Benefits of Prolonged Low Temperatures

Toronto damsels were reported in distress. They had never, they claimed, experienced such frigid knights. Horticulturally, however, there is a brighter side. Last month’s extreme cold snap drove frost deeper into the ground than usual. This is expected to drastically reduce the number of white grub and crane fly larvae lurking there. Numerous other overwintering garden pests will suffer similar fates. Meanwhile the persistent snow cover has been insulating perennial planting from the worst of the winds inflicting bone-chilling wind chills of -40ºC and less. It is, to coin a phrase, an ill wind that blows gardeners no good.

Diversion No. 1

Black Thumb? He thought it was Fifty Shades of Green, a film featuring diverse propagation including – gasp! – genetic modification.

Not all professional sports figures are enthused about playing on artificial turf. Toronto’s Blue Jays baseball team is amongst these and they are prepared to do something about it. A $600,000 agreement has been reached with the University of Guelph to study suitable turfgrass species for the Rogers Centre domed stadium in Ontario’s capital city. Wear and tear on natural grass sports fields is considerable. Conditions found inside the dome of the Rogers Centre add fresh problems. Not the least of these is the artificial light the turf must tolerate. Grass also transpires, possibly adding the air conditioning loads when the dome roof is closed. The University of Guelph’s Turf Grass Centre may solve such challenges. New grass species will make their way to other indoor sports locales. However, despite suggestion by science fiction author Robert A. Heinlein, there is some distance to go yet before such a happy event transforms living rooms.

Diversion No. 2

Sean Lennon, son of John and Yoko Lennon, is being sued for $10-million by his Greenwich Village, New York neighbours who allege an Ailanthus tree roots at the front of his house has caused serious damage to their own property. According to the New York Post the writ claims he has failed to tackle the problem caused by a rotting ailanthus and demand it be cut down. Ironically, the popular name for Ailanthus is ‘Tree of Haven.’

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Can genetically modified bugs save lives, queries The New York Times adding, is it safe and sensible to put genetically changed mosquitoes into the environment to fight disease? This came the same day that Australian health authorities added the rare virus Kunjin to the also mosquito-vectored Ross River virus in their country. Add this pair to the far more prevalent and extensive malaria, yellow fever, dengue, chikungunya, and West Nile virus, all also mosquito spread. Some are potentially fatal, others incurable. One wonders if the Times editorial writers know of the expression, ‘once bitten, twice shy?’

Diversion No. 3

Public Health England said toxic daffodil flowers shouldn’t be near supermarket’s fruit and vegetables in case non-English speakers confused them for vegetables. Last year medics treated at least 27 cases of daffodil-related poisonings, warned the Daily Mail

The University of Guelph’s Centre for Biodiversity Genomics chose to scrutinize popular natural health supplements. Their study suggested that some at least of these widely available products do not contain the herbal ingredients stated on their labels. The study prompted an investigation by New York State. Once again, many did not live up to the contents claimed on the label: gingko biloba, St. John’s wort, ginseng, garlic, echinacea and saw palmetto. They did, however, contain off-label ingredients, including rice, citrus, wheatgrass and even the tropical houseplant Dracaena. The New York State attorney general’s office sent cease-and-desist letters to Wal-Mart, Target, GNC and Walgreen over their store-brand supplements, on-line Science Daily recently reported. Caveat emptor, as the Latin tag warned: let the buyer beware.

Diversion No. 4

Beer really does lubricate the brain, enthuses Australia’s NT News. A new study found something about the ‘nectar of the gods’ has a miraculous effect: reducing the chances of dementia and Parkinson’s disease.

Finally, we are indebted to The New York Times for elucidating on whether this is the Year of the Sheep. Or Goat. Or Ram. The word for the eight animals in the Chinese zodiac’s 12-year-cycle of creatures in Mandarin does not make the distinction found in English between goats and sheep, explains what is one of the world’s most distinguished newspapers. Elsewhere in the fabled orient though they make the distinction. And in Japan and Taiwan they’re not kidding.