Saturday, March 8, 2014

Collect agricultural plants for the landscape

If a farmer asks me how the aggregate Plants in agricultural I m inclined to say "Don t do ".

This confirmation is required from all appearance of conservation, but a dollars and cents and work.

Only that amount alone. On the one hand, or of some Plants is 20 asperous away in the mountains (40 ring distance cruising at.75 cents per km). there is once again harness botheration of lugging bags and a wetcut in half mile area of ​​the plant. back to dig the bulbs or Plants (for which the "selected " ones always abundant in the rocks?) are burlapped Plants after its time to pack (35 pounds or more) miles of the half stunned for the car. After a sudden cruise home to bury the Plants and watered. Somehow, they always have a lot of visitors still scraggly are free in nature. What is the result? An opportunity that 50-30% of a plant or bulb shaggysurvive.
I don t like the odds.

As for me, I s go to a nursery and acceptable pay 10-15 dollars for a bulb that grows on a well-formed and cut base system lively. It s already dug, so I do nothing but ruin the house and the light bulb. Quotas? About 95 to 5, that never comes in this regard has been moved.

Judging from the assumption that you will always have my answer.

These Plants absorb

There are cases of candidates for the anomaly zone change issue, but. If you take more than onespecific plant, with an abundance of powerful and brilliant flowers, leaves, and the most important articles of that kind may be useful to accompany your garden for additional remarks.

The grapevine is that only the random accidents of the clearing head. By far the Plants can absorb make t. probability 50-50.

Heres an ambush for bamboozlement the check in your favor.

If you take your reward system called, should increase a bit as Apple struggles to make it accordability to progress through acceptable when you have a system acceptable basis. T-ball in a light bulb above the agricultural consistently so advanced targeting a number of roots, can will Don t is aggregate output of an atom of this child.

Now draw an amphitheater of the hole of the investment. Select the quadrant of the circle. Arroyo hours a dig on two opposite quadrants. They give you the bottom Beeline was rich deep ball is coming, all the roots of acidclean.

The charge Arroyo only as an advanced grave.

Now a lot of Arroyo with a light, creamy blend of admixture ( "Duff forest ") and a bit of land.

If you do this in October or November, you can relax again until Mareh: recognition and re-echo of the trial for the remaining two quadrants.

On the adjacent buried division can fight this plant, turn to foreigners living in the ditch. Your lamp will accept a combination performed on Agriculture set uproots to fill out the flame back into the ditch.

In the field, it would lose nearly a hundred in a light bulb.

I understand you say "It s work adamantine? "

And ever. I m staying join you will find that is accustomed to much for all Plants.

Of course, if the lamp is as unusual as you would expect s touch. If not, be complacent, as I am. To what extent do you leave work your gardener. It s really cheap, and it is absolutely save a lot of diggingto work.

Seeking help for automated irrigation of the bulb. Fall from one day to plant-care.com
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Skateboarding Architects

http://www.anthonybracali.com/

This architects website has some interesting articles that realte to my dissertation (To what extent should landscape architects consider skateboarding when designing in the urban realm).

Articles of particular interest to me are entitled "Thanks, Le Corbusier (... from the skateboarders)"

and one entitled "Landscapes for Skateboarding".

Furthermore Ocean Howell a former professional skateboarder who I was a fan of in my youth, is now an architect and he has also compiled some interesting articles concerning skateboarding and architecture.

“The Poetics of Security: Skateboarding, Urban Design, and the New Public Space” and another
entitled,

"Skatepark as Neoliberal Playground: Urban Governance, Recreation Space, and the Cultivation of Personal Responsibility".

Both of these authors have provided some interesting points particularly concerning issues of public space and the reinterpretation of it by skateboarders.

Also there is Iain Borden a professor of architecture at UCL who wrote the book "Skateboarding, Space and the City" which has been a valuable resource too.
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Friday, March 7, 2014

Copper Olympic Torch Fire Pit

Are you looking to warm up your outdoor living space this winter with a contemporary flare? These copper olympic copper torch fire pits are a perfect fit for any size backyard or patio area. Available to run either natural gas or propane, the crossfire burner sits in the inverted copper dome and can be filled with fire glass or lava rock media.

