News Articles

Stay updated with the latest developments and discoveries in the world of plants and horticulture with our News Articles category. Here, you’ll find timely updates on conservation efforts, botanical breakthroughs, gardening trends, and industry news. Whether it’s a new species discovery, tips for sustainable gardening, or global botanical initiatives, this section keeps you informed and connected to the ever-evolving plant world. Perfect for enthusiasts, researchers, and nature lovers looking to stay in the know.

Embracing Chipmunks

News Articles /

I know people always have a lot to say about chipmunks digging things up in their garden and being a pest but I’m gonna be honest, my food system and our home wouldn’t be the same without them.

Do they dig stuff up? Not as often as they dig small, stable holes directly next to my plants that provide aeration and a place for water to get down to the roots. Do they get into stuff on the porch? Sure they do. But they also teach my rambunctious seven year old patience, and how to be mindful of the other creatures we live amongst who also need to eat. They dont make a mess, (other than the large seed shells that contribute to the soil.) Rarely has a problem in the garden actually been a chipmunk. Usually it’s a bird, whose presence and contribution we also embrace. We feed them, they hang out with us, and are usually underfoot right around our garden beds. We haven’t been at the current house long enough to see the fruits of their seed stashing labor, but there are a few sprouts in the garden that I recon are black oil sunflowers. I honestly believe they are integral, and contribute to our soil health. Love these little turds.

submitted by /u/LyraTheHarpArt
[link] [comments]

Embracing Chipmunks Read More »

Edgefield, after many years

News Articles /

When I decided to sell (as part of The Other Plant Sale) the container I bought at an event at McMenamins Edgefield, it got me to thinking about just how long it had been since I’d wandered the grounds out there. Too long was the answer, so I paid a visit…

In case you are unfamiliar with the McMenamins name, it’s a local chain of restaurants, hotels, bars, and theatres, all located in historic properties. Edgefield is a 74 acre parcel developed in 1911 as the county poor farm. Now it’s a sprawling venue that hosts a summer concert series, weddings and weekend getaways. All the McMenamins properties place a high value on the gardens, which is why I like them. 

I knew that plant propagation happened at this McMenamins location, but if I’d seen the greenhouse on prior visits I’d somehow completely forgotten it.
It’s very mysterious the way it lurks back there, hidden by the foliage.
I found the front!
And peeked inside…
There were tables covered with small plants being grown on.
And a reminder for those who might have bad thoughts…
Moving on…

The troughs…
The signage is new since my last visit.
Agave some somebody…
Lewisia
The bamboo grove is thick along the backside of a building.
A similar photo to this one—but with the opuntia in bloom—made it into my book.
The veggie garden…
With a florific cover crop.
More signage…
This part of the grounds was new to me, or maybe it’s been replanted in plants that capture my attention? Like Dasylirion wheeleri.
Eryngium agavifolium
And Tetrapanax papyrifer. 
A hidden courtyard.

One of the outbuildings that serves libations, with a nice patch of Melianthus major growing along the pathway.
I mentioned the summer concert series, and I think that was actually the last time I visited Edgefield. To see Pink Martini summer 2019, pre-covid. It was an amazing night.
This oddly shaped—and very spiny—leaf was new to me, Google images things it might be Ilex cornuta ‘rotunda’.
The plant was used as a hedge.
The front of the hotel, where any logical person would start a tour (but not someone garden focused).
Daphniphyllum macropodum, right? Not so quick. Near as I could tell (without climbing the tall shrub to see things up close) there were rhododendron flowers on the upper branches (and on the ground too), plus the tips of the leaves are rounded, rather than pointed. Color me confused.
This! An abomination! I mean the foliage was amazing, but who thought red flowers need to bloom on this shrub?
Good without the flowers, am I right?
Closing in on the end of the tour with just one more section of the garden to see.
I think this is cunninghamia (a conifer in the cypress family) mulch.
Underneath a cunninghamia, of course.
Party tent!
Is the party just getting set up? Or are these lovely flowers part of the aftermath? It was 2:30 on a Sunday afternoon, so I’m thinking I was there early?
Making my way back to the car before the action gets started…

To receive alerts of new danger garden posts by email, subscribe here. Please note: these are sent from a third party, their annoying ads are beyond my control. 
All material © 2009-2025 by Loree L Bohl. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited and just plain rude.

Edgefield, after many years Read More »

Re-imagining irrigated garden beds

News Articles /

I moved to a new farm which has several hundred feet of irrigated garden beds. However, it is on a northern slope (in zone 3) and the soil is pretty poor–loamy sand, and some I’d even call gravel. (Miss you, black gold of the plains) There is also a ton of quack grass, and it is shaded after 4/5pm by huge trees from neighbors to the west.

So…what do I do with this stuff? I’m considering a large plot of asparagus. I also am thinking to trail some peach trees, or other fruit trees. Maybe honeyberries.

I dont want to continue buying drip tape, but there is a lot to use up until it isn’t good anymore. Might as well use it to establish something right?

Any thoughts?

submitted by /u/Prestigious-Fig-1642
[link] [comments]

Re-imagining irrigated garden beds Read More »

To do or not to do companion planting

News Articles /

Im in zone 7b and recently just got several apple and peach trees. I was researching companion planting and I’ve seen a lot of recommendations but also many saying that it doesn’t make a difference and just causes competition for space and nutrients especially when they’re young.

I was considering comfrey, chamomile, marigold, and/or lavender, but not really sure if those are good combinations or too similar/repetitive?

submitted by /u/duckingducati
[link] [comments]

To do or not to do companion planting Read More »

Student discovers long-awaited mystery fungus sought by LSD’s inventor

News Articles /

Making a discovery with the potential for innovative applications in pharmaceutical development, a microbiology student has found a long sought-after fungus that produces effects similar to the semisynthetic drug LSD, which is used to treat conditions like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and addiction.

Read More »

Why Canadians are Choosing to Travel Locally

News Articles /

Yes, staycations are practical. They’re less expensive, easier to plan, and free of the logistics that come with long-distance travel. But there’s more at play. For many Canadians, choosing to stay close is also about healing—about slowing down, reconnecting, and rediscovering what’s always been here.  In 2024, Destination Canada reported that nearly 80% of tourism […]

The post Why Canadians are Choosing to Travel Locally appeared first on UBC Botanical Garden.

Why Canadians are Choosing to Travel Locally Read More »

Reflecting on a Fruitful 5th Annual Biodiversity Days

News Articles /

After a fruitful month of events, the co-chairs of the 5th annual biodiversity days share their seeds of wisdom.  Biodiversity Days is a month-long series of events aimed at celebrating and communicating the importance of biodiversity to our communities. So, what is biodiversity and what makes it important? Biodiversity is the variety in ecosystems, species, […]

The post Reflecting on a Fruitful 5th Annual Biodiversity Days appeared first on UBC Botanical Garden.

Reflecting on a Fruitful 5th Annual Biodiversity Days Read More »

Exit mobile version