From the New World to the Old World to Your Garden – Growing Tomatoes Tomatoes, or Solanum lycopersicum, are native to the New World—found in Central and South American wilds. In 1519, the explorer Hernán Cortés took seeds back to Europe, where they were planted as ornamentals. People were convinced they were toxic because it … Read more
CHOOSING THE RIGHT BASKET Here we are in mid-May and in the height of the hanging basket season. We are now past any threat of frost. People are now decorating with summer blooming annuals which includes adding hanging baskets to the landscape, patios, decks, and pools. So, how do I know to choose the right … Read more
It’s about that time, so I’m reposting a previous blog on common veggie garden insect pests…. WHAT’S BUGGING YOU? Or—who’s been eating my veggies besides me? When I’m out admiring my garden and keeping my eye out for problems, I also look for things like holes in the leaves or chewing damage on the outer … Read more
MOTHER’S DAY IS THIS SUNDAY, MAY 14TH Mother’s Day was started in 1908 and became an official U.S. holiday in 1914. The holiday traditionally involves presenting Mom with flowers and a card. The botanical name for peonies is Paeonia. They are native to Asia and Europe. The history of peonies goes back to ancient days … Read more
TI have friends who are into wine-making. They occasionally come to my yard, dig up dandelions, and take them home to make dandelion wine. I’ll never forget visiting them and walking around their huge yard, noting a nice-sized bed of dandelions. There was one lone blue bachelor button growing in the corner. Without even thinking, … Read more
May is here, and it is the perfect time to get outside and do some gardening. I want to take a minute to re-cap April. April started out warm and with some rain. We then had some cold nights in early April that gave us freeze and frost warnings in the area. The second half … Read more
Unfortunately, our commonly grown garden vegetables are prone to specific problems. Tomatoes can get Early Blight, Late Blight, Southern Blight, Gray Leaf Spot, Septoria Leaf Spot, Verticillium Wilt, Anthracnose, Fusarium Wilt, etc., as well as aphids, stink bugs, and tomato hornworms. Cucumber family members (cukes, squash, melons, pumpkins) can get Wilt, Powdery Mildew, Downy Mildew, … Read more
HERE WE ARE IN 2023 AND EDIBLE GARDENING IS STRONGER THAN EVER I wrote on this topic a few years ago. The idea of edible landscaping was just becoming popular. Jump to 2023 and edible landscaping is thriving with homeowners. I want to share my personal story: At my previous house I had my vegetable … Read more
I try to plant at least one new thing every year in my flower and veggie/herb gardens. Over the past few years, I’ve compiled a list of my favorite vegetables. As I continue to try new things, this list is subject to change. Most of my favorite veggies are not necessarily the “standard” varieties. Some … Read more
EARTH DAY IS SATURDAY, APRIL 22 The theme for Earth Day 2023 is Invest in our Planet. I think this theme says it all. The whole purpose of Earth Day is to raise awareness of what we can do to protect our environment and natural resources for generations to come. Never think that anything you … Read more
