Gardening With Tony

UNITED STATES—Gardening involves weeds. Gardening outside of refined gardens involves more weeds. A few of such weeds are native species which grow where they are undesirable. Most of the most aggressive are naturalized exotic species. Collectively, they are an unpleasant consequence of unmanageable external biodiversity. They necessitate weed abatement. Weed abatement is a standard procedure within refined gardens. Most know...

UNITED STATES—Weeds grow, bloom, disperse seed and die a natural death without much trouble. This is especially frustrating while insect pathogens destroy desirable vegetation. Weeds seem to be more resilient to insect infestation and damage. Many actually are. They use nature to their advantage. Cultivation of desirable vegetation interferes with natural biodiversity. Those who enjoy gardening do not want to...

UNITED STATES—Electrical cables are hazardous! There is no need to elaborate. That is why high voltage electrical cables are either subterranean or aerial. Subterranean electrical cables remain safely out of reach underground. Aerial electrical cables remain safely out of reach about thirty feet above ground. However, electricity is always dangerous regardless of location. Excavation can inadvertently expose subterranean electrical cables....

UNITED STATES—Seed is the most familiar method of propagation. However, some popular plants produce no viable seed. Some produce seed that is genetically very different from its parents. For many plant varieties, only vegetative propagation reliably produces similar copies. Such copies can grow from division, cuttings or layering. They are genetically identical clones. Layering is uncommon for nurseries because it...

UNITED STATES—Most vegetation within home gardens is better than it was naturally in the wild. For many, systematic selection isolated the best from average populations. Selective breeding and hybridization improved many others. Some are too genetically compromised by breeding to produce viable seed. Feral progeny of those that are not demonstrate the divergences. Such feral progeny are generally not true...

UNITED STATES—Botanical names of the vegetation that home gardening involves may seem complicated. Some are difficult to pronounce or spell. A few seem to be as lengthy as sentences. They seem to be a foreign language because most are Latin. Some are Greek. However, they are more valid than common names. What is common here might be uncommon abroad. For...

UNITED STATES—Pruning techniques are very diverse to serve various purposes. Dormant pruning during winter concentrates resources for spring or summer growth. Hedging or shearing merely contains growth. Thinning or grooming removes superfluous growth to enhance sunlight diffusion. Clearance pruning directs new growth that might otherwise become obtrusive. There are too many distinct pruning techniques to mention. Some, such as shearing...

UNITED STATES—Climates and geology are why cinema and television industries are so established here. Cinema evolved in Niles before relocating, with the evolution of television, to Hollywood. The diversity of local climates, geology and associated scenery was the primary appeal. Farmers of all sorts had already been exploiting such climates as well as microclimates. Climate is a regionally prevalent pattern...

UNITED STATES—Superbloom occurs only about once every decade or so. It is very unpredictable though. It can happen for two or even three consecutive Springs. Alternatively, it may not happen for two decades. It can be as early as late February, or as late as late May. It can last one or a few weeks. Superbloom is as variable...

UNITED STATES—"Zeroscape" is a neologism that evolved from "xeriscape." It was a mispronunciation that became a misspelling that became a real word. Ironically, it makes sense. It evolved with the misconception that a xeriscape requires no maintenance. Now, the two are different types of landscapes. A Zeroscape is pavement or gravel that requires zero maintenance. A xeriscape is a landscape...