Burning 60K BTU, the Copper Olympic Torch is a contemporary addition to any landscape design project and when elevated, makes for a great entrance to a garden or walkway. They also go great next to pools to accent the fire and water elements.

For more information on the Copper Olympic Torch, please visit us online, or call today. 1-877-556-5255.

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Syneilesis

Shade loving members of the Daisy family that are grown for their outstanding foliage. They both look great planted next to Hostas and S. palmata also with ferns too.
They prefer partial to full shade on moist, acidic, well drained soils. Hardy from zones 3 to 7, even thriving in Alberta with winter mulch. They are excellent choices for dry shade.

* photos taken on June 30 2013 @ U.S. National Arboretum, DC


Syneilesis aconitifolia ( Shedded Umbrella Plant )
A really cool foliage plant native to eastern Asia with deeply divided leaves up to 12 inches across on erect stalks up to 2 feet tall. This extremely attractive foliage plant is a rhizomatous spreader that is easily containable. In 5 years it only reaches up to 2 x 2 feet.
The grayish green leaves palmately divided into many lance shape lobes are covered in silky white hairs at first in spring. The leaves resemble that of the May Apple but are much more deeply cut.
The abundant pinkish flowers are in clusters on erect stems up to 4 feet in height from July to early fall.
It prefers partial to full shade on moist, acidic, well drained soils. Hardy from zones 3 to 7

Syneilesis palmata

Similar to s. aconitifolia but is native to Korea and Japan and has lush mid green foliage that is much less deeply divided. It is a very attractive foliage plant with leaves up to 20 inches across.
The abundant pinkish flowers are in clusters on erect stems up to 4 feet in height from July to early fall.


* photos taken on May 5 2010 @ Brookside Gardens, Wheaton, MD



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Thursday, March 6, 2014

Landscape symbols shorthand for plant and design

Any successful orchard is the scene of a plane. It also important for you to have a plan of your proposed orchard on paper before starting work, since for carpenters, plumbers and electricians, a project intending to build a house that is. Since few of us ever touch with a Landscape plan to be in our daily lives, we may be in the methods of technology, information production and use of important discussionsone.

A Landscape plan does not require any waiting artistry. All you need is the right tool for measuring and drawing, and mathematical intelligence uniformly reduce the size of various items at a fraction of their size.

Drawing instruments

The instrument needed to make a good plan background includes: drawing table (or flat panel), T-square, two triangles (grades 45 and 60), protractor, compass, tape measure, scale (or ruler), pencil, rubber, tape and traceabilityPaper.

Symbols Landscaping

symbols are used in the production of Landscape plans Landscape design. They are easy to learn, understand and interpret. If you are developing between the data used by many Landscape books. Get to know well, well with this scene of shorthand and you will find that the understanding and production of plans of Landscape design is not difficult.

A few minutes of practice (call it "doodling"), you get to the point where this design stage designis easy and fun. The next step is to learn to find a simple plan a conspiracy existing buildings, walks, driveways, trees, rocks, gorges, hills, fences, etc. that could be seen.

Field Notes

This task can be divided into two parts or stages. The first is to take field notes in the form of sketches and real sizes and descriptions. The second step is the transfer of field notes toDrawing paper in the correct scale and the right balance between them. What you get is comparable to a well-marked image taken directly from the site. You must plan view, before the whole scene develop the property to start working.

In the Notes field is much easier when you have a copy of the house models are available. This should be one of the first things you safely from your architect or builder that the house will be sold. When upgrading from a previous purchaseOwner to ask if he has plans, for it was to come, as the home of your property and you can have a pool house plants pictures you put in your plants.

They are still the best, if you are unsure also marks a statutory plan assets with the location of the house, by the surveyor. Always try to get a plan will save you many hours of work on site. If not available, the following policy as a way to cut demandMinimum. E success, the whole of a number of years of practical experience.

