When frogs are afraid to go into the water, should we be worried, too? After Sally Pick, a Wild Ones Partner-at-Large (MA), called me in response to a note about malformed frogs in the January “Grapevine,” I felt compelled to hit the stacks. It seems that the modern-day maladies of frogs take many forms: extra […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (Mar 2006)"

The notion of invasiveness in native plants is one that is distasteful to contemplate. Usually we prefer to say that a native plant is a “strong spreader” or an “aggressive spreader.” At some point it may be necessary to stop splitting hairs. I’m thinking particularly of cup-plant (Silphium perfoliatum). It first caught my attention when […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (Jan 2006)"

Ringing the alarm for Earth “An ecosystem itself undamaged is very, very resilient, and the more simplified it gets, the less resilient. Globally, what we are doing is simplifying them all, simultaneously, which is a very dangerous large-scale experiment.” Peter Raven, botanist, recently Time magazine’s “Hero of the Planet,” Director of Missouri Botanical Gardens in […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (Nov 2005)"

Something to think about: Benefits of a messy yard Winter is months away, but since we may not be able to afford a November/December issue of the Journal, this seems like a good time to mention some fall caretaking strategies for our native plantings. Here are some things to think about: Remember that what you […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (Sept 2005)"

Protests of Roadside Spraying Marilyn Logue, president of the Columbus (OH) Chapter tells us that residents of Ohio are writing letters to the Ohio Department of Transportation requesting that ODOT consider using brush cutters along state routes to control brush growth for highway safety. ODOT has been using a herbicide containing triethylamine to control brush […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (July 2005)"

Imagine Imagine all the most searing yellows from Van Gogh’s sunflowers, the most sumptuously gorgeous reds and oranges of O’Keefe’s poppies, and the smoky blues and magentas made familiar by Monet’s water lilies. Spread these colors over a landscape as far as the eye can see. Hold tight to that image in your mind while […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (May 2005)"

Water You Gonna Do About It? In 1917, during World War I, the Washington State Legislature passed a bill which reads, in part, “… all waters within the state belong to the public, and any right thereto, or to the use thereof, shall be hereafter acquired only by appropriation for a beneficial use and in […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (Mar 2005)"

Plant Diversity and Ecosystem Functioning In a study that mimicked the natural order of species loss in a grassland ecosystem, researchers found that declining biodiversity greatly reduced resistance to invasive species, and that the presence of even small numbers of rare species had profound functional effects. The results have important implications for understanding the biodiversity […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (Jan 2005)"

Something Extraordinary This following simple recipe for killing weeds is being presented in prose form because I’d like you to read the entire text to make sure you get the rest of the story. This recipe goes as follows: 1 gallon white vinegar; 1 pound table salt; 1 tablespoon liquid dish-washing soap. Mix together and […] Continue reading "The Grapevine (Nov 2004)"