Horseradish brings up visions of rare roast beef, doesn’t it? But it’s also a very versatile vegetable that can be used many ways. The young tender leaves can even be used like arugula in salads or on sandwiches. Horseradish is a perennial that is related to cabbage, broccoli, arugula, etc. It has been cultivated for … Read more
Did you know that dahlias were originally grown as a food crop? They were cultivated as an edible by the Aztec Indians who roasted and ate the tubers. It’s said they taste like a cross between a carrot and a potato. As a matter of fact, they were originally introduced to Europe in hopes they … Read more
April is National Gardening Month. No wonder–Forsythia, redbuds, Bradford pears, daffodils, and tulips are blooming everywhere you look. Right now my own 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 … Read more
Living with a forty foot tall maple in the front yard, a huge redbud on one side and an entire hill of oaks and maples behind, I’ve become (out of necessity) a fan of shade tolerant flowers. I thought I’d share with you some of my favorites—annuals, perennials, bulbs. Lily-of-the-Valley (Convallaria majalis): Dainty nodding bells will … Read more
This past Saturday was St. Patrick’s Day. Did you get a “shamrock” as a gift? I already have a couple. They’re easy and fun to grow. To get the best out of yours, while it’s blooming, keep it in bright light—several hours of direct morning sun or afternoon sun (before 11 a.m. or after 2 … Read more
What vegetable is low in calories, high in fiber, a rich source of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, was grown by George Washington at Mt. Vernon and by Thomas Jefferson at Monticello—and tastes delicious? Asparagus, of course! The Roman emperor Augustus actually had an Asparagus Fleet—a fleet of ships whose job was to locate and bring … Read more
Yes, it is Strawberry season—the plants are now available for you to start your own strawberry patch. So how do we do that? Strawberries are perennials so choose a permanent sunny place where they can stay. Strawberry plants come in little bundles of “crowns”. A crown is the growing point of the plant with … Read more
Did you know that February 27th is National Strawberry Day? So my favorite fruit has its own day. To celebrate, I think I’ll have a strawberry milkshake. For starters…. So here are a few interesting facts about strawberries: Strawberries are related to roses. That means they’re also related to apples, plums, peaches, apricots, raspberries, blackberries, and … Read more
Because February is Houseplant Month here at the Great Big Greenhouse and we offer free repotting for the month, we’ve been spending a lot of time with our hands buried up to the wrist in potting soil. So let us share with you a few observations. When you buy a new houseplant, it doesn’t usually … Read more
Valentine’s Day: A day of gentle sighs, pink ribbons, red roses—or a pagan festival rich with drunken revelry and young men and women being matched up by lottery—at last for the duration of the festival? The ancient Roman festival called Lupercalia was celebrated every year on February 15th. It was a festival of fertility in … Read more
