About tedmanzer
I grew up in Old Town Maine and got a B.S. at the University of Maine in Plant Sciences/ minor in Botany. From there I moved to West Virginia and earned a M.S. in Agronomy at WVU. I also met my wife there. She grew up in rural WV as the daughter of tenant farmers who raised cattle and hogs. Their lifestyle at times was one of subsistence and I learned a lot from them. I've always been a foraging buff, but combining my formal botanical knowledge with their practical 'Foxfire-type' background opened up my eyes a little more.
I recently retired from teaching high school agriculture after 25 years teaching with my wife. Until recently I wrote a weekly nature/foraging column for the local paper (dailyadvance.com). I also have written several Christian nature/adventure novels that can be purchased on Amazon in paperback and in Kindle format. One is a five book family saga I call the 'Forgotten Virtues' series. In the first book, Never Alone, a young boy comes of age after his father dies in a plane crash, and he has to make it alone. The second book, Strange Courage, takes Carl from his High School graduation to his recovery from a nasty divorce. The third book, Second Chances, takes Carl from his ex-wife's death and the custody of his son to his heroic death at age 59. The fourth book, Promises Kept, depicts how his grandchildren react and adjust to his death (this one is not yet published). In the final book, Grandfather's Way, his youngest and most timid granddaughter emerges from the shadow of her overachieving family and accomplishes more in four months than most do in a lifetime. I use many foraging references with a lot of the plants I profile in these articles in those books. I also wrote a romance novel titled Virginia, set in rural West Virginia in the early 1980s. It is available on Amazon and is a different type of romance from a man's perspective.
People ask me about this all the time. I wish I had a fool proof answer. The problem is that many factors can influence whether deer will eat shrubbery or not. White tailed deer, (Odocoileus virginianus), are beautiful and graceful, … Continue reading →
Most folks have seen it from their vehicles. Few likely know what it is or why it’s grown. Some might say that the flowers look like those of salvia. They’d be right. The plant in question is clary sage (Salvia … Continue reading →
Posted in foraging
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Tagged aroma enhancer, aromatherapy, biennial, clary sage, flavor enhancer, good drainage, medicinal herb, pink to purple blooms, Salvia sclarea, sandy soils, slareol, tolerates drought
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My wife can’t tolerate any heat in her peppers at all. Even mildly hot peppers have too much fire. I’m sure she’s not alone. There are hundreds of pepper cultivars on the market and we often can’t decipher too much … Continue reading →
Posted in foraging
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Tagged bhut jolokia, capsaicin, Carolina reaper, ghost pepper, habanero, hot dry climates, hot peppers, preparation, remove seeds, remove veins, Scoville chart, water stress
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Last week I discussed temperature requirements for different vegetable crops. Flowers are not all the same either. Some hardy annuals like pansies are usually planted in the fall around here. They tolerate cold soils and temperatures below freezing. Snapdragons aren’t … Continue reading →
Posted in general nature
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Tagged annuals, bedding plants, biennials, cold soil, frost tolerant, full sun, hardening off, phosphorus, planting dates, shade loving, short lived perennials, soil temperature, wind damage
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I hear that question so often. The obvious answer is another question; what do you want to plant? Things can get complicated. Shrubs and trees can be planted pretty much any time the ground isn’t frozen. Dormant perennials can usually … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged chloching, cold soils, cucurbits, planting time, plastic mulches, raised beds, seeding zone, soil moisture, soil temperature, vegetables, vine crops
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I wish I had a dollar for every time I had to explain to a student the difference between clovers and wood sorrels. Having leaves with three equal blades does not make a plant a clover. We usually refer to … Continue reading →
In Maine, when one mentions blueberries tiny lowbush ones are the subject. These plants usually grow shorter than 12 inches. They occur naturally and are harvested by raking and winnowing the fruit. Farmers employ weed, insect and disease control measures. … Continue reading →
Bridal veil spiraea (Spiraea prunifolia) is one of my favorite spring flowering shrubs and it will thrive when winter temperatures dip into the -30s. The most common type of these white spring flowering shrubs is usually referred to as Vanhoutte … Continue reading →
Posted in general nature
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Tagged Bridal veil spiraea, flower on last year's wood, great in arrangements, growth habit like forsythia, medicinal uses, not invasive, not native, old-fashioned shrub, Spiraea prunifolia, Vanhoutte spiraea, white flowers
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I love to watch blue herons standing motionless while waiting for prey. They are such graceful and focused hunters. They also must be quite adaptable, since they have such a large native range. In eastern North Carolina they can be … Continue reading →
It’s time to cut and plant those spuds. Potatoes (Solanum tuberosum) are different than most vegetables we eat. They aren’t propagated by seed. Plants are grown asexually, meaning they are clones. All plants in a field are genetically identical to … Continue reading →
Posted in general nature
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Tagged clones disease resistance, favorable environment, fire blight, fungicide, genetic diversity, insects carry viruses, Ipomoea batatas, Irish potato famine, pears, potyato, resistant varieties, Solanum tuberosum
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tedmanzer 