have low-income residents, high rates of obesity and diabetes, limited sources of fresh produce and available, undeveloped land.

- NY Times (link here)

Very uplifting story.

Dying songbirds

The late, cold spring did more than try the patience of Minnesotans: It killed scores of songbirds in the northern two-thirds of the state.

They apparently starved to death because of a lack of insects caused by cold weather and late-April snow.

- Star Tribune (link here)

Not adaptively vigilant.

Weirder than we thought

Now, more than 200 years later, a team of scientists has determined the platypus's entire genetic code. And right down to its DNA, it turns out, the animal continues to strain credulity, bearing genetic modules that are in turn mammalian, reptilian and avian.

- Washington Post (link here)

Fascinating.

Klehm's Song Sparrow Perrenial Farms

http://www.songsparrow.com/default.cfm

They have an impressive selection of Japanese maples.

Recent Plantings

May 6, 2008

[2] Agastache hybrid (Color Spires Steel Blue)

[1] Chamaemeleum nobile (Dwarf Roman Chamomile)

[1] Tricolor Sage

[8] Pansy (Sun Devil Red Blotch)

[12] Pansy (Black Prince)

[4] Viola (Sorbet Select Mix)

[8] Linaria (Fantasy Mix)

[1] Artemisia schmidtiana (Silver Mound)

[1] Oriental Poppy (Allegro)

[2] Papaver nudicaule (Iceland Poppy 'Pacino')

[4] Snapdragon (Dwarf White)

[4] Snapdragon (Tahiti Mauve)

[1] Trifolium repens (Atropurpureum)

[1] Sedum (Ewersii var. Homophyllum)

Recent Plantings

May 5, 2008

[1] Cimicifuga (Hillside Black Beauty)

[4] Pansy (White with Blotch)

[4] Pansy (Chianti Mix)

[4] Viola (Blue)

[4] Pansy (Acquarelle Gelato Mix)

[4] Pansy (Bolero Golden)

Northern Orioles

A male Northern Oriole was working the orange feeders again yesterday.

And just after I wrote that sentence, there were two males and two females in the backyard.

But the Cooper's Hawk made a pass through the yard and ran them off.

Moss Acres

http://www.mossacres.com/default.asp

They love their mosses.

Robo-critters

Rocky is among many robotic critters worldwide helping researchers observe animals in their natural environments. The research could let scientists better understand how animals work in groups, court, intimidate rivals and warn allies of danger.

- AP/Denver Post (link here)

Way cool.

Wisconsin State Herbarium

http://www.botany.wisc.edu/herbarium/

Meadow Gardening

http://wildflowergardening.wordpress.com/

Ray Allen's Meadow Gardening blog.

The Wisconsin Cougar

Wouldn't you just know it? Chicago went and killed our cougar.

We so enjoyed tracking this beautiful creature's movement through southern Wisconsin. Then it made the mistake of crossing the state line into Illinois and, kablooey, got gunned down by the Chicago cops.

- Jim Stingl, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel (link here)

We need more cougars

(Thanks to Elizabeth for calling my attention to this one.)

In Yosemite, the paper says, the direct cause of oak mortality is the high density of mule deer, which have been munching the oaks' basal sprouts and seedlings for nearly a century. Intriguingly, the mule deer's abundance stems not from a lack of predators--as with elk in Yellowstone National Park (Science, 27 July 2007, p. 438)--but from shy ones: elusive cougars (Puma concolor). The mountain lions keep the deer in check elsewhere in the park but avoid areas like the valley, where people congregate.

- Science magazine (no link provided)

Coprolites

A pile of dinosaur dung 130 million years old sold at a New York auction Wednesday for nearly $1,000.

- AP/azcentral (link here)

I sure wish I could find some valuable coprolites in my garden.

Bobcat mauls dog

Residents in a West Plano neighborhood have been alerted to the presence of a roaming bobcat that mauled a woman’s small dog.

- Dallas Morning News (link here)

Life in the food chain.

Sandwiches

“What’s better than a really great sandwich?” said Alexandra Raij, the chef at Tía Pol and El Quinto Pino, who is hosting a sandwich potluck for friends at her apartment next week. “Nothing that I’ve ever made.”

- New York Times (link here)

Interesting article on exotic sandwiches.

I would be willing to try every one of them.

