MYTHOLOGY COMES ALIVE!
[The following is excerpted from my book The Ever Curious Gardener: Using a Little Natural Science for a Much Better Garden, available from the usual sources or, signed, directly from me at leereich.com/books.
Chimeras That Are Not Frightening
The chimera of Greek mythology was a scary, fire-breathing creature that was part lion, part goat, and part dragon, and feasted on humans. Although Bellerophon killed that chimera, some still exist today. Perhaps there’s one in your backyard, even in your house!
A chimera is a composite creature, a genetic mosaic, and such creatures exist in the plant world. Don’t expect to find red apples dangling from marigold stems or gardenia blooms unfolding against backdrops of poinsettia leaves. Plant chimeras never are as genetically diverse as that lion, goat, and dragon combo. Nor are they as physically diverse, a plant usually broadcasting that it is a chimera only with splotches or lines of color different from the surrounding color of the leaves, flowers, or fruits.
A chimera might originate by design, more usually by chance. Read more
MINIATURE LANDSCAPE CARE
[The following is excerpted from my book, The Pruning Book, available, signed, directly from me as well as from the usual sources.]
Refreshening Soil
Suppose you’ve just created a bonsai plant, or you’ve just bought one, or been gifted one: Does the plant need further pruning? Most assuredly, yes! Bonsai need regular pruning both above and below ground throughout their life. The frequency of pruning depends on just how fast the particular kind of tree or bush grows, the size of the pot, and the growing conditions.
Roots eventually fill the soil in a small, bonsai pot, so root-pruning is needed to make room for fresh soil. Root-prune deciduous bonsai in early spring or late autumn, evergreen bonsai in early spring or late summer. Read more
ALL FOR A SLICE OF PIE
The Real Thing
This time of year, a slice of Key lime pie is the next best thing to walking along a beach in the Florida Keys. Okay, not the next best thing, but good eating anyway. Hold on a minute, though, before beginning your gustatory journey; the supermarket is not the place to begin.
What you are most likely to get at any market is a Persian lime (Citrus × latifolia), a hybrid of Key lime and lemon), and this kind of lime lacks the unique and potent aroma of a genuine Key lime (Citrus × aurantiifolia). Persian lime is more cold-hardy and less seedy than Key lime, and has a longer shelf life. Even commercial lime pies are sometimes made with Persian limes, one reason why a pie from a bakery or a slice in a restaurant might miss the mark in flavor.
Bonsai Key lime tree
You probably now suspect — and rightly so — that I’m going to suggest that you grow your own Key limes. Do it, but watch out Read more
