It’s May—Finally! All danger of frost is past, right? Not exactly. We did have a surprise frost last year in mid-May!!! Normally, we’re pretty safe in considering ourselves out of the woods now. And I’m proving it by moving my orchids, citrus, and other houseplants outside for the summer. After last year, however, I’m going to move them … Read more
Dandelions — the bane of any gardener, right? Or….not? Dandelions are related to Asters. They have a basal rosette of heavily toothed leaves-hence the name ‘dandelion’ which comes from the French ‘dent-de-Lion’—meaning tooth of the Lion. The botanical name is taraxacum officinale, from the Greek ‘taraxos’ meaning disorder and ‘akos’ meaning remedy—referring to the many … Read more
This coming Thursday, April 22 is Earth Day. Earth Day was established in 1969 at a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization) conference in San Francisco, California. In March of 1970, a sanctioned Proclamation was signed at the U. N. by Secretary-General U Thant giving official United Nations recognition. What Led to Earth … Read more
What would spaghetti sauce be without the warm savory flavor of basil? I can’t even imagine such a thing! So here is how to grow your own. Ocinum basilicum—Basil. Ocinum means “fragrance.” Basilicum is from the Greek basilikon—Royal. So—Royal fragrance—appropriate, don’t you think? Like many of our fragrant herbs, basil is a member of the … Read more
April is National Gardening Month. Is that perfect timing or what? Right now my yard is a riot of color—the lush rose pink of the redbud, the sunny yellow of the forsythia and daffodils, the little patches of rich blue muscari and light blue starflowers, and the yellow dandelions and purple violets dotting my backyard … Read more
So the first day of “official” spring was March 20, but when is spring really? Well, that depends on who you ask. In the United States, spring begins on the Vernal Equinox (on or about March 20/21) and ends on the Summer Solstice. Meteorologists, on the other hand, consider spring consisting of the months of … Read more
What’s more delicious than a steaming hot potato with melting butter or sour cream and chives? Or mashed potatoes? French-fries? Potato Chips? Potatoes are on many people’s favorite food list. But where did they come from? Whoever came up with the idea for potato chips or French fries? Let’s “Dig” for the Potato Facts Potatoes … Read more
Composting is beneficial for many reasons. It reduces waste in landfills and improves soil quality by providing food for earthworms and beneficial microbes that break it down into nutrients. Part of being an organic gardener is learning to compost. Can you just toss leaves, weeds, and kitchen scraps together? Well, yes — and no. To … Read more
Did you know this past Saturday was National Strawberry Day? A whole day devoted to my very favorite fruit—who knew? Strawberry Legends How did strawberries get their name? No one knows for sure, but the most widely accepted story is, because strawberries spread profusely by runners, after a couple of years, the fields look “strewn” … Read more
Orchids are the largest family of blooming plants in the world with nearly 28,000 naturally occurring species and well over a hundred thousand man-made hybrids. They are also the most highly evolved family of blooming plants. Orchids are native to every continent in the world with the exception of Antarctica. How Orchids Became Popular Orchids … Read more
