Yiesla's Plants

Welcome to my new blog, “Plant ID(eas)” on yieslasplants.com.  The main focus here will be plant id, with a good dose of botany rolled in, because you can’t really have one without the other.  From time to time, other plant topics may creep in, but I really want to provide a good look at plant id.  The technical details and how-to will al be there, but I hope to add a little extra to the mix.  I hope to give you some insight into the process.  Over the years, people have asked me things like “How did you know about that?” or “How do I get started?” That all boils down to what is the thought behind the process.  So, I plan to share some tips that make plant id work for me.  Those tips may not work for you, but they may help you figure out what does.

What made me decide to blog?  One day, my friend Emily came to see me and announced that I should write a book.  As she stood talking to me, I could see behind her a large set of shelves filled with books and I wondered if there was really anything left to write about.  Then it occurred to me that the information I have acquired in my nearly 40-year career might be better suited to a blog.

Experts in education tell me that no educational video or module should be more that 7 minutes long, because people today have short attention spans.  I believe they might be underestimating learners.    Considering that the learner is in control of their device (be it computer, tablet or phone), they have the power to pause a video at any time.  So, a person who can’t pay attention for more than 7 minutes can stop at that point and take a break, and a person who wants to push on for 20 minutes has that choice.  I believe that someone who is interested in a topic can stick with it a bit, so some of the blog posts and videos here may run longer than 7 minutes.

If you are still reading as I begin this fourth paragraph, then you may be one of the people with a longer attention span.  Congratulations.  If you took a break and continued reading later, then welcome back.  I plan to post something new on this blog at least once a week.  It may be an informational post, or a post with a video or learning module.  What you won’t find here are any plant apps.  I learned a lot of plant id and botany through some formal education and a whole lot of hands-on experience.  Apps are great, but a learned skill is priceless.  I hope some of you think so too.

If you find this site and blog useful, feel free to tell other plant nerds where to find to find it.  If you want to share some feedback with me, go to the Contact tab on the website and let me know.  Be nice.  Be constructive.  I am just a little plant nerd trying to share some info.

Thank you, Emily.  You spent most of your life dedicated to learning and teaching.  I have, too.  You get all the credit for this.  You said ‘book’ and I heard ‘blog’.  It’s really the same thing, isn’t it? Learning is learning.

Stay tuned, the first plant id video will be posted later this week.