geomantic

Just released by the City of Alexandria (VA) Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Activities’ Horticulture and Natural Resources Section is this survey (.pdf) of the native plants of Alexandria. The survey was conducted from 2002 to 2007 and yielded a total of 810 native species (including infra-specific taxa and hybrids) representing 374 genera and [...]

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Not too long ago, Upton Tea was having trouble sourcing Yunnan Gold tea because most of the production had shifted to Pu Erh teas. Well, now the bubble has burst and the effect on the composition of Yunnan’s tea production is anybody’s guess.  In my experience, there is some basis for the health claims made [...]

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So what does tea have to do with placemaking in the 21st century? A lot, if you realize that tea is essentially a product of its environment right down to the local climate -including rainfall regime, altitude, total annual insolation, etc., as well as the soil type and underlying geology, the age of the tree, [...]

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In the past week or so, I’ve noticed that a few ornamental cherry trees in the Washington DC area have been coaxed into blooming by the relatively mild winter and the recent spate of 50+ degree days. Even by Washington standards, it’s early for cherries, so naturally I’m wondering how much of this early bloom [...]

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