Lover of Life: My Tribute to Kurt Bluemel
Kurt Bluemel defied the odds most of his long, illustrious life, so no one was ready for the inoperable, rare liver cancer that was diagnosed a few weeks ago. After [...]
Allen Bush
Meet Kentucky’s King of Taros
Poi, a traditional edible starch of the tropics, made from the ground corms of taro, can’t keep up with its popular starchy rivals—potato, corn and rice. But its ornamental qualities [...]
Death Valley Days and the Discovery of Two New Plant Species
I had a fitful first day in Death Valley a few weeks ago. I felt like an apprehensive Spencer Tracy when he got off the train at Black Rock in [...]
Pat Haragan on the Olmsted Parks of Louisville
Pat Haragan's book signing and lecture at Whitehall House and Gardens on March 26th. I have dozens of floras sitting on cluttered bookshelves: from China to the Caucasus [...]
Magical Perennial Gardener Gathering in Grünberg, Germany
A Pentecostal snake handler fell victim to natural selection in Middlesboro, Kentucky, on the same weekend I was attending a horticultural conference in Grünberg, Germany. Pity the poor pastor. The folks [...]
Remembering Josh, a Gardener and Ex-Trappist Monk
A memorial service was held for Joshua Brands on a cold, drizzly Friday morning in late November. Julie Breeding, Ken Eberhart, and I drove from Louisville to Bardstown, past the mottled [...]
On Giving Away Plants, Sharing a Little Crab Apple
The Hamernik family has 143 years of combined service to the Clarkson, Nebraska Rural Fire District. Jenny Hamernik Photo Another season of binge shopping and Bourbon balls has [...]
Life With George Bush, my Gardening Grandfather
There is the young boy, barefoot in the garden, gamely holding a long hoe, even if it is much too big for him. Who could have imagined? Did a young [...]
Louisville’s Future Farmers of America and the Future in Blue Corduroy
They arrived in cars, vans, and buses from all over the United States. The National FFA Organization (formerly The Future Farmers of America) came to Louisville in late October for [...]
From Charleston: Surprise Me With Grits and Weeds For the Sweet Hereafter
St. Phillips Episcopal Church A few years ago, the father of a friend lay near death, and there were the usual matters to clean up before the end. [...]
Tale of My Two Gardens
City Garden I have two gardens and can barely keep up with one. The first garden is in Louisville, where Rose and I have lived for 18 years. [...]
Weeds of Affection and Perpetual Annoyance
Mulberry weedPhoto www.missouriplants.com “Weeds are flowers, too, once you get to know them.” --Eeyore Mulberry weed is an unwelcome guest that I can’t shake loose. The trouble is: [...]