Category Archives: Miracles of Nature

Unexpected results or events not fully understood.

The Edible World Part 1

One of the great benefits of having a nursery was to inspire others to create gardens filled with unique and delicious fruits and vegetables. Most of the plants I grew were not available by other nurseries or produced by a … 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 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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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 1) I do not have much of a selection process for plants. Every plant looks interesting to me. I really liked the flavor of that wild Rocket I found in the cracks of a sidewalk in Grand Haven, Michigan. … Continue reading

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Two Story Agriculture

Ground Floor and Going Up I first found the concept of Two Story Agriculture in the best selling book Tree Crops: A Permanent Agriculture by J. Russell Smith. He was an economic geographer for Columbia University and had written extensively … Continue reading

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Exploring Diversity: Creating Flavor Forests With the Species Apples

From the time I was a child, I loved to grow plants. I threw a pit of a prune near the back door of my home. A tree emerged and I quickly put it in a pot. How could this … Continue reading

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Thoughts From the Bean Warriors

Thoughts from the Bean Warriors Archaeologists                                                                               Bean Warriors Archaeologists: The jungle was inhospitable.                                                       Bean Warriors: We made it hospitable. Archaeologists: They grew lima beans.                                                            Bean Warriors: It was the protein that didn’t run away. Archaeologists: Small bushy annual … Continue reading

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