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
A SURE SIGN THAT SPRING IS ARRIVING Yes, we have our peepers being noisy and some people use this as a sign that spring has arrived. To me, I like seeing our Redbud trees in bloom as the sign of spring. As I drive around the Richmond area I love seeing these trees in bloom … Read more
JAPANESE MAPLE TREES LEND A SENSE OF GRACE TO ANY SPACE Are you awed by Japanese Maple trees? I sure am and have been for quite a few years. My first true exposure to Japanese Maple trees was as a buyer and doing buying trips to Oregon. I fell in love with them. In Portland, … 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
MARCH IS THE MONTH THAT WE, GARDENERS, HAVE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO!!!!!!! Finally!!!! March has arrived and we start to come out of hibernation and start “working out” in our gardens. Mid-February gave us a good taste of winter with some snow, ice, and cold temperatures. But, that’s OK. That was last month. March is … 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
THE SPRING SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER Here we are in the last week of February. Basically, up to this point, I have no complaints about winter. Yes, we had a little snow and a few cold days but –hey, it is winter. I keep saying that the weather in Virginia can be fickle. … 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
The IHA (International Herb Association) has selected PARSLEY Petroselinum ‘Moss Curled’ as its HERB OF THE YEAR FOR 2021. Most everyone is familiar with parsley. But, do you know why? Parsley is used for elevating the flavor of dishes like soups, salads, and fish. It is rich in vitamins A, C, and K. HISTORY I … Read more
So many people are buying plants to decorate their indoor environment over the winter and I’ve had so many questions about which ones are toxic to pets. So here is a “partial” list: TOXIC INDOOR PLANTS (FOR PETS) Aloe Amaryllis Asparagus Fern Avocado Anthurium Bird of Paradise Buddhist Pine (Podocarpus) Caladiums Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema) Creeping … Read more
