I gasped and recoiled in horror as I read the article a friend had shared on Facebook. No, it wasn’t related to the election, or even to politics. It was an article about a man in Putnam County advocating we start bamboo farms in West Virginia. “What’s so wrong with bamboo?” you may ask. There is, after all, a lot of good bamboo can do. … Continue reading Invasive Plants: Bamboo a Boon or Bust?
There seems to be a day, a week or a month to celebrate everything, from pie to ice cream, and from friends to presidents. Now more visible than ever thanks to social media, different groups use these “national” days to bring awareness to their campaigns or products. Some are downright funny, but others can be serious. Here’s one I bet you didn’t even know about: … Continue reading What’s bugging you? Prepare for National Invasive Species Week
Most of us know the plants we want to steer clear of, those we don’t want to tangle with. Experience and knowledge tells us there are some plants that fight back through either chemical or physical means. These defenses have evolved over time to protect the plants from their major enemies — most often grazing/browsing animals or insects that would eat the plant. There are … Continue reading Giant hogweed (and relatives) causes a rash of skin rashes
In the garden, there are good guys and there are bad guys. Most often we think of bad guys as weeds, diseases and insects. These are truly bad guys. But there are other bad guys. Bad guys that find their way into your heart, acting as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. They are hiding right in plain sight — on garden center shelves and in … Continue reading Pretty, problematic invasive plants can be lurking at the garden center
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