This Wednesday, August 8th, is National Sneak Some Zucchini onto Your Neighbor’s Porch Day. Yes, really. Zucchini does seem to be the one vegetable of which I often do have an over-abundance. So what can I do with it? While I don’t “sneak” it onto my neighbor’s porch, I do offer them bags of zucchini, … Read more
July is National Blueberry Month. Nice to have a whole month dedicated to one of my favorite things. So here are a few interesting tidbits about these delicious berries. Blueberries belong to the family Ericales. This makes them related to cranberries, Brazil nuts, persimmons, camellias, azaleas, and rhododendron! They are native to North American where … Read more
I’m getting so many people these days looking for plants that repel mosquitoes, that I thought it was time to repeat this blog. Swirling cloaks, spooky music, and a voice with a Hungarian accent saying “Good E-e-e-vening.” Or incredibly annoying little insects buzzing around your face and feasting on every square inch of exposed flesh. … Read more
Over the past month, The Great Big Greenhouse and Meadows Farms Nursery have sold thousands of hanging baskets. Blooming hanging baskets are a staple for adding color to decks, patios, porches, and balconies. Although they are an instant way to add color to our outdoor space, they do require a bit of care to stay … Read more
Seems like almost every day, I get asked: “What do I have to do to be successful with my tomatoes?” So here are a few things we need to know. Tomatoes need FULL sun! Anything less and their productivity goes down. If you only get five hours of good, strong, midday sun, you’ll still get … Read more
I’ve had several customers this week asking about growing pumpkins—and when to plant for a Halloween harvest. So here’s some information about pumpkins… Pumpkins are members of the cucurbit family—that means they are related to squash, cucumbers, and melons. They were a food crop cultivated by Native Americans long before the European settlers ever arrived. … Read more
Starting late last month, the ruby-throated hummingbird has migrated back into our area. The hummingbird needs our help. Like so many species of wildlife, the hummingbird is plagued by the loss of habitat. However, we can plant a haven to support our hummingbirds. As pollinators, the ruby-throated hummingbird, which is a joy to see, are … 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
Like me, many of you may have read the most recent news article claiming that the active ingredient in the widely used weed killer Roundup can cause cancer. Some studies have shown that there is a higher risk of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma for people exposed to glyphosate-based formulas. Conversely, there are many studies –scientific and medical – which … 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
