http://www.apsense.com/feed/news.xml APSense industry news comes from top blog sites. Sun, 26 May 2013 00:00:22 GMT Fri, 24 May 2013 13:02:06 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12580915.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12580915.html The Animals and Garden Amenities of Plantsman David Culp by Susan Harris
David Culp with co-author Adam Levine and photographer Rob Cardillo Not long ago I confessed that I was scheming to see David Culp’s Pennsylvania garden, made glorious in his book The Layered Garden.  And yesterday that blogger pushiness paid o... ]]> Thu, 23 May 2013 03:02:09 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12580035.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12580035.html Got Gnomes? by Susan Harris
A great ad goes viral. For some reason it won’t embed,  so click here to watch. Via Jane Milliman. ... ]]> Wed, 22 May 2013 15:02:14 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12579683.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12579683.html The Drunken Botanist Goes to Manhattan… by Amy Stewart
…and Buffalo.  And Brooklyn.  See you there?  As always, please check with the venue before heading out to confirm details.  Also, there are lots more events coming up around the country–go here to see the complete list. June 06 2013 06:3... ]]> Tue, 21 May 2013 17:02:06 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12579077.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12579077.html Cats in the Garden – Solutions Only by Susan Harris
Cat-loving readers will no doubt remember our recent dust-up over the issue of cats in the garden.  That post was prompted by a cat-in-garden photo illustrating a magazine piece about wildlife-friendly gardens – a strange juxtaposition, at leas... ]]> Fri, 17 May 2013 17:02:06 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12577276.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12577276.html Kale-a-Rama makes me Wonder: Is Veganism the Next Big Thing? by Susan Harris
Veganism has been creeping into my consciousness for a while now, but it was the recent vegan festival in my town that makes me wonder if it’s now mainstream.  The festival, modeled after the successful Garlic Festival  in California (now in i... ]]> Tue, 14 May 2013 23:02:19 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12575482.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12575482.html Roses redux by Elizabeth Licata
My struggles with roses have entered their final phase: reconciliation. After getting rid of all the boring Meidiland shrubs that came with the house (though for their kind, they were nice enough), I experimented with a few old rose cultivars as we... ]]> Mon, 13 May 2013 23:02:06 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12574872.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12574872.html Plant Ideas Needed for Biodiverse Lawn by Garden Rant
Biodiverse Lawn by Lawn  Reform Coalition Member Tom Christopher Like other members of the Lawn Reform Coalition, I believe that the contemporary model of lawn has got to go. It does have its virtues, though we critics tend to overlook them. For exam... ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 15:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12573465.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12573465.html In Defense of Plant Critics by Susan Harris
Impatiens at the HQ of the American Hort Society. Anne Raver covered the newsworthy topic of Impatiens suffering from Downy Mildew Disease in her usual clear-headed way for the New York Times – or so I thought.   This week they published commen... ]]> Fri, 10 May 2013 03:02:08 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12573225.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12573225.html When Food is Too Convenient for Our Own Good by Allen Bush
Michael Pollan and Wendell Berry were in Louisville during the first week of May. They weren’t on the Derby celebrity runway that rainy day at Churchill Downs. That was left to Kid Rock, Smokey Robinson—among the few names I did know—plus dozens more... ]]> Wed, 08 May 2013 05:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12572003.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12572003.html OG Mag on Wildlife-Friendly Gardens: What’s Wrong with this Picture? by Susan Harris
As a BIG fan of Organic Gardening Magazine, I take no pleasure in expressing my shock surprise at seeing this photo illustrating an otherwise wonderful article about growing wildlife-friendly gardens.  The caption on the right says “Orange Boy... ]]> Mon, 06 May 2013 23:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12571082.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12571082.html Tulips in pots—works for me! by Elizabeth Licata
For the past 8 years or so, I have been filling up pots with tulips at the same time I do my October in-ground bulb plantings. Species tulips and other small bulbs like erythronium go in the ground, and the big hybrid tulips go into pots and a coupl... ]]> Mon, 06 May 2013 21:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12571083.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12571083.html Return of the Farmer Pirates by Elizabeth Licata
Some of you may remember the Kickstarter campaign I posted for Buffalo’s Farmer Pirate cooperative. It was successful; the group bought their dump truck and now they’re using it to pick up organic matter from restaurants, grocery stores, and other ... ]]> Fri, 03 May 2013 17:02:06 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12569894.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12569894.html The Travels and Trials of Plant Explorer Panayoti Kelaides by Susan Harris
