… here courtesy of Ayse’s mother, Figen Ormancioglu, who kindly brought it with her on a recent visit. (The family surname translates as “son of the forester”—Ayse’s love of botany is in her … “Chai,” “junipers,” and “I’ll have another glass,” were three answers; the flavor is hard for American taste buds to define. Sweet and savory and spicy all at once, there’s a note of bark …
Type: Blog
… is likely a variety of Cucurbita pepo, the same species as spaghetti squash. If you're growing for the record in a biggest pumpkin contest, you probably sowed seeds of Cucurbita maxima … or striped with yellow. Australians don't bother with distinctions, but use the term "pumpkin" for all of the hard-shelled vegetables we group as winter squash, which includes members of … might be cross-pollinated by your butternut squash or your zucchini (or your neighbor's). Buying new seeds each season is the best way to make sure you get what you expect. Beth Botts …
Type: Plant Info
… the leaves of tall switchgrass or the sharp “chip” calls of migrating birds as they search for seeds on coneflowers and coreopsis. The Dixon Prairie is a wonderful 15-acre re-creation of … rolling landscape. Many of the tall, late-blooming perennials are an important nectar source for our native pollinators. Here are just a few prairie plants that would make delightful … crescent butterflies and cuckoo bees are just a few of the many nectar-seeking insects that visit the blossoms. When crushed, the leaves emit a minty fragrance, which makes the plants …
Type: Plant Info
… stem stormwater runoff, minimize urban heat island effect, and provide necessary habitat for native birds and insects. Green roofs are growing in popularity. The 16,000-square-foot Green … the public — it's one of just a few rooftop gardens you can actually walk through, so plan a visit to learn more. A Celebration of Form and Function Designed by Oehme, van Sweden & … In spring, the rooftop features tulips and dwarf daffodils, and later in the summer look for tomatoes, cucumbers, pole beans, basil, dill, and summer annuals in containers. The Ellis …
Type: Plant Info
… repeatedly by gardeners of all skill levels: "How do I repot my orchid?" Luckily, the answer for most orchids is, "It's easy." Orchids should be repotted when new; every year or two; or when crowded roots push up and out of the pot. Spring: time for a close-up. Other than watering and occasionally fertilizing them, you probably don't look … orchid resources there, all available to smart gardeners in one beautiful space! Come in for a visit while you're at the Orchid Show ! Karen Zaworski is a garden writer and photographer who …
Type: Plant Info
… An autumn visit to the fruit and vegetable garden in search of late-season surprises can be rewarding. For it's at this time that all those plants requiring "a long growing season" (90 to 100+ days … undersides of the squash leaves serve as a deterrent to animals seeking to harvest the produce for themselves. Squash Blossoms and More Squash 'Blue Hubbard' is just one of three different …
Type: Plant Info
… the way through the plants' root zones. "People ignore that," he says. "They may work the soil for a couple of inches, but they are not really getting down where the roots form." Who wants to … dirt is not the way most of us want to spend our Saturday. Yet good soil, whether purchased for pots or created in the garden by adding organic matter, is the absolute foundation for plants' success. All those fabulous flowers won't have a chance unless they are planted into …
Type: Plant Info
… people. Her house in the Hudson Valley was full of exotic tropicals and orchids that she cared for meticulously. And yet she was always ready to give them away when anyone showed an interest in one, which for me was every visit. She would carefully divide an established plant that she had nurtured for decades, wrap up …
Type: Blog
… because they are so easy to grow and so adaptable to many situations, they tend to be taken for granted, even considered a little... boring. However, they are anything but, especially the … While many hostas have attractive flowers, it is their foliage that makes them indispensable for adding shape and substance to a shady garden. Native to Japan and China, the original species … tract and speeds up the drowning process. If slugs are in your garden, be prepared for them to visit daylilies in the early, cooler days of summer, before temperatures and midday sun send them …
Type: Plant Info
… us are happy if we manage a triangle-eyed jack-o’-lantern plopped on a porch or balcony. But for artist Rachael Kolby, who carves pumpkins for Night of 1,000 Jack-o’-Lanterns, pumpkins become artistic masterpieces. Here’s how she does it. Let’s start at the beginning. What’s your first pumpkin memory? For me, pumpkins and Halloween have always gone hand in hand. Some of my earliest memories are of …
Type: Blog
