The classic Valentine gift is chocolate. A variation on the classic is a chocolate (cacao) seed or a plant, which I relate how to cultivate; then how to harvest and create the real thing, conventional, old-fashioned, or Mayan. All in my most recent blog post:
Pollarding is a special and especially easy way to prune a tree. Check out this latest blog post to see if you like the look or the use; not everyone does. Learn here:
Did you inherit a big old apple tree or trees. The truth, now: does it really bear high quality fruit? High quality fruit that you can get to? In my latest blog post, I detail how to return a large, old, neglected apple tree t its former glory. Read about it here:
Germs are not always bad, the word generally signifying that which gives rise to life. I’ve had a few germplasm collections here on the farmden, also not a bad thing if you can take care of it all. In my latest blog post we immerse ourselves in germplasm, mine and others. And no one ends up sneezing of coughing. Read about it here:
Winter is a good time for looking at buds. Wh-a-a-a-? But wait! Buds can tell you some things about the plants to which they’re attached, and they can have a subtle beauty. If you’re a fruit or flower grower, they can predict the future for the coming months. No more. I delve into buds in my latest blog post:
For a miniature landscape on your windowsill, try bonsai. It’s not that difficult. In this blog post, I describe how to start and maintain a bonsai, with photos and description of some details of the genesis and evolution of my own little weeping fig growing in a miniature field of moss. Read about it here:
Cats and houseplants can be a bad mix. Or worse. But there are workarounds to a peaceful coexistence. Read about why the cat-houseplant mix is bad, and workarounds, in my latest blog post.
Mountainash isn’t, in my opinion, a good name for an ornamental or an edible plant. No matter, the genus Sorbs has plenty of beauties and a few tastes. Let’s take a quick romp through the standouts. Perhaps you’ll want one n your backyard. Here’s the scoop on them:
An olive tree for the holiday season (and beyond)? Why? And how, up here in New York’s Hudson Valley, at least, where winter temperatures typically plummet below zero degrees Fahrenheit. Read more at:
I buried two fig trees a few days ago and hope they’ll be happy and healthy. Happy and healthy, buried!? I explain why I do it, and how in my latest blog post.
