Plants We’ve Covered
Explore the plants we've discussed so far.
Carnation (Dianthus)
This plant is one of my personal favorites. The scent of the heirloom varieties is delicious and they are visually pleasing. The family is a large one and includes the familiar carnation. I must confess that the reputation of some of the members of this family amuses me. It's always nice to meet another rebel.Read More »
Hop
No, I haven't forgotten either chives or garlic. Both of those plants deserve their own weeks' worth of attention, which I will give them another time. Meanwhile, if you have stories of growing or foraging onions, please share them in the comments below and remember to like and share this blog. Thanks for stopping by!Read More »
Lettuce (Lactuca sativa)
When my grandfather and I sat down with the seed catalogues in the winter to plan our spring garden we always gave a good look at the lettuce varieties that we wanted to plant. Lettuce is easy to grow only if you give it what it demands and some varieties are more demanding than others.We always had to balance what the… Continue Reading…Read More »
Raphanus Sativus
I was five. My great-grandparents passed away and in the Fall of that year my family moved from the small suburban apartment that we lived in to the small farm that they had left behind. They were both avid gardeners and left us a wonderland of beautifully unfussy landscaping and a great variety of unusual and beautiful flowers and shrubs which… Continue Reading…Read More »
Sambucus spp.
I spent summers on my Grandfather's farm. Little Pipe Creek flowed through the middle of it and when I was ten, the banks of the creek were covered in elderberry bushes. The good lady he had purchased the farm from came back every year to gather the fruits when they were ripe and always brought back a few jars of jelly… Continue Reading…Read More »
The Onion
I love onions. The more, the tastier, in my opinion. Cooked pretty much any way imaginable and in sweet jams, as well. I keep threatening to make candied onions. One of these days I will. They're easy to grow and very pretty. There's very little waste as all of the plant is edible but for the roots. The little wild onions… Continue Reading…Read More »
The Willow
I have always had willows around me wherever I've lived. I played under them as a child and planted them as an adult. I've come to love them but even I admit that while they're beautiful, they're hardly showy. It's surprising how large an impact this plant has had on human lives and how long ago we met. Let's get started.… Continue Reading…Read More »
Tilia spp.
This tree is something of a holy grail for me. As a nature center educator and a beekeeper, I've heard legendary stories about this tree. You can smell it for miles. You can hear it from farther away. It's beautiful! It's useful! It's everywhere! I've never found one. Ah, well. I'll learn a bit more this week and maybe I'll be… Continue Reading…Read More »
Urtica dioica
This herb is one I'm very familiar with.I've used it in a personal tea blend since I was a teenager.I'm just crazy enough that I actually went and did an afternoon's work putting in a garden for someone else in exchange for a start of it for my garden.It's a favorite in both the kitchen and the cosmetic cabinet.It is a… Continue Reading…Read More »
Vaccinium spp
Blueberry Vaccinium spp Blueberry (V. corymbosum or V. ashei) Bilberry (V. myrtillus) Wild Blueberry (V. augustifolia) I have never tasted a bilberry, although I have tried its cousin, V. augustifolium or the low bush blueberry a.k.a. the wild blueberry. I must confess to not liking blueberries. The rest of my family likes them though, so every year I make blueberry jam… Continue Reading…Read More »