Sharks

A shark expert says an autopsy has confirmed a great white killed a triathlete in the waters off San Diego County last week.

- AP/Miami Herald (link here)

I was hoping to see a great white shark in Australia, but the only shark I saw was a small (two foot long) shark swimming along Coconut Beach on Dunk Island.

Dangerous raccoons

A raccoon that sneaked into an electrical substation was blamed for an expensive power failure that struck several towns near Rochester, Minn., Monday night and into Tuesday morning.

- Star Tribune (link here)

Don't you just hate it when that happens?

Absinthe

An analysis of century-old bottles of absinthe - the kind once quaffed by the likes of van Gogh and Picasso to enhance their creativity - may end the controversy over what ingredient caused the green liqueur's supposed mind-altering effects .

The culprit seems plain and simple: The century-old absinthe contained about 70 percent alcohol, giving it a 140-proof kick. In comparison, most gins, vodkas and whiskeys are just 80- to 100-proof.

- LiveScience/Yahoo (link here)

The bottle I have is only 106 proof.

No hallucinations yet.

Colossal squid

Marine scientists in New Zealand on Tuesday were thawing the corpse of the largest squid ever caught to try to unlock the secrets of one of the ocean's most mysterious beasts.

- AP/Yahoo (link here)

Very interesting creature.

Odd noises and lights in Maryland

Deafening blasts accompanied by blinding split-second flashes of light have been rattling residents of one neighborhood of this Baltimore suburb for months.

- azcentral (link here)

None of these in the garden.

Yet.

Qingdao whiskey

The secret to Dallas' economic vibrancy may be mixed with shots of a clear liquid imbued with snake-venom potency and the burn of devil's blood.

Qingdao whiskey alone doesn't seal trade deals.

- Dallas Morning News (link here)

I would be willing to try a shot.

Returned

Returned from Australia to find a yard full of blossoms (there were almost none when I left).

Mostly daffodils, but also Bergenia, Scilla, hellebore, hyacinth, and grape hyacinth.

Fruit beer

"For a long time, beer drinkers thought [fruit beers] couldn't be taken seriously," he [Bryan Selders, Milton, Del.-based Dogfish Head lead brewer] said. "But brewers like myself have tried to prove otherwise by making beers that are a beer first and add a fruit element to complement the beer."

- Chicago Tribune (link here)

The article mentions two of my favorite breweries, Wisconsin-based New Glarus and Colorado-based New Belgium.

Student-Free Beaches

Interesting article on student-free beaches by Marisa Rindone, Forbes.com (link here)

For when you absolutely, positively have to get away from young people.

Earthquake!

The earthquake, which measured 5.2 on the Richter Scale, struck at 4:36 a.m. near the town of West Salem, Ill., about 60 miles northwest of Evansville, Ind., according to the U.S. Geological Survey. An initial estimate of the magnitude put it at 5.4, which would have matched the strongest earthquake recorded in the region.

- Chicago Tribune (link here)

I was so tired from working in the garden that I slept right through it.

Roaming cougars

And DNA testing on a blood sample collected by state conservation officials tracking the Wisconsin cougar indicated he is almost certainly a wild cougar from the Black Hills, meaning the animal would have traveled more than 1,000 miles.

- Washington Post (link here)

Maybe another one will roam over to my garden.

Ten Best Trees for Wisconsin

http://www.johnsonsnursery.com/

Interesting list.

Armoracia rusticana

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=N120

http://www.gardenguides.com/plants/info/herbs/horse.asp

Otherwise known as horseradish.

Garden Watchdog

http://davesgarden.com/products/gwd/

The Garden Watchdog is a free directory of 6,322 mail order gardening companies. Here gardeners share their opinions on which companies really deliver on quality, price and service.

Stark Brothers

http://www.starkbros.com/

They offer a self-pollinating butternut, several persimmons, and tons of grapes.

NAFEX

http://www.nafex.org/index.htm

The North American Fruit Explorers (NAFEX) is a network of individuals throughout the United States and Canada devoted to the discovery, cultivation and appreciation of superior varieties of fruits and nuts. Founded in 1967 by a small group of pomological hobbyists, NAFEX has grown to an organization of more than 3,000 members, and is chartered as a nonprofit organization in the state of Illinois. Although the ranks of our membership include professional pomologists, nurserymen, and commercial orchardists, NAFEX members are all AMATEURS in the truest sense of the word; they are motivated by their LOVE of fine fruit.

