Dinosaurs at the Conservatory

San Franciscos Conservatory of Flowers has just opened a new exhibit called Plantosaurus Rex that highlights prehistoric plants anduhalarmingly lifelike replicas of the creatures that ate them. I asked the exhibit director, Lau Hodgeswho, by the way, is one of the funniest and most interesting women youll ever meetto tell us a little more about the exhibit. So heres Lau:

First-I heard that you wanted a dinosaur to actually smash through the roof of the Conservatory. Is that true? Thats awesome! You do know that broken glass panes are something of a sore subject among Conservatory people, right?

Yes, I am pleased to report that we pulled it off and do, in fact, have a life-size T. rex sticking out of the top of our special exhibits gallery. In planning these things you are never sure if it is going to work out like it does in your head, or if it will translate correctly.but in this case I have made the 8^th year old in me incredibly stoked! As one of those Conservatory people, to whom broken panes of glass are a sore subject, rest assured that no glass was broken or removed to create this illusion.

And what sort of dinosaurs are actually in the Conservatory? Are they plastic models? Whered you get them?

Well, of course, there is the rest of the T. rex. He was created out of foam with a resin shell, by a local artist, Bridget Keimel. The pterodactyl and the massive dragonflies are mostly made out of felt and resin by another local artist, Tami Stewart (any relation Amy?). The baby stegosaurus and the allosaurus (both resin) where purchased from a place in Louisiana, that seems to be where they sell all sorts of stuff that I have spent my life wondering about the origins of. Where did they get that half an old Cadillac mounted to the wall in my local 50s diner..oh, Louisiana.

Okay, so dinosaurs in the Conservatorythats a total kid magnet. What have you got planned for the adults?

You know, I was worried about that myself on opening daybut within the first hour my fears were laid to restit turns out I am not the only adult out there that is completely in awe of dinosaurs. The thing that I think really sets us apart from other dino exhibits (its not like this is the first one ever right?!) is that we ditched all of the typical, museum dos and donts..this is not an exhibit in a sterile room, with dino bones on display behind ropes..in Plantosaurus Rex visitors are in the environment with the dinosaurs. It is a very tangible experience.

I have learned that you guys do an incredible job with sound effects. Did brilliant soundman Andrew Roth come back for this exhibit, and what did he come up with?

Yes! Below is Andrews quote from the SF Chronicle article.I am not sure that I can sum it up better than he can.

It was too hard to build a time machine in time for the exhibit,.

The ambient soundscapes are things I recorded in Bali, Malaysia, Costa Rica and Japan. It was interesting smooshing them together into one room. T. rex combines lion, tiger, walrus and slowed-down badger, with a subwoofer to help him sound mean. Roth used lizard and snake sounds for the allosaurus, and eagle and vulture calls for the pterosaur.

It is weird to think that we are surrounded by plants that were actually here on Earth back in the days of the dinosaur. Can you lay a few weird prehistoric plant facts on us?

Sure, you know my love of weird plant facts!

I thought it was really cool to learn that selaginella (club mosses) and cycads compose a majority of the Pennsylvania coal beltits wacky to see these two plants all over the Conservatory and think that now, millions of years later, we are burning them for fuel.

I have to giggle at the fact that the Monkey Puzzle tree (Araucaria araucana) is native to Chile, where there are no monkeys.

One of the most important plants in Plantosaurus Rex is the Ginkgo biloba. While I will be the first to admit it is by no means the most exotic plant we have ever displayed at the Conservatory, it is actually the frequency with which this plant appears, in the San Francisco Bay Area that makes it so important in this exhibit. My absolute, 1 goal, in creating any exhibit at the Conservatory of Flowers is to get the younger generations excited about plants. I truly believe that no one gets excited about plants until they form a bond with one. That can mean anything from: the tree you climbed as a kid, to a shrub you discover on a hike through the woods, to the Gingko biloba planted outside your house that you have just learned is a living fossil (aka dinosaur food!). Sure, in this case we have used dinosaurs as bait to get kids excited about visiting, but the goal of the exhibit is for the kids to think about plants in a different way, a way that gets them excited about plants.

Were any of these plants hard to track down?

At this time last year I was in a state of near panic trying to hunt down Wicked Plants: botanical rogues and assassins. It has proven far easier to hunt down prehistoric, dinosaur food than it was to locate the bad boys of the botanical world. That said..the Mandragon turcomanica is still sitting on my desk

Thanks, Lau! The exhibit runs through October 21. And heres a video in which Lau actually gets to say dinosaur poop on television:

Via: Dinosaurs at the Conservatory

Japanese Aralia

The photos above were not taken in a tropical rainforest. Surprisingly enough, they were taken in our shade house here at Farmington Gardens. The name of this plant is Japanese Aralia or Fatsia japonica.

This evergreen shrub really stands out with its distinct glossy leaves that can grow to be 16 inches across. When grown in a mass planting, it really brings the feel of the jungle to your own backyard. It also works just as well as a specimen plant, providing year round interest. For a shade plant, Japanese Aralia is quite versatile and can even be used as a houseplant.

Incorporating Aralia into your shade garden is easy, as it meshes well with most shade garden staples such as; Ferns, Rhododendrons, Azaleas, Hostas and Hellebores. If youre not already out digging a hole to make this wonderful plant the latest addition in your garden, here are a few more of its excellent qualities: It produces drumstick-like flowers that have are very science-fiction in appearance. The foliage is perfect for unique cut-flower arrangements and will last weeks after being cut. To top it all off it requires no pruning or maintenance.

