I'm somewhat ashamed it's been nearly a month since my last blog post. Apologies aside, it's been a busy month.
Two weeks ago in our final lecture class, we got a special presentation about urban trees from Larry Tankersly. Here's a picture of my man Larry. It's a few years old (he looks nothing like this today). Also the picture is from a fruit fly taxonomic training workshop. Riveting!
Let's just say Larry is of the mold of Carol Reese -- someone who is doing what they were born to do and loving every minute of it. Larry's presentation showed a great balance of humor and mastery of the material. A couple of highlights:
A final plug. The Forestry Extension through the UTIA (where Larry works) has a TON of great publications. Some are for production foresters, but many of them seem applicable for the hobbyist/home grower: https://ag.tennessee.edu/fwf/Pages/UT-Extension---Forestry.aspx
Two weeks after Larry's class, I have a book Larry suggested and another on tree identification on my nightstand. May become a tree hugger. We'll see how it goes.
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Last week was our last class. It ended up being more of a celebration than a class, and that's OK. Each of the groups made presentations on our demonstration gardens. Knowing Nonna, you know I was the presenter for our group.
Because I think 99% of gardeners are just into it for the pretty pictures, our presentation was almost exclusively pictures.
So what's growing in the garden?
Carrots are done. Need to harvest them this weekend.
Tomatoes are doing well. I'd say they're a week from going in the ground.
Rosemary and Oregano are doing well. Added Basil and Cilantro to the herb garden for the year.
Beans have sprouted.
Zucchini and Squash have been seeded but haven't sprouted yet.
Among the ornamentals, I think one of my hydrangeas is going to need a significant trim. Half of it seems dead. One of the hostas has put out flowers. Flower boxes are growing really well. Magnolia tree has a LOT of new growth which is good to see.
After Carol Reese, we had a great presentation on plant disease. Spoiler alert: it's a horticultural miracle that we have plants at all. It's also amazing the delicate balance we have in modern agriculture. In today's global world, diseases can spread faster than ever, and so few people are involved in food production.
Two weeks ago in our final lecture class, we got a special presentation about urban trees from Larry Tankersly. Here's a picture of my man Larry. It's a few years old (he looks nothing like this today). Also the picture is from a fruit fly taxonomic training workshop. Riveting!
- "We live in North America. You don't have to plant much, you just scratch the ground and stuff comes up."
- "If you're a self-respecting fungus looking for a place to live, Tennessee is the place to be!"
- "Trees have real long memories!"
- Pest problems in trees are a symptom. Insects, fungi, bacteria – they're cleaning a weak plant out of the system.
- Defensive Dieback – Trees lose leaves or even limbs in response to inputs. A tree will only retain the material it can support. The analogy he used was a company and layoffs. If a company goes through tough times and can't support all of its employees, it will cut back. If a leaf isn't producing enough sugar through photosynthesis to justify the nutrients it is getting, the tree will cut it loose. Defensive dieback can also help a tree with damage. Trees are compartmentalized organisms!
A final plug. The Forestry Extension through the UTIA (where Larry works) has a TON of great publications. Some are for production foresters, but many of them seem applicable for the hobbyist/home grower: https://ag.tennessee.edu/fwf/Pages/UT-Extension---Forestry.aspx
Two weeks after Larry's class, I have a book Larry suggested and another on tree identification on my nightstand. May become a tree hugger. We'll see how it goes.
_____________________________
Last week was our last class. It ended up being more of a celebration than a class, and that's OK. Each of the groups made presentations on our demonstration gardens. Knowing Nonna, you know I was the presenter for our group.
Because I think 99% of gardeners are just into it for the pretty pictures, our presentation was almost exclusively pictures.
So what's growing in the garden?
Carrots are done. Need to harvest them this weekend.
Tomatoes are doing well. I'd say they're a week from going in the ground.
Rosemary and Oregano are doing well. Added Basil and Cilantro to the herb garden for the year.
Beans have sprouted.
Zucchini and Squash have been seeded but haven't sprouted yet.
Among the ornamentals, I think one of my hydrangeas is going to need a significant trim. Half of it seems dead. One of the hostas has put out flowers. Flower boxes are growing really well. Magnolia tree has a LOT of new growth which is good to see.
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