Pots and Pansies

Growing, Harvesting and Drying Stevia

2012-10-18T12:00:00.001-05:00

Three years ago, I had never heard of stevia. My first experience with it was in the form of cuttings in the greenhouse. I opened the bag and read the tag, "Stevia? What the heck is this?" My co-worker informed me that it was an herb for sweetening. What?! I ate a leaf off one of the cuttings (we do that from time to time at work, eat the plants. Got to see if they are worth selling!) and

Zucchini: The Squash That Keeps on Giving

2012-10-09T15:09:00.003-05:00

I decided last fall that my dad needed to grow zucchini. I decided that this was so because it was fall and I wanted to make more zucchini bread than the one or two zucchini I got from my local CSA last year allowed. Somehow, I convinced him despite my mother's protests. Turns out last time he planted zucchini in their garden he planted TWO whole plants. Needless to say, they had more

Freezing Herbs: Parsley and Chives

2012-10-04T12:11:00.000-05:00

Previously, I wrote about how easy it is to freeze basil and my love of all things easy. And freezing basil is pretty easy but not quite as easy as freezing parsley and chives. In the past, I have treated my parsley the same as my basil by giving it a rough chop in the food processor and freezing it with water in ice cube trays. I was pleased with the results and had lots of parsley all

Freezing Herbs: Basil

2012-10-02T14:30:00.000-05:00

Basil is one of my absolute favorite herbs. Every year, I plant way too many plants and eat not nearly enough of it. Until this year! I finally managed to figure out the Basil Botheration! The trick to basil is to harvest often. At least weekly, if not more. Then there is no need for more plants because the plants themselves will just get thicker and bushier and make more actual basil to eat.

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2012-09-05T14:55:00.000-05:00

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Fall is a Great Time to Plant Trees and Shrubs

2011-08-29T12:59:00.000-05:00

Although it seems counter-intuitive in our Northern climate, fall is a great time to plant trees and shrubs. While it's difficult to predict the first frost with any certainty, planting is usually possible through September and often into October. Why is fall such a good time for planting shrubs and trees? The answer is very simple. While the temperature above ground may be freezing, the below

Perennial Profile: Shasta Daisies and Other Daisy-like Flowers

2011-08-16T15:41:00.000-05:00

Shasta Daisy Nothing adds cheer to a garden more than Shasta daisies. With bright yellow centers surrounded by white petals, these plants light up a garden and blend well with most other perennials. In addition to Shastas, there are several "daisy-like" plants that come in a variety of colors and are equally dispensable in the garden. These include Coneflowers (Echinacea), Black-eyed Susan (

Perennial Profile: Hostas

2011-08-08T14:18:00.001-05:00