Hippie Dabble Digest 3: The secrets of trees, beneficial bugs, and a university home & garden site

The Hippie Dabble Digest started September 7, 2021 on Substack.  We have since transitioned over to the blog and a newsletter that encompasses more than just the digest.  As part of this transition,  Hippie Dabble is bringing over all the old digests for you to enjoy.  This one is week 3 from September 21, 2021. The links from the Hippie Dabble Digests get put into the Directory and can be found here: https://hippiedabble.com/directory/.


Welcome to week 3 of the Hippie Dabble Digest! My goal is to provide you with at least 52 weeks of helpful, informational, and/or interesting resources. Feel free to leave me comments or suggestions on this post or through email at HippieDabble@gmail.com. Hope you enjoy this week’s finds!

TED Climate Podcast – What if there were 1 trillion more trees on the planet?

We know that humans and human activities create excess carbon dioxide. And we know that trees capture and store carbon dioxide. So would planting a trillion trees save the world from climate change. This short (only 11 minutes) but informative podcast delves into this question.  The short answer – well – it’s complicated.  This episode of the TED Climate podcast will explain and also tell you how trees are beneficial aside from carbon capture, especially in urban areas. 

TED podcasts don’t have websites for specific podcast episodes, but here is the link to the TED Climate podcast in general for more information, and you can find this episode wherever you get your podcasts.   https://www.ted.com/podcasts/ted-climate

The Secret Language of Trees

The TED Climate Podcast above suggested a short animation about one of the ways trees communicate with each other underground.  The Secret Language of Trees is only about 4 1/2 minutes long and super fascinating.  It can be found here:  https://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-secret-language-of-trees-camille-defrenne-and-suzanne-simard

While I was trying to find this video, I came across a book called The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World.  It looks like this book goes even further into how trees communicate and of course has been added to me to read list below.

Beneficial Bugs

Fall is starting but that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped thinking about my garden.  Throughout the summer I noticed a lot of bugs and I just knew that some of them have to be good for the garden.  I also thought maybe I can get more for next year.  I was right about both.  This article from HGTV describes some of the more common beneficial bugs and even has links to eight places where you can get your garden bugs. https://www.hgtv.com/outdoors/gardens/planting-and-maintenance/ordering-beneficial-bugs-by-mail

More Beneficial Bugs and Clemson University Home and Garden Site

There are definitely a few missing from the list though.  Most notably, everyone’s childhood favorite, daddy long legs.  Daddy long legs are beneficial in many of the same ways as the other beneficial bugs – by eating the pests.  Here’s more information if you’re interested.   https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/daddy-longlegs/  While you’re on this site, have a look around for even more home and garden information brought to you by the College of Agriculture, Forestry, and Life Sciences at Clemson University.  The main home and garden site for them is here:  https://hgic.clemson.edu/

Quote of the week

What’s on my to read list?  

(I’m a slow reader so this could get pretty long.)

  1. Food Politics – What Everyone Needs to Know by Robert Paarlberg (found at a library book sale)
  2. Tightrope – Americans Reaching for Hope by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (past Book of the Month Club book)
  3. Soul of an Octopus by Sy Montgomery (See the Ezra Klein Show Podcast in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 1)
  4. Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens Published by Plants for a Future (See the website in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 1)
  5. Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Solutions by Johann Hari (see TED Talks Daily Podcast in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 2)
  6. Chasing the Scream: The Inspiration for the Feature Film “The United States vs. Billie Holiday” (The Opposite of Addiction is Connection) by Johann Hari (see TED Talks Daily Podcast in the Hippie Dabble Digest: Week 2)
  7. The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate – Discoveries from a Secret World by Peter Wohlleben (found by accident when searching for the Secret Language of Trees video, see link above)

Hope you enjoyed this back issue of the Hippie Dabble Digest! I’ll keep posting them every Thursday until we’re all caught up. See you next week!

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