Hidden Springs Nursery

http://www.hiddenspringsnursery.com/

They offer "Arkansas Black" apple trees.

Wild Seed Farms

http://www.wildseedfarms.com/default.htm

They offer chicory seed, also little bluestem.

American Meadows

http://www.americanmeadows.com/

American Meadows Inc.
223 Avenue D, Ste. 30
Williston, VT 05495 USA

They offer treasures like trillium, jack-in-the-pulpit, trailing arbutus, and lots more.

Edible Landscaping

http://www.ediblelandscaping.com/

361 Spirit Ridge Ln.
Afton, VA 22920

They offer Horseradish (Armoracia rusticana), Medlar, female Ginkgo, and other rarities.

Forestfarm Plant Nursery

http://www.forestfarm.com/

990 Tetherow Rd.
Williams, OR 97544-9599

Encyclopedic listing.

Milaeger's

http://www.milaegers.com/

Two locations, Racine and Sturtevant.

Impressive selection of annuals, perennials, herbs, vines, groundcovers, etc.

Minor's Garden Center

http://www.minorsgardencenter.com/content/home/index.php

7777 N. 76th Street
Milwaukee, WI 53223

They offer some uncommon gems like Trout Lily.

Action Garden Center

http://www.actiongardenwi.com/index.htm

16914 W. Observatory Road
New Berlin, WI 53151

Good selection of trees.

Hypertufa trough

http://www.taunton.com/finegardening/how-to/articles/make-hypertufa-trough.aspx

Arbor Day Foundation

http://www.arborday.org/index.cfm

A good place to buy small, inexpensive trees.

Hackberry (Celtis occidentalis)

http://www.bellarmine.edu/faculty/drobinson/Hackberry.asp

http://www.cnr.vt.edu/dendro/dendrology/syllabus/factsheet.cfm?ID=26

The hackberry tree is native to our part of Wisconsin.

Chicago cougar

Chicago police say an officer has killed a 150-pound cougar in a residential area on the city's North Side.

- AP/azcentral (link here)

I keep hoping to see a cougar in the garden someday.

Hawks Nursery

http://www.hawksnursery.com/

12217 West Watertown Plank Road
Wauwatosa, Wisconsin 53226

Since 1875. Not 1975, yes, that is 1875.

They offer some very interesting Saturday gardening classes.

Autumn Brilliance

http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/Plant.asp?code=B240

http://www.parkslandscapes.com/

Lied's

http://www.lieds.com/index.jsp

N63 W22039 Highway 74
Sussex, WI 53089

Offer Ginkgo 'Princeton Sentry.'

Serviceberry (Apple Autumn Brilliance) looks like a very interesting selection.

KSU Pawpaw

http://www.pawpaw.kysu.edu/

Everything you ever wanted to know about pawpaws.

Oikos Tree Crops

http://oikostreecrops.com/store/home.asp

Oikos Tree Crops
PO Box 19425
Kalamazoo, Michigan 40019-0425

Offer a wide selection of trees, including oaks, beeches, chestnuts, filberts, pawpaws, hardy pecans.

Mountain Valley Growers

http://www.mountainvalleygrowers.com/

38325 PEPPERWEED ROAD
SQUAW VALLEY, CA 93675

Offer Agastache (Licorice Mint), Angelica, Chamomile, Costmary, Hyssop, Kentucky Colonel Spearmint, Tansy, Valerian, and other fine selections.

Several of these plants are on my wish list.

Raintree Nursery

http://www.raintreenursery.com/

Raintree Nursery
391 Butts Road
Morton, WA 98356

Offers two varieties of medlars.

Rush Creek Growers

http://www.rushcreekgrowers.com/

Oconomowoc Landscape & Garden Center

http://www.ocgardencenter.com/index.php

Hardy Kiwi Michigan State

Actinidia arguta Michigan State (Park Seed)

Big Dipper Farm

http://www.bigdipperfarm.com/index.htm

26130 SE Green Valley Rd
Black Diamond, WA 98010

American Bittersweet

Climbing Hydrangea

Hops

Porcelain Berry Vine

Perennial vines wish list

American Bittersweet (Celastrus scandens)

Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia durior)

Grapes (Vitis spp.)