Unpack for yourself why so many people are curious to photos taken in indoor house plants. Visit our growing collection of plants care.com.
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Growing Bamboo As a Landscape Plant


Bamboo is one of the most versatile Plants in the world. The wood from bamboo is extremely light, strong, and durable, yet it grows far faster than even much softer woods. For all of its marvelous strength as a building material, it can also be processed to create some of the softest fabric available today. All of this is in a Plant that is also very disease-resistant, easy to grow, and quite beautiful. For these reasons and more, it is quickly becoming a popular choice as a Landscape Plant. Big bamboo is especially popular as a privacy Plant for its extraordinarily quick growth. With a little care, it can be an excellent addition to your garden or Landscape.
Choosing the Right Bamboo Plant for You

The main considerations when choosing your bamboo should be hardiness. This is a pretty simple thing to factor in, as any reputable nursery or Plant source will be able to tell you the hardiness by zone of any bamboo they sell. When choosing your bamboo, keep in mind the eventual height and potential for invasiveness. Many types of bamboo spread rapidly, and this can become a problem in coming years. To reduce this, either choose a bamboo that is of a non-running or clumping type or install a spread barrier. A spread barrier can be just a sheet of thick plastic (about 40 mil) creating an underground border defining the edge of the area in which you want your bamboo to be spread. Bury your plastic from the surface to around three feet deep to block the rhizomes from spreading the Plant underground. The height to which some big bamboo varieties grow can also surprise many new growers. Most common varieties can be trimmed fairly easily to a wide range of heights, but trimming the top ten feet off of a thirty-five foot tall Plant can be somewhat difficult. Thus, it is sometimes best to keep upward growth limitations in mind when choosing your bamboo if you wont be willing or able to trim it down.

Planting Bamboo

Choose a spot for your bamboo that gets a fair amount of sun; either full sun for part of the day or filtered sun all day. Most bamboo types do well near water, but dont thrive with wet roots, especially when young. For most bamboos, Plant in a moderately acidic, loamy soil. In very heavy soil, digging organic material into the dirt where you are Planting can make a big difference, as can heavy mulching (which will attract earthworms, who will loosen the soil for you). Depth and hole size will vary depending on the type of bamboo youre Planting, so following the instructions of your Plant source is best. Generally, though, youll dig a hole to about the same depth as the root ball and break up the soil around it to allow the roots room to grow out. Water thoroughly once youve filled in around the root ball, and keep the Plant watered for the first several weeks, taking care not to overwater (the ground should be moist but not wet a few minutes after watering). Too little water is better than too much water for newly transPlanted bamboo, but keep in mind that new bamboo in hot or windy weather will need more water. The best time to Plant bamboo varies by area, but spring is usually best, as it will give the bamboo Plant lots of time to establish itself before winter comes. However, in mild climates most of the year works well, and even in cooler climates nearly any warm part of the year will work, so long as there is time for your bamboo to get established for winter.

Bamboo Plant Care

Bamboo is a pretty versatile, adapting Plant, and if youve chosen the right type for your area and Planted it in a good spot, it should do well with very little care once established. However, if you want to maximize growth, there are three important parts of bamboo care to keep in mind: mulching, fertilizing, and watering. A thick mulch can do a great deal to protect the roots of your bamboo, especially if you are growing bamboo that is only borderline hardy to your area or if Planting later in the year, and it can also provide nutrients and help the soil to stay moist. Just about any organic mulch will work. The leaves that fall from your bamboo throughout the year, and especially in spring, are best left on the ground where they can act as part of the mulch and recycle nutrients back into the soil. Grass is the best mulch for bamboo, but hay and wood chippings are also great choices. For quickest growth, fertilize in the Spring after the Plant is well established. A general chemical fertilizer is OK, but a light layer of cow manure (or any other cool manure) will work better (as well as being cheaper and better for the environment). Bamboo does pretty well without too much water, but if you want your Plants to thrive throughout the dry seasons, youll need to water them regularly, letting the ground dry out between waterings.

