-
Recent Posts
Archives
Categories
Meta
Category Archives: plant parts
Dandelion: Easy to Grow
All winter and spring I try and try to get plants to grow. I pamper cranky houseplants, sprinkle seeds into pots and encourage them to grow into seedlings. I cheer for each crocus that pokes up through the snow, celebrate each brave hint of green, the first … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, edible, flowers, leaves, plant parts, seeds, spring
Tagged dandelion greens, dandelions
6 Comments
Bee Balm: A Good Bet
I admit it. It’s an addiction. The first step is admitting it, right? Much as I love nature and wild things, I just can’t pass up a greenhouse. There’s something about all those plants, spread out in a wild crazy … Continue reading
Posted in flowers, plant parts, seeds, Uncategorized, wildlife
Tagged bee balm, native plants, plants for hummingbirds
Leave a comment
Poison Ivy: The Furry Plant
Now that’s a really hairy vine. There’s an old saying: “Hairy vine, a danger sign.” The fuzzy pelt on this vine is the sure indicator of poison ivy. And yes you can get a rash from the vine–from almost all parts … Continue reading
Garlic Mustard: The Time is Ripe
Time to get rid of it. Garlic mustard. Sounds tasty, doesn’t it? It’s a pretty little wildflower with lovely white blossoms. The leaves have an attractively scalloped edge, and a savory garlic taste, a fantastic addition to salads, quiche, and … Continue reading
Posted in edible, environment, leaves, plant parts, seeds, spring, Uncategorized
Tagged garlic mustard, non-native plants. invasive plants
4 Comments
All Roads Lead to Dandelions
No matter where you go these days, it seems there’s a dandelion at your feet–or under your feet. The beginning of May is when dandelions run riot. This is a cobbled pathway in Central Park, New York City. The dandelions don’t … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, edible, flowers, leaves, plant parts, spring
Tagged dandelion roots
2 Comments
Cinnamon Fern: Summer Plumes
Cinnamon Fern. Osmundastrum cinnamomeum. (At least that’s the Latin name as of the moment, they seem to keep on changing names and reclassifying plants more often than I change my socks.) Many thanks to Frank Knight for this lovely photo–what a nice … Continue reading
Dandelion: Grow Anywhere
A walk down 125th Street in Harlem, New York City, on a cold spring afternoon. Cement, blacktop, cars. Bare branches. Not much green. Nothing in bloom. But a closer look revealed a spark of color. This was my first sighting for … Continue reading
Tulips: Old Masters
This is the most bustling, enticing, delicious farmer’s market I’ve ever been to. Local spring greens, potatoes, herbs, leeks. Muffins, honey, goat cheese, maple syrup. And flowers, flowers, flowers, flowers. The famous Greenmarket in Union Square. Funny, I had to go to … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, photos, plant parts, seeds, spring, Uncategorized
Tagged Greenmarket, tulip history, tulips
2 Comments
Thistle: No More Waiting
Last December, I was at the Beacon train station, and I noticed a really magnificent specimen of a thistle. It was growing, still green in December, thriving among the gravel so carefully placed to keep weeds down (see Thistle: Waiting for the … Continue reading
Posted in adaptations, leaves, plant parts, spring, Uncategorized, winter
Tagged thistles
Leave a comment
Yew: Life and Death at the Mall
Sears department store is better known for tractors and washing machines than for floral arrangements. The landscaping around the Sears in Colonie Center Mall, Colonie, NY, is pretty sparse. Actually, once you get up close to these plump round balls of bushes, the … Continue reading
Posted in leaves, plant parts, seeds, Uncategorized
Tagged european yew, poison plants, yew
4 Comments
Unmowed 