It is helpful to know which fruits will continue to ripen after they are harvested and sitting on your kitchen counter or in the fridge. And which fruits do not continue to ripen after harvest. Mature versus Ripe One super helpful tip as a home fruit grower is to understand the importance of maturity as a plant milestone. Mature does not mean ripe. Maturity means... Read More
Spring is coming! Its arrival gives us a sense of renewal- time to get outdoors. All of us have an intuitive appreciation for the outdoors. Researchers increasingly point to the physical and psychological necessity of connecting our human well being with nature and the outdoors. One of the more meaningful ways to get up close and personal with nature, while remaining near the home front,... Read More
By Jason Daley An excerpt from SMITHSONIAN.COM JANUARY 18, 2019 A new study suggests the plants are listening, and some flowers even sweeten up their nectar when they sense a pollinator approaching. Plants have withstood the test of time, so they must react to such a crucial sensory tool as well, right? This question is the essentially the basis of Tel Aviv University evolutionary theoretician... Read More
Provided by our friends at Botanical Interests – Creek Side Gardens exclusive supplier of premium quality flower and vegetable seeds. Botanical Interests ANNUALS Varieties that complete their life cycle in one year or less, requiring sowing every year. Annual flower varieties often bloom profusely and over a long period of time. BIENNIALS Varieties, both flowers and vegetables, that complete their life cycle in two years,... Read More
This is a familiar lyric heard on the radio during the Christmas season made popular by Julie Andrews. In the movie, Sound of Music she sings to the Captain’s frightened children to calm them down during a storm. Music indeed soothes the soul. Another favorite this time of the year are Christmas stories shared. They connect one generation to the next. Many have themes including... Read More
Let’s take stroll down memory lane, a very long stroll. Approximately 2400 years ago, the Salii (Etruscans) of Southern Europe adorned themselves with corona sutilis. This special item was constructed of flowers, more specifically roses, and formed into an elegant chaplet to be worn at a festival events. The ancient Romans wore them to denote power and pride. The Greeks, wore this as token of... Read More
Sometimes the simplest most heartfelt messages are shared in childhood. These memories are kept safely away in the recesses of our mind. It takes a child (or a children’s movie) to be reminded of a song and a prayer for those we love. In this case the 1987 movie, An American Tail, is a story of two mice, Fievel and Tanya. When Fievel gets lost... Read More
As the holiday season approaches, one is reminded of a time of gathering with friends and family. You may be young or ‘older,’ travel near or far, but memories of home return. Edgar A. Guest stated, “So at last I think we always come to see that the hometown, whether it be a great city or humble one, takes its place in the mind and... Read More
With all the leaf raking going on, now may be a good time to consider building a compost pile. Use all those dry leaves and turn them into black gold for your garden beds. However, this process will not happen by itself. It requires the right ingredients, blended together in the right balance for this scientific process to take place. And it will require your... Read More
Sure, gardening takes time. But it does not have to be that daunting, overwhelming experience we perceive it to be. All you see is neglect when you look out the window. You’ve convinced yourself you just don’t have the time. Then nothing happens, the cycle repeats itself, nothing happens. Don’t get trapped into thinking you have no time for developing the garden you would like. ... Read More