Hardy Kiwi (Actinidia arguta)

Hops (Humulus lupulus)

Hydrangea (Hydrangea petiolaris)

Porcelain Berry (Ampelopsis brevipedunculata)

Silver Lace Vine (Polygonum aubertii)

Trumpet Vine (Campsis radicans)

Jung

http://www.jungseed.com/

They offer a lot of cool stuff, including a medlar tree! (link here)

Do not make a backhoe operator angry

http://www.coloradofisherman.com/forum/index.php?topic=29787.0

Blue star creeper (Laurentia fluviatilis)

http://classygroundcovers.com/

http://www.entomology.cornell.edu/

Looks like it might not quite be winter hardy in my area. Maybe worth a try as an experiment.

Dutchman's Pipe (Aristolochia durior)

http://www.naturehills.com/product/dutchmans_pipe.aspx

Johnson's Nursery

http://www.wisconsinlandscape.com/Home.aspx

W180 N6275 Marcy Rd.
Menomonee Falls, WI 53051

Organic nanoparticles

(Thanks to Elizabeth for calling my attention to this one.)

The small and flexible nanoparticles fit easily into even the tiniest crevices, thereby allowing ivy to generate enough force for climbing and giving it an incredible affixing power, which anyone who has ever tried to remove the resilient vine can attest to.

- http://pubs.acs.org/cen/email/html/cen_86_i13_8613notw7.html

I will be very happy when my ivy plants increase their production of organic nanoparticles.

Wild cucumber (Echinocystis lobata)

http://wisplants.uwsp.edu/scripts/detail.asp?SpCode=ECHLOB

http://www.ct-botanical-society.org/galleries/echinocystisloba.html

http://www.wiseacre-gardens.com/plants/wildflower/cucumber.html

I have not grown this plant for many years. The seeds are hard to find, but I really should make the effort.

http://www.yuko.ca/index.html (seeds for sale)

Guide to flowering vines

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/trumpetvine

Trumpet vine

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trumpet_vine

http://davesgarden.com/guides/pf/go/644/

I hate this vine with a passion. It crawled up the house, around the house, in the house. I had it coming up in my bathroom out of every little crack in the floor. I tried killing it and it would not die. I tried cutting back to the root, and it came back. I tried poisons, salt, and never watered it except for rain. I didn't plant it, I bought it with the house. It introduced ants to my roof. If I ever see this plant in a garden in, I promise I will run as fast as I can.

- quote from Dave's Garden (link listed above)

Shady Acres Nursery

http://www.shadyacresnursery.com/

Silver lace vine

http://www.beginner-gardening.com/silverlacevine.html

http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/consumer/factsheets/vines/polygonum_aubertii.html

http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pda_29e4.html

Big, black dog syndrome

When Aaron Jones walks Gozer, his Rottweiler-hound mix, people cross the street to avoid them. Mothers scoop up their children. A lost motorist once rolled up the windows and drove off after spotting the dog. One woman screamed.

According to animal shelter officials, big, black dogs like Gozer have more trouble finding a happy home than do other dogs. Some shelters even have a name for it: "Big black dog syndrome."

- AP/Las Vegas Review-Journal (link here)

I would prefer a beagle.

Coyotes in Georgia

A non-native species, coyotes crossed the Mississippi River into the Southeast more than 30 years ago and are now in every county in Georgia. Trappers have pulled them from a condo complex in Buckhead, sprawling church grounds in Lithonia and suburban neighborhoods in Cobb County.

- Atlanta Journal-Constitution (link here)

Here in Wisconsin, it is always a thrill when I see a coyote in the garden.

Life in the food chain.

Corpse flower

The pungent odor of rotting flesh attracts insects to pollinate the flower. On Wednesday, at the Marjorie McNeely Conservatory at Como Park, the stench drew admirers of a different ilk -- corpse flower groupies.

- Star Tribune (link here)

Rain gardens

Information on rain gardens from Rutgers (link here)

Anasazi

Some 700 years ago, as part of a vast migration, a people called the Anasazi, driven by God knows what, wandered from the north to form settlements like these, stamping the land with their own unique style.

- NY Times (link here)

Update on the mysteries surrounding the Anasazi.

