I came across a recent blog post with a Christmas theme that I wanted to share with you. It's about Poinsettias -- how they are propagated and how they came to look the way they do. Read it and you'll see how their appearance is caused by an infectious agent called a phytoplasma and, along the way, you'll find a lot of interesting information about the plant propagation industry.
Also, we encountered a phytoplasma earlier this year on our July 19th Nature Ramble. It even has a name: Aster Yellows. Take a look at the Ramble Report to see how the disease affects Purple Coneflowers.
While I have your attention I wanted to remind you that the Garden is closed this week, so we've decided to hold our informal social hour at Sandy Creek Nature Center this Thursday, Dec. 27, 2018, at 10 a.m. Coffee will be free and you can bring some snacks to share, but don't feel that you have to. If the weather permits, we'll take a stroll on one or two of the trails at the Nature Center after coffee.
Have a happy New Year!
Dale
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| Gingerbread Peeps before (below) and after (above) 15 seconds in a microwave oven. Happy Holidays! |
