Though sometimes the 'Golden Years' seem more like tarnished brass, they are not the end of adventure. I invite you to follow me as I enjoy my days as a full-time life observer. I'll cover life, travel, food, gardening, whatever crosses my path.
Have you ever started a tree from a seeding? It is not something I would have ever considered. But, I have three trees in my yard, all started from a seedling someone gave me.
This first tree, an evergreen, was given to me about 15 years ago by a good neighbor. Her church had given out seedlings for Arbor Day, but since she had a wooded lot, she didn't want them and gave them to me. I planted them, only to have them torn up by critters (probably deer). This one survived by miracle of miracles. It is now about four feet tall. And doing very well.
This next tree is a redbud. About six years ago another neighbor asked me if I wanted this seeding that his brother-in-law gave him. He started it from a cutting, but my neighbor had no room for it in his yard. So, of course I took it. I planted it in the front yard only to have the top chewed off by deer. You can actually see the curve in the trunk, though I didn't photograph it. This year it produced its first blooms. Not many, but I am hoping for a glorious display next spring. It has taken a lot of pruning and tying of limbs to get it in shape.
This last tree is very special to me. When one of my sons was in first grade, 1985, his class was given a pine seedling. I plunked it down in the back corner of our lot - and totally forgot about it. About fifteen years later, when I decided to clear out all the invasive buckthorn in that corner, I found the tree. It was only about two feet high and I could see the animal damage to the trunk. I dug it out and planted it the grass. And then the deer chewed it up again. So, I wrapped it in netting. And it continued growing. In 2008, when I decided to remove all the yews around my deck, I again moved the tree. It has done quite well.
I have not blogged much about my garden this year. That is because this is the worst summer I can remember. Hot and very humid. Wake up to 98% humidity when there is no rain in the forecast. Can't see out of the windows because they are covered with mist.
I tried to mow the lawn the other morning and the lawnmower jammed because the grass was still damp. It was no better by the afternoon. I have no idea how my daylilies fared this year because I never went out into that garden area to look at them. Too hot in the sun.
Anyway, I ventured out this morning and took a few photos of what is still blooming. Everything is covered with dew. This afternoon I will continue the fall cleanup. Takes forever because my spinal issues limit me to no more than two hours a day of bending over. Getting old is not for the weak of mind or spirit.
And now...
The tall grasses. These will stay up for the winter and be cut back in the early spring.
Quick-fire Hydrangea. This was moved from the front yard after the deer chewed it to nubs. Finally, it has come back.
Hydrangea. A gift from a friend so no idea what kind. But it is one that is cut back in the spring and new growth appears.
Knock-out Rose. The last surviving bush. Most were destroyed by deer before the yard was fenced.
I looked out my window to see a turkey in the garden path. Okay. Not unusual. Then I saw movement and wondered what was going on underneath her. OH. Babies. Very small poults. I counted eight. How did they ever fly into the yard?
So, it is late afternoon and the family is still here. The chicks are really tiny and I am thinking that mama must have laid her eggs in the backyard. She was hanging around all spring, followed by a male. I had heard something in the bushes, but figured it was squirrels. I should open a zoo!
Now if my community would only get rid of the buckthorn we having growing everywhere!
Michigan restricts buckthorn, other plants as landscapers cry foul
by Isabella Figueroa Nogueira, Bridge Michigan May 21, 2026
Michigan officials voted Wednesday to prohibit or restrict six invasive plant species, including Japanese barberry and Callery pear
Conservation advocates who pushed for the changes called the decision a major victory for Michigan’s native habitats
Advocates said the vote helps Michigan catch up with neighboring Great Lakes states that already restrict many invasive species
A quiet moment of disbelief spread through the room Wednesday after the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development unanimously voted to add six invasive plant species to the state’s prohibited and restricted species lists.
Conservation advocates who had submitted comments and attended hearings since October looked at one another after the vote.
“We really got this done,” said Carolyn Miller, president of the Wildflower Association of Michigan. “We’re beyond happy.”
The Michigan Nursery & Landscape Association, which had opposed the expansion of the list, could not be reached for comment on this story.
The commission voted Wednesday to prohibit the sale and spreading of water hyacinth and water lettuce beginning June 19. It also voted to restrict common buckthorn, glossy buckthorn, Callery pear and Japanese barberry beginning Jan. 1, 2028.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development “is committed to protecting Michigan’s agricultural and natural resources so that they may be enjoyed by present and future generations,” said MDARD Director Tim Boring. “Yesterday’s decision was the culmination of a long, comprehensive process that included rigorous, science-driven risk assessments and extensive public comment.”
For environmental advocates, the vote marked what they called a long-awaited step toward limiting the spread of invasive plants across Michigan habitats.
