At the encouragement of Tom Castronovo, the executive editor and publisher of Gardener News, this months article has virtually nothing to do with plant material. Rather, June’s column is dedicated to another hobby, a non-profit organization, the Special Olympics. “The Special Olympics New Jersey provides year-round...
New Jersey, the Garden State, has an eight-decade resource fully capable of providing nutrition for all your “green friends.” The Espoma Company, founded in 1929, is a fourth generation family owned and managed business in Millville, New Jersey dedicated to the highest quality, most effective,...
I think it’s safe to say that we are all excited that spring is finally here. Back to back brutal winters have taken their toll on our emotions, our strength shoveling ourselves out and with certainty our gardens. As the snow melts its time to...
Wikipedia defines a honey hole as “slang for a location that yields a valued commodity or resource.” In fishing, it could mean a particular spot in the water where conditions are perfect for catching fish. For a “plant junkie”, like myself, it refers to a...
Growing up as a child in the 1970’s and 80’s, the game kickball was a popular playground sport. We took the game very seriously and at times we brought competition to heightened levels. With designated team captains we always had the students pick the teams. Today, our politically...
One of my favorite trees in the world has very little presence here in New Jersey. A tree native to central and southern China, this tree has captivated my attention for decades. A coniferous evergreen, this intriguing conifer has leaves that are spirally arranged and is often confused...
Back in late July of this year my friend John Stella, plantsman extraordinaire, enticed me to take a ride with him to Fairfield, Connecticut. There he promised I would see one of my favorite trees in its mature state. Our destination was Oliver Nurseries, a nursery/garden center that...
Throughout history, it seems, people have been fascinated and intrigued with trees. Poets, producers, presidents, politicians, philosophers, political commentators even Popes have all had their own unique language of expressing their thoughts and drawing upon life’s comparisons with trees. For years I have been compiling...
Plants have the ability to capture our attention in a number of ways. Flowers are the obvious draw initially, while things like leaves, bark, stems and buds may, in time, earn our respect and admiration. But these attributes are purely visual. Just one of our...
Back in June of 1991 there was a song released by American dance artist C+C Music Factory. “The song was inspired by a running gag on The Arsenio Hall Show, whereby Arsenio, while on an alleged long drive, ponders certain thoughts and refers to them...