Between the Rows – A Guide to Vegetable Gardening: December 2022
Vegetable gardening information and events for December 2022
Featured Glossary Word: Marcescent
marcescent: remaining attached although withered (leaves, petals, sepals)
Deciduous trees shed their leaves in autumn as they prepare for the severity of winter. Yet, some trees seem to be laggards and hold on to their dead leaves until new growth dislodges them in spring. These marcescent leaves persist because the separation layer fails to form or complete formation.
Take this lawn and . . . shrink it
With insects and birds in decline around the world, Tallamy and other ecologists urge us to end our love affair with our lawns — and plant natives instead. Where to start to help create a hospitable lawn?
TREE: Diospyros virginiana (Common or American Persimmon)
Tried and True Native Plant Selections for the Mid-Atlantic
An adaptable pioneer species found in old fields and from swamp forests to the understory of mesic to dry upland forests, this Ebony family member is noted for its hard wood used for golf club heads and furniture veneer. It gets its common name from the indigenous Algonquin people who have prized the sweet orange fruit for food and medicinal purposes.
Featured Glossary word: Mast
Featured Glossary Word: Mast
mast: nuts, seeds, or other fruits of some woody plants, including trees, shrubs, and vines, that serve as food for wildlife, especially when accumulated on the forest floor
The word mast comes from the Old English maest, meaning “fodder,” and is believed to be derived from a prehistoric German word meaning meat. The word was originally applied in agriculture to food provided by nature for domestic animals (particularly hogs but also cattle, sheep, goats, and even chickens) that foraged in the woods near homes and farms...In horticulture today, mast is divided into “hard mast” and “soft mast.”
The Season of Giving (and receiving) Houseplants: Part 1
As soon as the calendar flipped to November, the plant sections of the grocery and hardware stores filled with poinsettias, brightly blooming cacti, and so many other plant goodies. While beautiful upon arrival, without the proper care, your new holiday decoration might take a turn for the worse before the end of the year.