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.
Most damp partial sun to shady areas are filled with smartweed now. Plants have always been there but the fall weather makes them more prominent. Some have white flowers while others have pink. This herb has almost as many uses … Continue reading →
Posted in foraging
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Tagged brittle stems, buckwheat family, lady's thumb, medicinal uses, Pennsylvania smartweed, peppery, Polygonum, pungent seasoning, smartweed, thrive in standing water, Vitamin K
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For those who like a unique brightly colored specimen tree, shrub, or hedge in their yard, this one’s for you. The flashy flowers are bright red with a hint of orange and are real attention grabbers. Hummingbirds love them too. … Continue reading →
Posted in foraging
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Tagged antioxidants, cortisol, deep red juice, drought and salt tolerant, edible fruit, flashy flowers, full sun, hummingbirds, medininal uses, polyphenols, pomegranate, specimen tree, versatile woody plants
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Hot humid summers can really take their toll on landscape shrubbery. Improper pruning is hard on them too, and many people either don’t prune enough or prune too much or at the wrong time. Some shrubbery is difficult to contain … Continue reading →
Posted in foraging
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Tagged attractive bark, bonfire, burgundy foliage, deep purple foliage, dwarf trees, edible fruits, orange autumn foliage, patio peaches, peach, peaches, weeping growth habit, well drained soil, wide angled branches
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I once overheard somebody complain that some kids killed her tomatoes with silly string. It was none of my business so I didn’t butt in, but I knew that wasn’t the problem. Driving toward the beach recently I spotted several … Continue reading →
Posted in foraging
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Tagged bright yellow to orange, Cuscuta, dodder, dormant seeds, edible, hand removal, haustoria, herbal medicine, host plants, parasitic plant, pre-emergent herbicides, silly string, small white flowers
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It’s now mid June and the kids are out of school, but that doesn’t mean we stop pushing them. Whether they’re your children or grandchildren, spend some time with them and put them in situations where they have to think. … Continue reading →
Yellow nutsedge is one of the most despised weeds of our flower and vegetable gardens. Eradicating it from your property is almost impossible. Pull it all out and more plants show up within days. Most people refer to it as … Continue reading →
The catalpas are blooming in my neighborhood. They’re those big leaved trees with the clusters of white orchid-like flowers. In fall they sport long cigar-like pods which sometimes grow two feet long. Some people even call them cigar trees. The … Continue reading →
Everyone has heard the saying that the only good snake is a dead snake. I understand people’s fears of reptiles in general and snakes in particular, but this one is rarely a problem. Black rat snakes have far more upside … Continue reading →
It’s now the season to take barefoot walks in the yard. In many cases that can be painful due to a tiny lawn pest called spurweed. It has a lacy almost fernlike appearance and it is often less than an … Continue reading →
Last week I discussed plants that can be loved by some and hated by others. I never mentioned fig buttercup, also known as the lesser celandine or pilewort. It is a low growing perennial that makes its growth in the … Continue reading →
Posted in foraging
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Tagged buttercup family, ephemeral wildflowers, fig buttercup, Florida Betony, lesser celandine, marsh marigold, pilewort, trilliums, trout lily, tubers, virginia bluebells
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tedmanzer 