One is the loneliest number, at least according to the 1969 rock and roll hit by the group Three Dog Night. The tune bemoans typical teenage angst about not having that special companion. True isolation and exceptional separation, especially in nature, are much more difficult to achieve. One locally grown tree, the maidenhair tree, is…Read more
Fortunately, there are vegetables which can be grown in panhandle Florida’s winter. They offer the opportunity for a fresh and consistent supply of healthy dietary staples. There are a few which easily tolerate the weather but are not widely accepted by ever hungry youngsters. Brussels sprouts, which handles cold and ice with barely a notice, are…Read more
The potential for frigid winter weather in panhandle Florida has changed the gardening landscape. Only the hardiest vegetables will survive a “polar express”, and most of these are leaf crops. One resilient vegetable which is not strictly a leaf crop planted in the autumn for winter or spring harvest is the onion. If raised for…Read more
“If once a man indulges himself in murder, very soon he comes to think little of robbing,” so said English essayist Thomas Penson De Quincey. This early 19th century writer and social commentator published extensively on some of the social problems of his countrymen. De Quincy is considered to have founded a genre of literature…Read more
Everyone needs a vacation to recover from all the work of the previous season. Students get the summer to enjoy some R & R (rest and relaxation), so it is only fair to start planning a period of inactivity during the coming months. In commercial agriculture farmers will leave fields vacant or fallow for a…Read more
Even today, there are mysteries and riddles which defy understanding. One of those endless enigmas is the common names of objects or tangible things, especially some plant species. Many plants have identifiers which accurately recognize their function as it relates to human contact. Two examples of locally common plants are purple nutsedge and sandspurs. Purple…Read more
Cycas revoluta, the king sago palm, or simply ‘sago palm’, is a member of the Cycadaceae family. Most common names for this and other cycads include the word palm because of their resemblance to some members of the palm family (Arecaceae). However, it is not a true palm. Cycads are more closely related to conifers…Read more
It may be hard to believe now, but there was an epoch before the age of electronic gizmos when children universally awaited the return of warm weather which signaled the end of school was near. The balmy temperatures lured most youth into the outdoors, each anticipating new adventures and discoveries in the woods and waters…Read more
It is a frequently used theme in horror movies and horticulture. An alien species is introduced into a pristine environment, either intentionally or by accident, and quickly escapes control to the detriment of the locals. It is always better theater if the invader has as many overt malevolent qualities as possible. Parasitic behavior which slowly…Read more
“A penny saved is a penny earned” is the famously frugal advice from Poor Richard’s Almanac. The author Benjamin Franklin, elder statesman and founding father of the United States, offered this simple pearl of wisdom to 18th century American colonists as a reminder to cautiously manage their assets. This method has met the test of…Read more
