A contender for the award for the best common name may be this species: Carex hirsutella. It's commonly referred to as the fuzzy wuzzy sedge. Easy to id, too. Havent met another fuzzy wuzzy sedge yet.

I just upgraded/rebuilt my PC, and my husband told me about this app to remove CoPilot from my Windows 11 (part of the reason for the upgrade, since microslop was forcing my hand). If you want to get rid of all the AI things, try this github.com/builtbybel/F...

So one thing I don't get is how a post highlighting sedges ends up being my best post yet on Facebook, yet I can't seem to sell a single one at the farmer's market. Granted, I don't have this one (yet), but I have others. Still waiting for sedges to become the next collector's plant.

I was watching a pair of wood thrushes collecting nesting material while potting up plants, until my neighbor's cat came into view, heading in their direction. I clapped loudly which startled off the birds and the cat, then chased the cat off. PLEASE KEEP YOUR CATS INDOORS!

TIL: The plant that showed up on my property formerly known simply as Arisaema triphyllum could either still be Arisaema triphyllum or another closely-related species. I had no idea they'd split this taxon up, but not shocked. From what I can tell in the photo, the spadix does look clavate.

Another big happy moment yesterday: I found four new-to-my-awareness sedges on my property. Two of them popped up where I eradicated a lesser celandine patch. Others were present, but I kept forgetting to check when they had seed. Here's Carex gracilima in the skunk cabbage patch

Omg!!! I saved my black highbush blueberry! There were two problems. A holly had grown tall enough to shade it out entirely, and the deer kept decimating any new growth. So I cut down the holly early spring, and placed the branches around the base.

Why is the same word (amateur) used to describe someone who practices a skill or learns about a topic that isn't trying to profit from it, as well as someone who is inept or incompetent? What about incompetent professionals? Would that be an amateur pro?

I think most people would be surprised to find out I'm an OG "gamer girl"... Although I don't have much time these days to play video games, long days like today result in an "I'm just gonna grab some fast food to avoid cooking and go chill with a game until I pass out" Currently: Coral Island

In addition to things like spring sowing and winter sowing, I introduce to you something called OMG WTF IT GERMINATED IN THE FRIDGE CRAP CHANGE OF PLANS WE'RE SOWING aka emergency sowing that's what I'm doing Some of these plants are so radicle. (har har I'll see myself out, and back to the flats)

Polygonatum biflorum in my woods is so tiny and skinny, you wouldn't even recognize it as the same species. I have lots of them, but they look nothing like the cultivated varieties.

I got my free trees from the township today! This was the line an hour before pick-up time. It extends all the way back by the time it starts. You have to show up early if you want the best selection of everything. I got Tilia americana, Carpinus caroliniana, and Magnolia virginiana 'Moonglow'

Blue-eyed Marys are such a cool native winter-annual. I was really hoping to offer these this year, but only four of mine germinated, so I'll need to wait to collect seed from the ones that grew and try again next year. The trick is to get them going. Once established, they should happily re-seed.

Don't forget to protect tender new growth tonight from frost damage if possible, especially on your smaller plants. Native plants shouldn't be killed by frost (unless they're annuals, they might be), but the recent heat wave did speed up budding out.

number one question this market: "Can I grow it as a houseplant? I don't have a yard." ... y'all, I suck at taking care of houseplants and had long since given up on it, but I'll give it a shot for science.

This is why it's important to set boundaries. Businesses: pick a method for reaching customers and stick to it. If you do email, one per week is enough. Consumers: don't be reachable 24/7. Patronize those that are respectful of your time and assume you know how to find them without being clingy.

Come see me tomorrow at the Earth Day Celebration at Skippack Village! I'll be selling all sorts of awesome native plants next to the Earthware Sustainable Goods store (10am-5pm), like this native large-flowered chickweed (Cerastium strictum) which makes a lovely groundcover!

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Mustaaaaaaaaaaard

I am definitely bringing these along this weekend to the Earth Day Celebration at Skippack Village! Stop by my booth if you're in the area!

"Sustainable land use is that which meets the needs for production of present land users, while conserving for future generations the basic resources on which that production depends. Sustainability = Production + Conservation" - Anthony Young (Agroforestry For Soil Management)

Trillium cuneatum, aka little sweet betsy

Neglected toebeans. Antennaria neglecta. I'm changing the common names of all Antennaria henceforth.

Totally coincidental (we must be on the same wavelength) when it comes to my "WTF Did I Sow?" page, NPSNJ recently posted a lecture with Dr. Randi Eckel. Randi is the owner of Toadshade Wildflower Farm, and a friend and inspiration to me as a nursery grower. Highly recommend checking it out!

As your plants and seedlings start popping up, I've created two really fun pages that feature mostly eastern US native plants, though there are a few veggie plants mixed in as well (because I have them, and why not). "WTF Did I Sow?" shows cotyledons, first leaves, and anything else worth noting.

