Independence Day

Hooray for Red, White, and Blue: Patriotic Plants for July 4th

With the Independence Day holiday immediately ahead of us, I see people showing their patriotism with a lot of red, white and blue. American flags are flying. People are wearing their stars and stripes. They are even decorating their homes with red, white and blue plants and floral displays. Back when I was still selling flowers downtown, the only thing I remember offering were red, white and blue carnation bouquets. I hate to break it to you, but those blue carnations aren’t found in nature. You can find orchids, mums and Peruvian lilies and more dyed blue. Perhaps blue hydrangeas are close, but that comes from adding aluminum sulphate to the soil.… Read More

Honoring Our Founding Environmentalists On July 4

If you ever visit the Washington D.C. area for the July 4 holiday, you can celebrate Independence Day at Mt. Vernon. Courtesy MountVernon.org
Happy Independence Day from General Washington from Mount Vernon on Vimeo. I recently made a trip to Washington D.C. There is so much to do and see around our nation’s capital. No matter how many times I visit, there is always a new place for me to check out. But there is one place I haven’t been to for a very long time. I joined my family to make a side trip to Mt. Vernon, the 400-acre plantation home of the first President of the United States, George Washington. The estate is right on the banks of the Potomac River in Fairfax County, Virginia, near Alexandria, and was built in 1757.… Read More