Book Review: Dinner for Everyone
Karen Meyers Mark Bittman’s book, Dinner for Everyone, present a novel approach to everyday cooking. Bittman presents 100 classic main dishes from all over the world and includes such favorites as gumbo,…
Common Diseases of Tomato and Their Control: Blossom End Rot
Caused by a lack of calcium uptake from the soil, blossom end rot can affect peppers as well as tomatoes. It appears as a water-soaked spot on the blossom end…
Common Diseases of Tomatoes and Their Control: Bacterial Spot
Bacterial spot is caused by several species of Xanthomonas, most commonly X. perforans, and is more prevalent in warm (75-86 F) humid climates with frequent rainfall (or overhead watering). The…
Book Review: How to Garden Indoors & Grow Your Own Food Year Round
Author, Kim Roman, presents a comprehensive guide to growing edible plants indoors in this easy to understand, well-organized book. Limited space and resources do not have to prevent most people…
Book Review: Chile Peppers: A Global History
Food historian and author, Dave DeWitt, presents a history of chili peppers from their origin and domestication to their spread and use around the world. Using a variety of sources…
History of Vegetables: Cardoon (Cynara cardunculus)
Karen If you have ever seen a cardoon it was probably a garden specimen planted because of the architectural quality it provides. The recorded history of the cardoon goes back to…
Plant Profile: Greater Burdock (Arctium lappa)
Native to temperate regions of Europe and Asia, this herbaceous biennial is a member of the aster family, Asteraceae, that also includes daisy, yarrow, and lettuce. The plants produce a…
Plants of the Bible: Leek (Allium porrum)
Native to the eastern Mediterranean and Middle East, leek is a biennial and are related to onion, garlic, and daffodil. It grows 2-3′ tall and consists of a bundle of…
Plants of the Bible: Cucumber (Cucumis sativus)
Originally native to south Asia, cucumber has been cultivated for at least 3,000 years. It is an annual creeping vine with hairy stems carrying hairy triangular leaves on long petioles.…
Gardens in Art: Medieval Hermit Garden-The Thebaid of Gherardo Starnina
This Thebaid attributed to Gherardo Starnina (1354-1413) is one of many such painting that told the stories of some early Christian monks and hermits who went in the areas of…