Weeds are often seen as an insurmountable force, an unbearable nuisance, an overwhelming enemy in the garden, all of which ensure the utmost of destruction must take place. Before you tackle them with your hoe, harrow, or hands, please read on. It … [Read more...]
Elderberry as a Medicinal Plant by D. Charlebois
Folk medicine has been around for millennia exploiting first wild then cultivated plants to prevent or cure a myriad of illnesses. Continued: … [Read more...]
List of antiviral herbs and their uses
Back to school can mean back to the Doctor. We have all experienced that cold that just won’t go away. Try adding these herbs to your diet to prevent cold and flu viruses from taking hold. Continue: … [Read more...]
Tale of a Bleeding Heart
A beloved spring favorite of mine is the Bleeding Heart (Dicentra spectabilis). Its lacy, blue-green foliage provides a wonderful contrast to the weeping habit of heart-shaped flowers in red, white, pink, or a combination thereof depending on … [Read more...]
Vegetable Gardening in January
As is the natural cycle of things, January in the Virginia Piedmont is a period of dormancy and regeneration for our outdoor plants and for gardeners. It is ideally a relaxing time of planning and preparation for the coming spring, with a little bit … [Read more...]
BEST NEW VEGETABLES, HERBS, AND FRUITS OF 2020
We’re only about nine weeks away from traditional pea-planting time (St. Patrick’s Day) and the beginning of a new growing season. It’s not too soon to think about what to buy, order, or make plans to plant while the selection is best. Especially … [Read more...]
How to rebloom your holiday poinsettia
Moving your poinsettia outdoors during summer and making sure it receives the proper amount of light will help ensure it reblooms for the next holiday season. See more: … [Read more...]
Ye Olde Kitchen Garden In the Garden
Kathleen Wall, who cooks and gardens at Plimoth Plantation in Plymouth, Mass., holds skirrets, a root vegetable popular in colonial days. Like other plants used during that era, it fell out of favor over time. Credit: Erik Jacobs for The New York … [Read more...]
Sue’s Sunflowers
Sunflowers (Helianthus) are one of my favorite annuals. Not only do they provide food for animals and humans alike, they bring sparkle-joy to us with their rich colors of yellow, brown and russetts and cheerfully bobbing heads. Sunflowers are the … [Read more...]
GROWING DAFFODILS
How to plant, grow, and care for daffodils... The bright yellow blooms of daffodils are a wonderful sign of spring—but do you know how and when to plant them properly? Here are tips on planting daffodil bulbs, caring … [Read more...]