Before becoming a Master Gardener, I had not ever really given much thought to whether or not a plant was a “native” species. However through the association, I have met several gardeners who are strong advocates in preserving the cultivation of our native landscape and the plants that define it. The more I learned the more fascinated I became. Through learning about native plants, I have also become enamored and mystified by how Native Americans propagated and cared for these native species. In fact, many common practices still employed in the garden today are actually methods started by Native Americans.
Some plants are just oh-so-satisfying to grow. They perform effortlessly with little care and grow in just about any spot they are placed. No, I am not writing about dandelions but about one of my very favorite herbs, mint. On this first Saturday in May, mint is a timely topic. As you probably know today is the Kentucky Derby; and the official (since 1938) cocktail of the Derby is the mint julep. Mint is incredibly easy to grow, fun to use and no herb garden is complete without it. The mint family, Lamiaceae or Labiatae, is richly diverse and includes most favorite herbs: basil, rosemary, sage, lavender, marjoram, oregano and of course, mint.
May 4 2012 | Posted in
Master Gardener |
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Amy Lowell’s love song to lilacs appeals to our sentimental side. But who isn’t sentimental about lilacs? Do they not melt our hearts and fill our memories with April’s first bloom and wafting sweet aroma? Don’t they make you think about lemonade and freshly baked cookies on grandma’s porch? For me, lilacs were a constant on my childishly constructed May Altar where my friends and I would light candles and practice devotions.
Apr 27 2012 | Posted in
Master Gardener |
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How do you capture the essence of the world’s most famous flower? Having it named the herb of the year seems like such a small celebration. The Herb Society of American features a different herb each year to bring to the forefront.
Apr 20 2012 | Posted in
Master Gardener |
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Whether we like it or not, development has been and will continue to be the American way. Farmlands and wooded areas are plowed under to make room for suburban homes and shopping centers. Such development has enabled many to achieve the American dream but for wildlife, it has been the American nightmare.
Parsley is one of the most versatile and popular herbs today. There is a reason why about every restaurant uses it on their plates. It’s not just that it’s pretty or that it adds color, but it’s full of Vitamin A, C, E foliate, fiber, iron and minerals. Used as a breath freshener, palate cleanser and digestive, it can’t be beat.
Apr 6 2012 | Posted in
Master Gardener |
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In garden design, there is no philosophy more commonly admired, desired, or replicated than the English Garden. The very thought of the phrase conjures images of lush, manicured, and serene vistas brimming with beautiful plants in harmony. The English garden essentially is a combination of staunchly symmetrical French gardens and naturally-arranged Chinese gardens. The English philosophy relies on the juxtaposition of these two beautiful styles. Another keystone of the English garden is the incorporation of manmade structures set among pastoral landscapes. What makes an English garden my favorite is how easily these principles can be utilized in any garden, no matter how big or small. To best understand the English garden, it helps to know a bit about its origins.
Mar 30 2012 | Posted in
Master Gardener |
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For those of us who love the garden, this is undoubtedly the most exciting time of the year. Our landscape undergoes a magnificent transformation seemingly in the blink of an eye. Yellow and dull lawns turn rich and emerald overnight. Endless expanses of grey begin to break with brave flashes of green buds. Bulbs like daffodil, hyacinth, and tulip surprise and delight us all in forgotten corners. Fruit and ornamental flowering trees look like floating clouds of white, pink, and yellow. And my personal favorite icon of the spring garden, forsythia ignites in a vivid yellow demanding attention from even the most disinterested passerby. It seems hard to believe that regardless of how harsh, or in this year’s case mild, the previous winter was, spring can always be counted on for a mesmerizing spectacle. One of my favorite aspects of the wealth of color that spring gives us is the ability to arrange plants of all different variety together based on color.
Mar 24 2012 | Posted in
Master Gardener |
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