VEGETABLE GARDENING TO ANOTHER LEVEL How many of you are aware of the PLANT A ROW FOR THE HUNGRY (PAR) program? I didn’t know this existed until recently. I believe wholeheartedly in its concept. As a matter of fact, I mentioned this idea of donating our extra produce to our food pantries in past blogs….
FEBRUARY IS HOUSEPLANT MONTH AT THE GREAT BIG GREENHOUSE In order to support FEBRUARY IS HOUSEPLANT MONTH I decided to step out of my comfort zone with my weekly blog and highlight a very popular tropical plant—the Prayer Plant. The Prayer plant is a member of the Marantaceae family, which also includes the beautifully colored…
NOTHING LIKE SEEING SOME COLOR DURING THE DEAD OF WINTER Are you familiar with Hellebores? You may know them from their nickname—Christmas Rose (for those that bloom in December) or Lenton Rose (for those that bloom in late winter). Each year more people are learning about hellebores and are becoming interested in planting them in…
FEBRUARY: ONE MONTH CLOSER TO SPRING!! February can be a transitional month for gardeners to take advantage of when wanting to get outside and do some gardening chores. February can be a cold and dreary month. On the other hand, February can give us some long stretches of warm weather to enjoy. Speaking of spring—spring…
THE SPRING SEASON IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER Here we are in the last week of February. Basically, up to this point, I have no complaints about winter. Yes, we had a little snow and a few cold days but –hey, it is winter. I keep saying that the weather in Virginia can be fickle….
Orchids are the largest family of blooming plants in the world with nearly 28,000 naturally occurring species and well over a hundred thousand man-made hybrids. They are also the most highly evolved family of blooming plants. Orchids are native to every continent in the world with the exception of Antarctica. How Orchids Became Popular Orchids…
The IHA (International Herb Association) has selected PARSLEY Petroselinum ‘Moss Curled’ as its HERB OF THE YEAR FOR 2021. Most everyone is familiar with parsley. But, do you know why? Parsley is used for elevating the flavor of dishes like soups, salads, and fish. It is rich in vitamins A, C, and K. HISTORY I…
So many people are buying plants to decorate their indoor environment over the winter and I’ve had so many questions about which ones are toxic to pets. So here is a “partial” list: TOXIC INDOOR PLANTS (FOR PETS) Aloe Amaryllis Asparagus Fern Avocado Anthurium Bird of Paradise Buddhist Pine (Podocarpus) Caladiums Chinese Evergreen (Aglaonema) Creeping…
HELL-O FEBRUARY, GOOD-BYE JANUARY – ONLY ONE MONTH FROM SPRING!! I am getting excited about spring. As of this writing, spring is only 48 days away. Our daylight is getting longer. February is the last full month of winter. For some of us gardeners, we view February as the GATEWAY MONTH to spring. Sure, we…
This time of year finds me pawing through seed racks and wishing spring was here. I’ve already pulled my favorite varieties of seeds, as well as a few new varieties I want to try. So now I’m ready to sit down with the seed packets. Single Best Source of Information! The seed packet is the single best source…
