NPR: When It's Time to Talk to Plants

When It's Time to Talk to Plants

You know you've lost it after traveling all day and finally landing at a spectacular B&B, and instead of kicking back and breathing in the view, you spend three hours on the phone with Tech Support trying to get your laptop online.

Yes, I really lost it and alas, not for the first time. It tends to happen when I'm on assignment, running around collecting tape. (Make that "tape"; my hands haven't touched the real stuff in a long, long time).

But I am not a complete idiot. I do have a better self. And she's the one who yanks my head out of my hard drive and says, NATURE, GIRL. GET THEE TO NATURE.

So after I said goodbye to my last interview yesterday, an extraordinary forest historian named Charlie Cogbill who'd waltzed me through 18th century tree archives in Calais, VT, I got dropped off several miles short of the B&B and walked back home in the wonder that is northern Vermont.

Did you know that sugar maples do not turn red? I didn't realize that till I came to Vermont to report on climate change and the future of this beloved tree (headline: it's quite bright, thank you). The fiery red to the left is -- get this! -- a red maple, (Acer rubrum), and the orange/gold/peach concoction to the right is the sugar maple (Acer saccharum).

photo credit: Ketzel Levine, NPR

I leave you today with a final word for the hard-working during this unfolding fall:

Get Over Yourself and Get Outside!

11:47 AM ET | 10-10-2007 | permalink

Comments (Send a comment)

Hear, hear! A terrific snapshot.

Sent by Jehan | 9:20 AM ET | 10-11-2007

As x-Vermonters now living in the San Juan islands we are amazed that we didn't know the difference by fall color between red and sugar maples. Tsk so thanks for the info. Lewis and Nancy

Sent by Lewis and Nancy Spaulding | 12:47 PM ET | 10-11-2007

Great photo. Getting off my chair now to go breathe in some night air.

Sent by Sandra | 10:22 PM ET | 10-14-2007

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Ketzel Levine

BLOGGER

What is 'Talking Plants?'

Talking Plants is an open invitation to meet new plants and cool plant people, tour incredible private gardens, savor inside-gardening industry gossip, swap dead plant stories and get the odd gardening question answered by your fellow "hort-heads."

To learn more, read the FAQs and the discussion guidelines.

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photos in Ketzel Levine's Talking Plants

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Before Talking Plants the blog, there was Ketzel Levine's Talking Plants the Web site. Although it's no longer updated, the site still offers an archive of Plant Profiles. It also answers the eternal question: Why Did My Plant Die?.

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