Going to Seed

...ey love our overgrown, browning beds, because of course they’re eating the seeds or the bugs on the ripening plants. They would not, however, allow me to take any pictures of them doing these things. They love all the weedy places, the vacant lots and over grown side yards. Those places are full of flashing wings and trilling songs. It’s already a seed time of year here in LA on our fast moving calendar, and I’m watching the birds feast. I love wa...

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Least Favorite Plant: Bidens

...ack jack, burr marigolds, cobbler’s pegs, Spanish needles, stickseeds, tickseeds and tickseed sunflowers.” Those popular names should give some clues as to the plant’s behavior. Brush up against it and this happens: It turns out that nature has brilliantly designed these seeds to hitch a ride on mammals. Just touch or lightly brush up against the seed pods, which resemble mid-century chandeliers, and you’ll be picking out seeds for the next hour....

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Saturday Tweets: Subterranean Heating Systems, Achocha, Tree Beekeeping and Valentine’s Day Cocktails

.../t.co/jK3ool5vs3 — Root Simple (@rootsimple) February 11, 2017 How long do seeds stay viable? Are those seeds still good? Find out here – #gardenchat https://t.co/ol3rCAs534 pic.twitter.com/TXEo76rE7u — Teresa O’Connor (@SeasonalWisdom) February 5, 2017 Up-cycled license plate coat racks: https://t.co/jNApyrMsLE — Root Simple (@rootsimple) February 11, 2017 On not becoming a tool of a digital tool: https://t.co/0321Pm54jn — Root Simple (@rootsimpl...

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A Purple Dragon Carrot

It’s purple, it’s fairly tasty and it came from Seeds of Change. [Please note, Homegrown Evolution Reader Jeremy comments: “Seeds of Change, those super-friendly people who are owned by the Mars Corporation, who tried to shut down the HDRA’s Heritage Seed Library, and who registered am ancient Hopi “mandala” as their trade-mark? Enjoy.” Thanks Jeremy, we’ll be doing some research on this one.] According to the seed package it was bred by someone...

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Wild Food Lab: Foraging Taken to the Next Level

...tasty edibles. At this time of year that food comes mostly in the form of seeds. Pascal and Mia created, on the spot, a weed seed power bar, mustard and a few other wild seed enhanced foods. Not an LA local? The Wild Food Lab website will give you an idea of what this team is up to through recipes and techniques for common wild foods. I think my favorite recipe is also the simplest: how to prepare the ubiquitous broadleaf plantain (Plantago major...

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