Miller said conservation groups began mobilizing after MDARD proposed the additions last fall. Organizations encouraged residents to submit public comments ahead of hearings held in March and May.
Dave Putt, vice president of the Wildflower Association of Michigan and chair of its Environmental Advocacy Committee, said advocates were especially concerned about the four terrestrial species because many cultivars, or varieties produced by selective breeding, are still commonly sold in Michigan nurseries.
“We knew that we were going to face opposition,” Putt said.
Putt said Wednesday’s decision was especially significant because it applies not only to the parent species, but also to cultivars.
“That was critical,” Putt said.
Advocates argued the invasive plants have escaped cultivation and spread aggressively because they lack natural predators in North America.
“They are ruining Michigan habitats,” Miller said.
Putt said the decision helps Michigan “catch up” with surrounding Great Lakes states that had already restricted or prohibited many of the species. Miller added that Michigan had not added plants to its invasive species lists in about a decade.
Miller said millions of taxpayer dollars are spent trying to remove invasive species from natural areas across the state.
Advocates expect continued debate from parts of the nursery industry
“There’s going to be a fight,” Miller said. “But we’re one step closer.”
They were predicting snow overnight. 1 - 3 inches. Of course, they mess up the forecast on a regular basis, but, they could be right... So I decided to do my grocery shopping a day early.
I prefer a store in neighboring Farmington Hills. A further drive, but a larger, well-stocked store. I got home at lunch time, put the groceries away, and heated some leftovers for lunch.
The birds had done quite a number on the suet cakes in the feeder, so I got online to the local garden center to see what they had in stock.
And then the sirens started. I figured there must be an accident close by. The main road is just a few hundred feet away. But then more sirens, and fire trucks. When I came home there were crews on the road trimming trees interfering with electrical power lines. I had even thought I should blog about it. Maybe something had happened to a crew member.
But the noise stopped close by. Was something happening at the synagogue on the corner? I had feared that for years.
So, I got online to see if anything had posted on social media - the watchdogs of the world. And then the phone rang. One of my sons was stuck on the road with dozens of police cars racing by. He got on social media and said there were reports of an active shooter at the synagogue about one half mile down the road - the one I just drove past, Temple Israel. My polling place for elections. They have hosted Michigan Week breakfasts in years past. I attended a wedding there. This is really happening in my community.
The helicopters arrived. After three hours of them buzzing overhead, my head was spinning. Every news channel was reporting on the incident. I had shelter in place alerts on my phone.
If you live in the States, you may have seen coverage. I even saw it on the BBC website. There is no excuse for the hatred and outrage we see in this world. War needs to cease. I do not want it in my neighborhood, or in yours.
These photos were taken from images on my TV.
It is now 10 pm and helicopters are still overhead. Enough already.
As a follow-up to my most recent post about invasive species I decided to repost one of my 2011 rants about purple loosestrife. I also mentioned the dreaded buckthorn, which I am still dealing with!!!
The Invasion of the Galerucella Beetle: Good-bye Purple Loosestrife
No, that is not the title of a new summer movie. It is what is happening in one of my flower beds.
When I first planted my flower beds back in the 70s, I bought a plant called 'Morden's Pink' Lythrum. Little did I know that this plant was a member of a very invasive wetland species, the purple loosestrife. Hey, it was the official Township flower at the time and grew along all the roadside.
When I came into public office in 1988, one of the first things I did was ask the Township Board to change the official flower to the Trillium grandiflorum. By then, I had learned that Minnesota had already declared the plant invasive. It took some convincing, but we got it done.
Several years later, the Township's Parks Department released the Galerucella beetle to destroy the plant. All of the specimens growing down along the branch of the Rouge River behind my house have long since disappeared. My one plant has kept on growing, with me removing the flowers before they go to seed and digging out any young plants popping up.
That is, up until this year. The beetles have arrived and are slowly but surely eating the entire plant. Fortunately, these beetles are not supposed to destroy anything else. I hope.
I've watched all of the Emerald Ash trees behind my house die off from ash borer. I know you have seen signs on the highways telling you not to transport firewood.
Perhaps someone can come up with something that eats buckthorn. And only buckthorn. It would save me a ton of work.
Drive through my community and you will see buckthorn growing everywhere. I spend a lot of my time pulling up seedings all summer long. I got into it with a neighbor who planted one in his front yard. Fortunately, the new home owner got rid of it, but has seedlings growing right in front of the window. Ugh!!!
Michigan may soon ban sales of this stinky tree and 5 other plants
by Laura Herberg, Bridge Michigan November 20, 2025
The state is proposing to add callery pear and five other plants to its prohibited and restricted species list
Plants can be added to Michigan’s list if they are non-native and cause harm
Listed plants cannot be introduced, imported, sold, or possessed in the state
A stinky pear tree may soon no longer be sold in Michigan.
