Every gardener has some successes and some failures. Some can be accounted for, and others cannot. Let’s see what some main factors contribute to good or bad results. Various Contributing Factors For A Successful Garden Moisture Level In Your Garden Moisture is often the limiting factor. Even though ample rain falls, there are still spots … Read more
Truffles, subterranean mushrooms, are said to be rarities. They have been found mainly in France, England, and Italy for hundreds of years and have been considered a strictly European delicacy. Pigs and poodles there have been trained to sniff out truffles so they could be dug and sold. In 2021 white truffles will cost over … Read more
A garden notebook is a “must.” Now is as good a time as any to start one. Make a note of varieties you see and like. Jot down all your garden activities —even your mistakes. You’ll have a better garden for your effort. Peonies To Choose From Single Peonies Single peonies have a grace and … Read more
One of the plants closely associated with the Christmas story, and particularly with the manger in Bethlehem, is our lady’s bedstraw, a plant found rather commonly in the wild and with increasing frequency in our gardens. Popular belief and legend ascribe many pleasing associations to the Blessed Virgin and wildflowers. These are reflected in such … Read more
Last winter, while visiting a school room, I was interested in several kinds of plants growing in water. Most were common, but the growth method was an outstanding feature. Indoor gardeners grow their plants in certain soil mixtures, but they grow in water alone with no soil visible. The intriguing thing about it was that … Read more
Gourds for Christmas? Most certainly, gourds for Christmas! Gourds: Most Ornamental and Versatile Plant They are one of the most ornamental and versatile additions to the “greens” we cherish as such an important part of the holiday time. They can be fresh, colorful ones of this season’s crop; or beautifully shaped, dried, and polished ones. … Read more
An old-fashioned name for the tomato is love apple. When used by gardeners today, however, it is much more probable that they are referring to a fruit that provides “food for the soul” instead of the stomach. Delicious as it appears, the love apple is certainly not edible, for it consists almost entirely of tough … Read more
Part One: The Plan, The Journey, and the First Two Months “Oh, it’s wonderful to be able to retire . . . and you’re moving to Florida! But won’t you miss the change of seasons, your roses, and the spring bulbs?” Our northern friends were probably concerned about our decision to move South, but no … Read more
What happened to the rosemary that blended its silvery fragrance with the holly and mistletoe Once part of the holiday celebration, rosemary has been forgotten as a Christmas decoration. An ancient Christmas legend tells that Mary spread the washing of the infant Jesus over a rosemary bush to dry. The bush responded by becoming aromatic … Read more
Agriculturists have long appreciated the important influence that the physical condition of soil has on plant growth. Old English expressions still commonly used in England refer to land as being in “good heart,” when the soil is in prime condition, and as being “out of heart,” when the soil condition is poor. “Land out of … Read more