Let me be frank. I oppose “growth” and object to the “growing economy,” I take exception to “growing” companies. These terms—used chronically and uncritically by politicians and pundits—leave me vexed and perplexed. Why? Because I am convinced that “growing” is precisely what economies don’t do. They might increase or expand, but they grow not. At […]
One of the most unexpected, most salutary developments of our era has been the triumphant resurgence of vegetables. No longer regarded as a side dish of life or anodyne adjunct, vegetables have arrived! We are in the midst of a vegetable Renaissance. The Dark Ages, when vegetables were boiled into colorless, textureless, flavorless pap are […]
The young think time is on their side, the old know that time waits for no one. Yet time is a blessing to gardeners. Our upcoming sowing and planting “app”, GardenTime, has been designed only with you and your garden’s seeds and plants in mind. Most new gardeners know what to do; they aren’t as sure […]
Often I’m asked, “What’s the future of gardening?” Here is my short answer, so to speak. First, the number of gardeners is growing, as baby boomers enter their 50s and 60s—the peak years of active home gardening. Gardeners inspire new gardeners, so children and even grandchildren are seeing—witnessing, you might say—more home gardens being grown […]
by George Ball This is the season when we appraise the year passing, and gently outline the year ahead, tracing tentative personal goals and plans. Even as our country inexorably advances towards the dreaded fiscal cliff, it is likewise a period when the press routinely diverts us with articles highlighting our era’s grand acquisitors and […]
by George Ball I saw a Wall Street Journal article a couple of weeks ago about surprising, nay stunning, modern and contemporary art auction results. Old records were smashed and new ones set. Many were paintings of majestic importance and quality, such as Jackson Pollock’s. Yet others were for art works as trivial as—of all […]
by George Ball October closes with Halloween, the most misunderstood holiday, due to its roots not in horror but in rain. Just as seed is the first and the last—the seed and the fruit—so too are rains the alpha and omega of the growing season. Only after the dry heat of summer and early fall—unique […]
by George Ball The beaks of birds tell their story. Technically, the term is “bill”, short for “mandible”, of which there are two, the upper and lower. Most people call them “beaks,” and birds don’t seem to mind. A short, blunt, clearly triangular-shaped beak with an obviously sharp point allows finch-like birds to pierce, tear, […]
by George Ball From time to time a blog “seeds” a following blog with a new idea or thought. Last week I touched on ‘La Dolce Vita’, a movie that prominently featured the “paparazzi”, which were new at that time. Media conglomerates mushroomed after World War II across Europe, fueled by new technologies of inexpensive […]
by George Ball Now’s the time when the birds feast on berries and seeds. I’ve often puzzled over this rich diet of 100% birdseed. One friend conjectures that it’s probably good for long flights southward. Another friend maintains that birds congregate around feeders and baths more to “socialize” (what diction these days!) than to stock […]