It’s only thanks to Tony Avent’s latest catalog cover that I knew that of the existence of Panayoti Kelaidis – he appears there just to the right of the Ranters.  I didn’t know him as a famous plant collector/explorer whoR... ]]> Wed, 01 May 2013 13:02:13 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12568491.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12568491.html Get a Job: Lau Hodges, Director of Operations, Conservatory of Flowers by Amy Stewart
  Please welcome Lau Hodges, the latest victim of our all-too-infrequent series, Get a Job.   What do you do for a living?   I have the greatest job ever! I am the Director of Operations and Exhibitions at the San Francisco Conservato... ]]> Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12567877.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12567877.html Bedding Your Plants by Geoff Lewis
Photo courtesy Shutterstock.com Guest Rant by Geoff Lewis Bon jour mes enfants, it’s Geoff Lewis speaking to the slightly curious sport of bedding plants. Bedding plants – you know, big pansies, dwarf marigolds and their ilk. One’s vision is of an or... ]]> Mon, 29 Apr 2013 17:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12567268.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12567268.html Trees by the numbers by Elizabeth Licata
This sign was attached to a tree near my house. Did you hear or read the Arbor Day reports on the financial benefits of trees? On American Public Media’s Marketplace,  they used i-tree to calculate the value of single trees as well as entire urban ... ]]> Fri, 26 Apr 2013 13:02:13 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12566053.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12566053.html The Run for the Roses is Really About Mint by Allen Bush
Thousands of red tulips have been planted in the Churchill Downs paddock and winner’s circle for this year’s Kentucky Derby. They were shipped from Holland months ago.  Nearly 500 red roses will arrive from South America a few days before the race (... ]]> Thu, 25 Apr 2013 15:02:15 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12565437.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12565437.html Wild Bee, I think I love you…* by Garden Rant
Guest Rant by Will Raap   Honey bees and wild pollinators need your help and need it now. Gardeners know that good pollination makes for better crops of tomatoes, cucumbers, apples and raspberries. And that’s especially true for certain commer... ]]> Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:02:15 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12564818.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12564818.html The Drunken Botanist Tour, and You Should Totally Grow These by Amy Stewart
Okay!  A few more tour dates for you. See you out there?  Go here if you want to see everything that’s coming up.  And as always, check these venues for full details.   April 24 2013 — Culinary Arts & Letters, Chapel Hill, NC Sp... ]]> Mon, 22 Apr 2013 19:02:06 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12563593.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12563593.html Trendy in a bad way by Elizabeth Licata
Flowers by Shutterstock For those who, like me, read trend reports with fascinated horror (Really? Animal prints? Still?), here’s one that’s a little more fun—Today’s Garden Center’s Top 10 Most Hated Garden Trends. There are several I dislike with ... ]]> Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:02:06 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12562364.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12562364.html When Master Gardeners Break the Rule and say they’re Master Gardeners by Susan Harris
Master Gardener Clinic at a local Farmers Market Not long ago we had a lively discussions here (145 comments!) in answer to the question:  What do we think of Master Gardeners?“  Much of the criticism of the MG program was focused on the name,... ]]> Wed, 17 Apr 2013 19:02:11 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12561174.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12561174.html Drunken Botanist Tour Dates: Southwest, East Coast, and Where is the Gin? by Amy Stewart
Yes, I am still on the road!  It’s hard to believe, I know.  I can hardly believe it myself. So here are some tour dates, and the complete list, if you’d like to see it, is here.  As always, check details with the venue before heading out... ]]> Mon, 15 Apr 2013 19:02:08 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12559914.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12559914.html Sex and drugs and rock ’n’ roll—and gardening by Elizabeth Licata
Roosevelt Island courtesy of Shutterstock Did you read about that wacky garden club on New York’s Roosevelt Island? Things have gone sadly awry at the tiny East River island’s Garden Club, according to a recent New York Times story. The 120-plot com... ]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2013 23:02:08 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12558830.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12558830.html Capture the lightning by James Roush
On a recent afternoon, after a day and a half of strenuous garden work, Professor Roush quit working and took a number of photos to convince himself, and all of you, that spring was beginning in Kansas.  I was sidetracked, however, by the quick appe... ]]> Fri, 12 Apr 2013 01:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12558231.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12558231.html How to get Unique Photos of Cherry Blossoms by Susan Harris