Bamboo is an extremely tough Plant, capable of surviving many types of mistreatment. It is also a beautiful Plant with unique characteristics that make it a perfect Plant for privacy, sound dampening, or just as an accent for almost any property or garden.
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Feather Reed Grass

Calamagrostis

Calamagrostis x acutiflora ( Feather Reed Grass )
A group of showy cool season grass hybrids which in mild climates may be either evergreen or deciduous depending upon severity of the winter. They are grown for their showy plumes however often also carry attractive foliage.
Feather Reed Grass prefers well drained soil but is tolerant of anything from sandy soil to wet clay as well as drought, flood, heat, salt, wind & deer. Hardy zones 3 to 7 ( mulch during winter in zones 3 and 4 ). It thrives in full sun to partial shade but needs a somewhat breezy location to discourage mildew fungus that occasionally may occur. Clumps should be cut back to 6 inches during late winter to allow room for new growth...cutting back earlier may cause damage by exposing the crown to severe winter temperature extremes. Propagation is from division preferrably during mid-autumn or early spring. If divisions are small ( 6 or less growing points ) they may take more than a year to produce plumes.

Avalanche
Similar to Overdam but with leaf blades white in the center with narrow green margins. It is also taller with foliage clumps reaching up to 5 feet x 51 inches.
The foliage emerges very early in spring.
Silvery tan plumes contrast the foliage. An exceptionally attractive plant that is hardy from zone 2 to 7

Karl Foerster ( Foerster Reed Grass )
Clumps of early emerging green foliage up to 26 inches in height constrasts well with stiff, upright, fluffy white flower spikes in early summer that later ripen into tan color seed heads that remain attractive well into winter. Total size of plant including plumes is up to 6 or very rarely 8.5 feet in height and 4 feet in width. This hybrid does not produce viable seed therefore is not invasive. The Foerster Reed Grass is spectacular whether single or massed when used creatively.
Hardy zones 3 to 7

* photo taken on August 2 2010 in Bayfield, Ontario



* photo taken on August 3 2010 in Stratford, ON


* photos taken on August 6 2010 in Windsor, Ontario






* photos taken on Aug 3 2012 in London, ON


Overdam
Similar to karl Foerster but with extremely attractive foliage up to 3.3 feet in height. New foliage has bright golden yellow margins that quickly fade to white sometimes flushed pink that constrasts well with the rigidly erect golden plumes. Fast growing and reaches up to 6 x 4 feet including the Plumes.

Stricta
Rich green foliage clumps to 4 x 3.5 feet with are topped with strongly vertical yellowish plumes up to 7 feet in height that appear in June and turn to golden-brown by summers end. The foliage is narrow and fine-textured.

Calamagrostis brachytricha ( Korean Feather Grass )
Also called Achnatherum brachytricha. Clumps of rich green grassy foliage up to 42 x 52 inches in size are later complimented by puffy, rosy-purple upright plumes ( 10 inch plume length ) up to 5 feet in height that turn cinnamon color while persisting through the winter months.
Native to central and eastern Asia. Prefers moist, well drained soil in sun or partial shade. Hardy zones 4 to 9 and is very heat and drought tolerant.

* photo taken on March 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum
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Wednesday, March 5, 2014

Model Homes Xeriscape Balcony

Model Homes - Xeriscape Balcony

All these plants were specially selected for low water requirement and extreme heat tolerance. Other than the Dwarf Alberta Spruce, all these balcony terrace planters will require minimal water. All plants except for the Scaveola are winter hardy in zone 7.














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Zauschneria

Zauschneria

Zauschneria arizonica
A moderate growing shrubby perennial, reaching up to 3 x 2 feet, that is native to Arizona.
It is late to green up during spring so it can be mixed with early spring bulbs such as Crocus.
The showy, orange-red, tubular flowers are borne mid summer to early autumn.
The flowers attract hummingbirds.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 in full sun on light, well drained soil. Tolerant of extreme heat as well as drought once established, thriving even in parking lot islands and parking lot islands. Water well for first 2 years, including during winter if excessively dry. Deer resistant. North of zone 8, plant during spring only since it is slow to establish.

Zauschneria californica ( California Fuschia )
A fast growing, clumping, deciduous to evergreen ( very mild climates ), shrubby perennial, reaching a maximum size of 3 x 6 feet, that is native to southwestern U.S. ( from Oregon to Wyoming; south to California to New Mexico ).
The narrow leaves are up to 2 inches in lenth, The hairy foliage is gray-green.
The scarlet-red, funnel-shaped flowers, up to 2 inches in length, are borne mid summer to late autumn. The flowers attract hummingbirds.
The stems are slender and arching.
Hardy zones 6 to 9 on a warm sunny location with light, very well drained soil. Drought tolerant and deer resistant. Does not like excessive fertilizer. In colder parts of its range it acts more like a perennial and should be cut to near groundlevel during early spring. It prefers dry conditions during winter.

