Prize Truffle
6 years ago
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Osteopermum-African Daisy, Cape Daisy
Propagating African Daisy is usually done by tip cuttings, with constant misting, in autumn or try layering. There are over 85 different species and the colors range from purple to yellow to white to blue and with constant deadheading will bloom throughout the summer up until frost but prefer cooler areas. The normal hardiness zones are 8-10. Butterflies are attracted to the flowers and the plants can vary in height from 8-24" and must have a well draining but moist soil and are susceptible to root rot and viruses, either in full sun or partial shade. African Daisies are native to Africa.
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Omphalodes cappadocica-Navel-seed
Propagating Navel-seed is accomplished in the spring by digging up the rhizomes that spread underground and rooting it either in a medium separate from the plant or allowing it to spread off from the parent. It grows upwards of 6-10" and can either be used as an edging plant or in a rock garden since its blooms of blue or white tend to be profuse. It will bloom through most of the spring and can be used as a cut flower and is rabbit resistant. Hardy in Zones 6-9 but it prefers cool summers so plant in a windy location in partial shade, truley a woodland plant, in hotter zones in well draining soil. It is native to Asia Minor.
Thursday, March 10, 2011
Orthosiphon aristatus-Cat’s Whiskers
Cat’s Whiskers is only a perennial in Zones 9-11 because it is a native of S.S. Asia. Honeybees, butterflies and hummingbirds are attracted to its nectar and colors come in white, blue and lavender. It prefers a bog or wet environment in either full sun or partial shade with no drying out, will bloom from late summer to early fall with deadheading, and will reach a height of 18-24". Propagation by 5-6" stem cutting in water or by layering.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Stipa gigantea-Giant Feather Grass
Giant Feather Grass should be used as a speciman plant in a windy location because it prefers cool summers and mild winters but is hardy from Zone 6-9 and in the former it is evergreen but should be cut back in early spring before new growth takes off. It can be divided in the spring but it will take some hacking to achieve division. It does not do well with a winter’s wet soil. It’s tan spikes start in early summer and can last through the winter and of course deer will not munch. It will reach a height of 8-10 feet so it could possibly be used as a screen with ample space. It is native to Spain, Portugal & Spain and is drought tolerant.
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Chiastophyllum oppositifolium “Jim’s Pride”-Golden Lambstill
Spring 2012 is just around the corner in many Southern states and those in the Northern half well they could be still shoveling snow. Pity. The first plant in 2012 to propagate is Golden Lambstill which is a native of Armenia or the old Russia. If you can use your imagination it can be similar to Euonymous “Emerald Gaiety from a distance because it’s growth is rhizomatous so it is easy to divide however in early summer. It is evergreen that doesn’t mind full sun as long as the soil is moist and well draining and it is also a succulent. It is hardy from Zone 5, extra protection, to 9 and reaches a height of 4-6" and it’s flower blooms in late spring to early summer and is yellow.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Environmentalists fret about Plum Island's future
By FRANK ELTMAN, Associated Press Writer Frank Eltman, Associated Press Writer
Wed Oct 6, 9:29 am ET
PLUM ISLAND, N.Y. – Researchers since the 1950s have studied dangerous animal diseases here that if unleashed could imperil the nation's livestock. Cold War germ warfare testing also occurred on Plum Island, and for decades the U.S. Army used it as a coastal defense post.
Nevertheless, many environmentalists characterize Plum Island as a "remarkable gem" and "exemplary site for fish and wildlife" when describing its attributes.
The federal government wants to relocate the animal disease lab to Kansas and is proceeding with plans to sell the isolated, 840-acre pork chop-shaped island off the eastern tip of Long Island, a move that has some environmentalists fretting about Plum Island's future.
On Wednesday, more than two dozen environmentalists and civic leaders were taking part in a daylong tour of Plum Island. It's sort of a real estate "open house," in which they will get a rare public glimpse of operations at the lab, as well as visit remote parts that are home to endangered bird species and other wildlife.
"We'd like to see a continuation of the research and development in some form, coupled with a more formalized protection of the rest of the island as a national wildlife refuge," Randy Parsons, policy adviser for the Nature Conservancy, said as the environmentalists gathered for remarks in an auditorium and a tour in an old green bus along winding roads through lush landscape.
Some of them also lined up to buy $12 souvenir T-shirts — offered in pink, blue, brown or yellow, and bearing an outline of Plum Island.
