Lifecycle of the Perfect Climbing Vine

One of my favorite climbing annuals is
Lablab purpureus, or Hyacinth Bean.
I discovered this vine when I found it
climbing the side of an charming, old,
brick home in Portland, Maine.
I "borrowed" a few mature pods and
my love affair began.

It produces lovely lilac flowers and striking
electric-purple seed pods that last for months.
This vigorous climber is great if you need a
quick screen on a trellis or fence. It grows fast
and has beautiful, fragrant flowers that attract
butterflies and hummingbirds. Even better,
the leaves, flowers, pods, seeds, and roots
of the Hyacinth Bean are edible.

Let pods stay on the stem until dry.

Penthouse Tree Suite

Not all tree houses are found in the forest. Some appear in the most unexpected places, created out of desire and opportunity, like the one in which this child staked claim.

Priceless.

Grow Healthier and Thicker Grass

A hollow cylinder aerator is a must have lawn care accessory. Holding on to the handle at the top while standing, the tines of this tool are manually pushed into the ground, as you step onto the cross-piece, and several thin plugs or cores of soil and turf are removed. What remains looks somewhat like dog poop,
don't you think?

The removal of soil plugs creates pockets of air that make it easier for grass roots to get the nutrients, water, oxygen, sunlight they need to grow deep. This helps produce healthier and thicker grass.

A hollow tine aerator is simple, inexpensive, green, and safe.

Yard Butler

Click to see a similar style aerator in action.

Is it warm in here, or is it just me?

The USDA has released a new 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map.
This map is the standard by which gardeners and growers can determine which plants are most likely to thrive in a particular location. These hardiness zones are mentioned on every plant tag.

Last updated in 1990, most gardeners will find that their region has warmed by half a zone. This may give additional peace of mind when planting material that was not previously expected to survive a harsh winter. Climate changed isn't mentioned, the creators of the map say they relied on advanced measuring equipment and more weather monitoring.
The new map includes click and zoom state maps that provide detail down to a half a mile.

Yet, savvy gardeners have always known to locate microclimates. These sunny protected pockets can influence what is able to grow there since they can be up to ten degrees warmer than other areas of the same yard. 

So, push the edge of the envelope. Test the limits. It's called being in zone denial.

Gotta Get it Garden Gear - Grass Knuckles

Growing Jewelry

is a clash of jewelry and gardening; couture and organism. 

The collection is an experiment in drawing nature toward man.

 

Street Tree Selection

A job took us to a wholesale nursery on Long Island to hand select street trees for a local municipality. The nursery's specialty is tree stock that is specifically grown for placement in cities, towns, and villages in the tri-state area.

As you can see from the length of the trunks, these trees are grown and pruned to be suitable specimens for planting near pedestrian traffic. Not one low hanging branch can be found here.

Since much of the plant material available locally is shipped from the south and west, it was great to see a nearby nursery growing a wide variety of strong, healthy trees. 

Yale Discovers Fungus That Eats Palstic

Students at Yale University, part of the Rainforest Expedition and Laboratory with molecular biochemistry professor Scott Strobel, recently discovered a fungus in the Amazonian rainforest that naturally eats polyurethane and breaks it down into carbon. This is the first fungus species, identified by the group as Pestalotiopsis microspore, that has a steady diet of polyurethane alone. Most impactful is that it can grow in an oxygen free environment, which will enable the fungus to do it's dining in the deepest regions of our landfills.

At the same time, we should look more closer at what they do in in the Netherlands and the Philippines; plastics used in supermarkets to package food are already biodegradable.

Singing Tree Rings

Created by Bartholomäus Traubeck, Years is a record player that translates the yearly
rings of a tree into sound. Using a ps eye camera, the grain on the slices of wood
is read and converted into music.

Have a listen to the unearthly sound:


Years - 'scratching' from Bartholomäus Traubeck on Vimeo.

For more info... click here.

Tree Tourniquet

How to kill a tree. 

These poor suffering trees have since been replaced... without the fatal guy wires.

Cornell Cooperative Extension states, "Do not stake unless absolutely necessary. Staking is necessary only if trees are planted in a very windy area. If a shade tree will not stand up 

on its own in a windless site, choose another tree."

Music for the Birds

How cool is this. A Brazilian musician has just completed a collaboration with an unusual partner: a large group of birds sitting on telephone wires.

According to reports, Jarbas Agnelli saw a newspaper photo of a large flock of black birds sitting on the wires and recognized that their configuration looked very much like a musical score. Starting from there, he arranged and recorded a composition, using xylophone, bassoon, oboe and clarinet using, of course, the notes laid out by the birds on the wire.

"The pleasing melody is not my invention. It was the birds' idea," Agnelli told the Daily Mail. "The notes are the exact position of the birds (in between the lines). The rhythm is a interpretation of their position, since there are no bar lines."

Birds on the Wires from Jarbas Agnelli on Vimeo.

Gotta Get It Garden Gear - Pink Flamingo

 

Created in 1957 by Don Featherstone, the kitschy pink flamingo has been a lawn icon since Eisenhower was in office. To some this classic is a symbol of grace and elegance, others consider it tacky and tasteless. Having placed them myself  (under cover of darkness) on the lawns of unsuspecting friends, my opinion falls somewhere in the middle. Funny, fun, and most importantly temporary, the pink flamingo as lawn ornament is firmly ensconced in our American culture. Whether viewed as icon or eyesore, these goofy bright birds are here to stay.  

Order an original

Deviant Art

An amazing organic drawing called "Nemo Graffiti" found at deviantART.com, an online community of artists. 2,500 categories of styles, media, and culture; from fine-art to 3-D modeling, street art to fashion photography, film and animation, poetry and literature.
For inspiration or sale.

Pothole Gardens

British designer Pete Dungey created a beautiful solution to the eternal pothole problem. These colorful guerilla gardens are certain to draw inquisitive smiles and may cause drivers to slow down to smell the proverbial roses.

Grass Vases

These really unique and funky grass vases would make mere weeds look special.
They are designed by two Danish artists who call themselves Claydies. (Clay Ladies, get it?) Their wide range of creative work ranges from ceramic hairstyles to tableware for the Danish Railways. The whimsical faux grass is over five inches tall and is available in three sizes.

Claydies from Copenhagen