More invasive weeds

You may or may not remember our previous posts about invasive weeds, but I was kind of in the mood for another post about noxious weeds, so here they are(I apologize for the horrible pictures--they were taken at sunset):

Nipplewort (Lapsana Communis)
Nipplewort is native to Europe and southern Asia, and the young leaves are edible. It has a longish stalk, and little yellow flowers that look kind of like mini dandelion flowers.

English Ivy (Hedera helix)

We've posted about this before, but here is some more info on it. It is native to most of Europe, and western Asia, and climbs when possible, but if there are no vertical surfaces, grows as a ground cover.

Blackberries

There are four kinds of blackberries I know about in the pacific northwest:

• 
  
  Himalayan blackberries(Rubus armeniacus or Rubus discolor)
• 
  
  Evergreen blackberries(Rubus laciniatus)
• 
  
  Creeping blackberries(R. procumbens)
• 
  
  Cell phone blackberries(that was a joke)

Himalayan and Evergreen blackberries are invasive, and the picture below is one of the two (I'm not sure which), and both have sharp thorns. They also both have very sweet berries. Creeping blackberries are native, and, as the name states, creep. Their thorns are much less sharp than Himalayans and Evergreens. They also have berries that while still are delicious, have a much more delicate flavor than the other two.

Holly(Ilex aquifolium)

First an foremost, to anybody named Holly, I'm not talking about you. You have a very pretty name, and I really hope I don't offend you.

Though this plant is invasive, it is not an official noxious weed, as there is a board that has to say it is bad enough to be a noxious weed. My dad is actually trying to get it made official, because that way there is a lot more the county can do about getting rid of it.

Holly can only be killed effectively with an injection of herbicide, which makes it even worse.

scary environmental fact

Did you know that 100 million pens are thrown out daily? 

Image via Wikipedia

Did you know that not only are pesticides bad for the environment, but may also cause ADHD? Yet another reason to buy organic food if you can!
To find out more, click here.

random green tip #13

Now that it's summer, and (finally) sunny, dry your clothes on a clothesline instead of in a dryer(unless you are felting an old sweater!). According to consumerenergycenter.org, dryers are the most energy using appliance after refrigerators.


image source

what to do with a pair of old gauchos(sort of)

I had this pair of gauchos that were hand-me-downs, but I'm not really gaucho person, and they also fitted me a bit strangely, so I thought I'd turn them into a skirt.

I cut up the crotch(for lack of better word) seam, and had an idea:

or:

I can't decide if I like it, or if it's too weird.

What do you think of it, and what should I call it?

Photo credits:

model: me

photographer: Andrea

P.S. Do you like the new background?