If someone calls at the last minute and asks what you want for Christmas, tell them you want the new book, Planthropology by Ken Druse. I just added it to my own wish list. (Are you reading this Dear Sweet Hubby?) It is the perfect last minute gift for any gardener. It is not cheap, (Listed at $50, but available for $31 at Amazon) but it is filled with beautiful photographs and interesting information.
The subtitle is "The myths, mysteries and miracles of my garden favorites". It covers secret stories and little known facts of plants, dispels myths and shares gardening wisdom. It is getting great reviews from people like Margaret Roach and others. It sounds like a great read for the winter months.
Okay…I think we could have used this!
This biodegradable gift wrap is embedded with wildflower seeds so that you PLANT it after you unwrap the gift.
FUN!
The bad news: THEY JUST SOLD OUT OF IT! Bummer. We are too late to the party. I will post when they get it back in stock. (Perhaps it will be available for Valentine's Day.)
It is not here yet, but I wanted to give you a heads up. If you liked The Lost Ladybug Project, then you might like this as well…
The Great Backyard Bird Count is coming up on February 13-16, 2009. This annual four-day event is a project of the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society. Its purpose is to create a comprehensive picture of where all kinds of birds are found during late winter and then compare that information with data collected from past years. Apparently, scientists can learn a lot by knowing where the birds are. Since the birds are always moving, no team of scientist could ever hope to document the movements of so many species over a four day period. So they ask the public for help on these dates every year.
Anyone can participate, it only takes 15 minutes and it is especially fun for children. Participants count birds, record and submit their information and can also submit photos for a yearly contest. Visit their website for more details on how to participate.
Photo Credit: This Northern Cardinal photo was the overall winner of the 2008 photo contest. It was taken by Judy Howle, MS.
Kathy Purdy of Cold Climate Gardening just put together a list of the Top Garden Twitterers. If you use Twitter, you know that it can be a great source of information and discussion. Following fellow gardeners gives you a platform for sharing ideas, rants or the latest in garden information.
Kathy's list included everyone from Margaret Roach (former garden editor of Martha Stewart Living) to Gayla Trail of You Grow Girl fame. Oh…and ME! Yes, I made the list. Woo-Hoo!
If you are not familiar with Twitter, you are probably saying….WHAT? Here is a great article explaining what Twitter is and how it works.
Yes…I know Twitter sounds crazy and at first I logged on and thought "What the heck is this?" But once you start following fellow gardeners (or whatever topic you are interested in) you can have short conversations with people interested in the same thing. I mostly use it for sharing or getting the latest garden information and I sometimes I even get to "chat" with famous garden people.
However, I am offering this public service announcement right up front: It can become addicting. Stay in control of your time there! (There are tricks to posting without staying on for long periods of time. Most people use Twitter Applications so they are not really sitting there all day long.) Check it out and hook up with some other gardeners around the world.
Over the past twenty years, several native ladybug species have been declining in numbers. This new development is being taken very seriously by the scientists at Cornell University and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Agricultural Research Service. They have decided to investigate what the problem is.
They suspect that encroachment by non-native species, habitat loss and pesticides are contributing to the decline. Ladybugs are essential predators in both farms and forests and they keep us from being overrun with pests like aphids and mealybugs.
You can help the scientists in their research by taking part in the Lost Ladybug Project. Adults and children are encouraged to take photographs of any ladybugs they find and send them to Cornell via their website at www.lostladybug.org. Be sure to include details such as location and dates of the find. They are especially interested in finding pictures of the nine spotted ladybug, two-spotted and the transverse ladybug. Details on how to photograph, upload images and submit information can be found on their website. The website also has tips on how to find ladybugs and lots of ladybug legends and lore.
Theresa Loe is the award- winning Co-Executive Producer & Canning Expert on Growing A Greener World TV. She blogs here about Living Homegrown®, local and fresh-from-the-garden. 