Artificial reefs

One by one, a machine operator has been shoving hundreds of retired New York City subway cars off a barge, continuing the transformation of a barren stretch of ocean floor into a bountiful oasis, carpeted in sea grasses, walled thick with blue mussels and sponges, and teeming with black sea bass and tautog.

- NY Times (link here)

Interesting article on artificial reefs.

Birds on the dole

Thanks to Elizabeth for calling my attention to this one.

http://sciencenow.sciencemag.org/cgi/content/full/2008/404/1?rss=1&eaf

Interesting article on the consequences of feeding birds.

Australian snake

Thanks to Brian for forwarding this picture to me.

We do not get many snakes like this in Hales Corners.

Coprolites

Using radiocarbon dating and DNA analysis, an international team concluded that fossilized feces found five feet below the surface of an arid cave are significantly older than any previous human remains unearthed in the Americas.

- Washington Post (link here)

It would be a real thrill to find coprolites in my garden.

Holy Moses White Ale

http://www.greatlakesbrewing.com/beerProfile.php?beer_id=00000008

Holy Moses White Ale

A Handcrafted White Ale with Spices and Chamomile from Cleveland, Ohio

This is an interesting ale. Lots of flavor but in serious violation of the old German purity law.

Common mountain mint

http://www.illinoiswildflowers.info/prairie/plantx/cmt_mintx.htm

This plant has been added to my wish list.

Mallards

There is a pair of mallard ducks on the garden pool today.

I always wonder if it is the same pair that visits us year after year.

Origins of life

During the era known as the late heavy bombardment, from 3.8 billion to 4.5 billion years ago, comets and asteroids peppered Earth and delivered extraterrestrial organic materials, including tons of carbon each year. The new data suggest that meteorites delivered much higher abundances of amino acids to the early Earth than previously suspected. "The higher the contents of key molecules in primitive extraterrestrial materials, the more likely it is that exogenous material played a role in the origin of life," says Alexander.

- Science News (subscriber-only article, no link provided)

It sure would be nice to find an amino acid bearing meteorite in my garden.

Giant marine life

Scientists who conducted the most comprehensive survey to date of New Zealand's Antarctic waters were surprised by the size of some specimens found, including jellyfish with 12-foot tentacles and 2-foot-wide starfish.

- AP/Star Tribune (link here)

We do not get many of these in Hales Corners.

Mass murder of bison

At least 32 bison have been shot and killed on a private ranch about 15 miles southeast of Hartsel, triggering an extensive investigation by three agencies.

- Denver Post (link here)

Bizarre does not even begin to describe the initial coverage of this story.

Absinthe

After an absence of nearly 100 years, absinthe is back -- with a vengeance.

The lifting of the U.S. ban, which dates to 1912, has opened a floodgate.

Of the four absinthes approved for sale in the U.S., Kubler Absinthe Superieure ($50) has the longest history, dating to 1863. It continues to be distilled in Switzerland from locally grown plants and herbs, including the trinity and other traditional ingredients: hyssop, lemon balm, petite wormwood, mint, coriander and star anise.

"We also use some secret herbs," said Peter Karl, export director for the firm. Despite all the herbs, the Kubler absinthe is clear inside its green bottle. It is a clandestine absinthe, a style created months after the 1910 Swiss ban; the clear liquid was easier to hide than the green version.

The strong taste of absinthe nearly requires it never be drunk neat or, worse yet, in shots. "You might as well inject Novocain directly into your tongue," said Nathan-Maister.

- Chicago Tribune (link here)

I have a bottle of the Kubler described above. It is an acquired taste, and I have not yet drunk enough to acquire it.

And, of course, I am drinking the straight shots.

Argentea

With its neatly tiered branches and quietly white-margined leaves, this form of our native Pagoda Dogwood is an ideal small tree for a city back yard or for the woodland garden, where the variegation adds a ray of sunlight, even on a gloomy day. Its superbly graceful form deserves a prominent position. Ideal small tree for city gardens or woodlands.

- White Flower Farm (link here)

We have a pagoda dogwood, but ours is the old-fashioned variety.

Kartchner Caverns

The next time I travel to Arizona, I would like to visit Kartchner Caverns.

Interesting video link here.

