Moving Beyond the Natives/Exotics Debate [Urban Habitats March 2012] – Disturbed soils and other factors in the urban environment present challenges for well-intentioned gardeners, not to mention for the plants they wish to grow, writes Nina Bassuk (right).
A whiff of spring allergies [Albany Times Union 3/23/2012] – “Pollen has to develop and ripen and that is strictly a function of how warm it is,” says Tom Whitlow. “If it’s very warm, it can happen almost instantaneously when the flower opens. If it’s cold it may take a little while, days to a week. … If we didn’t have pollen, we wouldn’t have trees, corn, wheat, rice or any crop. The world would be a very different place without sexual reproduction in plants.”
Public gardens help feed hungry, preserve biodiversity [Cornell Chronicle 3/20/2012] – Donald A. Rakow, Elizabeth Newman Wilds Director of Cornell Plantations, addressed the importance of today’s public gardens at New York City’s 92nd Street Y March 14.
‘Wee Stinky’ draws crowds to Cornell [Cornell Chronicle 3/21/2012] – The towering titan arum (Amorphophallus titanum) attracted about 10,000 visits, including more than 3,500 on March 19 alone. More info at Titan arum blog.