Author Archives: plantpro

We have had a very mild winter – Dec 2011-Feb 2012.  Camellias and Japanese apricots have bloomed nonstop for us.  Now with a few daffodils and hellebores in flower we get a week of wind and a blast of artic … Continue reading →

Written in 1994 by a lover of the Dancy Tangerine: “On the night of the winter solstice, I approach the venerable old tree, living shrine of the sacred genes.  With snippers in hand I begin harvesting the fruit.  With each … Continue reading →

I was blown away today, so to speak, not by the autumn wind but by the color in Witherspoon’s Rose Garden in Durham, NC.  With every Piedmont, NC resident focused on the vivid tree foliage that now surrounds, the fact that … Continue reading →

After researching the archives from the early Moravian settlers upon arrival to the 100,000 acre Wachovia tract, now the city of Winston-Salem, NC,  it is evident to me that there would have been a second “lost colony” were it not … Continue reading →

What is fragrant, intriguing, and best enjoyed in the garden at dusk?  ( Hint: it is not a bat wearing Old Spice cologne.)  Moonvine is a noctural member of the morning glory family. After a couple of years going without annual vines on … Continue reading →

While in a hurry to plant some early white potatoes in late February this winter, I decided to try my hand at gardening in a couple of surplus bales of wheat straw left from a November cookout…bales can double as … Continue reading →

Horticulturally speaking, July and August are the two months that separate “the men from the boys.” The game is on…insects, drought, blights, mites, and a plethora of other pests and 4-legged critters. When I look at our garden border in … Continue reading →

As summer approaches we start to reap the benefits of our tree planting efforts.  A swing strategically placed in the shade of a canopy tree is a special respite for the weary. (Trust me on this one. )  Of course,  … Continue reading →

It’s nothing short of a miracle that a few dimes worth of spinach or turnip seed can provide pounds of fresh greens in April and May.  My greens were grown 100% organically this year (of course, I must confess to … Continue reading →

I love to hear the words “organic” and “safe/healthy” used by self-taught nutritionists, especially the cable TV variety that hit the airwaves for a fast buck. Recently, I offered bushels of chickweed and bittercrest to my organic produce-starved Facebook friends … Continue reading →