Cimicifuga

We are honored to bring this exceptional Cimicifuga cultivar to American gardeners. It boasts the darkest, most dramatic foliage we have ever seen on this native American perennials, paired with abundant spikes of white blooms held straight upwards so that they appear to float in the late-afternoon and evening light. Very dramatic, this easily-grown perennial is highly desirable in the fully to partly shaded border.

- Wayside Gardens (link here)

I am always looking for shade tolerant plants, and this looks like a good one.

Coaster brook trout

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service today announced it is considering placing the beleaguered coaster brook trout on the federal endangered species list.

Agency officials said a petition by conservation groups to list the trout has merit, and that the agency now will closely evaluate the status of the fish that’s found only in the Great Lakes and their tributaries.

- Duluth News Tribune (link here)

Global warming near Mackinac Island

Thanks to my Dad for forwarding the picture of Lake Huron near Mackinac Island.

Impressive amount of ice.

Mummified dinosaur

Using tiny brushes and chisels, workers picking at a big greenish-black rock in the basement of North Dakota's state museum are meticulously uncovering something amazing: a nearly complete dinosaur, skin and all.

- AP/Las Vegas Review-Journal (link here)

I sure wish I could find one of these in my garden, but that is somewhat unlikely, given that the geology is all wrong.

Chinook salmon, or lack thereof

The almost complete collapse of the richest and most dependable source of Chinook salmon south of Alaska left gloomy fisheries experts struggling for reliable explanations — and coming up dry.

- NY Times (link here)

Very bad for the fishermen.

Returned from the desert

Finally returned from the beautiful Arizona desert. The weather was gorgeous the entire time.

Hiked at the Desert Botanical Garden, ASU Hayden Butte Preserve, and South Mountain Pima Canyon.

Already looking forward to a return visit, maybe in June, when it is so hot that Elizabeth describes it as "like sticking your head in an oven."

But at least it is a dry heat.

Moonlight

Schizophragma hydrangeoides 'Moonlight'

Climbing Hydrangea

This rare cultivar shows lovely pewter mottling on each heart-shaped leaf. In midsummer, large, lacy heads of hydrangea-like flowers form along its self-adhering stems, providing a dazzling, truly moonlit display. Perfect for illuminating dark, difficult sites. Easily covers walls on the north side of the home or trunks of large trees.

- Heronswood (link here)

Redneck mansion

Thanks to Brian for this picture.

Project Budburst

(Thanks to Elizabeth for calling my attention to this)

Join us in collecting important climate change data on the timing of leafing and flowering in your area through Project BudBurst! This national field campaign targets native tree and flower species across the country. With your help, we will be compiling valuable environmental and climate change information around the United States.

- University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (link here)

Grand Canyon age controversy

Visitors to the Grand Canyon always want to know: How old is it?

Park rangers are instructed to tell them that the canyon has been carved by the Colorado River for the past 5 or 6 million years. The park's Web site, under Frequently Asked Questions, notes that the rocks exposed by the canyon are up to 2 billion years old, and then adds: "The Canyon itself -- an erosional feature -- has formed only in the past five or six million years. Geologically speaking, Grand Canyon is very young."

That might need revision. The canyon is more like 17 million years old, according to a study published today in the journal Science.

Not so fast, said Joel Pederson, a geomorphologist at Utah State University who has spent his career studying the Grand Canyon. He said the estimated age of 5 million to 6 million years is based on abundant evidence amassed by scientists over many decades. Seventeen million is impossible, he said, because there is no evidence of a large quantity of sediment flowing out of a canyon before 6 million years ago.

- Washington Post (link here)

Always love a good science controversy.

Shed hunting

People have long gathered antlers in the spring, but shed hunting has grown very popular in recent years. I believe the increased interest can be attributed to the quality deer management movement -- through which landowners are taking greater interest in managing their lands and studying deer on their property -- and the craft and cabin décor industry. Artisans routinely make antler knife handles, cribbage boards, lamps, fireplace tool handles and an endless array of other antler crafts and decorations like buttons, drawer pulls and door handles.

- travelwisconsin.com (link here)

Interesting article on hunting for shed antlers.

California wolverine

A research project aimed at weasels has turned up a bigger prize: a picture of a wolverine, an elusive animal scientists feared may have been driven out of the Sierra Nevada long ago by human activity.

- AP/azcentral (link here)