This year the Autumn Equinox “falls” on September 23, the official arrival of autumn. A sure sign is that apples and pumpkins are for sale everywhere, with some farms advertising “pick your own.” We even saw an advertisement for “pick your own potatoes,” a first for us. Blooming in our gardens are the asters and … Continue reading The Official Arrival of Autumn
All posts by Hilda M. Morrill
Gardening for a Second Season
Mid to late summer is an ideal time to plant seeds for “a second gardening season” that can be as productive as your major early spring plantings. For a delicious and very nutritious cornucopia of fall meals, late summer is the time to plant juicy lettuces; cool-season aromatic herbs (dill, garlic chives, chervil, cilantro, arugula, … Continue reading Gardening for a Second Season
Dog Days of Summer
It’s hard to believe that August is here, the dog days of summer. Our recent hot-and-humid days are definitely getting shorter. There are tons of berries on the Kousa dogwoods; and when they ripen, they will keep many birds happy (as well as our resident rascally squirrels). While on the subject of squirrels, we scattered … Continue reading Dog Days of Summer
Lobsters as Fertilizer!
Until this century, the main use for lobsters was as fertilizer. New Englanders considered them to be garbage. They were thought of as scavengers and, therefore, unclean. In fact, a lobster’s favorite meal is crabs; but they are also fond of clams, mussels, and other lobsters. Members of the Phylum Arthropoda, they are thought of … Continue reading Lobsters as Fertilizer!
Hybridizing vs. Genetic Altering
According to the “Ask Dr. Knowledge” column in the Boston Globe (10/31/00): Hybridization is a word used to describe any time when genetic material from one organism is mixed with genetic material that has different heritable characteristics. There are many ways to do this. For example, you can just “cross” two species – if they … Continue reading Hybridizing vs. Genetic Altering