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Practical AI Use in the Greenhouse: Where it Works and Where it Needs to Be Improved

Practical AI Use in the Greenhouse: Where it Works and Where it Needs to Be Improved

A panel discussion at Cultivate’25 explored AI’s practical applications, from early plant stress detection and optimized workflow management to smarter labor allocation.

The post Practical AI Use in the Greenhouse: Where it Works and Where it Needs to Be Improved appeared first on Greenhouse Grower.

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Special Plants Nursery (Chippenham, England)

Special Plants Nursery (Chippenham, England)

Our third day was a busy one as we left our first hotel in Bath and traveled to Wells. There were several stops along the way, the first being Special Plants Nursery in Chippenham, England. It was a warm day.
The nursery is owned by former Oregonian Derry Watkins, who moved to England decades ago when she married an Englishman. She is a plant collector and has traveled all over the world, her favorite place being South Africa. 
That is Derry in the above photos talking to our group. The house and garden are located on a steep hill with idyllic countryside surrounding it. She says the garden was designed by her architect husband and she has filled it with her favorite plants, mostly tender perennials that she has collected from her plant-hunting expeditions.
Most of the beds are terraced and many plants are grown in gravel.
The garden is also enhanced with some striking ornaments –
Lower island beds proceed downhill –
A bog garden –
At the bottom of the property is a woodland walk.
The tranquil surrounding countryside –
I was impressed by her system of labeling plants for visitors. Each island bed was adorned with a small metal sculpture of a dancing lady holding a number. A hand-out detailed the numbered sections and listed plants that were blooming in that particular section. It was very effective.
Derry Watkins was a charming host and answered all our questions and let us shop her seeds. I am terribly inept with seeds but I ended up purchasing lunaria ‘Corfu Blue’ seeds (it was blooming throughout the garden and so spectacular). I also got some cleome and verbena seeds. 
(Visited May 9, 2025)

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

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On a tree on Monday

On a tree on Monday

After visiting a private garden on Sauvie Island last Monday evening I knew I had to write an “On a tree on Monday” post to share what I saw. The title is, of course, a play on the much loved “In a vase on Monday” blogger’s meme hosted by Cathy at Rambling in the Garden.

So instead of flowers in a vase, these flowers are (beautifully) hung on a dead tree.

Why? Well, the weekend before the open garden, the owners,  and Chet, hosted an evening wedding. Chet’s daughter got married in the garden and this is where the ceremony took place—at the end of a long and winding path through the garden. The backstory makes this display all the more wonderful.

I couldn’t resist taking several close-ups of the wilting flowers, still so beautiful as they fade.

Here’s a piece of the hidden magic keeping them in place.

Linda is a very creative lady and there are lots of beautiful flowers in the garden (more from the garden on Wednesday), so naturally I figured she was the one who put this all together. Nope, not her work.

I couldn’t help but photograph it from every angle, I was smitten.

Back when I participated in the “In a vase…” meme I frequently shared photos of our mantel and the decorative elements I’d pulled together there. Since I haven’t done that in a long time, I thought I’d share a couple photos just to let you know I’m still filling vases and changing things up.

Currently in the vase (part of my Royal Copley collection) are pieces I’ve trimmed from the garden; a Dioon Edule leaf (the tall number), Rhododendron ‘Ebony Pearl’ branches, and bits of Lomatia tinctoria. That perky Begonia erythrophylla leaf was a gift from a garden visitor and it’s rooted quite nicely, perhaps it’s time to plant it up.

The bright colorful bromeliad is a Guzmania I picked up for a song (by one at $5 get one free, ).

And the small seeds in this little vase have been there so long I’ve forgotten where they came from.

So, that’s a peek at a non-traditional Monday floral arrangement and what’s on the mantel these days…

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All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

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Building an Eco-Friendly Fishing Homestay in Thailand – Our Journey Off the Grid

Building an Eco-Friendly Fishing Homestay in Thailand – Our Journey Off the Grid

Hi everyone,
I wanted to share the story of a dream I’m building — a small eco-friendly fishing homestay in Phang Nga, Thailand called StayForFish.

The project started with a 9-rai piece of land that had no electricity, no water, and an abandoned house. Step by step, I’m turning it into a place where people can fish, relax, and connect with nature — all while keeping things sustainable.

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The most important place to start, permaculture in Zone 0

The most important place to start, permaculture in Zone 0

The Permaculture Design Course is a life-affirming and transformative experience. A curriculum designed to create a shift in the participants, a watershed moment before and after in their lives. The changes needed to face up to the future scenarios before us are profound. Where can that energy, insight and drive come from? It has to be from within us.

In a build-up to our up and upcoming PDC, this discussion highlights how influencing one’s inner world (Zone Zero) can have profound effects on external circumstances and the wider world, exemplified by Nelson Mandela’s enduring ideas despite imprisonment.

The text also connects Zone Zero with Zone Five (wilderness/nature), suggesting that external inspiration and learning from nature have a direct impact on one’s internal state. Ultimately, the speaker advocates for a strategic approach to permaculture, beginning with personal empowerment before extending efforts outwards into other zones of influence.

We are currently planning a Full PDC, based at Treflach Farm, Oswestry, Shropshire. A partnership of head, hands and heart, connecting deep inner convictions with powerful and effective action.

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