Pine Barrens & Grasslands in New England? Part 1

Leaving North Carolina for a casual visit to New England presents a bit of cultural and ecological shock. Its not just the accents but the vegetation!  While the southeastern US is known for some of the nations most fire-prone vegetation, New England's seems the polar opposite; dense, dark, forests...

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journal update...

a raku firing video to get yu startedclick for a link to my statigram feed ;)I feel like I'm always playing catchup these days and in an attempt to journal update here's last weeks efforts. I'd been madly making raku bottles for last wkd's open studio and only managed to fire a few of them as it was...

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Prairie Flora in North Carolina - All Hands on Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum)

Prairie Dock (Silphium terebinthinaceum), a.k.a Prairie Rosinweed, is among the most conspicuous herbaceous perennials of tallgrass prairies of the midwestern United States (1).  The same is true for certain remnant, prairie-like habitats in parts of the NC Piedmont as well. Part of its conspicuousness,...

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Two Rare Botanists on a Witch (grass) Hunt

  Dichanthelium is "perhaps the most complex and confusing genus in our region" (1). Sometimes a mere one tenth of a millimeter difference in a critical measurement can separate two taxa!For obvious reasons, most folks avoid these smallish and difficult to identify grasses (do you have...

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From Garden Grill: Parmesan Mozzarella Garlic Panko Jalapeno Crisp - Well Oven...

From Garden Grill: Parmesan Mozzarella Garlic Panko Jalapeno Crisp - Well Oven...Jalapenos are one of the most productive hot peppers you can grow in the garden. I love them. I grew some mammoth sized jalapenos this year and stuffed them with cheese and Panko bread crumbs. They were simply outstanding. I had dozens of your standard sized jalapenos and to be honest, I just didn't feel like stuff so...

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Open Studio Day #2/duo...

Sunday & Saturday & Friday, well frankly that was tiring but had some lovely chats with some lovely peeps thanks for dropping by and for some having a play with fire. Coffee and scones went down a treat and even some spicy, well not too spicy lentil soup for my friends!!It was quieter than last...

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Successful trip to the 99th annual Ecological Society of America meeting

We have just returned (although some of our luggage has not) from Sacramento, CA where three graduate students and I presented papers.  Benjamin Dows talked about his master's research on dispersal of the native shrub, Morella cerifera which is expanding range across the Virginia barrier islands....

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Prairie Flora in North Carolina: Eastern Gamagrass

Tall culms of Eastern Gamagrass in a "Piedmont Prairie" in central NCwith Daniel Overcash & Louis SutherEastern Gamagrass (Tripsacum dactyloides) is one of North Carolina's tallest and most robust native grasses.  A clump forming, warm season, perennial, with flowering culms that can reach...

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