Ailanthus was sold in nurseries across the country as the Tree-of-Heaven for many years, before its invasive qualities were recognized. People planted them as ornamental trees not only in the cities but out in the rural areas as well. And so it turned out that when my parents left Detroit to get in to organic […]
Category Archives: Land
New Stumps
My students and I dug up several promising new Duranta stumps from the same failing hedge I got my last one. Here they are, freshly dug. They’ve all leafed out by now but you can see the character of the gnarled wood better when they are bare like this. I have only the faintest idea […]
Freshly Dug Ginger
It is often my job to gather ingredients for the meal from our garden. Our ginger has lately done well enough to allow some occasional harvesting. Considering we use it in virtually every meal I doubt we’ll ever be self-sufficient but it’s nice to eat from your own land when you can.
Little tiny trees
Living in Malaysia and not making bonsai is like living in Minnesota and not snowmobiling. You’re just not taking advantage of what is on offer. With a 12-month growing season, plenty of sunlight and rainfall throughout the year, the slow, slow pleasures of bonsai come just a little bit quicker. It took me years to […]
Wasteful
It’s a fact. According to the FAO, Americans waste as much food at the table as South/SE Asians lose in their entire supply chain from farm to table! Put another way, individual Americans throw away 10-15 times more food than South/SE Asians. And that wastage is one driver for the global rise in food prices. […]
Malay Spiral Ginger
Winds are changing, rain falls harder, durians are appearing at the roadside, and the Malay Spiral Ginger is flowering again.
Agripleasure
An article about my parents’ Three Roods Farm by Garrison Benson. First appeared in 360 Main Street, When I first rang the doorbell at Three Roods Farm, Dr. Greg Kruszewski (crew-shev-ski) stepped out onto his sunny porch, squinting at me through a pair of thick, almost exaggerated glasses. Like those “nerd glasses” from the dollar store, […]
Betul kata cicak
Cicak, Cicak, di dinding Diam, diam, merayap Datang seekor nyamuk Hap! Hap! Lalu di tangkap! *** Translation and more after the jump.