Although Agriculture Department scientists perform the lab studies, the island has been overseen by the Department of Homeland Security since 2003. About a dozen community groups have been granted access under tight security restrictions in the past year, DHS spokeswoman Kristine Garland said.
Because of the island's status as a potential target for terrorists who might want to steal dangerous pathogens or wreak other havoc, all visitors must undergo FBI background checks and all bags are inspected before visitors are permitted onto a ferry for the 1 1/2-mile trip.
Despite its mystique as the subject of a 1997 Nelson DeMille best-selling book of the same name, and its mention as a possible home for Hannibal Lecter in the film "Silence of the Lambs," Plum Island could be an ideal place for day trips because of its pristine beaches, some environmentalists say. They'd rather see that than homes or condo developed there.
[Related: See more private islands for sale]
"It would be a terrible insult to the millions of people who live within an hour's drive of the (Long Island) Sound for this to be developed as a playground for the few, as opposed to making it a managed and loved place for the many," said Curt Johnson, program director of a group called "Save the Sound."
He said the island has been identified as "an exemplary site for fish and wildlife, and in particular colonial birds." Nearby Great Gull Island, Little Gull Island and Plum Island combined have a large population of nesting roseate terns, an endangered species, he added.
The U.S. General Services Administration, which has responsibility for selling the island, is compiling a draft environmental impact statement, a preliminary step necessary to proceed with any sale. The statement, expected last month, has been delayed until late November or early December, GSA spokeswoman Paula Santangelo said. The delay is to allow input from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Documents, some obtained earlier this year by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Law, reveal that hundreds of tons of medical waste, contaminated soil and other refuse already have been shipped off the island. Other island sites have been cleaned in compliance with federal regulations.
And the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined in 2006 that no munitions or ordnance remain from the Army base that once housed as many as 4,000 troops from the Spanish-American War through World War II. As late as 2007, New York government inspection reports said there is no environmental threat on the island.
"The opportunity to visit an island where very few have visited in 50 years is remarkable," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "We're delighted that Homeland Security would welcome environmentalists. Any new start for the island needs to include preserving what's valuable; that's our goal, to preserve the environmental integrity so it's not lost forever."
Also under way is a congressional risk assessment of Homeland Security's decision to move the animal disease lab to Manhattan, Kan.; some lawmakers question the wisdom of studying dangerous pathogens in the so-called Beef Belt. DHS has determined that an accidental release of foot-and-mouth disease would have a $4.2 billion impact on the economy, regardless of the lab's location.
Still, the tour Wednesday appears to be another incremental step toward an eventual sale.
Alan Schnurman, a real estate developer in the Hamptons on Long Island's east end, said he has heard estimates that Plum Island could fetch as much as $50 million.
"As a high-end real estate project, whether it's developed as a resort or for high-end individual homes, Plum Island is very appealing to a certain segment of the population," Schnurman said. "I'm an environmentalist at heart, so I'd probably like to see a combination of both. They should develop the area where the lab is located and set aside the rest for environmental purposes."
In addition to the laboratory, Plum Island features a water filtration plant, sewage treatment facilities and other amenities that would be attractive to any developer.
"We just think that given the importance of Long Island Sound generally and the fact that there is an ever-shrinking pool of natural open space on the coastline, any sale should really be sensitive to the environmental values," said Charles Rothenberger, a staff attorney for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. "If there is going to be any development, it should be limited to the current infrastucture and conservation arrangements should be made to protect the majority of the island."
Other popular stories on Yahoo!:
Wed Oct 6, 9:29 am ET
PLUM ISLAND, N.Y. – Researchers since the 1950s have studied dangerous animal diseases here that if unleashed could imperil the nation's livestock. Cold War germ warfare testing also occurred on Plum Island, and for decades the U.S. Army used it as a coastal defense post.
Nevertheless, many environmentalists characterize Plum Island as a "remarkable gem" and "exemplary site for fish and wildlife" when describing its attributes.
The federal government wants to relocate the animal disease lab to Kansas and is proceeding with plans to sell the isolated, 840-acre pork chop-shaped island off the eastern tip of Long Island, a move that has some environmentalists fretting about Plum Island's future.
On Wednesday, more than two dozen environmentalists and civic leaders were taking part in a daylong tour of Plum Island. It's sort of a real estate "open house," in which they will get a rare public glimpse of operations at the lab, as well as visit remote parts that are home to endangered bird species and other wildlife.