Dublin
One of the more winter hardy cultivars. The foliage is green, otherwise similar.

Solidarity Pink
Red-pink flowers.

subsp latifolium
Broader greener leaves.
Hardy zones 5 to 9.

Waynes Select
Reaches up to 1 x 4 feet, bearing intense scarlet-red flowers from early autumn until autumn frosts.
The very attractive foliage is silvery-gray.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 in full sun to partial shade. Thrives in the east, even in Michigan if planted on sand with gravel mulch on a protected site.

Zauschneria cana
Very similar to Z. californica except for having very narrow, gray foliage.

Zauschneria garrettii
The flowers attract hummingbirds.

Mountain Flame
Reaches up to 1.5 x 2 feet, with intense orange-red, trumpet-shaped flowers borne mid summer to early autumn.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 ( reports of 4 ) in partial shade on humus-rich, well drained soil.
Deer resistant and very drought tolerant. Deer resistant.

Orange Carpet
A low, mat-forming shrubby perennial, reaching up to 6 inches x 2 feet, that can be used for groundcover.
The foliage is bright green. In mild climates it becomes an evergreen.
The profuse, bright orange flowers are borne mid summer and well into autumn.
The flowers attract hummingbirds.
Hardy zones 5 to 9 in partial shade on humus-rich, well drained soil.
Deer resistant and very drought tolerant.

Zauschneria septentrionalis ( Humboldt County Fuchsia )
A semi-evergreen, mat-forming perennial, reaching up to 1 x 3 feet, that is native to California.
The lance-shaped to oval leaves are gray.
The scarlet-red, tubular flowers are borne late summer into autumn.
Hardy zones 7 to 10

Select Mattole
Silvery foliage.
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THE FATHER OF LANDSCAPE DESIGN IN THE UNITED STATES



A. J. Downing (1815-1852) popularized landscape gardening among America’s growing middle and upper middle classes through his aesthetic sensibilities.  He wrote the first American treatise on landscape gardening -- A Treatise on the Theory and Practice of Landscape Gardening, Adapted to North America (1841), which established him as a national authority on that subject and went through numerous editions (the last was printed in 1921).   Following British models, he categorized landscape design styles as “The Beautiful” (calm and serene) and “The Picturesque” (dramatic), with the style to be determined by the existing landscape context. He was the first great American exponent of the English or natural school of landscape gardening as opposed to the Italian, Dutch and French artificial schools.

He was an advocate for the creation of public parks in America and the health value of interaction with the natural world. He stood for the simple, natural, and permanent as opposed to the complex, artificial and ephemeral.
As editor of the Horticulturist and the countrys leading practitioner and author, he promoted a national style of landscape gardening that broke away from European precedents and standards. Like other writers and artists, Downing responded to the intensifying demand in the nineteenth century for a recognizably American cultural expression.
Lindleys Horticulture by A.J. Downing. Originally published 1852. (Authors copy)

Believing that architecture, too, needed to conform to site character, he brought architect Calvert Vaux from England in 1850 to assist him in his practice, including the design of Matthew Vassar’s estate, “Springside”, at Poughkeepsie, NY. (Six years later, Vaux named his second child Downing Vaux in tribute to his mentor.) Frederick Law Olmsted, Sr., a friend and colleague, was one of the many visitors whom Downing entertained at his villa on the Hudson River at Newburgh, NY. Downing’s influence is strongly reflected in the Olmsted and Vaux design for Central Park,

Downing spent his life in the spectacular natural setting of the Hudson River valley. Through his professional practice, travels, reading, and extensive correspondence, he gradually became aware of the individual and collective needs that he served. Landscape gardening, Downing came to feel, had to respect not only a clients desires and means, but also the nations republican values of moderation, simplicity, and civic responsibility.

