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We are approaching the new year and the resolutions that come along with it. Maybe that exercise you have been promising for years can be found in the garden? Consider this story today from UPI:
A Dutch researcher says gardeners of all ages reap healthy rewards’ besides produce, it improves health and well-being in the elderly.
Flickr / Michiteru Kodama
Paris japonica.Paris japonica. Yes, that’s right, a white flower has a genetic code 50 times longer than that of a human being. This was discovered recently at Kew Gardens in London.
“We were astounded really,” said Ilia Leitch, of Kew’s Jodrell Laboratory.
Leitch and her colleagues suspected the plant might have an larger-than-usual genetic code as its relatives have rather large ones too. But the sheer size of this flower’s genome caught them by surprise. If laid end-to-end it would stretch to more than 300 feet.
“We certainly didn’t expect to find it,” she said.
The event calendar has been updated with dozens of events, classes and seminars starting today and running through December. Check out the list – there is something for EVERYONE! Be sure and tell them you read about it in Michigan Gardener!
This story gave us a chuckle when we heard it on NPR yesterday morning…
A Montana woman fended off a bear trying to muscle its way into her home Thursday by pelting the animal with a large piece of zucchini from her garden.
The abundance of vacant and neglected land in Detroit is being talked about a lot lately. It’s nice to hear about people doing something to clean up their own little slice of the city. Today’s Detroit News featured just that in a story and photos on “The Green Alley.” Check out the story and accompanying photo gallery – pretty neat.
Hundreds of beautiful, show quality dahlias will be on display and expert growers will be on hand to answer growing questions. Show hours are Saturday, Sept 18, 12-5pm & Sunday, Sept 19, 12-3pm at Orchard Mall in West Bloomfield. Admission is FREE and additional information can be found at www.semds.org
Looking for some ideas for canning the harvest from your garden? NPR recently featured a story on canning with some great ideas.
Canning — the source of jams, pickles and relishes that can seem tied to the last century — is on the upswing. There is a debate whether the trend stems from the tight economy or the local food movement, but its fans say the results are delicious.
Check out the full story complete with audio and recipes.
All Things Considered recently featured a fun commentary by Julie Zickefoose about her adventures in her garden this summer.
Every time I plod out to the garden, jaw set, to pull up the nasty old green bean plants that have collapsed on the straw, their yellowed leaves riddled by bean beetles, they surprise me. They’ve set the table with new white blossoms, and they’ve made dinner for me again. And so I stay their execution and decide not to replant — why start over with a puppy when the old dog still has spring in her step?
Check out the full text and audio here on NPR.org.
NPR recently interviewed Arthur Allen about his book, Ripe: The Search For The Perfect Tomato. Tomatoes were once considered poisonous but now are regular staples on dinner plates across America…
Arthur Allen tells the story of the tomato’s redemption, popularization and eventual modification in his book,Ripe: The Search For The Perfect Tomato.
The tomato’s versatility wore down its detractors bit by bit, Allen tells NPR’s Jackie Lyden. “There’s so many different ways that you can eat it,” he says.
It first caught on with peasants in the Mediterranean, where it grows very well, and eventually the protests of doctors who considered it poisonous “gave way to good sense and taste.”
In case you missed it in The Detroit News last week, MGM Grand casino announced a $1 million project to build an urban garden behind their downtown Detroit casino. It looks like a cool project…
The Grand Garden — announced with the city’s skyscrapers as a backdrop — is crucial for the city’s development of a community-driven food system, organizers said.
Detroit is one of a growing number of metropolitan areas that is reintroducing agriculture. Detroit’s neighborhoods are already filled with more than 1,200 urban farms and gardens, Grand Garden organizers said.
“It’s important to actually see where food comes from and appreciate it,” MGM spokesman Jeff Jackson said. “The garden provides an opportunity to get your hands dirty and understand that everything doesn’t come out of the grocery store.”