By Michael J Wellik from The Strawberry Store http://www.thestrawberrystore.com Over 20 years ago I operated commercial greenhouses and grew bedding plants, Easter flowers and many other standard ornamental crops. I was not happy with profitability and began searching for new crops to grow. I decided to trial a variety of strawberries called ‘Ruegen’. When I bought the plants, I didn’t even realize that this was not a standard garden strawberry. In fact, it was a different species, Fragaria vesca, which is also known as the wild strawberry, alpine strawberry or woodland strawberry. The size of the fruit was the first clue that I was dealing with the unknown. What attracted me and hooked me was not only the unique wild taste, but the incredible aroma. In the years since then I have collected over 40 varieties of this species from all over the world. I am fascinated with…
Workday in the Calendar Garden at Gwinnett Tech
On a cold but sunny day in early April, Gwinnett Master Gardeners braved high winds to spruce up the Calendar Garden at Gwinnett Tech. This area blooms from the front of Building 100 to the back entrance, with blooms coming seasonally. It starts with the lavender phlox in March, and continues to the far end, with white butterfly ginger and purple asters blooming in September. They share that corner with tall clumps of varieties of grasses and a large loquat tree at the end. Master Gardeners weeded and spread many bags of mulch. A large winged creature, a Luna moth that was trying to get out of the cold wind, visited us as we were finishing up. This garden, alongside building 100, is accessible to the public. Many of the plants have name tags, so you can stop by anytime to see what is blooming. While we were having a…
The Value of Trees
While we know there are many benefits to incorporating trees into our landscape, many of us simply enjoy trees for their beauty. Some people enjoy the birds they attract while others actually enjoy the antics of the squirrels scampering through their branches. We enjoy the immediate rewards from the sound of the leaves rustling in the breeze, the shade we enjoy on a hot summer day, and the contributions for that budding compost pile to the more far-reaching concerns for possible climate change. But, do you know the monetary value of the benefits provided by any particular tree in your landscape? If not, you can use the Arbor Day Foundation’s “National Tree Benefits Calculator” http://www.arborday.org/calculator to easily determine the economic and environmental benefits provided by any tree in your yard. What do you need to know? You will need to enter your zip code, select a tree species from…