Herself’s Houston Garden

The Great Backyard Bird Count

New York, NY and Ithaca, NY—Bird watchers coast to coast are invited to take part in the 13th annual Great Backyard Bird Count, Friday, February 12, through Monday, February 15, 2010. Participants in the free event will join tens of thousands of volunteers of all levels of birding experience to count birds in their own backyards, local parks or wildlife refuges.

Each checklist submitted by these “citizen scientists” helps researchers at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology and the National Audubon Society learn more about how the birds are doing—and how to protect them. Last year, participants turned in more than 93,600 checklists online, creating the continent’s largest instantaneous snapshot of bird populations ever recorded.

“Taking part in the Great Backyard Bird Count is a great way to get outside with family and friends, have fun, and help birds—all at the same time. Anyone who can identify even a few species can provide important information that enables scientists to learn more about how the environment is changing and how that affects our conservation priorities,” said Audubon Education Vice President, Judy Braus. “Everyone who participates in the GBBC—families, teachers, and young people—will get a chance to hone their observation skills, learn more about birds, and make a great contribution to the future!”

GirlWindow_TerieRawn_NY09_web.jpgAnyone can take part in the Great Backyard Bird Count, from novice bird watchers to experts. Participants count birds for as little as 15 minutes (or as long as they wish) on one or more days of the event and report their sightings online at www.birdcount.org. One 2009 participant said, “Thank you for the opportunity to participate in citizen science. I have had my eyes opened to a whole new interest and I love it!”

It’s not quite a witness protection program, it’s more of a hide from the climate program. Botanists are collecting seed from several native plants, believed to be endangered by shifting climates and relocating them to more favorable climates.

Despite the current hysteria the climate is always changing and the evidence is scant that disaster is impending. Also plants have been evolving for millions of years, if we give evolution a crutch what will the plants lose? Will they become, like corn, totally dependent on their human keepers?

That said I’m a big fan of saving seeds and plants for future generations that might not survive on their own. And plants not transported on their own to better climates are likely to move themselves there sooner or later so it’s unlikely great harm will be done. But remember, move the plants, and the insects and animals who use those plants will move with them.

If you are in any gardening organization you are aware of the Millennium Seed Bank and I hope you are contributing seeds. If you are not informed about the Millennium Seed Bank plan on attending the lecture at Houston Garden Federation Nov 13th 930 am for a talk on the Seed Bank.

More information:
Managed Relocation
A Hunt for Seeds to Save Species, Perhaps by Helping Them Move
As Climate Warms, Species May Need to Migrate or Perish
National Center for Genetic Resources Foundation
Kew Millennium Seed Bank

A group of researchers at the University of Edinburgh found that Galactic Cosmic Rays cause trees to grow faster.

The sun has an 11 year cycle of solar spots, when there is a lull in sunspots there is a lull in solar wind. The solar wind protects us from GCRs by creating a magnetic repellent.

When the solar wind is low and Galactic Cosmic Rays arrive on earth in larger numbers, trees grow faster. While we don’t know why it might have something to do with weather changes such as increased cloud cover that forms when the rays are hitting earth.

More information:
Galactic Cosmic Rays
BBC Cosmic pattern to UK tree growth
Solar Cycle Linked to Global Climate
Cosmic rays speed up tree growth
A relationship between galactic cosmic radiation and tree rings ( paper $ )

I recently attended a talk at Mercer on growing cactus and succulents in Houston. If you haven’t attended any talks at Mercer do consider it. They’d love to see you and I learn a great deal each time I attend.

Most cactus prefer drier environments than we have in Houston. While they all prefer it dry, not all of the cactus and succulents enjoy our heat. Winter rains are the biggest threat to cactus growing here. Wet and cold together will cause many cactus to rot.

Cactus and succulents differ only slightly. All cactus are succulents, not all succulents are cactus. Cactus store water in their stem, succulents store water in the leaves, stem or both.

Cactus have tufts of hair or small spines at the base of every spine, succulents do not. While you can strip a cactus bare of spines with out hurting the plant. It is similar to leaf removal. You can not do so with a succulent. Succulent thorns are connected to the stem tissue. Removing them will tear the stem that transports nutrients through the plant.

Cactus have spines which are leaves which have evolved to a more efficient shape for the climate. The spines offer protection from critters looking for water in the desert and also provide shade for the plant. The more spines on a cactus the more sun it likely needs.

Some succulents have roots that spread along the surface to collect water, some use tap roots to find deep water.

Cactus originated only in North and South America, succulents are found worldwide.

Sand and or soil mixed with larger rocks/mulch or other material that will let water drain works best as a planting medium. Be sure to slope and raise the bed to keep water from collecting near the plants.

Mealy bug occasionally bother succulents, treat with insecticidial soaps. Fire ants will some times build a mound right over your succulent, burying it. Treat them with your favorite fire ant treatment.

Succulent gardens look best and least annoy your neighbors and the homeowners associations when you use several plants of different heights, textures and colors together. Try to use one or a few large plants, then fill in with smaller plants. Also include some dry plants that aren’t succulents. Wild flower bunches blend well. The Succulent gardens pool at Flickr has a nice collection of photos for ideas.

See also:
Agaves
Soapweed yucca
Aloe
Aloe rust
Tigertoothed Aloe