Mature size: 5-8 ft high x 4-6 ft wide
Sun Exposure: Partial sun to shade
Growth Rate: Medium

Via: Japanese Aralia

GE swings for the fences with its new French-door fridge

GE's latest line of French-door bottom-freezer refrigerators won't be available for weeks in most markets, but the Louisville-based manufacturer is already looking like Babe Ruth calling his home run shot in Game 3 of the 1932 World Series. First came Freshpedition, the slick reality-TV-inspired ad campaign that GE ran online earlier in the month. Then yesterday, GE announced its plan to add 380 second shift production employees to its Appliance Park plant in Louisville, Kentucky later in the summer "in anticipation of exceptional sales."

Give GE credit for believing in its product, not to mention creating new jobs in the USA. "Our customers are extremely excited about our industry-leading ice and water dispenser technology with features like Hands-free Autofill, which automatically fills almost any container with filtered water and a hot water dispenser, capable of serving up tea and oatmeal in minutes," said Paul Surowiec, refrigeration product general manager at GE Appliances, in the news release. "We are adding additional production capacity to ensure we can meet the demand."

Consumer Reports' product specialists have seen the new GE French-door refrigerator at press events, where they were impressed by the ice and water dispenser. But we won't be able say if GE really knocked it out of the park until we purchase a new unit and get it into our test labs.

GE doesn't make our current recommended list for bottom-freezer or top-freezer refrigerators because past models with icemakers have been repair-prone. GE says its latest icemakers benefit from an enhanced design. Besides testing the performance of the new French-door fridge, we will keep track of its repair rate.

Via: GE swings for the fences with its new French-door fridge

Cookout champs from Consumer Reports' gas grill tests

Even though Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson both signed the Declaration of Independence, the historical figure that more Americans would invite to their Fourth of July cookout is Abraham Lincoln. That's one of the results of the Sizzle Study recently conducted by grillmaker Char-Broil. And what would Abe be served? Humble hot dogs and hamburgers. Those you can cook on almost any reliable grill but if you prefer fancier fare for your favorite guests, check for gas grills that excelled in all three of Consumer Reports' cooking tasks.

When Consumer Reports tests gas grills it measures high-temperature evenness over the grill's surface and then we sear some steaks. We also test the unit's low temperature performance by both checking the temperature and cooking chicken and fish over a low flame. Finally, we check indirect cooking in which the food isn't placed directly over the flame. This is a useful feature if you like to slow cook roasts, ribs, or whole fish and poultry.

Of the medium-sized grills in our tests, the most popular size, the Char-Broil Gourmet TRU-Infrared 463250512 aced our trio of tests and costs hundreds less than other top-rated models. A CR Best Buy, it's sold at Home Depot and has an electronic igniter, side burner, infrared main burner, and coated cast-iron grates, which tend to be better for searing and maintaining even grilling temperatures. There's a lifetime warranty on the burners, the most frequently replaced grill part.

The American-made Huntington Patriot 658184 was the only large grill to earn a top score on all three cooking tasks. At $700 it's another CR Best Buy and is loaded with premium features. It produced nicely seared steaks, moist chicken and salmon and excelled at indirect cooking. The Huntington has an electronic igniter, side burner, and coated cast-iron grates. There's also an infrared rotisserie burner and a light in the cooking area. The pullout tray for the propane tank makes turning the tank on or off a snap and simplifies changing it.

None of the small and portable grills in our tests excelled in the cooking trifecta. The Napoleon Terrace SE325PK came closest with excellent scores on high and low heating and a very good score on indirect cooking. It has lots of stainless steel and shelf space, two main burners, coated cast-iron grates, and a long warranty on its burners. It sells for $600 but the propane tank is extra.

In its survey, Char-Broil also asked what person folks would like to engage in a grill-side chat. Mom and Dad won that one but three presidents also made the list: Barack Obama, Ronald Reagan and John F. Kennedy. And so did grill master Bobby Flay.

Via: Cookout champs from Consumer Reports' gas grill tests

Thinning Apple and Asian Pear Trees

Apples before thinning

Apples after thinning

At this time of year you are likely experiencing June Drop. Dont worry! There is nothing wrong. The fruit trees are naturally losing any unpollinated fruit. We have to continue this action by thinning even more fruit from the tree and that is a job I really have a hard time doing. More is better, yes? No! I have learned this the hard way.

Why thin fruit from the trees?

• The more fruit on a spur, the smaller the fruits are at harvest.
• The closer together the fruit are, the less air circulation and the higher likelihood of disease and insect problems like codling moth.
• The heavier the total amount of fruit on a branch, the more likely the branch will become weighted down and break.
• Thinning the fruit encourages the tree to produce fruit every year.

The best method for a home gardener is to pick the fruit off the spur with a twisting snap motion. Pulling them off might break the full spur and you would lose that grouping of fruit. You could also choose to use small clippers.

Look at each cluster and remove all but the largest and healthiest apple. Then visualize the size your apple grows. Any other tiny fruits near it which would interfere with its growth should also be removed. Basically, leave one fruit every 4 6 inches.

Asian Pear before thinning

Asian Pear after thinning

With Asian pears, it is slightly different. It is preferable to keep the middle fruit on a spur. That means, if there are 5 fruits, remove the bottom two and the top two, leaving the middle one.

Now is a good time to do this while the fruits are tiny and the tree has already started the drop. It will have the rest of the season to put energy in to producing fruit of a good size and quality.

As an aside, dont thin your cherries. Enjoy every single last one of them!

Tags: edible gardening, fruit trees, What to do in the garden

Via: Thinning Apple and Asian Pear Trees