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Published: June 29, 2009
Q. I have a wormwood plant. What is the proper amount of daily sun and water it should receive? -- J.T.
A. A good source of information on how to care for outdoor plants is The North Carolina Gardener's Guide by Toby Bost, a retired Forsyth County extension agent.
The book has an entry on artemisias, which are also commonly called wormwood. There are hundreds of varieties. The ones most often used in gardens are ornamental perennials, with silvery gray foliage. Varieties can range in size from 6 inches to 4 feet high.
These plants do well "in dry sites where many flowers dare not grow," Bost writes.
Generally, they like full sun and a relatively dry location, and don't mind poor, rocky soil. They can also be grown in containers. They can be watered every 10 days or so during dry periods, but be careful not to overwater them.
They generally don't suffer from pests -- some will even repel pests, according to Bost.
One species, Artemisia absinthium, is infamous as the major ingredient in the liqueur absinthe.
It is also known for its intensely bitter flavor -- perhaps this is why pests and deer avoid eating wormwoods.
Another member of the Artemisia genus is Artemisia dracunculus, better known as the culinary herb tarragon. Tarragon prefers less sun, more water and richer soil than the wormwoods, and its licoricelike flavor is not bitter like wormwood.
Q. When is the trial of former Atkins High School Principal Dan Piggott going to be held? It was supposed to be held before school started this year. Now that school is out, there has been no announcement of a trial. Also, when is the trial of Melvin Fair? -- J.J.
A. Dan Piggott's criminal trial on four counts of sexual battery and four counts of assault on a female has been scheduled to resume Aug. 10, according to a May 14 story by Journal reporter Dan Galindo.
As for the delay, the story explained, "The trial was suspended in October because it was running longer than anticipated and would have gone past the retirement date for the case's prosecutor, putting her retirement benefits in jeopardy if she continued to work on it."
Melvin Jerome Fair, the former athletics director at Southeast Middle School, was charged in August 2007 with two counts of taking indecent liberties with a child and two counts of taking indecent liberties with a student. His trial date is not yet set, but it could come as early as August or September.
Q. Where can I write to Sid and Marty Krofft, the creators of Land of the Lost? -- J.L.
A. In addition to Land of the Lost, the Krofft brothers created such Saturday-morning TV icons as H.R. Pufnstuf, Sigmund the Sea Monster and The Bugaloos. Fans can send mail to the Kroffts at: CBS Studio Center, Krofft Pictures, 4024 Radford Ave., Studio City, CA 91604.
Q. We hear of the infamous Bernie Madoff of New York, and now R. Allen Stanford of Houston, (suspected of being ) involved in huge Ponzi schemes, bilking countless folks out of millions of dollars. But where does that moniker, Ponzi scheme, come from? -- M.K.
A. Ponzi deals look good at first because new-investor money is used to pay initial investors.
At some point, though, the new money coming in isn't sufficient to pay current investors and the plan collapses.
Ponzi schemes got their name from Charles Ponzi, a notorious con artist from the 1920s. According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Web site (www.sec.gov), thousands of New England residents invested in Ponzi's plan to take advantage of differences between U.S. and foreign currencies used to buy and sell international mail coupons. He promised a 40 percent return in 90 days. In one three-hour period, Ponzi took in $1 million--in 1921 dollars. He paid off a few early investors but only bought about $30 worth of the mail coupons.
E-mail: AskSAM@wsjournal.com.
Online: www.journalnow.com/asksam.
Write: Ask SAM, P.O. Box 3159, Winston-Salem, NC 27102.
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