Behind the Scenes with Nursery Management magazine

I’ve heard about goats eating kudzu to help rid the South of the invasive plant, but not people partaking. I read in Good magazine that there are kudzu-related cookbooks on the market. Kudzu leaves can be used like spinach—as additions to salads, quiches and pasta dishes. And, according to Good, kudzu root powder is sold in natural food stores as a thickener for soups and sauces. It’s an interesting take on stopping “the vine that ate the South,” a menace that costs states hundreds of millions of dollars a year to control. But southerners aren’t the only ones using pots and pans to fight invasive species. The same article also revealed that iguana meat is the next big thing in Puerto Rico, where more than 4 million of the reptiles roam the country, destroying crops, damaging buildings and causing blackouts. The Puerto Rican government is working on a plan to train volunteers to slaughter the invasive iguanas, bring them to a processing center, and ship the meat to the U.S. Does anyone else hear the theme to The Beverly Hillbillies?
 

What We're Celebrating

Spring, of course. After some keen journalism research (um, I mean a Google search), I learned that on March 20, 2012, at precisely 12:14 a.m. Central time zone (also known as Elvis time if you listen to Elvis Radio on Sirius XM), the Sun will cross directly over the Earth’s equator. This moment is known as the vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. In my home state of Texas, we’ve already had spring–like weather for at least three weeks before the official start of the season. So I think The Big Day probably isn’t as exciting here as it may be in, say, Syracuse, N.Y. No matter where you reside, spring means hard work and exciting possibilities in the green industry. Here’s to a spring that delivers plenty of labor, beautiful and healthy plants, and eager consumers ready to spend some green.

Photos courtesy of John D. Byrd, Mississippi State University, Bugwood.org, Ianaré Sévi, Jim Xerogeanes