A common occurrence during the ongoing pandemic is the cancellation or postponement of events, interrupting common traditions and rituals for students and adults alike. BUT NOT GARDENING!! With all my years working in a retail gardening center, I have never spoken to so many families before who are wanting to try doing some vegetable gardening … Read more
Is anything tastier or more essentially “summer” than fresh corn? Because the sugar in corn begins to convert to starch soon after picking, Grandma always said to get the water boiling then go pick the corn, but there are now sugar-enhanced varieties that hold their sweetness for a few days after picking. Still, fresher is … Read more
Are you planting your first vegetable garden this year—or have you gardened in the past but always seem to wind up with one problem or another? Unfortunately, our commonly grown garden vegetables are prone to certain problems. Tomatoes can get Early Blight, Late Blight, Southern Blight, Gray Leaf Spot, Septoria Leaf Spot, Verticillium Wilt, Anthracnose, … Read more
Ah, May. All danger of frost is past—mostly. Although we have had a frost as late as May 10th here (it was a LONG time ago), 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. Here’s How … Read more
NOW ONTO MAY WITH NEEDED GARDENING TASKS First, let’s re-cap April. April ended with cool days with plenty of rainfall. This is a good thing. Sure, we had some night temperatures down into the thirties but very few of us experienced any damaging frost. April has really helped to create the ideal condition for May … Read more
Some Like It Hot!!! From meatloaf to spaghetti sauce to salsa to salads, we certainly use a lot of peppers. And, there are so many peppers to choose from that it can be overwhelming to pick one. So what are the differences? Sweet peppers have a mild earthy flavor but no heat. Traditionally called green … Read more
WATERING ISN’T EASY Here we are in late April. A lot of planting has been done this month when it comes to all the beautiful perennials, annuals, shrubs, and trees. The number one challenge for all these newly planted plants is being cared for properly, especially when it comes to watering. In fact, being a … Read more
Beautiful blooming hanging baskets are here. They’re perfect for porches, balconies, even a shepherd’s crook in the yard. And it’s about time for the birds to move in and make them their home for the summer. Every spring, I hang a beautiful hanging basket by my front door. And every year, I have little house … Read more
Tomatoes are native to the Americas, like peppers, and were grown by the Aztecs who called the fruits “tomatl”—meaning “plump thing with navel.” Tomatoes are botanically berries, believe it or not! I get a lot of questions about different tomato varieties so here is a brief description of the ones we’ll be carrying this year. … Read more
MAKE ROOM IN YOUR GARDENS FOR THESE BEAUTIES Every year different national and international plant societies select a plant to highlight. Never are these plants selected at random. Each plant chosen must meet a strict set of criteria such as easy to grow, readily available, and outstanding performance. Here is a list of plants chosen … Read more
