I never heard of it before, which is odd since it was first introduced a the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876. Now, it is all around me. Every area has its own invasive species and I knew the ones in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast US. But until I saw Kudzu – a highly invasiveContinue reading “New Artist Book: Kudzu – The Vine that Ate the South”
Category Archives: Botany & Plants
What are the chances?
Lately, I have sharing my modest knowledge as an amateur botanist with artists from the Plastic Club in a series called “on plants” which takes place via Zoom off and on. Carla Stine, one of the participants who creates beautiful botanical illustrations, had a strange looking object that fit in the palm of her handContinue reading “What are the chances?”
This Sunday: On Plants. A Zoom series on plants and the different ways artists relate to them.
You do not have to be an artist or an expert on plants to enjoy this upcoming series hosted by the Plastic Club. It will kick off this Sunday with a presentation I am giving on looking at the characteristics of leaves with an emphasis on trees. Many people enjoy plant journaling as a wayContinue reading “This Sunday: On Plants. A Zoom series on plants and the different ways artists relate to them.”
Tree Detective
I had never heard of a Burr Oak (Quercus macrocarpa) before a recent class I took. The reason the tree stood out to me was its acorns which looked little winter hats with fuzz around the rim. Since these trees seem to grow in climates somewhat colder than where I live this seemed sort ofContinue reading “Tree Detective”
Found Treasures in Old Book
Last week at the Herbarium I was browsing through the books and came across this old book that appears to be a textbook from 1855 Here are some pages with diagrams Now here are the surprises! Some pressed plants circa 1878, perhaps from the Cleveland Ohio area as per the dates and places on theContinue reading “Found Treasures in Old Book”
Compound Leaves: An Attempt to Explain with Examples
It is daunting when you are learning to identify plants to decipher between a simple and compound leaf. At times, compound leaves are also referred to as Divided leaves. For this article, I will stick to the term Compound Leaves/Leaf. The suggestion usually made is to look for a bud at the base of theContinue reading “Compound Leaves: An Attempt to Explain with Examples”
Another, More Accurate View of Yesterday’s Post
Yesterday I posted an image of my new desk and some of the things on top of it. Today, I am giving you more of a true to life action shot. So here we are, all set up and working. Cat on the mat, cup o’ tea, weeds to study, field guides, etc. And….the realContinue reading “Another, More Accurate View of Yesterday’s Post”
Wildflower ‘Weeds’: Take a Second Look
At a quick glance, these two common lawn plants are mistaken for one another because they are considered “weeds” and, therefore, not appreciated. Even nature enthusiasts are often tricked by these two closely related plants because they often grow in patches among one another. So let’s take a close look at them, but not inContinue reading “Wildflower ‘Weeds’: Take a Second Look”
The Potato ~ Tomato Adventure
For three years I worked on a small commercial farm in North Carolina. The main thing we farmed in the summer were tomatoes. I do not recall how many rows we planted but the rows were between 50 to 100 yards long. Let’s put it this way, there were more than one row! In addition,Continue reading “The Potato ~ Tomato Adventure”
Almost a Normal Week, kind of sort of
Like most people, I have lost track of how long we have been living an altered life style. But last week I had what almost resembled what I would have considered a normal week at one point. So I will recap it here as a reminder that, with adjustments and care, we can sort ofContinue reading “Almost a Normal Week, kind of sort of”
