My first four wildflowers to bloom each year

One of the joys of early spring is watching for the first plants to emerge and bloom in the landscape.

By Gene Bush / April 3, 2013

The dwarf snow trillium is always one of the first bloomers in the writer's Indiana garden, no matter what the weather is. Its charming white flowers are an attractive welcome to spring.

Courtesy of Gene Bush

Enlarge Photos

I perform my walks of expectation around the garden as if I could hurry spring along and make it happen by my frequent looks. Usually my walks begin two to three weeks before the official calendar date for spring to begin. Every year's weather is different, not necessarily tied to a calendar, but more to cycles and events beyond a gardener's control.

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However, I remember and know where all my plants are located from last year, so I ignore my head and follow my expectations into the gardens, all bundled up against cold rains and wet snows.

Whatever weather Mother Nature presents each spring, there is at least a sequence of events that I can expect: Some plants emerge with foliage and patiently wait for the time to present their blooms, while others push up blooms between leaves and unfurl almost immediately.

The following four plants are the first to come up, but also bloom, in my Midwest garden in late winter or on the first day of spring.

Dwarf snow trillium

The dwarf snow trillium (Trillium nivale), Zone 3 to 6, is not only the first plant to bloom in my garden, it is consistently the first plant to emerge each spring. [See first photo above.] The common name fits well, for it is not unusual to see snow and sleet while it is in bloom. I have yet to see the weather damage foliage or flower on this diminutive plant. Usually the stems, with three blue-green leaves of heavy substance, reach about 4 to 6 inches in height and are crowned with three-petal white flowers.

Sharp-lobed hepatica

Second in bloom sequence is the sharp-lobed hepatica (Hepatica acutiloba), Zones 3 to 8. First stems arise from the old tattered stem and foliage. They're covered with soft, whitish hairs, and have a tight fuzzy ball at the top. The little ball waits for a bit of sunlight and splits open to become a five to seven-petaled flower. [See second photo above; click on the arrow at the right base of the first photo.] Color can be white, pink, or blue; mine is white. The three-to-five- part leaves are shaped like the outline of a human liver and heavily mottled. Given time, the tight clumps can produce five to 100 blooms on a plant less than a foot tall.?

Trout lilies

Trout lilies (Erythronium americana), Zones 4 to 7,? emerge as a multitude of small single leaves from immature tubers checking out the weather before the mature tubers awaken. They are of such heavy substance, they resemble carvings from wax. Soon, twin mature leaves unfold from the drift with a single stem in the center. [See third photo above; click on the arrow at the right base of the first or second poto to go to the third picture.] A yellow bell hangs from the stem reflecting sunshine stored up from last season. Leaves are mottled in shades of brown over green providing the common name.

Spring beauties

Spring beauties (Claytonia virginica), Zones 4 to 9, are exactly that. Their first appearance is a tiny grass-like blade in deepest brown-bronze, perhaps to disguise itself from browsing, but more than likely to catch every weak ray of sunlight. The leaves will turn to green as the flowers appear. Only one-half-inch across, the five-petaled flowers are white to pink with prominent deep red-lavender veins. They tend to seed about and form tiny open drifts only 3 to 6 inches in height.

Disappearing and reappearing

Dwarf snow trillium, trout lilies, and spring beauties are ephemeral, meaning they go dormant soon after setting seed and aren't seen again until they return next spring. Hepatica has a presence above ground all 12 months of the year.

-----

Gene Bush, a nationally known garden writer, photographer, lecturer, and nursery owner, gardens on a shaded hillside in southern Indiana. His website is at Munchkin Nursery. He also writes the Garden Clippin's Newsletter. To read more by Gene here at Diggin' It, click here.

Source: http://rss.csmonitor.com/~r/feeds/csm/~3/WvwXpBCx3MA/My-first-four-wildflowers-to-bloom-each-year

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Missing woman found dead at bottom of Chicago high-rise trash chute

The body of an elderly woman missing since Saturday was found Monday at the bottom of a trash chute of the Chicago high-rise building in which she lived.

Florence Banta, 80, lived on the 17th floor of the Astor Condominiums, in the 1500 block of North Astor Street.

Her body was found on the ground floor of the trash chute by a building engineer, a Cook County Medical Examiner's Office spokeswoman said.

The building is the same in which a 16-year-old fell to his death in a trash chute a little more than a year ago.

A spokesman at Chicago's Department of Buildings explained at that time that the city code -- written with fire safety in mind -- required a minimum of 18-inch clearance so trash could fall safely but said nothing about maximum size or safety concerns for people or animals.

Banta had previously been reported missing and had last been seen Saturday, said police spokeswoman Antoinette Ursitti.

Read more from NBCChicago.com

Authorites were not releasing further information about Banta's death on Monday evening.