Photo by Jacques Domenge D.C. local Jacques Domenge wanted to photograph the cherry blossoms around the Tidal Basin, which are finally blooming but swarming with the hordes, so he waited until dark.  He then used the very cool “light painting&#... ]]> Wed, 10 Apr 2013 13:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12557269.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12557269.html The Drunken Botanist Tour: Milwaukee to Miami, and Beyond. Plus, Whiskey. by Amy Stewart
Why, yes!  It’s another week of Drunken Botanist tour dates?  Are you out there, Milwaukee people? Miami people? Austin? Phoenix? Well, if you’re interested, all the tour dates are here, and as always, check with the venue to confirm even... ]]> Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:02:08 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12556623.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12556623.html Pour Me Another Kentucky Coffeetree by Allen Bush
When you think of plant hunting—Indiana Jones style—you usually think of faraway places. Throw in tall mountains, deep ravines, landslides and feuding warlords, and you might soon forget the plants. The story becomes more about the adventure. Andy S... ]]> Mon, 08 Apr 2013 15:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12556040.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12556040.html Frogs—the horror! by Elizabeth Licata
Frog courtesy of Shutterstock “I’m petrified of the little creatures,” said Marinaccio, 65. Today’s headline story (online) of the Buffalo News caught my eye. It’s the strangest I’ve seen there for some time. The basis of a landowner’s suit against a... ]]> Fri, 05 Apr 2013 21:02:09 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12555132.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12555132.html Blossom-less FDR Memorial delights. MLK Memorial just looks sad. by Susan Harris
The memorial to FDR has been a local favorite since it opened in 1997, and yesterday it was the first stop on my cherry blossom tour via bicycle.  (You can get your own bike there via subway or rent one when you get downtown.)  But like thousands of... ]]> Wed, 03 Apr 2013 17:02:09 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12553741.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12553741.html This Week in Drunken Botanist Tour Dates, and I’m Ready for Some Tequila by Amy Stewart
And on it goes!  All Drunken Botanist tour dates are listed here, but this is what I’ve got going on this week.  Please do check details with the venue before heading out.  And then–please do head out!  I’d love to see you.  And you... ]]> Tue, 02 Apr 2013 19:02:09 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12553181.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12553181.html Armitage makes an app by Elizabeth Licata
In the early days of the iPhone, we were ravening for gardening apps.  After a while though, the craving just seemed to go away. I have several theories on that. It could be that our devices have become so essential to the tasks of multi-level commu... ]]> Fri, 29 Mar 2013 17:02:06 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12551511.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12551511.html Lunch with Barbara Damrosch by Susan Harris
I was reluctant to make the schlep into D.C. to attend DC’s Home and Garden Show, which (like HGTV) deserves a silent G for its dearth of garden vendors.  But the show DID have the good sense to book a talk by someone I’d wanted to meet f... ]]> Wed, 27 Mar 2013 13:02:10 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12550192.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12550192.html Drunken Botanist Pacific Northwest Dates, And Rum Drinks for Everyone! by Amy Stewart
If you’re in Portland, Seattle, or Bellingham, I’d love to see you this week.  All the tour dates are online here, but this week’s stops include:   March 27 2013 07:30 PM — Powell’s (Burnside location), Portland, O... ]]> Mon, 25 Mar 2013 19:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12549101.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12549101.html It’s not too late by Elizabeth Licata
You can still register for this year’s bloggers’ get-together. The sixth annual Garden Bloggers Fling in San Francisco happens June 28-30; its itinerary includes tours of private gardens (a sample above), tours of public spaces like Filoli and... ]]> Mon, 25 Mar 2013 17:02:09 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12549102.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12549102.html This is what winter looks like by Elizabeth Licata
It’s cold, it’s dreary, and it seems like it will last forever. At least, that’s the reality if you live in the mid-Atlantic, Midwest, and Northeastern zones, as many of us do.  It doesn’t bother me much—I’ve lived and gardened through many a snowy ... ]]> Fri, 22 Mar 2013 15:02:09 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12547920.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12547920.html Plea from a Plant-Loving Landscape Architect by Susan Harris
Campus of Princeton University Michael Van Valkenburgh is one of a few hot-shot landscape architects who’s known for large, high-visibility projects, like his redesign of Pennsylvania Avenue in front of the White House post-9/11.  He landed on ... ]]> Thu, 21 Mar 2013 17:02:08 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12547344.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12547344.html Here’s to No-Blow Gardens by Garden Rant
Guest Rant by Evelyn Hadden Let’s face it, the outdoors is getting noisier, and not in a good way. It used to be that a person could find calm, quiet places even in the city — be it a park, a secluded backyard, or a low-traffic residenti... ]]> Wed, 20 Mar 2013 19:02:11 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12546771.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12546771.html Drunken Botanist West Coast Tour, And it’s Vodka Week! by Amy Stewart
