Hippie Dabble Digest 1: Plant websites, octopus podcast, & first to read list

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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 is the very first Hippie Dabble Digest. The links from the Hippie Dabble Digests get put into the Directory and can be found here: https://hippiedabble.com/directory/.

Welcome to week one of the Hippie Dabble Digest! Here are the resources and interesting finds I’ve come across this past week.

Ask Extension – a website to answer all your plant questions 

I came across the Ask Extension website last week when I was searching for information on watermelon plants.  This is our first time planting them, and I was wondering how to know when they are ready to pick.  I found this great answer complete with pictures here:  https://ask2.extension.org/kb/faq.php?id=357691.  If you aren’t growing watermelons, it is still helpful for picking out the best watermelon at the store.

I quickly discovered how useful the entire Ask Extension website is as it answers tons of questions about plants and growing them, from plant identification to how to’s to what should you plant for specific purposes.  The site’s about page describes the site as offering, “one-to-one expert answers from Cooperative Extension/University staff and volunteers within participating Land-Grant institutions from across the United States.”  It also has a search feature so you can see if your question has already been answered like mine had.

Check out Ask Extension and get your questions answered here: https://ask2.extension.org

The Ezra Klein Show Podcast – How Octopuses Upend What We Know About Ourselves

I heard an ad on one of the podcasts that I regularly listen to for The Ezra Klein Show podcast.  I decided to check it out and as I scrolled through the podcast titles, they all seemed fairly predictable.  Then I got to “How Octopuses Upend What We Know About Ourselves.”  With a title like that, I couldn’t pass it up, and not only was I not disappointed, I was pleasantly surprised.  

This podcast episode is an interview of Sy Montgomery, author of The Soul of an Octopus (https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Soul-of-an-Octopus/Sy-Montgomery/9781451697711). Sy discusses her extraordinary friendships with octopuses while also going into octopus facts and discoveries as well as covering humans vs. animals and ethical concerns.  It was absolutely fascinating learning about octopuses’ personalities and capabilities. I am definitely adding her book to my reading list.

You can find the podcast here:  https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/13/opinion/ezra-klein-podcast-sy-montgomery.html or anywhere you get your podcasts.

Plants for a Future Nonprofit and Website – an incredible database of plant information

This past week I have been picking out all the plants I want to add to the backyard and ordering my perennials to plant in the fall.  I was afraid I have more plants picked out than space so I needed to decide where everything would go to make sure there is enough space.  My yard also has some spots that stay wetter than others and some spots that are shadier than others.  This website was very handy because I could put the plant I am thinking about adding into the website’s search feature and find a whole bunch of information on it including if it fits my USDA growing zone, if it prefers to be in the shade or the sun, and if it likes wet or dry conditions.  It has so much more information than that though and if you don’t know what plant you want to pick yet, you can search by uses, conditions, type, size, etc.  There’s lots of information on over 8,000 plants.  

Plants for a Future is a nonprofit whose goals, according to its about page, “are researching and providing information on ecologically sustainable horticulture, as an integral part of designs involving high species diversity and permaculture principles. Approaches such as woodland/forest gardening use a minimal input of resources and energy, create a harmonious eco-system and cause the least possible damage to the environment, while still having the potential to achieve high productivity.” It provides a database focusing on edible and useful plants and more recently adding information on carbon sequestration, carbon farming, and food forests.  I’m only scratching the surface on how much information this website has.  Begin exploring on the main page here:  https://pfaf.org/user/Default.aspx  and see some screen shots on my keyword search for “corn” below.

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 above)
  4. Plants for Your Food Forest: 500 Plants for Temperate Food Forests and Permaculture Gardens Published by Plants for a Future (see website above)

Have any book suggestions? You can send me an email with any comments or suggestions at HippieDabble@gmail.com or comment on this post.

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!