Category Archives: Ecology-Biodiversity-Integration

A healthy environment starts with a healthy human making the best of what is available and adding to what is possible.

The Chinese Mountain Yam: New Crop-A Better World

This particular crop plant is one of the best tubers I have grown at my farm. The mild flavor and smooth texture along with its easily digestible carbohydrates make it an ideal candidate for a new tuber crop not available … Continue reading

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Butternut and Its Kin

The butternut trees I collected nuts from for my nursery were difficult to find. Every now and then I would spot one from my truck as I drove through a rural area. I would contact the owner and make plans … Continue reading

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Creating Order in a Random World

The plants I chose to grow at my farm was based on my personal experiences. There were many more or less random events of people contacting me with seeds or accidentally finding plants as I went through my daily life. … Continue reading

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The Vigorous Life of Pruning

In the winter, I do a lot of pruning. There are no yellow jackets to avoid. The plants are dormant which is ideal and it is much easier to maneuver and identify shrubs and trees that seed in under my … Continue reading

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Turning The Parking Lot Soil Into a Forest

Having an open field is a rare event at my farm so I had to come up with a cost effective means of covering the soil after the polyhouse removals. In total five houses are being taken down and used … Continue reading

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The Southern Magnolia Visits My Northern Garden

Many species of woody plants survive only because people move them out to new locations where they would never be found ala naturelle. They may provide a source of seeds which can be used to create additional selections. Like the … Continue reading

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The American Chestnut Revisited

Thanks to a previous generation of growers who appreciated and loved the chestnut tree for its nuts and wood quality, I was able to grow the hybrid populations on my farm. From these seedling American hybrid nuts, I was able … Continue reading

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The Alpine Strawberry Moves to Flat-Landia

One of the most common and widely available perennial edible groundcover plants is the Alpine strawberry, Fragaria vesca. I grew as many as I could find in the seed trade. Unlike regular strawberries, Alpine strawberry varieties are grown from seeds. … Continue reading

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Plants That Saw the Light of Day (Part 3)

If you love plants, it is only natural to want to try to grow something that is entirely based on a feeling. There is no objective knowledge or science involved. It is a form of appreciation of the natural world … Continue reading

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Plants That Saw The Light of Day (Part 2)

Every plant that I grew whether it was in great profusion or just a few for experimental purposes had possibilities. If it died unexpectedly or had some horticultural issues of some sort, then I want to know what happened and … Continue reading

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