Garden
Shopping, Garden and Footwear: For the Love of an Astrantia
Tam Gray writes, '"The flowers bloom like tiny enchanting fireworks: a star burst of bracts surround the spray of small flowers and splashy groups of buds shoot out from branched stems like the finale on the Fourth of July". The flip flops? Wearing the astrantia blooms on my feet is quite another pleasure.' " more »
The Redbud Tree is All Heart(s)
Ferida Wolff wries, "The Redbud is an early blossoming tree and stands out against the slower developing trees. The fruit hangs in pods like peas and is edible. The flowers can be used in salads. Native peoples used the bark to make a medicinal tea to treat fevers and congestion like whooping cough. And all summer long its heart-shaped leaves will remind me to keep looking for the spirit in all life forms." more »
Interfering with Bumble and Honeybees' Extraordinary Feats of Navigation
“Our study raises important issues regarding pesticide authorization procedures. So far, they mostly require manufacturers to ensure that doses encountered on the field do not kill bees, but they basically ignore the consequences of doses that do not kill them but may cause behavioral difficulties.” more »
My Mother’s Cookbook, Strawberries: Shortcake, Two Pies, and a Dutch Baby with Fresh Strawberries
Early settlers wrote about berry pies in their diaries, journals, and other accounts of pioneer American life, but no recipes have been found. My husband, Rich, always notices when I've added fresh strawberries to our grocery cart. He smiles and says, "Oh good … Dutch Babies." When first out of the oven, a Dutch Baby looks impressive, making even a novice home cook feel accomplished. more »