Search

Search My Garden Blog with Google Custom Search

17.9.06

A couple of "firsts."

So in a season of interesting happenings in a first year garden I had two first happen this weekend. The first was finding a slug on a plant and squishing it between my fingers. Why didn't anyone tell me about the perverse pleasure you get from hearing the crack and squishing sound of killing a snail between your thumb and forefinger? It was gross but it felt so good at the same time.

The other "first" was stepping on the metal end of a shovel causing it to catapult up and smack me in the face and nether region. OUCH! I think what hurt more was that I did it within view of many of my neighbors who let out a howl.

2.9.06

KOKI FOX23 - Tulsa - Pot Plants Found at Police Station

KOKI FOX23 - Tulsa - Pot Plants Found at Police Station

The first marijuana plants found growing in Duluth, Minn., in about 10 years were thriving in public view-- in a planter outside a police station.

A reporter for the Duluth News Tribune head talk during the weekend about "something interesting" growing outside the West Duluth police substation, the newspaper reported Tuesday.

Unaware of what was so "interesting" about the dozen or so 6-inch high plants in the planter outside the front door of the station, Janna Goerdt plucked a leaf and took it back to the newspaper office with her.

Duluth City Gardener Tom Kasper confirmed the "weed" was marijuana Monday and took the news to the police Lt. John Beyer, who said the plants went unnoticed because nober ever uses the front entrance of the station, which is usually kept locked.

"The only thing I can say is somebody has a sense of humor," Beyer said.

Kasper said it's been about 10 years since marijuana has been found growing in northern Minnesota.

In 1990, a 3-foot-tall marijuana plant was found thriving in the Civic Center courtyard near City Hall.
United Press International
-------

Oh man talk about right under your nose.

1.9.06

Flower bandit leaves thank you note - Yahoo! News

Flower bandit leaves thank you note - Yahoo! News

Thu Aug 31, 3:13 AM ET

DES MOINES, Iowa-At least the people who took flowers from a historic neighborhood left a thank you note. Jason Jasnos said he found the note in his garden Sunday, a day after he caught two women holding a bunch of posies taken from outside his 1880s-era home, near downtown Des Moines.

The note was on a white piece of paper etched in pink marker with a lone pink-and-yellow flower.

"Thank you for the flowers," it read. "Many others will enjoy them."

The note was signed: "The flower bandit."

"We've heard some stories of bizarre plant thefts," said Stephanie Bruner, vice president of the neighborhood association, who said she has had tulips taken from her yard.

Jasnos said he asked around and found that other neighbors also have had flowers and plants stolen from their yards and porches.

One neighbor had ornamental grasses stolen a few years ago. Another neighbor had plants taken from a hanging basket on her porch. The thief had smoothed out the dirt so it appeared nothing was disturbed.

Jasno's wife, Sherry, tried to be positive about the theft.

"I'm assuming she's going to brighten someone's day," she said.
----------------------

Now there's a twist in the whole gardener/plant theif dynamic. I've had all kinds of things yanked from my garden this year and didn't once get a thank you note. And people say note writing is a dying art. If you're interested the DesMoines Register also has this story on their website along with pictures of Jason and the note the flower bandit.

The Shreveport Times


The Shreveport Times

Record state watermelon growin in Converse patch
Father, son have hopes of beating world record.
August 26, 2006
By Vickie Welbron
vwelborn@gannet.com

CONVERSE-- Donnie sistrunk Jr. and his 15-year-old son Rusty Sistrunk set out this year to raise a state record watermelon--and they did it in July.

But hidden in a patch behind their rural Converse home was a still-growing monster. It's growing no more.

With family members, Sabine County Agent Paul Morris and two representative of the Lousisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry hovering around him at noon Friday, Rusty cut the vine to the whopper of all Louisiana watermelons. At 252.4 pounds, the melon is a new state record.
(click link above for the rest of the story and pic of the youth with his prize winning melon)

Here's a story for all those people who want to get their kids involved in gardening in one form or another. On message boards I read a lot about how today's youth are just not interested in the hobby and how most clubs are desperate for new blood. Since I don't move in gardening circles I'm not really sure if it really is a problem or something that every generation of gardeners comes across and notices. But here is at least one father and son team that dispells the theory.