March 27th, 2020.

Landscape and Garden Life in the COVID/Wuhan World

Above are "Around the Home and Office" images. Been indoors a lot. A good time for some domestic ethnography. The Aldi (commodity) flowers just keep going and going.
Of note: I use the word "commodity" in a critical theory sense that refers to produced objects. However in recent reading I have seen "commodity" used to express "comfort."

I have been isolating very well. I think I have to follow good honest safety practices if I am to honestly continue to meet and consult others (at safe distances). I have an extended  quarantine space that includes two people. In the field, we are each working with our own separate tools, wear latex gloves all day, maintain distance, and disinfect the controls in the trucks.

We applied and were granted "essential business" status after listing out a series of practices that were seasonally specific such as rejuvenation pruning and transplanting. Our application also listed out specific weeds and invasives such as Lesser Celandine and Buckthorn as species that will colonize and naturalize if not controlled. A few hours after we received out status to continue work, The Department of Ag and Markets declared all horticulture and landscape care work as essential so we are operating at full speed right now.  

Clockwise starting at top left: Hellebore just emerging. Work at the Buffalo Niagara Medical Campus. Clean Hellebore leaf. What I believe to be Japanese Beetle grubs.

Early Spring Branch Forcing

I have been more committed than ever before to collecting some branches to force. With early flowering woody plant species, you can cut a branch, bring it indoors, put it water, and in a short time the buds will start to open. This week I collected branches of VanHouteii Spiraea, Magnolia, Quince, Forsythia, Crabapple, and Amelanchier.