An autopsy to determine manner and cause was scheduled for Tuesday.

NBCChicago.com

Related:

Teen falls 46 stories to death down high-rise garbage chute

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Jim Morrison in 1969 interview: 'Fat is beautiful'

By Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone

Jim Morrison was a fan of flab, as a newly unearthed 1969 interview with the Doors frontman reveals. In it, he explains why "fat is beautiful" to director/journalist Howard Smith and relays how he made the most of his meal plan while in college, growing to about 185 pounds and feeling great.

The chat has been animated as part of a new series from PBS and the "lost interview" project Blank on Blank.

Jim Morrison documentary begins production

"I felt like a large mammal. A big beast," Morrison exclaims in the interview, his words now accompanied by some delightfully literal illustrations.

"When I'd move through the corridors or across the lawn, I just felt like I could knock anybody out of my way, you know. I was solid, man. It's terrible to be thin and wispy because, you know, you could get knocked over by a strong wind or something. Fat is beautiful."

Related content:

Source: http://entertainment.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/04/03/17584824-doors-singer-jim-morrison-says-fat-is-beautiful-in-recently-discovered-1969-interview?lite

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Letter from governor promotes insurance

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - A letter has gone out to Indiana residents from the governor?s office. And while it may surprise some people, it?s perfectly legitimate.

The letter has the official seal of the governor on the outer envelope. Inside, the letter has the governor's signature. But the big surprise is that the letter talks about an insurance policy.

The Indiana Department of Insurance said the letter is legit. But the governor isn't selling insurance. Instead, he's calling attention to a long-term care insurance program that's been around since 1993.?

Hoosiers still buy the insurance from an insurance company. But because it's part of the state's partnership program, there are two special benefits: Personal control over heath care decisions and protection for certain financial assets that might not otherwise be protected.??

There is of course, more to it than that. Insurance policies should be well researched. For more details on the program, click here.?

Source: http://www.wishtv.com/dpp/news/indiana/letter-from-governor-promotes-insurance

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A smartphone solution to childhood obesity

The best weapon in the battle against obesity may already be in the hands of children and teenagers.

That?s the thinking behind the work of several researchers and technologists around the country who hope to turn cell phones into devices that can help young people make healthier food and lifestyle choices.

A recent Pew Internet study found that 78 percent of teens now have a cell phone, and almost half of them ? 47 percent -- own smartphones with computing capability.

?It?s interesting because most people think using technology is part of the problem,? said Dr. Susan Woolford of the Pediatric Comprehensive Weight Management Center at the University of Michigan, pointing to video games and other uses of technology that have made teens more sedentary. ?We?re actually using this new technology to help us.?

Woolford leads a team that sends highly tailored and targeted text messages to obese adolescents to help them change their behaviors. The messages urge teens to reduce their time in front of TV and computer screens, eat a healthy breakfast and more fruits and vegetables, and reduce the number of sweets and sugary beverages in their diets.

The initial test program had bout 25 volunteer participants -- overweight teens who are participating in university's weight management program.

To get the most effective messages to individual teens, participants in the pilot program filled out an online survey with questions about their activity level, what kind of support they have, what kind of foods they prefer and what inspires them to lose weight.

From there, the team has developed a database of 100 or so unique automated messages that are sent daily. Their goal is to get the right message at the right time to the right person.

?We aren?t going to suggest you play basketball as an activity if you said your interest was in water sports,? Woolford said.

Or if a teen prefers dairy for breakfast, the team?s text might suggest low-fat yogurt.

Woolford said the feedback from the participants has been crucial in shaping the messages.

She pointed to a text suggesting alternative snacks that said, ?Instead of ice cream try frozen yogurt today." But some teens in the study were quick to point out when they see the words ?ice cream? in a message they don?t see see the healthy alternative that comes later.

So, Woolford said, the text message simply became "Try yogurt this morning."

?I think technology is definitely going to help us,? she said, ?It?s not just sending a text message, it?s send the right text message. And if we pay attention to the content the success is greater.?

In Massachusetts, Dr. Nicolas Oreskovic is using another common smartphone feature ? the Global Positioning System ? to study where in a city and when young people are active.

?What urban spaces do they use for physical activity and what spaces they do not use for physical activity?? Oreskovic asked.

Oreskovic and his team based at Massachusetts General Hospital?s Center for Child and Adolescent Health Policy had teens in Revere, Mass. wear GPS devices on their wrists and accelerometers on their hips for several months over three seasons to collect data on the location and activity of their daily routines.

By plotting the results on a city map, Oreskovic noticed that children tend to be active in outdoor spaces like parks, playgrounds, streets and sidewalks rather than indoor spaces like their home and school. He also charted when they are most active and where and when they walked to a park or playground.

