Category Archives: foraging
Mincemeat is an old time favorite that has evolved over time
When I was a kid my mom made mincemeat every fall during productive deer seasons. She used neck meat, which is gelatinous and full of gristle. This doesn’t sound appetizing, but it always made good mincemeat. When you say mincemeat … Continue reading
We all love those finicky gardenias
Perhaps there is no better shrub to plant near a partially shaded deck or patio. Some people love the copious display of white flowers. Others adore the aroma. Still others appreciate the dark glossy foliage. Together with magnolias, crape myrtles … Continue reading
Cloching lets you enjoy your vegetable garden longer
I guess we always want what we don’t have. When I was living in Maine I wanted to grow crops that wouldn’t quite make it there. Our sandy loam soils were great for cucumbers, squash and pumpkins, but we had … Continue reading
Wild strawberries
In late spring local strawberries are on the shelves of area grocery stores. Mine usually produce pretty well too. For small fruit lovers this is a great time of the year. Strawberries aren’t really berries though. Berries have their seeds on … Continue reading
It’s usually important to watch your spelling – Don’t lose a letter
Sometimes one letter can make a world of difference. Take the Yucca plant (Yucca filamentosa) for example. It is a common landscape plant for dry areas. You see it a lot in old cemeteries. Some confuse it with the yuca, … Continue reading
Loquat – A prolific subtropical fruit
Back in mid-June of 2013 I took several students on a plant identification outing to prepare them for competition. Loquats weren’t on the list of plants they needed to learn, but the kids were attracted to them. Fruits were at … Continue reading
Sometimes I wonder how people come up with crazy plant names
A common garden and lawn weed in the Southeastern US is Asiatic false hawksbeard (Youngia japonica). That’s a pretty unusual name considering hawks don’t even have beards. I honestly can’t begin to understand that one. Numerous plants have crazy names … Continue reading
Shiny cudweed and rabbit tobacco: Weird names, same plant
I wandered my yard on Thanksgiving Day and found the most obvious plants still green and growing I’d already featured in this column. Then I noticed a low growing annual herb that had to join the rest. I smiled since … Continue reading
Aromatic tree from down under
I recently pruned my eucalyptus tree (Eucalyptus polyanthemos) at school. It has grown into a gorgeous specimen in the last ten years or so. Several times I’ve been tempted to buy a stuffed koala to stick in its branches and … Continue reading
Prickly Pear is a Desert delight
Anyone who has ever walked the dunes of the outer banks has seen them. Prickly pear cacti (Optuntia sp. and Nopalea sp.) are something you definitely want to notice. I remember over 25 years ago when my oldest son came running to … Continue reading
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