Monrovia Nursery - The Spirit of Adventure
Eventually in the life of every gardener we become tired of the mainstream offerings found at garden centers. Hungry for the unique, we often go off to search the listings of specialty mail order...
View ArticleBee Gone
In April of this year I wrote a post highlighting the plight of our bee populations and risk of using certain garden chemicals. Since then the news networks have been a 'buzz' on the same topic....
View ArticleIn Memory - Bebe the dog
Whoever coined the phrase that 'a mans best friend is his dog' wasn't far wrong. Today I said goodbye to my best friend and companion, 'Bebe'. Having a dog had always been a boyhood dream of mine. It...
View ArticleThinking outside of the Zone - Part 1
Part One - Tree Treasures of Emeralds and Silvers George Mallory was once asked why he wanted to climb Mount Everest so much, his response was because it was there! Sadly his quest ended on the high...
View ArticleThinking outside of the Zone - Part Two
Part Two - Palm Trees without the Ocean Breeze The subject of War and Gardening doesn't often mingle in the same discussion unless you're addressing deer or weeds. But for this next post I wanted to...
View ArticleThinking outside of the zone - Part Three
Part Three - Into the Jungles of Northern Virginia Thumb through any good books about tropical landscapes and it soon becomes apparent that a plant's foliage is the key element of design. Flowers tend...
View ArticleA Garden to Die for
How far would you go to defend your garden? I don't mean from deer or snails but from others. A strange question for sure seeing as gardening is supposed to bring inner peace and a sense of...
View ArticleThe Brit's in Print
I did it! Yep, I finally managed to get into print at one of America's top gardening publications, Fine Gardening. A while back I submitted a piece that was accepted for the Southeast's feature...
View ArticleRon Finley - Gangsta Gardener
While researching for a recent post (A Garden to Die for), I kept coming across a guy who is part of a growing group of people who call themselves 'Guerrilla Gardeners'. He is not your run of the mill...
View ArticleFigs - The Sexiest most Unsexy Fruit in the World
What fruit do you consider has all the taste of summer? You know, the kind that overwhelms your taste buds with its sweet nectar's richness that you can almost taste the warmth of the sun. Of course...
View ArticleBee Educated
People should have a cause to fight for. Some might be against whaling, others to save the rainforest. Mine it seems is for something far smaller in size, but just as important, the humble honey bee....
View ArticleFlower Power Tips for your Crape Myrtle!
Without any doubt, Crape Myrtles are the south's most beloved flowering tree. Their frequency of use in south gardens is only paralleled to lilacs and Crab apples found in just as many northern...
View ArticleBack from a Break!
Where does time go? I recently had to put the 'Blogging' thing on the back burner so I could concentrate on preparing for a talk, followed shortly by a TV appearance. Now, I'm realizing that more than...
View ArticleBecoming a Mulchologist!
Maybe just 2 more bags? If ever such a professional title as a mulchologist existed, then last year I came pretty close to earning that accolade. I hadn't given too much thought to the stuff until I...
View ArticleBringing Nature Home
One of my children's most watched films is 'The Lorax', based on the book of the same name by the famous author, Dr. Seuss. It is a fable chronicling the plight of the environment as the 'Oncer-ler',...
View ArticleDamn good plants - Illicium floridanum, Purple Anise
We tend to forget what a wealth of plants North America has to offer. During the early days of exploring, many collectors came to North America in search of new plants to feed Europe's horticultural...
View ArticleTake the Red Pill
I have to admit, Alice in Wonderland isn't one of my favorite movies but the quote that starts this post is. I pulled the metaphor from another more manly film, The Matrix, where the lead character is...
View ArticleA little bit of closure
So much has happened since I last got around to write a post that its hard to know where to start. Anyone who has been following this blog would of already known of my big move to distant lands, but...
View ArticleLife on a island, Part 1
Even though the final box was unpacked some time ago, my move overseas and the transition into a new job had put me into a blogging hiatus of sorts. Lets face it, the draw of sitting under a coconut...
View ArticleLife on an island, Part 2
Arrh, it's happened again! Finding the time to sit down and focus on writing has become quite the problem. Being a father, husband and manager (and sometimes babysitter to a large group of staff ) all...
View ArticleNevis needs more Nuts!
Most of you non-tropical mainlanders may be unaware that our iconic symbol of Caribbean islands is in deep crisis. The symbol I'm referring too is our beloved Coconut Palm or Cocos nucifera a palm...
View ArticleThe case of the disappearing coconuts - A closer Look
In my last post I wrote about the mystery of disappearing coconuts from our shores and touched lightly on the causes leading to their decline. Through my sleuthing on the internet I discovered...
View ArticleBig, Bold Bougainvilleas
No matter where ever you go in the tropic's you'll always come across the vibrant sun loving presents of Bougainvillea's. These drought tolerant sprawling climbers will thrive under neglect to shower...
View ArticleAntique Soil Conditioner
I found myself sitting on the crossroads last night trying to figure out how to renew my subscription of my domain name and getting royally frustrated with the whole process. I questioned whether...
View ArticleHawaii - The Next Chapter
For years I have been dreaming about going to the island state of Hawaii. From the early days of working in the tropical nurseries of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew in England to my first adventure...
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