NEWS
By Andrew A. Green and Andrew A. Green,SUN STAFF | November 25, 2003
Clad in yellow flame-retardant gear, a handful of men walked through Soldiers Delight Natural Environment Area yesterday, dribbling flame from metal cans and turning the grassland into what looked like black cotton candy. Soldiers Delight is a 1,900-acre serpentine grassland, an unusual ecological system that supports dozens of rare or endangered plants and insects. But unless it is periodically cleared through controlled burning, other plant species - enemy No. 1 is the pine tree - slowly manage to encroach and change the character of the soil.
NEWS
By Nancy O'Donnell and Nancy O'Donnell,New York Times News Service | March 23, 2003
Have you ever wondered how a plant knows it's time to wake from its winter slumber? Or how all those spring flowering bulbs you planted last fall know it's time to begin that journey upward, especially when buried beneath snow? To understand how this spring phenomenon happens, we have to know what causes the plant to go into dormancy in the first place. A plant's dormant cycle begins in autumn, when daylight hours shorten and temperatures begin to drop. These key environmental changes cause a bit of hormonal upheaval in the plant, resulting in a slowing down to an almost virtual standstill of its metabolism.
NEWS
By Carol Kaesuk Yoon and Carol Kaesuk Yoon,NEW YORK TIMES NEWS SERVICE | August 11, 2002
NEW YORK - Despite miles of skyscrapers and pavement in New York City, nature has not lost its foothold, at least not yet. A majority of native plant species found here since botanists began combing the city in the late 1800s survive somewhere in the five boroughs, a new study has found. Among them are elegant wildflowers like the slender blue flag iris, handsome trees like the wonderfully aromatic sweetbay magnolia and the fantastical thread-leaved sundew, a carnivorous plant. While a majority of native plant species persist, they do so by the slimmest of margins, scientists say. The study, soon to be published in The Proceedings of the Linnaean Society of New York, found that 43 percent have disappeared, including such treasures as the yellow lady's slipper orchid and the showy aster.
NEWS
April 28, 2002
With due concern about the region's dwindling water supply, rethinking what you plant has become a priority. Xeriscaping, or gardening in dry conditions, is a growing trend in areas where rain is scarce and the rising cost of water has forced gardeners to choose plants that can survive in dry soil. Many plant species have evolved in ways that make them adaptable to a range of conditions. They will thrive in moist soil or searing dry heat, and some can survive brief periods in standing water.
NEWS
By Dennis Bishop and Dennis Bishop,SPECIAL TO THE SUN | October 28, 2001
Q. We would like to move several shrubs in our yard. Is this a good time to transplant them, and do you have any suggestions that will help ensure that they survive? A. There are a few exceptions, but the period between late October and early December is a great time to move most plants. The success of the transplant will largely depend on the age and size of the plant, and your ability to get a nice root ball on your plant. In general, it is best to move plants while they are young and relatively small.
NEWS
By Alice Lukens and Alice Lukens,SUN STAFF | October 5, 1999
Brenda Belensky was driving by Long Gate Shopping Center in Ellicott City the other day when she noticed a patch of purple loosestrife and got a sudden urge to tear up the plants, every last one.Belensky, natural resources manager for the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks, has nothing against the European imports per se. In bloom, they have pretty magenta-colored spikes that attract bees and butterflies. But when she sees a sprig of loosestrife, she thinks about each plant -- each plant!