Godless in the garden

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Comment by Sentient Biped on October 13, 2012 at 6:08pm

Ginkgo seeds almost ready to collect.  

I drive past this tree on my way home from work.  It is in a neglected park.  I've collected seeds from it in the past, started lots of little trees, gave most away.  This year I plan to do that again.  

In a long row of ginkgo trees, there are 2 females.  My guess is they were grafted trees and the scion died, leaving the seed grown rootstock to grow.  Just a guess.

*

If readers want some seeds to play with and plant, let me know and I will see if I can send some.  

Comment by Sentient Biped on October 13, 2012 at 5:55pm

Joan, I have several clematis.  I don't know the varieties.  One grew up into my neighbor's neglected and overgrown apple tree, about 40 feet tall.  Wild guess.   It was interesting to see those big blue flowers at the top of the tree.

Comment by Joan Denoo on October 12, 2012 at 5:12pm

My neighbor and I have been experimenting and exploring which kinds of clematis we each have and how we should care for them. First thing to know, the incorrect pruning may cost you a plant. We both have lost lovely clematis because we didn't know what we were doing. Here is a guide to help differentiate the three types. 
We also learned that clematis like tomato food. So, those are two problems solved. We keep learning together as we chat through the shared raspberry bushes that came into my garden from hers. 

Comment by Joan Denoo on October 12, 2012 at 5:01pm

Plant Paradise Country Gardens

This is an incredible garden with great combinations of colors, forms, and  textures. These ideas are keepers. 

Comment by Joan Denoo on October 10, 2012 at 5:02pm

A Brief History of the Wonderful Tomato

For those interested in history, here is a fun one on tomatoes. 

Comment by Joan Denoo on October 7, 2012 at 10:54pm

Annie, thanks for the lead to Ira Flatow and Steven Strogatz. A great interview. Feynman is one of my heros, a scientist who reflects on the consequences of his work. It is information such as these men discussed that convinced me no god is necessary. Natural processes have their way of creating cosmos out of chaos. Mathematics, the language of science, makes so much more sense because there are certain laws that either exist, or do not, and there are explanations why a law doesn't fit in different circumstances. Gravity is a low of the earth, but with enough velocity objects can escape earth's gravitational pull. From a universe point of view, laws of gravity apply. There is not a simple, absolute answer, it is all relative. Oh! I've heard that one before.  

Evolution is so much more interesting and exciting than creationist dogma, it explains processes of gravity, electro-magnetism, strong and weak forces making a mystery dissolve, even as these processes lead to even more mystery. Noticing patterns, as revealed by fractals and Fibonacci sequence, I knew natural order exists and all is not chaos. 
See my Fractals in Nature Photo Album: 

Fractals in Nature

Or, Fibonacci Sequence:

Fibonacci sequence

Comment by Sentient Biped on October 7, 2012 at 3:56pm

Joan and Annie,

I also wonder how the spider knows to build its web.  It's amazing!

No idea what kind of spider.  The web was on an arborvitae this morning.

I love having spiders around.  They eat lots of insects.  I think they are also a sign of ecological health.  Although I have no proof of that.

Comment by Annie Thomas on October 7, 2012 at 3:36pm

Beautiful web, Sentient!  And Joan, your comment made me think of the Science Friday episode a few days ago.  Ira Flatow was interviewing Steven Strogatz.  He wrote the book, "The Joy of X: A Guided Tour of Math, from One to Infinity."  Flatow brought up a Feynman quote about finding joy in knowledge, and asked Strogatz if he agreed (which he did).  He gave the example of seeing the Fibonacci sequence in so much of nature, from the number of scales in a pine cone's spiral to the seeds in a sunflower.  It's funny, as it is things like this that perhaps could be the only way to convince me that there is any type of god or "creator"... but it doesn't. ;-) If you are interested in the program, you can listen to it here: http://www.npr.org/2012/10/05/162372203/steven-strogatz-the-joy-of-x

Sentient:  Do you know what type of spider created this web?

Comment by Joan Denoo on October 7, 2012 at 1:49pm

An incredibly beautiful evidence of fractal geometry in living things, and the existence of patterns in nature. I wonder how the spider knows how to build a web? Perhaps, one day, we will be able to understand the workings of the brain and body. But for now, I can just enjoy the shapes, forms, textures, and colors all around us and realize I/you/we exist following the same evolution processes to make life as we know it. How could we ask for anything more?

Comment by Sentient Biped on October 7, 2012 at 1:23pm

This morning in the yard.

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