Neat. Are you also a botanist? Just curious because of all your grafting expertise. Anyway congrats. I'm not anywhere near your level, don't create new varieties, but I do love growing things and appreciate expertise in this area.

Thanks for sharing.

I guess that I do take a scientific approach to gardening. My degree is in chemistry, but the specific field of science isn't as important as using an organized, data collecting, control study, evidence and outcomes based approach to gardening to help the experience be better each season. I've been gardening for 40 years, and still see new things each year that I have to assess and incorporate into my approach.

mostly, I like to use my garden as a big laboratory, try experiments, do some Mendel type basic breeding to explore and create new varieties, and share what I learned with other gardeners, just as I love to learn from other gardeners.

Looks like y'all are loving life there in the new digs! I haven't yet bought your book on growing in hay bales, I think maybe you call them "straw" bales...? Here in Mississippi, we call them "hay" bales. Unless you're talking about those wheat straw bales like you get at Tractor Supply...? Anyhoo, we have a HUGE fire ant problem down here, and I'm figuring that if I try to grow anything in hay bales, I'll just end up with several very large fire ant condos...any thoughts on that?

Thanks for sharing the link. I enjoyed reading some of your blog posts.