April 9, 2017
Our Noble Interest this week is from a family surrounded by controversy and confusion. “Broom” is the common name. There is Common broom, French Broom, and Scotch Broom. There is Spanish Broom, Dyer’s Broom and Sweet Broom. The plant I… Continue Reading…
April 2, 2017
In his book Five Hundred Points Of Husbandrie, Thomas Tusser gives these instructions. March drie or wet, hop ground go set. Yoong rootes well drest proove ever * best. Grant hop great hill to growe at will. From hop long… Continue Reading…
March 25, 2017
The culinary onion – Allium cepa – has been in cultivation for at least 7000 years. We have no record of what its wild form was like. There are a few closely related onion species found in the wild today… Continue Reading…
March 17, 2017
Humanity’s association with the willow has been a long one and, for humanity at least, a profitable one. There is evidence of use of willow all the way back to Paleolithic times. It is only comparatively recently that we have… Continue Reading…
March 9, 2017
Vaccinium spp. are shrubs. Depending on the species they can grow anywhere from 1′ to 8′ tall. All of them require full sun and a well-drained soil with a P.H. of 4.5 to 5.5. Here’s some good basic growing information… Continue Reading…
February 26, 2017
The Dianthus genus is made up of over three hundred species. The wild form of the species can be found in the Mediterranean and Middle East. Most sources say it was first documented by Theophrastus around 300 BCE but at… Continue Reading…
February 25, 2017
Lettuce Lactuca sativa The wild ancestors of lettuce were originally found in Asia Minor. We don’t know exactly when it was domesticated but the first recorded cultivation of it was in Egypt around 2500 BCE. It traveled to Rome around… Continue Reading…
March 3, 2017
The Linden tree makes a beautiful addition to the garden if you have enough room for it. It can achieve heights of 50′ to 80′ with a horizontal spread of 35′ to 50′, although it frequently stays smaller. It generally… Continue Reading…
March 3, 2017
A deciduous shrub native to both Europe and North America with an enthusiastic growing habit and a rangy appearance, elderberry has graced our gardens and tables since ancient days. Most varieties are hardy to Zone 4, with a few being… Continue Reading…
March 6, 2017
Stinging nettle is a hardy perennial native to Europe, Asia, northern Africa and western North America. It spreads by both seed and rhizomes, which means it’s fairly invasive given the opportunity. It prefers moist rich soil in partial shade, but… Continue Reading…