According to this article in the online magazine Electrek, California regulators are planning to phase out gas-powered leaf blowers and lawn mowers by 2022. Huzzah, I say! Actually, I would be happy with a ban on just the leaf blowers. I hate them.
gardeninacity
Notes from a wildlife-friendly cottage garden
Round and Round Over Roundup
When I hear people debate the herbicide glyphosate, or Roundup as it is more commonly known, I generally want to hide under a table. This is because I have friends who are passionate on both sides of the issue.
Healthy Soil, Healthy People?
So an article in last Sunday’s Washington Post talked about how there is a growing body of scientific evidence that healthy soil makes for healthier people. Healthy soil is understood to mean soil that is teaming with a diversity of bacteria and fungi.
Can’t You Hear Me Buzzing
So did you see the article in National Geographic about how plants can “hear” the buzzing of bees? A researcher at Tel Aviv University named Lilach Hadani found that Evening Primrose (Oenothera biennis) measurably responds to that buzzing sound in two ways.
Plant Altruism
A growing body of research supports the idea that plants provide a helping hand (so to speak) to other plants. The research is summarized in an article in the January online issue of Science magazine.
A Little Dose of Agricultural Aggravation
So a few days ago there was an article in the New York Times about problems caused by the herbicide Dicamba.
An Information Superhighway for Plants
So let me tell you about another website I just discovered that is of interest to the botanically-minded. It’s called Soils Matter, and it’s sponsored by the Soil Science Society of America. These are folks devoted to educating the public about the importance of sustainable soil practices. They also have a website, http://www.soils.org.
Judy’s Report on the Chicago Women’s March
Let’s take a break from our usual topics for some current events. Today Judy went to the Chicago Women’s March, which (with all the other marches that took place today) seems to have provided a much-needed morale boost for those of us not suffering from paranoid delusions or authoritarian personality disorder.
A Grass Roots Effort?
Sometimes I get emails that look interesting enough not to delete right away, but also not interesting enough to actually open and read. I might get around to reading them weeks later. For example, at the beginning of August I got an email with the subject line: “Turf is Tops: Environmental benefits of a lawn”. …
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