Monthly Archives: February 2010

Garden Giants and Skyscrapers

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Brian Moore likes big plants and he knows how to grow them. In 2007, his record-breaking amaranth topped 23 ft. Want to grow your own giant plants? Learn how Brian does it. Brian Moore with a row of giant sunflowers; the tallest sunflower is about 16 ft. The seeds came from a grower in the United Kingdom. One of my three-year-old twin daughters standing in front of a row of corn and amaranth that's more than 20 ft. tall. Inspecting a self-sown sunflower growing on the Read more [...]

Planting a Garden in Nicaragua

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Gardener's Supply staffer Debbie Page goes to Nicaragua with a few packets of seeds and the goal of starting a garden. Rudi and I planted a garden in a cement box that was part of the hospital ruins. Nurses from the Miskito villages along the Rio Coco in northwestern Nicaragua choose seeds to plant. Local children are curious about the garden. I hope they will care for it, too. During Vermont's winter months, our stores (where I work) get pretty quiet, so it's a Read more [...]

An Indoor Kitchen Garden

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Craving a little garden-fresh crunch? Sprouts deliver! Start a “kitchen garden” on your windowsill and discover a new source of fresh, locally grown vegetables and greens. Pea and bean seeds sprout in just a few days and add flavor and crunch to stir-fries and salads. The Sprout Growing Kit's stacked trays hold different seed mixes and take little space on the kitchen counter. “Kitchen garden” took on a new meaning for my family this winter when we discovered a new source Read more [...]

Start Sweet Peas from Seed

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If you haven't tried starting your own plants from seed, make this be the year you give it a try. Sweet peas are among the easiest. Sweet peas are easy to grow. The variety above, Painted Lady, is from Renee's Seeds. The Easiest The following annual flowers are especially easy to start from seed: Sweet pea Marigold Zinnia Nasturtium Cosmos Sunflowers If you haven't tried starting your own plants from seed, make this be the year Read more [...]

Powerscourt Gardens, Ireland

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It's the time of year when we all long for a little green. What better place than Ireland? Our slideshow takes you there. Powerscourt Gardens Slideshow Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR. Slideshow: Powerscourt GardensTo see captions, click on the image. To share comments or explore further, go to Flickr.   Wherever I travel, great garden visits top my list of must-do activities. My family spent a week in Ireland last summer. While our kids attended a Metallica Read more [...]

USDA Gets Back to the Garden

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Not to be outdone by the White House, the folks over at the USDA started up their own organic vegetable garden outside the agency’s headquarters on the Mall. No matter how you feel about the new administration and about our new Secretary of Agriculture, Tom Vilsack, Washington’s newfound enthusiasm for gardening is pretty darn wonderful. Last spring, not to be outdone by the First Lady's new vegetable garden on the White House lawn, the folks over at the USDA started up their own Read more [...]