About Amy
In love with: earthworms, chickens, and a very dry Martini
Opposed to: pansies, power tools, and homeowners associations
Best plant: Salvia
Worst plant: All bedding annuals
Author of: Flower Confidential, The Earth Moved, From the Ground Up, and a blog called Dirt.
Winner of: California Horticultural Society Writer’s Award, National Endowment for the Arts Literature Fellowship, Hill Elementary 6th Grade Egg Run (honorable mention)
Resident of: Northern California. USDA Zone 9, Sunset Climate Zone 17. “Heat-loving plants disappoint or dwindle here.”
Got something on your mind? Drop a line here
I just read your editorial in my recently delivered gardening magazine. I have never "blogged", but LOVE gardening, so I thought I would check this out. I like to hear how others cope with their gardening issues as well as find out about successes.This seems like a good place to start. Thanks!!!
Posted by: Pamela Alvord | July 02, 2006 at 02:04 PM
After reading your comments in the NCJ about nothing to plant, just have to put in my 2, ok 5 cents. Ordered 5 peony last spring and they have now arrived as I knew they would. Have to dig up and replant some Shasta daisy that I call Arnold because they got so damn big. Must have been all that compost. Have to cut down the dead Golden Chain tree and plant a Crepe Myrtle - hope someone will order it to arrive NOW. Oh yeah, gotta move the dahlia bulbs to plant the peony, start some Lady Banks roses from cuttings (oh so easy) and rake the leaves for compost - use the walnut leaves over the daylilies and roses thing I did so I don't have to weed in the spring, and more and more and more. Plenty to do. This is on about 1/2 acre in Willow Creek. Na ner na ner - I can grow zinnas, marigolds & sunflowers - and tomatoes. My place in McKinleyville is a subdivision home that most call over-planted. Just as I like it.
Thanks for the opportunity to blab, er, blog.
Posted by: John Frederick | November 02, 2006 at 03:16 PM
I am doing some investigation into the market to see if a spray on-type product that is an exact replication rose fragrance would be desirable in the consumer market. I know steps are being taken to bred the scent back in to roses, but Univ. of Florida has a patent on the chemical ration to re-create to rose scent. They could license this out for a company to mass-produce a low-cost solution to the missing fragrance. To help in my research, I was just wondering where I might find some evidence to back statements such as "Everybody who picks up a rose, the first thing they do is put it to their nose and they're always disappointed." and a quote from you from an article in The Independent (England, October 2007)) that you "believe that the industry is "finally waking up" to the fact that people want their roses sweet-smelling."
Any opinions/help/information you can offer is greatly appreciated!
Posted by: Emily Davis | November 27, 2007 at 02:05 PM
Hot story tip! Well, maybe not so hot. Maybe you decided to pass on it. Man convicted of killing neighborhood trees in Las Vegas? Maybe get up to *35 years*? Hot! Perfect for a blog-poll.
Registration is NOT required to read this LA Times story:
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-treeman4dec04,0,4847761.story?coll=la-home-center
I pulled out some interesting comments, but there are many more:
http://coldcalculation.blogspot.com/2007/12/more-about-tree-slasher_05.html
Posted by: chuck b. | December 05, 2007 at 08:21 AM
Help! Our HOA is threatening to "install" synthetic grass in our area to, of all things, conserve water and lessen our carbon footprint. I know, I know... My husband and I, and a few neighbors are trying to stop them. Any good data about this stuff would be appreciated (especially con, but pro is okay too.)
Posted by: Mary | March 16, 2008 at 02:38 PM