"We'd like to see a continuation of the research and development in some form, coupled with a more formalized protection of the rest of the island as a national wildlife refuge," Randy Parsons, policy adviser for the Nature Conservancy, said as the environmentalists gathered for remarks in an auditorium and a tour in an old green bus along winding roads through lush landscape.
Some of them also lined up to buy $12 souvenir T-shirts — offered in pink, blue, brown or yellow, and bearing an outline of Plum Island.
Although Agriculture Department scientists perform the lab studies, the island has been overseen by the Department of Homeland Security since 2003. About a dozen community groups have been granted access under tight security restrictions in the past year, DHS spokeswoman Kristine Garland said.
Because of the island's status as a potential target for terrorists who might want to steal dangerous pathogens or wreak other havoc, all visitors must undergo FBI background checks and all bags are inspected before visitors are permitted onto a ferry for the 1 1/2-mile trip.
Despite its mystique as the subject of a 1997 Nelson DeMille best-selling book of the same name, and its mention as a possible home for Hannibal Lecter in the film "Silence of the Lambs," Plum Island could be an ideal place for day trips because of its pristine beaches, some environmentalists say. They'd rather see that than homes or condo developed there.
[Related: See more private islands for sale]
"It would be a terrible insult to the millions of people who live within an hour's drive of the (Long Island) Sound for this to be developed as a playground for the few, as opposed to making it a managed and loved place for the many," said Curt Johnson, program director of a group called "Save the Sound."
He said the island has been identified as "an exemplary site for fish and wildlife, and in particular colonial birds." Nearby Great Gull Island, Little Gull Island and Plum Island combined have a large population of nesting roseate terns, an endangered species, he added.
The U.S. General Services Administration, which has responsibility for selling the island, is compiling a draft environmental impact statement, a preliminary step necessary to proceed with any sale. The statement, expected last month, has been delayed until late November or early December, GSA spokeswoman Paula Santangelo said. The delay is to allow input from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.
Documents, some obtained earlier this year by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Law, reveal that hundreds of tons of medical waste, contaminated soil and other refuse already have been shipped off the island. Other island sites have been cleaned in compliance with federal regulations.
And the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers determined in 2006 that no munitions or ordnance remain from the Army base that once housed as many as 4,000 troops from the Spanish-American War through World War II. As late as 2007, New York government inspection reports said there is no environmental threat on the island.
"The opportunity to visit an island where very few have visited in 50 years is remarkable," said Adrienne Esposito, executive director of the Citizens Campaign for the Environment. "We're delighted that Homeland Security would welcome environmentalists. Any new start for the island needs to include preserving what's valuable; that's our goal, to preserve the environmental integrity so it's not lost forever."
Also under way is a congressional risk assessment of Homeland Security's decision to move the animal disease lab to Manhattan, Kan.; some lawmakers question the wisdom of studying dangerous pathogens in the so-called Beef Belt. DHS has determined that an accidental release of foot-and-mouth disease would have a $4.2 billion impact on the economy, regardless of the lab's location.
Still, the tour Wednesday appears to be another incremental step toward an eventual sale.
Alan Schnurman, a real estate developer in the Hamptons on Long Island's east end, said he has heard estimates that Plum Island could fetch as much as $50 million.
"As a high-end real estate project, whether it's developed as a resort or for high-end individual homes, Plum Island is very appealing to a certain segment of the population," Schnurman said. "I'm an environmentalist at heart, so I'd probably like to see a combination of both. They should develop the area where the lab is located and set aside the rest for environmental purposes."
In addition to the laboratory, Plum Island features a water filtration plant, sewage treatment facilities and other amenities that would be attractive to any developer.
"We just think that given the importance of Long Island Sound generally and the fact that there is an ever-shrinking pool of natural open space on the coastline, any sale should really be sensitive to the environmental values," said Charles Rothenberger, a staff attorney for the Connecticut Fund for the Environment. "If there is going to be any development, it should be limited to the current infrastucture and conservation arrangements should be made to protect the majority of the island."
Other popular stories on Yahoo!:
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Dracocephalum peregrinum “Blue Dragon”-Dragonhead
For the ideal home landscape Dragonhead will add a burst of color when other perennials are fading, early summer to early fall of violet-blue flowers, and will spread rapidly in full sun or partial shade. The best time to propagate is in the spring by dividing the root ball and plant in a moist well drained soil mixture. Dragonhead is native to Russia so it can take the cold possibly down to zone 5 with protection. It will reach a height of 8"-12" and it’s sometimes used as a cut flower.
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