Ginny Stibolt

Yes, it's a Maximillian sunflower (Helianthus maximiliani), which has somewhat smaller flower heads than the common sunflower (Helianthus annuus).

Yes, it was about an inch long.

Photo of a pale yellow sunflower with a large wasp pollinating the disc florets. A sunflower bud is getting ready to bloom from the sae stem. The background is a most dark wooded area.

A pale sunflower, being pollinated by a large, pale wasp, is facing east in the morning and is ready to face a new day!

Photo of an entry in a scarecrow contest at Fairchild Botanic Gardens in Miami, Florida. The scarecrow is dressed in a blue robe, has a gold medal hanging from its neck, is wearing red eyeglasses, and has green leaves for hair covered with a morterboard hat. The hands are dead palm fronds. it's wearing blue jeans stuffed with lumpy filler. Several books are stacked on the lawn around its feet.In the background at the far edge of the lawn are 3 wooden benches and a wall of vegetation behind them--mostly palms and cycads. Text says, "SmartCrow Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden--education dept."

There is nothing scarier to a member of the magacult than a smart, well-educated person.

YouTube video by The Royal Institution Rethinking the origin of plate tectonics - with Naomi Oreskes

#Science Watch Naomi Oreskes brilliant lecture: how military secrecy delayed plate tectonic theory for 3 decades - a narrative that remains ever relevant to science today...
I cover plate tectonics in several presentations that I give on cruise ships as a #GuestLecturer.

youtu.be/tTAWrP5GNwA

trump

Photo of branches laying on the ground. The branches have wilted leaves and dense clusters of tiny mostly purple fruit. Some fruit is still green and unripened. Other dead leaves are also ont the ground.

Beautyberry (Callicarpa americana), in the mint family, is native to the SE states from VA to TX, plus FL. Squirrels had chewed off some fruit-ladened branches. Time to make some beautyberry bread.
Read this for the recipe: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2014/10/beau...

I disagree that today computers and the internet are "Mostly" being used "for watching porn and to spead hate."
The internet has mostly been used in positive ways for reseach, connecting with old firends, & more.
As a botanist & writer, I can hook up with Kew Gardens to learn more about plants.

I'd also like to refute the negative view of "Being Liberal." While it's true that computers and the internet are sometimed used to spread hate, there are far more positive uses.

Photo of 2 showy flowers with 5 pale yellow petals & dark maroon centers with thick stigmas covered in yellow protruding from the cneters. The 2 flowers are groing next to each other on a fat, pale green stem. Dark green leaves are in the background. Text says, "Okra! Abelmoschus esculentus"

#GrowMoreFood Okra (Abelmoschus esculentus) is a fast growing, heat-loving annual crop native to Africa. It’s in the hibiscus family (Malvaceae). The fruits are edible, but usually cooked because of the slime. Read my article for a deep dive: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2022/08/okra...

Photo of puffy, sunset-lit clouds over a house. Also trees are in the forground.

#AMomentinNature was appreciating these sepia-toned, cotton-candy clouds rolling in over our house at sunset.
Nature heals, so when needed, turn off the news and take the time to unwind while observing the everday miracles that are happening out there.

Photo of a pre-sunrise sky over a body of water. The sky is dark orange at the horizon, merging to a pale yellow and then from light blue merging to a dark blue. some wispy maroon-colored clouds are spread across the sky. The colors in the sky are reflected in the water. On the upper left side branches of a large tree are silhouetted in front of the sky. Also are the horizen on the left is a long deck exteending into the water.

#AMomentinNature was at Spring Park in Green Cove Springs, FL which was a popular destination decades ago where people would bathe in the spring water for medicinal purposes. They ended up smelling like rotten eggs b/c of high Sulphur content. Today, the spring flows about 150 yards to the river.

A mowed area surrounded by shrubs and bunching grasses. Some dead branches are laying on the ground.

#HabitatGardening We have 2 dead oaks in our yard. Since they are located where nothing will be harmed when they fall, we have left them, because snags, stumps, & logs provide habitat for birds & more. Occasionally, we need to pick up sticks. Read: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2024/08/snag...

Drawing of a tree with flowers, grasses, ferns, & butterflies underneath its canopy. There is what looks like a stop sign on the left side under the drip zone that says "No Mow Zone." The backgound color is lavender. Text under the tree says,"Most caterpillars eat tree leaves, then drop to the gound and live among the plants and fallen leaves before emerging as moths or butterflies. Under trees replace lawn with low-growing plants. Leaves the fallen leaves. "

Build habitat for butterflies & moths under trees by planting native understory trees & shrubs and then add bunching grasses and ground covers out around the drip line and beyond. This one step to a pollinator-friendly yard, another important one is to stop all landscape-wide pesticide applications.

Photo in a book of a bench next to a paved walkway. There is a mass of plants behind the bench, most ar in bloom with yellow flowers or purple flowers. Skyscrapers are in the background. Caption reads, "Figure VI-4: The High Line Park in New York City was built on an abandoned elevated rail bed and planted with native or near native plants. Now providing a vibrant wildlife corridor as well as a place for people, the park is opening people's eyes to a new definition of beauty in the landscape." Text above the caption reads, "Allow herbaceous plants to grow into their own shapes. - Saves time - Saves energy - Supports birds.

