An Introduction into Caricology – The Study of Sedges
The question of how much lawn is too much could be debated for hours! Critics clamor that lawns are a monoculture (single species) which inherently support limited biodiversity. Being comprised of few species puts lawns at increased risk of pest and disease problems. Lawn maintenance often involves the use of copious amounts of time, water, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers derived from fossil fuels.
As a nation we are enamored with our lawns. One statistic states that the land area collectively occupied by lawns in the United States equals a land mass greater than the combined area of Delaware, Pennsylvania, and Rhode…
Lilies bear deep and rich historical significance for many cultures. The genus name Lilium is derived from a Celtic word meaning “whiteness.” In Greek lore, the lily was dedicated to Hera, the wife of Zeus. According to Roman legend, when the rising Venus beheld the flawless beauty of the lily, she became enraged with jealousy. Unable to withstand an object that rivaled her beauty, she commanded a yellow pistil to spring forth, thus marring the snow-white flower.
I first met the tilias as a horticulture student at Virginia Tech. Their scent permeated all of small downtown Blacksburg, Virginia. Pedestrians slowly passed, noses in the air, trying to identify the sweet mysterious perfume. Most gave up, not realizing that the smell belonged to a small unassuming tree. It has been some years since my time as a student and with the passing of time I lost touch with the tilias. A historic American linden in full flower (and thus quite fragrant), Tilia americana, planted by the Swarthmore College class of 1874 reacquainted me with the genus.
