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Swapping Huckleberries

Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album)  Himalayan Honeysuckle ( Vaccinium glauco album) has been an attractive feature along our north-facing foundation since I planted it in 2016. You will have to take my word for it since I cannot locate a photo although I know one exists somewhere in the realm of the Internet or floating on a cloud somewhere.  I did locate a photo of how it looked when it was first planted - It took a few years to fill out but it did so nicely to an attractive mound about 2 feet high by 3 feet wide.  Last year, it started to look bad.  I cut it back but it had not improved and this is how it looked a few weeks ago - I decided to rip it out and plant another huckleberry - this time Vaccinium ovatum , more commonly known as the "Evergreen Huckleberry".  This is a plant that I've wanted for ages and kept putting off getting one because I could not find a good place for it. By most accounts, this is an amazing plant, a native one and excellent for

Win an unabridged CD audiobook of "Wicked Plants"

The winner is Darla of More Family and Flowers blog. Congratulations Darla and thanks to everyone who entered!


Who knew that the plant kingdom could be so dangerous? In "Wicked Plants: The Weed That Killed Lincoln's Mother and Other Atrocities", author Amy Stewart presents an A-Z encyclopedia of over 200 plants that can make you sick, cripple you or even kill you. Many of these plants could be lurking in your backyard although many come from far reaches of the world. Stewart weaves fascinating botanical facts with folklore, mythology, medicine and pop culture. This 4 CD audiobook (4.5 hours) is read by Coleen Marlo who was chosen Audiobook Reader of the Year for 2010 by Publisher's Weekly.


One lucky winner will receive a copy. To enter, leave a comment to this post and include your e-mail address so I can contact you if you are the winner. The contest is open through midnight Tuesday, August 23.

Text and photos by Phillip Oliver, Dirt Therapy

Comments

  1. I listen to audiobooks all the time in the car...I hope I win...bosbowl at gmail .com

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  2. I think this would be great fun to listen to. Thanks for the opportunity. bowerbird53atsbcglobaldotnet

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  3. What an excellent "read". We listen to audio books when we travel and this would be a big hit. kmstrotheratgmaildotcom

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  4. Perfect giveaway with school starting back and us parent gardener's spending so much time in the car playing taxi! rusdar at hotmai dot com

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  5. With a half hour drive to work and back each day, I can finish it in a week. marycar@netspeednow.com

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  6. How interesting! We just bought a new house with beautiful, but neglected gardens. I've ripped out enough deadly nightshade to wipe out the town!!

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  8. Phillip, This will be a fun listen~
    gailtilesatgmaildotcom

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  9. Oh, how VERY cool! I wish me lucky and I THANK you! Awesome blog!
    -ALTEREDsewFittingly@gmail.com

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  10. Phillip, you give away the most interesting things! Put me in please. This sounds like something I'd really enjoy since I have a "dark side." Moo-ha-ha.
    scooterjen@tds.net

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  11. This book has been on my list. Thanks! cherylwbennett@gmail.com

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  12. Having bought my first monkshood this year (and maybe last, considering that it died within 6 weeks), I'd love to read this. Thanks for the opportunity to vie for it!

    ccwinslow at mindspring dot com.

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  13. I often checkout audiobooks from the library. They're great for a long car trip. Please enter me in the drawing.

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  14. I have been searching for this information since long time your suggestions and tips are really helpful for us..
    Thanks for the sharing this all with us..

    ReplyDelete

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