Posts made in June, 2013

Morning Glory: Pick Your Own

Posted by on Jun 28, 2013 in Uncategorized | 2 comments

Morning Glory: Pick Your Own

A pick-your-own berry farm in West Virginia. The strawberries were too ripe, and the raspberries weren’t ripe enough, but the blueberries were just right. I got there early, before it got too hot—at least that was the plan, but the West Virginia sun was fierce by 9am. Woven in and out among the blueberry bushes was a glorious tangle of morning glory vines. All the flowers were open wide, delicate pink blossoms that open like parasols and then twist themselves closed not long past noon.  The flowers are so delicate they seem to be made out of tissue paper–but this dainty little plant...

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Magic Cicada

Posted by on Jun 23, 2013 in insects, summer, Unmowed Blog, wildlife | 3 comments

Magic Cicada

Driving south on the Thruway, and I slowly become aware there’s a strange buzzing noise going on. Oh, god, no—must be something with the engine. It’s a penetrating, grating sound, clearly mechanical. I slow down—it gets louder. I roll down the window—it rises to an eerie shriek. I stop at the first rest area, and turn the car off. The noise keeps going. My ears actually hurt with the most annoying sound ever devised by nature: the love song of ten million cicadas. The fence at the edge of the rest area is draped with bittersweet and poison ivy vines, and the metal chain links are practically...

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Yellow Wood Sorrel: Inspecting a Lemon

Posted by on Jun 20, 2013 in edible, flowers, leaves, spring, Unmowed Blog | 2 comments

Yellow Wood Sorrel: Inspecting a Lemon

It’s that time of year again–time to get the old car inspected. While I was nervously awaiting the verdict of the inspectors (lots of mileage on that baby) I prowled around Jiffy-Lube’s surprisingly well-tended garden, looking for something to photograph. The landscape was mowed and manicured within an inch of its life, and at first I couldn’t find a single weed. But there’s always one, if you look closely enough. Yellow wood-sorrel. In my childhood, I would taste anything—it’s a wonder I’m still alive, really—I sampled clover and grass blades and pine needles. Most of the stuff tasted...

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Magnificent Clouds

Posted by on Jun 18, 2013 in photos, spring, Unmowed Blog | 0 comments

Magnificent Clouds

Five minutes before this picture: sun and blue skies. Five minutes after this picture: hailstones banging on the roof.

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Dame’s Rocket: Wandering Lady

Posted by on Jun 16, 2013 in edible, flowers, plant parts, spring, Unmowed Blog | 0 comments

Dame’s Rocket: Wandering Lady

She’s all over the place right now. Gorgeously attired in shades of white, rose-pink, lavender and purple. She wanders into gardens, meadows, landfills. She hitchhikes along roadways. She lines the pond, and the forest, and the parking lot at the mall. Dame’s Rocket is the name of this ubiquitous June beauty. The explanation for this odd name is complex. First of all, “rocket” is a very old name for the spicy, peppery-tasting plants in the mustard family (nothing to do with rockets of the twentieth century). Dame’s Rocket is one of many species in the Mustard family. (The yellow stuff we put...

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