Everyone knows and has heard of mulch. But, how many of you are familiar with the product PREEN? There are a few good reasons why we mulch our garden beds. One is simple. We like the fresh look of mulch on our gardens. Another good reason for mulching is that it aids in the health of … 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
I know it is only the beginning of March. Spring is not officially here for another two weeks. And, yes, I realize that we could still have more cold days and snow this month. But, have you spent some time outside lately to take advantage of some of these spring-like days? I sure have. And, … 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
March is the month that we, gardeners, have been looking forward to. For some of us, it has been a long, boring winter. March means that hibernation is finally over and we can spend more time outside. Just like with meteorology, the green industry looks at the first of March as the beginning of spring … 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
It is only mid-February and many customers have come into the garden center or called the store with concerns about seeing their lawns being torn up with mole tunnels. The customers are wondering, why now? With the cold winter we are having, aren’t the grub worms still down deep in our soil? A COMMON QUESTION … 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
