Many of the plants in our kitchen or herb gardens are as familiar as the palm of a hand, or as comfortable as an old shoe — thyme and marjoram, summer savory, rosemary and rue, sweet basil, and parsley. For kitchen and still room, dressing table and apothecary shop knew them of old. As humble … Read more
An insect with all virtues and no vices is the ladybug, that diminutive beetle whose back is a brilliant orange with black spots. That is, to say, she has no vices from the human standpoint. Instead, she eats hundreds of plant-destructive aphids in her lifetime (“her” also includes him). Turn one ladybug loose on a … Read more
Now that garden activity are in full swing, too, are aching muscles! The joy and enthusiasm of gardening are often dampened because the unused muscles rebel due mainly to incorrect gardening carriage and motion. What do we do for our muscles? Do we take advantage of last year’s painful experience? Do we prepare ourselves by … Read more
Nature has planned to use insects or the wind for breeding flowering plants. Food and drink in the form of pollen and nectar induce insects to do the work. Even though bees do not know what they are doing, the job is done. A new element now enters nature’s plan—intelligence on the part of the … Read more
Twenty-one years ago, I began experimenting with mulches for flowers, root crops, above-ground crops, and fruits. I do not recall why I started working with various mulching materials. Still, I recall discussing mulching, fertilizing, and soils with my next doer neighbor, a canny Scandinavian and topflight gardener. He once made a remark I have remembered … Read more
The enticing scents of herbal teas a-brewing are reminiscent of a past wherein life’s needs were simple, its course directed by humble wisdom. Somewhere along the way, we have lost the charm of the aroma of fragrant teas steaming in a porcelain pot and of delicate china cups arranged cozily by a geranium-filled window. Different … Read more
In June, the vegetable garden really begins to pay dividends. Radishes, spinach, lettuce, green onions, peas, turnips, beet greens, and others will be in good supply, and—if you got an early start—even broccoli and cabbage before the end of the month. So the gardener is inclined to take it easy and rest on his oars. … Read more
Now that the outdoor garden requires a more significant part of your time don’t neglect your greenhouse. Greenhouse gardening can be more than a winter proposition, mainly since the initial investment is considerable. It would be a shame not to use the greenhouse the year around and get the total return of summer fun and … Read more
Now the time is here to grow vegetables for fun and ease the family pocketbook’s strain. For most of us, the years of apprenticeship are over, for we learned to grow vegetables under the pressure of wartime necessity if we had not done so before. Some of us found it hard work. However, raising vegetables … Read more
It has long been a mystery why so few home gardeners grow Brussels sprouts. Is it because people do not like to eat them or think they are challenging to raise? Most people think they are a delicacy obtainable only at a fancy price at better restaurants and greengrocers. They have not realized that Brussels … Read more