Tag Archives: food

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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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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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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The Plum From the Beach Comes to Visit and Plans to Stay

Beach Plums I always wondered about the range maps of plants found on the USDA Plants Database.  Is the line of demarcation a real and genuinely smooth line or was it purchased directly from the Sears and Roebuck botanical books … Continue reading

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The Young and Evolving Oak Tree

I was surprised to read this descriptive terminology of the oak genus and related families by a taxonomist many years ago. It really stuck and I have used it many times in writing about oaks in my catalogs. Usually cold … Continue reading

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Cuppa Tea?

Anyone that has worked for me or comes to my farm in any capacity, knows I will ask them if they would like a cup of tea. I would always ask. There is a Kinks song, I would sing to … Continue reading

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The Island of Plant Production: Small Nursery

When I first started my nursery, I soon found many nursery people who were in the plant business from their family. They had large farms devoted to plant production. Some were connected to the Christmas tree industry while others came … Continue reading

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Diversity Rises in the Forest: Wild Black Cherry

I did not grow the wild black cherry at my farm.  It grew by itself. Today it self-seeds freely under my tree crops. It is a native tree found from Guatemala to Canada. This huge range has great diversity. Almost … Continue reading

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Peach Nirvana: Peaches from Pits

The very first peach I had ever seen growing on a tree was from a backyard gardener next to my family home in central Michigan. Peaches were not common there because of the late frosts and cold winters. My neighbor … Continue reading

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