Plants are decisive to a fault. A stem produces a bud that flowers once and once only. It offers pollen that is either dispersed or goes nowhere. One pollen grain either enters a stigma or it falls upon stony ground. An ovum is either fertilized or the whole project stalls out.

One would think that plants belonging to the same genus would always produce identical or at least similar oils. But this is by no means so.

The uplands of my home country in north central Kentucky are sloping and easily eroded, dependent for safekeeping upon year-round cover of perennial plants.

One would think that plants belonging to the same genus would always produce identical or at least similar oils. But this is by no means so.

When you get into the whole field of exploring, probably 90 percent of the kinds of organisms, plants, animals and especially microorganisms and tiny invertebrate animals are unknown. Then you realize that we live on a relatively unexplored plan.

As far as plants are concerned, they can't tell whether that nitrate ion comes from artificial chemicals or from decomposed organic matter.

I once had a gig in Gothenburg and went on the most unbelievable theme park ride, which was a rollercoaster built into a mountain that went through plants and tunnels. It was huge and a thrill to go on.

When most people talk about biofuels, they talk about using oils or grease from plants.

The trains carrying coal to power plants are death trains. Coal-fired power plants are factories of death.

In temperate zones, winter is the best insecticide; it keeps the bugs in check. The tropics enjoy no such respite, so plants there have developed a wide range of alkaloids that kill off nosy insects and animals.

Plants are so important to the ancients for medicine and in a religious aspect - and in hemlock!

Plants are decisive to a fault. A stem produces a bud that flowers once and once only. It offers pollen that is either dispersed or goes nowhere. One pollen grain either enters a stigma or it falls upon stony ground. An ovum is either fertilized or the whole project stalls out.

Organisms don't think of CO2 as a poison. Plants and organisms that make shells, coral, think of it as a building block.

My parents owned a plants nursery. We all grew up growing things and planting things and selling things, and I also managed landscape crews.

We have a thousand hydrangea plants bordering the house, and they were all supposed to be pink, but a handful of them keep turning purple.

Nuclear power plants built in the areas usually thought of as earthquake zones, such as the California coastline, have a surprisingly low risk of damage from those earthquakes. Why? They built anticipating a major quake.

I think I just want to garden - or kill some plants, in my case.

We have very pretty Dutch gardens, so called, in America, but their chief claim to being Dutch is that they are set with bulbs, and have Delft or other earthen pots or boxes for formal plants or shrubs.

Natural abilities are like natural plants; they need pruning by study.

I hardly have any spare time! But when I do, I garden a lot - I love plants and flowers.