IT’S NO NEWS TO YOU THAT I’M A BIRD PERSON (and often described as “birdlike”); to me birds and gardening are inseparable notions. As close as I feel to my feathered companions, I can’t say I’ve ever been as intimate as zoologist Mark Carwardine in the video above. Unbelievable. More bits about birds from my recent travels around the digital realm:
CARRIER PIGEON, INDEED: Seems that science now believes that the 42-foot-long, 7-ton Tyrannosaurus rex was felled by a parasite like the one commonly carried by pigeons, who are immune to its effects but can transmit it to the birds of prey who eat them. The recent evidence of this cause and effect lends more credence to thinking that dinosaurs were ancestors of birds, since parasites tend to co-evolve with their host animals. If that were not enough to connect the dots, Chinese archaeologists unearthed a bird-like four-winged dinosaur recently that seems to be another missing link. All I had to do was look at a great blue heron or a pileated woodpecker up close to know it was true.
THE CORNELL LAB OF ORNITHOLOGY, my most beloved source for bird information, is on Twitter, by the way. Cute, huh (as in, they’re Tweeting)? Follow them there, or at their website, and don’t make me ask again: Have you signed up for Project FeederWatch yet? (It was Cornell that confirmed the ID of the Cooper’s hawk who I found dead in my garden this spring, above.)
THE CROW PARADOX: Crows have no trouble whatsoever identifying people, but we (with our big brains and all) can’t tell them apart. True, says NPR correspondent Robert Krulwich, in this wonderful report. Take the self-test at the end and see how you do.
BIRDS AT THE RACES: I come from a horse-racing family, or at least my father was a
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Flowers are usually the first things that grab our attention when we are selecting plants to add to our landscapes. However, most plants only flower for a short period of time, so it behooves us to consider plants’ other attributes—and there are many! Sometimes the same flowers that seduced us into opening our wallets are replaced with an amazing fruit display. Colorful fruits of all shapes and sizes can add drama to our landscapes throughout the year. In addition to their visual beauty, many fruits are important sources of nutrition for wildlife, particularly birds. Here are a few examples of awesome plants whose fruit shines in the garden in summer, fall, and winter.
Growing Aglaonema from Stem Cuttings and Branches is an easy and effective way to grow new plants from your existing ones. This method can save you money and allow you to expand your collection without the need to purchase new plants.
One of the most beautiful and delicious fruits, kiwis are favorites of both children and adults alike. However, like camu camu, these bright green fruits might be most adored by the wellness community, as they're incredibly nutritious. One potential health benefit of kiwi that's been causing some buzz recently? Eating one before bed might help you sleep better—and as it turns out, that might be true.
This species of plants originate in central China. The closely related species R. molle japonicum come from Japan. Both these deciduous varieties are relatives of the popular Ghent and Knapp Hill hybrids.
It shows how long this blog has been operating. The Rio Olympics 2016 will be the third time we have commented on suitable Olympic flowers. See Beijing 2008 and London 2012 below. Today is the ‘Anniversary Games’ in London a curtain raiser for the Brazil games. For Brazil we should start with the nut (OK so that is the author) and then the Cacti as he is a prickly sort of guy. Feeding plants and flowers with fertiliser or hormone treatment will not fall foul of the drug testing rules – there are no plant urine samples to test!
After salad crop failures in Spain and shortages of courgettes, broccoli and other ‘long distance’ vegetables gardeners could to worse than focus on traditional and non-traditional root crops.
Modern tea gardens may seem to be a contradiction but since the 15th century the wabi tea ceremony has influenced the tea gardens purpose and design. Originally when tea plants (Camellia sensi) were introduced into Japan from China in the 6th century they were the prerogative of the ruling classes and used expensive ingredients and equipment.
I will use Shangri-la as an all encompassing name for spiritually based gardens and areas of harmonious natural beauty stealing a name from James Hilton in his novel Lost Horizon.
The Russia-Ukraine grain deal that has been critical to keeping global food prices stable and preventing famine is currently in tatters. On July 17, 2023, Russia said it was pulling out of the year-old deal, which allowed shipments of grains and other foodstuffs to travel past the Russian naval blockade in the Black Sea. And to make matters worse, over the next two days Russia bombed the Ukrainian grain port of Odesa, destroying over 60,000 tons of grain.
As health and sustainability continue to take precedence for consumers across the globe, the popularity of edible aquatic plants has shot up like never before. Enter sea moss, a sea green that addresses these concerns—and then some. Here’s what to know about its health benefits, eco-friendliness, and how to use it cooking and in all of its forms.
Cardamom vs Coriander – well, there might be a lot to talk about, especially when you want to clear the air of – Is Coriander The Same As Cardamom. Let’s find out!