While influenced by European, especially British, writers Archibald Alison, Uvedale Price, Humphrey Repton and John Claudius Loudon) he recognized that America should not emulate European gardening styles.  First, Americans should make use of American material, hence his interest in all native American species.  Second, America, was not aristocratic and should celebrate it republicanism, hence his designs for middle class and a few lower class cottages and gardens in his architectural work.  He also understood that his country was young and still rapidly expanding and that horticulture could serve as a way to attach the white settlers to their new home.  Finally, he recognized two important developments in horticulture: the rise of scientific inquiries and the development of a class of professional landscape designers/gardeners who were artisans, not artists.

Recognized as the foremost U.S. landscape designer of his day, he was commissioned in 1851 to lay out the grounds for the Capitol, the White House, and the Smithsonian Institution. His death at 36 in a steamboat accident prevented him from seeing his plans to completion.

An urn at the Smithsonian Institution commemorates his work. Images ©Smithsonian Institute

Downing is imminently responsible for Central Park.  He called for and politicked for the creation of a great park in New York City worthy of the city.  If it were not for his untimely death he presumably would have been chosen to design Central Park.  Instead, his suddenly uncoupled partner Calvert Vaux would then join with Frederick Law Olmsted in the creation of countless notable landscapes.
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Custom Fireplace Hearth Crossfire Burner Insert

Another Warming Trends Crossfire Burner installed by Innovative Fire & Light out of Brick, New Jersey.


Crossfire Burner before adding media - Dual linear burners and plate.


Crossfire Burner after adding glass media to fireplace hearth.


Crossfire Burner in action.

Not only do we manufacture custom fire pits and fire pit burning systems, we also do custom fireplace inserts as well. Please visit us online for more information or call today, 1-877-556-5255.

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Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Elsholtzia

Elsholtzia

* photo of unknown internet source


Elsholtzia stauntonii ( Chinese Mint Shrub )
A woody based, bushy perennial, reaching up to 4.5 x 4 feet in size.
The minty-fragrant, lance-shaped leaves, up to 6 inches in length, are mid-green.
The violet flowers are borne on panicles, up to 8 inches in length, during late summer and fall.
Hardy zones 4 to 8 ( with deep winter mulch in 4 ) in full sun to partial shade. Cut back to near ground level during late winter before new growth begins.

Alba
White flowers, otherwise identical to species.
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Fruit City and the Joys of Foraging


Why settle for fruit grown in Brazil or Chile when you can walk down the block and pick your own ripe darling?  Recently, Ive stumbled onto a couple of delightful websites dedicated to mapping or networking all of the fruit grown in cities.  These sites focus on fruit grown in public spaces, or on private lots where the owners dont want the excess fruit.  My favorite is Fruit City (http://www.fruitcity.co.uk/).  Fruit City provides a "living and growing map" of all the fruit tree and vines in public spaces in London. The site has an interactive map that provides directions to the closest apple, pear, or even hardy kiwi growing in Londons public spaces.  If you discover a new foragable jewel, then users can update the map themselves.

Another site, City Fruit (http://cityfruit.org/) is a developing non-profit that works with Seattle neighborhoods to help residential tree owners grow and harvest fruit and share what they dont need. Since July 2009, City Fruit has harvested over 4800 pounds of pears, plums, apples, and grapes from 50 home and donated them to food banks, senior housing, and daycare centers.  The video below is one of their advertisements.


[Or click the link here if the video is not displaying for you.]

Of course, as an amateur forager myself, the thought of mapping and alerting the rest of the world to my treasured hotspots spoils some of the joy of discovering these trees in the first place.  Its bad enough to compete with the jays and starlings for the pound of two of delicious serviceberries I harvest every June.  Now I have to share with a bunch of foraging newbies?  Whats worse, Fruit City even suggests foraging paraphernalia like the fruit collecting basket-back, a brilliant yet ridiculous contraption that provides consumer apparel for urban foragers. 

In my less stingy moments, I realize that theres probably enough for everyone.  I truly think more people should engage with the primal joys of discovering, harvesting, and eating wild foods.  Even my friends who are totally disinterested in nature ask a dozen questions when they see me swipe a handful of obscure berries from a tree and pop them in my mouth.  Their interest signals more than mere curiosity; it is an expression of a deeper desire, a primal urge to engage in the worlds oldest occupation. 

