WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU CROSS A CRABAPPLE WITH AN OAK? You get a photo like the one above (if not an actual intergeneric hybrid tree). This wind-borne balancing act didn’t register at first when I spied it the other day, but then I whipped my head back around and had a good smile, and a snapshot. What would you call such a freakish genetic combination of crabapple (Malus) and oak (Quercus) if it did actually exist? A croak?
THE LECTURE that he’s been giving for a number of years is not-so-subtly called “Kill Your Lawn.” Ecological horticulturist Dan Jaffe Wilder knows that starting over and creating an entire native habitat instead of a lawn isn’t for everyone. But Dan just wants to grab our attention and get us to start to make some changes at least in the way we care for the turfgrass we do want in our landscapes. And maybe give up a little square footage of it to some other kind of more diverse planting, too, like the wild strawberries (Fragaria virginiana, inset). Alternative, more eco-focused styles of lawn care, along with some lawn alternatives is what he and I talked about on the podcast. Dan is Director of Applied Ecology at Norcross Wildlife Foundation in Wales, Massachusetts, and its 8,000-acre sanctuary. He’s also co-author with Mark Richardson of the book “Native Plants for New England Gardens.”
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Marcus? (MAlus and QueRCUS)
@Michelle: Perfect! Marcus it is.
I love how the acorn hats stay on sometimes after the acorn nut falls. It’s cold here in Maryland so I know it has to be cold at your gardening haven. It’s hard to imagine the strength of the mighty oak contained int that tiny acorn.
Candylei and Sir Salty
I don’t know, but would the fruit be crabcorns?
A good laugh at the end of my work week. Thanks!
ROFL! You had me going for a while!
Querple? It leaves me Querplexed!
Welcome, Janis, and you ain’t kidding! I swear I did a double take when I saw it. Hilarious. Hope to see you again soon.