There seems to be a bumper crop of blood-red Hawthorn berries this autumn. Although there are several native species that are very beautiful, it is the Azarole (Crategeus azarolus), a Mediterranean transplant, that brightens my heart. Literally.

Photos courtesy of the Harvard University Herbaria and the Gray Herbarium Archives

With over 5 millions plant species dried and mounted, pickled and preserved and precisely catalogued, the Harvard University Herbaria are among the largest in the world. For much of this collection, we have Victorian era botanists and explorers to thank – especially Asa Gray.

New in 2008, UC Davis Grounds and Landscape Services sought to develop, design and maintain an ever-changing edible landscape that would reflect the academic research and programs held within the surrounding Robert Mondavi Institute for Wine and Food Science.

I want a volkstuin. That’s Dutch for “people’s garden” – and it is as socialistic as it sounds. They started in Holland back in the 15th century when people created “kool” (as in cole slaw) gardens – so workers could grow staples like cabbage in vacant areas at the edges of cities.