oh look springy time is sneezy time...

oh look springy time is sneezy time…Sunday last was marketeering day in the hills and druid avenue was ablast with pollen! the oak trees are getting all springy and sending flying chunks of pollen all over the streets and by days end all my stock was covered as well as ma hair and every receptacle in...

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Meet our new faces

We have a new group of graduate and undergraduate researchers working on a range of topics in coastal plant ecology. Their research will continue to advance our understanding of the many complex and interacting factors across barrier island landscapes, which provide the first line...

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The Rusted Garden 2015 Tomato Seed Sale is Active: 40 Varieties I Hand Collected

The Rusted Garden 2015 Tomato Seed Sale is Active: 40 Varieties I Hand CollectedAll 40 Tomato Varieties Test Germinated: Sale is On!Well it was a great summer. I grew over 40 varieties of tomatoes and collected seeds from about 40 plants for resale. All the seeds test germinated well. You can purchase...

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Growing, Harvesting and Drying Hot Cayenne Peppers: Red Pepper Flakes for Pasta!

Growing, Harvesting and Drying Hot Cayenne Peppers: Red Pepper Flakes for Pasta!A pepper that is very easy to grow is the hot 'Cayenne' pepper. There is a sweet version with no heat. I grow the hot cayenne specifically for making red pepper flakes for my pastas. I live in Maryland Zone 7 and transplant...

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10 Varieties of Hot Peppers from Mild to Blistering with Mixed Flavors and Uses: Bulk Package Deal

 10 Varieties of Hot Peppers from Mild to Blistering with Mixed Flavors and Uses: Bulk Package DealI selected these bulk seeds based on loving hot peppers myself. They range from very mild to quite hot. They are also functional too in that they vary in flavor and use. Some are great for grilling,...

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A Gardener’s Perspective: Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson … Didn’t Know Better? Are You Serious?

A Gardener’s Perspective:  Ray Rice and Adrian Peterson … Didn’t Know Better? Are You Serious?Every once in a while I air an opinion on my garden blog not related to gardening, when something makes little sense to me. Ray Rice struck his girlfriend. It was quite violent. Adrian Peterson actually whipped his children with a switch. It was a violent act, not child discipline. I am a clinical...

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more studio moments...

A job cancellation this morning meant a diary reshuffle and how could I turn today into something more productive. I've been thinking about summer preparations with daylight savings time heading our way fast it's a reminder that the hot weather will be here soon and cool throwing days will be a thing...

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Beech Blight

American Beech (Fagus grandifolia) is a common and distinctive tree found across much of eastern North America. It is most often found on moist, acidic sites where it grows slowly, but lives long as a component of late successional, minimally disturbed forests.   The smooth, silver bark gives American...

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Tomato Seed Sale for 2014-2105 Has Started

I just activated the sales for tomato seeds. I will be updating the page over the next 3 weeks. I will be adding in 40 varieties of tomatoes with pictures and videos so you can see what they look like. Not all seeds get this treatment as I couldn't shoot video for them all. All 40 varieties were grown...

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studio day byo cheer...

Some of this… before a wipe out dayOne very productive monday in the studio with a test run of some gritty red stoneware. Some new tiles on the way with thoughts percolating again. Then the crash yesterday a big wipe out migraine day, haven't had one for ages and what a booger but out the other side...

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How to Make Neem Oil Sprays and Fix Oil Separation: 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil in the Garden

How to Make Neem Oil Sprays and Fix Oil SeparationNeem Oil can be used to manage chewing insects in your garden. However, you must make sure you purchase 100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil that has all its components. This pure Neem Oil has a compound called Azadirachtin. It is what kills chewing insects. A...

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Pine Barrens & Grasslands in New England; Part II

In a previous post I briefly discussed two examples of fire-maintained vegetation in southern New England (http://ncplantcon.blogspot.com/2014/08/pine-barrens-grasslands-in-new-england.html). Ecologically similar sites, often referred to as "pine barrens" or "pitch pine barrens" are scattered around...

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