Reminder that I'll be at the Abington Garden Festival tomorrow 1-3pm to kick off spring (event includes a free seed exchange, raffles, crafts, goats and wild animals)! Come on by with your family, and bring home some native plants to add to your garden (like the Little Lanterns in the photo)!

This is the largest bird's nest fungus I've seen yet. Usually the ones I find are a bit smaller, maybe half that size. I still enjoy finding them. They'd probably make a good dollhouse bowl or something that goes in a diorama of sorts.

I'm starting to experiment a bit with gibberelic acid. Ibought some a year ago but was afraid to use it until now. I know the dangers of overdoing it. That being said, Deno was a huge fan of them, so I wanted to give it a go and see what happens. Enemion biternatum responds well to the treatment.

Is Rupert Sheldrake reading my zines? 👀 (I know, I'm behind by 2 weeks... was taking advantage of the false spring, plus cleaning up for my son's birthday playdate this weekend. I'll get back to the zines soon enough.)

Alnus incana subspecies rugosa in bloom

More cotyledons! Similar to Apios americana, it would appear Phaseolus polystachios is also a hypogeal germinator, meaning the cotyledons remain below-ground. Instead, here we see true leaves. Desmodium glabellum has interesting kidney-shaped cotyledons. Strophostyles helvola is really neat.

nevermind, back to ragebait He doesn't even notice he doesn't get many likes/views on these compared to his more thoughtfully-written helpful posts. Otherwise he just sounds like he's virtue-signaling for asspats.

Host plants for humans are starting to germinate! So far, a few of the home-grown asparagus and several cucumber varieties take the lead. Last year's brush with food insecurity plus my own past early struggles with growing veg made me decide to start adding heirloom starts to my nursery. 1/2

It's a bit last minute, but I highly recommend going to my friend Katie Fisk's lecture about transforming her front yard into a native garden. I promise, it's not like other native gardening lectures. This one includes battles against ordinances and rage against a tree-hatin' beech of a neighbor.

I'm trying to document cotyledons of some of our native plants. Here we have Lupinus perennis, Lespedeza capitata and Apios americana.

I've been calling my basement my "greendungeon," and I guess nature finally decided to move in properly. I'm curious if any other ferns start popping up after all the ones I'd sown this year. I just noticed this, but it must have sown in months ago. I never peek behind the shelves.

Did you know that last year PA launched a new program called Invasive Replace-ive? We're not just telling you to chop invasive plants down to force you to buy new trees and shrubs. They will give you native trees and shrubs to replace them.

First market day of the year. Won't have a TON of stuff yet, since many plants are still sleeping, but there are a few that would be ready by then. Spring beauties, anyone? March 21st at the Abington Free Library, 1-3pm. Get a jump start on native plants!

I'm adding some food crops to my nursery, apropos of current events. Grapes take a few years to start producing, but far less than orchard trees. I do have wild type Vitis labrusca, but those need to he requested so I can save some grapes for seeds. Otherwise, these are all seedless table grapes.

Short documentary about invasive species in Lake Erie titled "Seeing The Unseen: Aquatic Invaders & What's At Stake" The glove method he uses on the cattails also works really well on lily-of-the-valley.

For veggie seeds, I'd also recommend buying from Indigenous Woman-Owned seed shop www.allianceofnativeseedkeepers.com

Um... what? (to the people who aren't on threads seeing this shit)

One of the things I hate about conversations about gardening on social media today is the lack of nuance. People, especially "experts," make blanket statements, sometimes twisting results of a study. Instead of blindly following public figures, experiment. Even studies are peer reviewed.

my spores are here! Soon, I will be drowning in ferns. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Adding this to my reading list!

Today I noticed that Desmodium glabellum seed coats leave a very strong, bright orange stain. I'm going to have to play with this in the future!

Super excited to be sowing some more ferns really soon! Glad I prepped all that soil! This is my order from American Fern Society. If you haven't joined them, you should do so, and give it a shot! Once you're an AFS member, if you have any questions about ordering spores, let me know.

Here's my second merch design for NISAW (National Invasive Species Awareness Week). Yes, that is Ross from Friends, but instead of yelling PIVOT, he's yelling PRIVET! Whenever I come across more privet in the woods, I humor myself by picturing him popping out from behind it to announce its discovery

Seeds Underground Zine 7 - NISAW Seeds Underground Zine #7 is a little story about invasive species. I think you'll like it. I promise, it's not preachy (unlike the...

The most fascinating part of this experiment for me, and why I am so giddy and won't shut up about it, is you get to see first-hand what "modified leaf" means, and you get to witness it as it's happening. DOES ANYONE ELSE FEEL THIS? YOU CAN SEE IT PHYSICALLY ADAPTING TO NITROGEN LEVELS! 😱