For most of human history, we have relied on wild foods to feed us.  Of course, its not practical for us to rely solely on wild foods; however, the act of foraging reminds us that we are not fed by the supermarket.  Foraging connects us to the sun, the soil, and the seasons. When we forage, we no longer just observe nature--as one might in a National Park--but we participate in the event of nature.  To forage is to return to our first role as ecological beings, and understand our connection with the splendid mosaic of life. 

So if youre a homeowner, plant a fruiting tree or vine.  If youre a designer or landscape architect, consider adding fruiting trees, shrubs, and vines to public spaces.  Nothing grounds you in the cycles of nature like harvesting your own food.  It is the single most human engagment I know.

SNEAK PEAK: In the next upcoming blog, I feature a foragable fruit and gorgeous native plant whose fruit has the single highest antioxidant levels of any measured plant to date.  It is actually been shown to inhibit weight gain.  Stop by the site later this week to find out.
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Wand Flower

Gaura lindheimeri

A vigorous, arching perennial that vigorously reaches up to 5 x 4 feet, that is native to the southern U.S. from Texas to Louisiana. Many of the cultivars look great in plantings among rocks and blue flowering plants.
The toothed, narrow, lance-shaped leaves, up to 4 inches in length, are deep green.
The white to pink flowers, up to 1 + inches across, are borne from late spring until mid fall. It often blooms the first year from seed.
The flowers attract butterflies.
Hardy from zones 5 to 9 in full sun though it does tolerate partial shade as well.
Some protection in the form of wind protection and a light ( ex. pine boughs ) is recommended in zone 5 and 6. It is very heat, humidity and poor soil tolerant however requires good drainage. Hard clay kills however the Wand Flower does extremely well with sandy seashore conditions! Due to its deep taproot this plant can survive severe drought. Very drought tolerant and also deer / rabbit resistant.
Plants should be trimmed lightly after the first big push of blooms is over.
Propagation is from seed and new plants will sometimes randomly appear in the garden and bloom the same year. Plants can also be grown from basal cuttings during fall. Plant during early to mid spring only north of zone 7 to ensure proper establishment before winter.

* photo taken on 4th of July 2010 @ U.S. National Arboretum, D.C.

* photo taken on Sep 14 2013 in Columbia, MD


Belliza Dark Pink
Very strong branching, very dense and upright, reaching up to 1.5 x 2 feet. It is great for containers, edging and as a bedding plant.
The foliage is deep red, turning to rich dark green.
The leaves are borne on dark stems.
The flowers are pink in bud, opening to deep pink. They are borne on short stems over a very long season lasting early summer into autumn.

* photo taken on June 12 2013 in Columbia, MD


Belliza White
Very strong branching, very dense and upright, reaching up to 1.5 x 2 feet. It is great for containers, edging and as a bedding plant.
The foliage is rich mid-green.
The white flowers are borne on short stems over a very long season lasting early summer into autumn.

* photo taken on June 20 2013 in Columbia, MD


Blushing Butterflies
Compact and upright, reaching up to 2 x 2 or rarely 3 x 2 feet. Soft blush pink flowers are borne from late spring to late fall.

* photo taken on June 18 2013 in Columbia, MD


Cloud of Butterflies
A High Country Garden introduction, originating in the wild in northern New Mexico, it reaches up to 2.5 x 2.5 feet, with abundant pure white flowers borne all summer long.
Hardy zones 6 to 9

Corries Gold
Reaching up to 4 x 3 feet with medium green foliage that is boldly edged golden-yellow.
The flowers are white with some light pink blushing.
Can only be reproduced from division or cuttings.
Hardy zones 6 to 9

Crimson Butterflies
A dwarf reaching up to 1.5 x 3 feet with short red stems and deep crimson-red foliage.
The bold hot pink flowers are just above the foliage on a plant that is not scraggly unlike many Gauras.

* photos taken on May 14 2012 in Columbia, MD


Dauphin
Rigidly upright, sometimes reaching as much as 7 x 5 feet with white, later deepening to pink.