Oreskovic said he hopes such studies help urban planners design cities and towns to promote a more healthy and active lifestyle in children.

If city officials had good data about how children use their sidewalks, parks and open areas, they can redesign communities with the right walking paths to the right parks, Oreskovic said. Decisions could be made using scientific data, which in turn should encourage more use of a city's parks, playscapes and open space.

Oreskovic said a next step could be to use location mapping to help teens find healthy food options and places to spend their time. The GPS on their cellphones and texting technology could be combined to point teens to a safe park to play or suggest a healthier restaurant near their favorite fast food joint.

?I think the wave of the future in these not traditional areas,? Oreskovic said. ?Intervention in schools has had a limited impact. These novel technology areas are where we can individualize obesity counseling may be helpful.?

Technology is making great strides in the fight against obesity according to Dr. Philip Schauer, director of the Bariatric and Metabolic Institute at the Cleveland Clinic. Schauer said hundreds of applications on mobile and desktop and computerized devices, like smart watches and digital jewelry, are being developed to help users maintain a healthy lifestyle.

?Some of these smart watches can help us with weight, they can keep track of the steps day we take each day, the calories burning and track our weight on daily basis," Schauer said.

"There?s all kinds of apps, more and more come out each day and it?s hard to keep track of them,? Schauer said. ?I even think they are working on one where you can take a picture of the food eating with the camera on your smartphone and an app tells you how many calories it is.?

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/researchers-combat-obesity-tech-tools-popular-teens-135530214.html

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PST: U.S. achievement a bit of skill, and luck

It takes some luck to prevail inside the intimidating cauldron that is Estadio Azteca, and the United States did find its share of good fortune in Tuesday?s 0-0 draw with suddenly beleaguered El Tri.

Two penalty appeals were denied and Javier ?Chicharito? Hernandez missed twice from in close ? the kind of chances ?Chicharito? generally finishes with ruthless efficiency, which is why he went to Manchester United at such a young age.

To be sure, the young United States back line (well, three inexperienced defenders plus converted midfielder DaMarcus Beasley) were generally in the right spots and almost always accurate in the challenges. Michael Bradley did good two-way work, identifying the vital passing central lanes to screen out much of the danger and then assisting the United States in possession.

The Americans never moved enough men forward to bother or test Mexico?s back line, but those useful moments of possession were critical in taking just enough pressure off the back line and pushing the Mexicans back.

For the second consecutive contest, goalkeeper Brad Guzan did everything he needed to do. Surely U.S. fans who fretted last week about a U.S. goal unguarded by trusty Tim Howard are feeling better after seeing Guzan calmly go about his chores over two memorable nights.

Still, Klinsmann?s men needed a break here or there to draw a point out of Azteca, a place where Mexico has traditionally been so stingy with them.

(MORE: United States fights to a scoreless draw)

In the first half, Bradley raised two hands and pushed Chicharito in the back as the Mexican markman streaked into the 18, looking for a ball off Giovani dos Santos? foot along the right. The nearby referee?s assistant raised his flag to indicate a foul but Guatemalan referee Walter Lopez ignored the waving yellow flag.

But the refereeing choice? that will surely drive Mexican fans even more nutso ? when they aren?t debating the job status of increasingly embattled Jos? Manuel ?Chepo? de la Torre ? was a 76^th minute penalty kick appeal unheard by Lopez. Edu bundled aggressively into Javier Aquino from behind as the Mexican attacker prepared to shoot.

The visitors from up north definitely got away with something there.

(MORE: Mexico?s turn to defuse crisis)

As for the missed shots:

In the 28^th minute, Chicharito went high with a header from inside the six ? but the sequence perfectly illustrated how so much of the night would go. ?Mexico?s Jorge Torres Nilo was able to scoot free along the U.S. right side; there was quite a bit of that Tuesday, especially early. But U.S. center back Matt Besler got just enough of a body on Chicharito as they both sprinted toward goal, so the Mexican striker didn?t have anything uncontested.

Later, Chicharito missed from even closer; that one was something that looked like genuine serendipity.

Of course, the United States made some of its own luck. Prime example, Graham Zusi?s tremendous tracking in the 72^nd minute, a 30-yard dash to heroically head away a ball and prevent a point blank header from Angel Reyna.

Besler and Omar Gonzalez were ball-clearing beasts ? which was absolutely no luck at all. That was on Klinsmann, whose choice to start the LA Galaxy center back to begin the final round looks like the right one now.

(MORE: Man of the Match, Omar Gonzalez)

Source: http://prosoccertalk.nbcsports.com/2013/03/27/tuesdays-big-u-s-achievement-took-a-bit-of-luck-too/related/

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Source: http://accessconference.org/of-use-facts-about-consulting-business/

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