The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development has proposed adding callery pear (sometimes called Bradford or Cleveland pear, among other more vulgar nicknames) and five other plants to the state’s prohibited and restricted species list.
In addition to its reek, callery pear has seeds that easily spread, often resulting in thick rows of trees, which can crowd out native species.
Items can get added to Michigan’s prohibited and restricted species list if they are non-native and cause harm. Plants on the list can’t be introduced, imported, sold or possessed in the state.
But Susie Lott, MDARD’s invasive species program specialist, said the regulations are geared toward sellers, not residents.
“An invasive plant, in particular, just being on your property is not in violation of the law,” she said.
If a plant being considered for the list is not yet well-established in Michigan, it is typically recommended as prohibited. If a plant is already widely grown in the state, then it is typically recommended as restricted. The main distinction between the two terms is that the rules for prohibited plants go into effect sooner than they would for restricted plants.
MDARD plans to introduce the order at the Michigan Commission of Agriculture and Rural Development meeting in December. Once it is out, a 30-day comment period will follow. Proposed changes will be presented at a subsequent commission meeting, likely the first meeting after it is introduced.
According to current plans, if the order is signed by the MDARD director, the rules for prohibited plants take effect one month later. The new rules would apply to restricted plants starting in January 2028, to give time for sellers to wind down their supplies but those details could change after the public comment period.
The following plants are being proposed to be added to the list.
Common buckthorn (rhamnus cathartica
Common buckthorn. (Courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources)
Common buckthorn is a leafy green, shade-tolerant shrub with dark purple berries. While widespread in Michigan, it’s native to Europe, Asia and Africa. Common buckthorn reseeds easily and is known for forming thickets that crowd out native species. It also releases chemicals that hurt plants, fish and frogs and is host to a fungus known as oat-crown rust. It’s currently regulated in 13 states — including the five surrounding Michigan — plus all of Canada. MDARD is recommending that it be restricted in Michigan.
Callery pear (pyrus calleryana)
Callery pear. (Photo via iStock/Denis Gradinar)
Callery pear is a midsized tree with pretty white flowers that’s popular in suburban yards and along sidewalks. Although it’s well-established in Michigan, the plant is originally from Asia. The tree is known for having an unpleasant fragrance, unpalatable fruit and spreading easily. It’s regulated in eight states and two Canadian provinces. MDARD is recommending it be restricted in Michigan.
Glossy buckthorn (Frangula alnus)
Glossy buckthorn. (Courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources)
This leafy green plant from Eurasia is a shrub or small tree with dark purple berries and glossy leaves. It’s often planted as a hedge, but, like common buckthorn, it easily spreads and can crowd out native plants. It’s currently regulated in 10 states, including the five surrounding Michigan. MDARD is recommending it be restricted in Michigan.
Japanese barberry (berberis thunbergii)
Japanese barberry. (Courtesy of the Michigan Department of Natural Resources)
Japanese barberry is a shade-tolerant, ornamental shrub with red or green leaves and red berries. As the name suggests, it’s native to Asia. The plant spreads easily and provides an ideal habitat for ticks that can carry Lyme disease. It is also prone to aphids and mildew. It’s currently regulated in 13 states. MDARD is recommending it be restricted in Michigan.
Water hyacinth (eichornia crassipes)
Water hyacinth (Photo via iStock/Bob Gwaltney Photography)
Water hyacinth is an aquatic species native to South America that grows pretty purple flowers. It is not yet widespread in Michigan, but it’s found in some private ponds and it has been spotted out in the wild in 13 counties. It can crowd out waterways, forming dense floating mats that quickly spread. It’s regulated in 11 states and two Canadian provinces. MDARD is recommending it be prohibited in Michigan.
Water lettuce (pistia stratiotes)
Water lettuce. (Photo via iStock/Eka Jaya Permana)
The aptly named plant looks like lettuce growing on water. The aquatic species is native to South America, Africa and Asia. Not yet widespread in Michigan, it has been observed in 16 counties. It’s fast-growing, increases pollutants and reduces oxygen in water. It’s currently regulated in eight states and two Canadian provinces. MDARD is recommending it be prohibited in Michigan.
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Turkeys. This has become a common occurrence over the last few years. So much so, that this year I participated in the turkey count run by the state. Just a little over a mile from my home you can see dozens upon dozens of turkeys nesting in the trees. Yesterday they flew into the back yard to feast on the highbush cranberries. Enjoy.
I love peonies and mine are just beginning to open. The city of Ann Arbor has beautiful peony gardens that were recently met with an act of incredible violence. You can read the story here.