Gaudi Red
Compact and very densely branched, reaching up to 16 x 18 inches in size. It is great for containers, edging and as a bedding plant.
The deep green foliage is borne on dark red stems.
The intense deep rosy-red flowers are borne on short spikes early summer until mid autumn.

* photos taken on June 10 2013 in Columbia, MD

Gaudi Rose
Compact and very densely branched, reaching up to 16 x 18 inches in size. It is great for containers, edging and as a bedding plant.
The deep green foliage is borne on dark red stems.
The intense rosy-pink flowers are borne on short spikes early summer until mid autumn.

* photo taken on June 12 2013 in Columbia, MD


Geyser Pink
Moderate growing and compact in habit, reaching a maximum size of 32 x 44 inches. The profuse, large, pink flowers are borne late spring until autumn frosts. It is great in containers.

Karalee Petite Pink
Reaches up to 2 x 2 feet with deep deep green to burgundy-red foliage and deep pink flowers all summer long.

* photos taken on June 4 2012 in Columbia, MD
* photo taken on June 10 2013 in Columbia, MD


Passionate Pink
Upright habit to 3 x 2.5 feet with narrow maroon red foliage and abundant neon pink flowers from the middle of summer to the first frost in autumn.

Passionate Rainbow
Dense and compact in habit, reaching a maximum size of 2 x 2 feet.
The foliage is deep red at first, turning green and edged in white.
The leaves are borne on red stems.
The mid-pink flowers are borne atop short stems early summer into autumn.
Less hardy than species, often not surviving the winter north of zone 7.

* photos taken on May 21 2012 in Columbia, MD


Pink Cloud
Reaches up to 4 feet in height, though shorter and denser if pinched a few times during late spring. It bears deep pink flowers all summer long.

* photos taken on June 4 2012 in Columbia, MD
* photo taken on June 10 2013 in Columbia, MD


Pink Fountain
Dense and upright in habit, with very strong, sturdy stems. It can reach a maximum size of 3 x 3 feet.
The foliage is deep red at first, turning to deep green.
The very abundant flowers are pink.
The flowers are borne early summer into early autumn.

* photo taken on June 18 2013 in Columbia, MD


Pink Picotee
Compact and upright in habit, reaching up to 2 feet x 33 inches.
The foliage is redddish turning to deep green.
The pink flowers are borne late spring into early autumn.

Siskiyou Pink
Reaches up to 4 or rarely 5 x 3.7 feet with reddish-green foliage that contrasts with intense deep pink flowers from late spring right through the summer.



Snow Fountain
Dense and upright in habit, with very strong, sturdy stems. It can reach a maximum size of 2.5 x 2 feet.
The foliage is green.
The very abundant flowers are blush-pink in bud, opening to pure white.
The flowers are borne early summer into early autumn.

* photo taken on June 12 2013 in Columbia, MD


So White
A tidy dwarf grower reaching up to 3 x 3 feet with green foliage and abundant pure bright white flowers all summer long. Foliage is clean fresh green and does not get any spotting which often occurs on many of the other cultivars.
It is among the longest and prolific blooming of all perennials.

* photo of unknown internet source

* photo taken on June 10 2013 in Columbia, MD


Summer Breeze
Longer lived and very vigorous in habit, reaching up to 4.5 x 5.3 feet with reports of even 6 feet in height.
The luxuriant mid green foliage turns reddish towards fall.
The pink flowerbuds, open to pure white flowers from early summer until autumn frosts.
Hardier than species, north to zone 5a.

Sunny Butterflies
A compact grower to 2.5 x 2 feet with foliage that is gray-green and variegated with a white edge.

Trader Joes
A High Country Gardens introduction originating in New Mexico, that forms a very long-lived perennial, reaching up to 2.5 x 3 feet.
The large, white flowers are borne late spring through autumn.

Whirling Butterflies
Vigorous in habit, reaching a maximum size of 5 x 4 ( rarely over 3 ) feet; similar to species but flowers very abundantly with white flowers and does not produce any seed. This plant is highly recommended for softening a hot sunny, dark brick or stone wall.
Can only be reproduced from division or cuttings.

* photo taken on May 16 2011 in Columbia, MD

* photo taken on May 7 2012 in Columbia, MD
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