Urban landscaping is a whole chapter in our award-winning book, Climate-Wise Landscaping. We used the High Line Park in NY City as one example. It's so popular that it has improved the whole west side of Manhattan. Read: beautifulnativeplants.blogspot.com/2016/06/nycs...

Photo of bright red fruit cluster with green leaves in the baackground. Text says, "Sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana)"

The sweetbay magnolia (Magnolia virginiana) is lovely, mostly evergreen medium-sized tree with leaves that are green on top with silver undersides. It has beautiful, fragrant flowers & bright red fruits. It's native to SE US & is salt tolerant.
greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2025/05/swee...

Photo of a group of long tubular reddish flower at the end of a stem. An inch or so below the flower head are two leaves joined together. Leaves and shadows are outof focus in the background.

Coral honeysuckle (Lonicera sempervirens), native to most of eastern North America, attracts hummingbirds & other pollinators. Flowers are borne only on new growth. The leaves under the flower head are joined together. This is called perfoliate.
greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2025/08/cora...

Thanks, Steve.

Why do plants produce caffeine? I've covered this topic on my cruise ship presentations  on coffee. A bit of plant science for this post... Caffeine is the most widely con...

Caffeine is the most widely consumed psycho-active substance in the world! But why do plants, including coffee trees, produce it? Read my article for the science behind caffeine. greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2023/07/why-...

Photo of flowers growing in and around a yellow Volkwagon beetle car with its hood removed.

When they said design your landscape to attract bugs, is this what they meant?

Photo of flowers with yellow petals and brown centers in a grassy meadow. An orange & brown butterfly is on the brown center of one of the flowers. Text says, "Softhair coneflower (Rudbeckia mollis)"

#AMomentinNature was watching the pollinators working on these softhair coneflowers in this roadside meadow in North Florida. Nature heals.

A microscopic photo showing a complex structure of claws and other overlapping structures. Text says, "A mosquito foot magnified 800 times under a scanning electon microscope."

#NatureisAmazing! This is a photo of the end of a mosquito's leg, including a claw, scales and the pulvillus, a pad with adhesive hairs. These scales are particularly dense near the foot and enable mosquitoes to land on water, where they lay their eggs.’ www.livescience.com/60867-weird-...

Sunrise photo with scattered clouds with colors ranging from purples & pinks to oranges & golds. The clouds are reflected in the still water. Various trees and shrubs are silhouetted in the foreground. Text says,"Enjoyas many sunrises as possible for a truly gifted life."

#AMomentinNature was this magnificent sunrise over the St. Johns River in North Florida. Breathe deep and then do something postive for yourself, your family, & friends.

Landscape plan drawing for a space at the corner of a back fence showing a comfy chair for reading bubble surrounded by other landscape features including a cool backdrop, vertical accent, low perennials, medium texture, & warm colors.

In an upside-down world, maintaining our sanity is important. Designing an outdoor reading nook like this is one way we can rejuvenate ourselves. Both creating this oasis & then using it for reading work to soothe our souls. Breathe deep!
Thanks to Billy Goodnick for this design.

Photo of a sunflower with a bee.

#Sunflower The genus Helianthus is composed of 51 species -all native to North America. The genus name is derived from Greek-"helio" for sun and "antho" for flower. The flowers follow the sun each day. Read to find how they became Ukraine's national flower. www.sky-bolt.com/garden/sunfl...

Photo of a native meadow at the edge of a mowed lawn. Beautyberry stems with their pruple berries are in the foreground to the left. Wooded area is in teh background.

I used pale green Elliot's love grass to create a civilized edge to make a native garden or meadow look like a planned space. They died. I learned a hard lesson to listen to my landscape.
Read about other lessons learned from our landscape here: greengardeningmatters.blogspot.com/2015/07/list...

Photo of a sunrise over a river with moored sail boats in the distance. A variety of cloud formations cover most of the sky and some are colored red or gold and they are reflected in the water. A silhouette of a dragonfly is in front of the clouds.

#MomentinNature was sharing this sunrise over the St. Johns River in Florida with a group of dragonflies who were eating the the swarm of mosquitoes who were after my blood!

Photo of a gumball of a sweetgun tree with tiny mushrooms with white caps and dark stem sprouting from the holes in the gumball. Dead leaves are on the ground under the gumball. Text says, "Fungi on a sweetgum ball"

#AMomentinNature was noticing these tiny mushrooms growing from the center of this gumball from a sweetgum tree.
Nature heals, so take some time to observe her everyday miracles.

At this point the grafted plant is gone, but I hope the kid is doing some good science somewhere.

Years ago, I was a judge for a high school science fair. One kid grafted a tomato plant to the rootstock of a potato. They survived and I gave him a good rating not only for the experiment, but also for having the thought.
But wouldn't that plant be a productve crop!