North Coast Almanack

Sept. 1. Members of the mint family are frequently, but not always, distinguished by a square stem and a characteristically bracing but pleasant aroma. Coleus is a member of the mint family, as is Callicarpa, the American beautyberry. Sept. 2. There are those who believe that European honeybees should be allowed to have their crisis, […]

August 16: British scientists recently used radar to measure the number of insects flying around in a column of air one mile high. In addition to the expected butterflies, moths, and flies, they found termites, aphids, and spiders drifting about on air currents quite high above the earth. In one month, three billion insects passed […]

Aug. 1: This is how gardeners in Anchorage grow pumpkins: Submerge a seedling heat mat just underground, plug it into an outdoor electrical outlet, and plant a pumpkin next to it. Cover the plant with a plastic hoophouse frame and drape it with floating row cover, which must be anchored down with bricks. To avoid […]

July 15: It is a new tradition among garden bloggers to photograph the garden in bloom on the 15th of every month and post the photographs online. In honor of Garden Blogger’s Bloom Day, try this trick: Stand on a ladder and look down on the garden to take your photograph. You will soon regret […]

Hank Sims is the sort of editor you meet in a dark alley just after a rainstorm. He’s not much for editorial meetings or conference calls. We ducked under an awning, where the flickering yellow streetlights did neither of us any favors. That’s when I gave him the news. “Dirt is dead,” I said.”I’ve moved […]

Just give it a little kelp meal and wait a month. June 3. “Casey at the Bat” was first published on this day in 1888 by the San Francisco Examiner. This is a poem worth memorizing; it races along on sporty little iambic feet. And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets […]