What’s the point of having an opinion if you can’t later circle ’round and contradict yourself? Exactly. So while I did write about the importance of using botanical names (here) I now want to give a shout out to the excellence of some common names, in this case Bladder Senna.
I’ve recently been working on a project out at Intel in Hillsboro. This is my first experience with a long daily commute, and I’m spending a lot more time surrounded by concrete than I’m used to. Long drives, big parking lots, big buildings.
I was pleasantly surprised to find that Intel does a great job with their cafeterias. Fruits and veggies are easy to come by. There are always multiple options for healthy meals, even for people with special diet requirements. You can find fresh cooked greens and colorful veggies on the menu every day.
There’s space to eat on a big outdoor patio surrounded by plants. The landscaping is sort of what you’d expect at a big company, no inspired botanical gardens or anything like that. However, there is a stretch of raised beds just beyond the patio. I assumed they were supplying some of the cafeteria’s fresh veggies, until I recognized folks from the office pulling weeds and emerging with armloads of garden spoils on their lunch hour. Time for closer inspection.
Just a bit over a year ago, I had the vision of someday removing the giant swath of Juniper we inherited with our Flamingo Park House. The “Sea of Juniper” was some 12′ wide and 40′ long. Apparently, back in the 60s and 70s, people got the notion that mass planting Juniper was a good idea. It was not. Truth is, I never thought we’d really get it out–and there were days when I tried to make peace with its undulating giganticness. It’s not that terrible, I told myself–even as a little voice said, oh yes it is. (more…)
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