Vodka week?  Isn’t every week vodka week? Yeah, well.  I’m still hanging out on the West Coast, so if you’re in the neighborhood, I hope you’ll drop by. Complete list of tour dates can be found here, and please do check with t... ]]> Tue, 19 Mar 2013 19:02:12 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12546171.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12546171.html Bluestone says good riddance by Elizabeth Licata
Pot image by Shutterstock To plastic pots, that is. According to a press release I just got, Bluestone is the first perennial nursery to com­pletely replace plastic growing pots with biodegradable media.  I wish more nurseries would do this. I rather... ]]> Mon, 18 Mar 2013 19:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12545614.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12545614.html Bugger Off, Stink Bugs by Allen Bush
Photo by Tracy Leskey of the Appalachian Fruit Research Station Armadillos have reached southern Kentucky, while the Asian longhorn beetle is poised just across the Ohio River in southern Ohio. Both are on the march to Louisville. The brown marmorate... ]]> Fri, 15 Mar 2013 15:02:29 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12544299.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12544299.html Susan Morrison’s Incredibly Cool New Garden App by Amy Stewart
  We here at GardenRant World Headquarters have not had much luck with gardening apps so far.  They seemed so bright and shiny and new and full of promise at first, but then–meh.  The thrill faded quickly, and I didn’t have a single... ]]> Wed, 13 Mar 2013 21:02:32 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12543165.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12543165.html The Drunken Botanist Road Show, Plus Your Weekly Cocktail by Amy Stewart
Okay, folks! Your devoted correspondent is on a book tour for the next couple of months.  I’d love to stay and chat, but instead I’m going to furnish you with a list of tour dates and ask you to come out and fill a seat, badger your frien... ]]> Tue, 12 Mar 2013 23:02:06 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12542600.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12542600.html Poetry for a Leaf Blower Nation by Susan Harris
Guest Rants in Verse by Jennifer Martenson For Whom the Leaf Blower Blows Consumer grade cost cutters available in mildly indifferent and turbo screw all y’all models* shift the burden of debris faster than you can say externality *inline deregulat... ]]> Mon, 11 Mar 2013 13:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12541722.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12541722.html Turning over a new Leaf by Elizabeth Licata
Seed-starting may not be my thing, but it’s unlikely I’ll ever think about seeds in the same way after viewing this beautiful pictorial in the spring issue of Leaf magazine. The wonderfully illustrated “Seeds: Up Close and Amazing” descr... ]]> Fri, 08 Mar 2013 18:02:31 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12540610.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12540610.html Hedges in Suburbia by Susan Harris
When the planned community of Greenbelt was created in the ’30s, the landscape plan consisted of trees on their way to grandeur (mostly oaks) and hedges, like the ones in the old photo above.  The shrubs used were and still are euonymus and pr... ]]> Wed, 06 Mar 2013 10:02:07 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12539213.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12539213.html Blast From the Past: Botanical Cocktail Ingredients, 1858 Style by Amy Stewart
Imagine my excitement when this came into our bookstore. The full title of the book is Fermented Liquors: a Treatise on Brewing, Distilling, Rectifying, and Manufacturing of Sugars, Wines, Spirits, and All Known Liquors, Including Cider and Vinegar:... ]]> Mon, 04 Mar 2013 16:02:08 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12537959.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12537959.html Hanging plants without the hangers by Elizabeth Licata
Or the planters. Or the dirt. I’ve often seen tillandsia on tables at art fairs and home and garden shows without thinking much about them.  “Air Plants!” proclaim the  signs on the tables. “Freak plants!” I think, and dismiss the idea of owning org... ]]> Fri, 01 Mar 2013 20:02:34 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12536899.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12536899.html So, what do we think of “Master Gardeners”? by Susan Harris
Recently there was a lively garden-writer discussion on Facebook that began with this question:  “I’m a member of several professional garden groups and a recurring theme that comes up is anti-master gardeners. Why?” Boy-oh-boy, di... ]]> Thu, 28 Feb 2013 22:02:09 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12536349.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12536349.html Crimes against…Masonry? by Susan Harris
I love Billy Goodnick’s campaign “Crimes against Horticulture,” but these expensive stone columns are in a whole other category.  Just imagine the plants the owners could have bought and had installed for the money they spent for th... ]]> Wed, 27 Feb 2013 14:02:06 GMT http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12535391.html http://www.apsense.com/news/1062-12535391.html I Must Have This. by Amy Stewart
I’m totally in love with these DIY kits for making your own bitters. The problem with making your own bitters is that some of the spices are expensive and difficult to track down. (You cannot get gentian root in the spice section at Safeway.)  ... ]]>