As I looked for flowers to complement some marigolds in a container planting, I stumbled upon Black Magic violas, the blackest flower I’ve ever seen. Most “black” flowers are very dark purple, but Black Magic is a pure matte black. Wow. Almost-black plants and foliage, clockwise from top left: Black Magic Viola, Sweet Caroline Purple Sweet Potato Vine, Colorblaze Dark Star Coleus and Pinstripe Petunia. As I looked for flo…
Swarms of biting black flies dampen my gardening enthusiasm from mid-May to September frost. I’m often asked, “What’s the worst pest in your garden?” After cultivating this plot of land for 20+ years and coping with potato, asparagus and Japanese beetles, deer, voles, chipmunks, slugs, snails, and every known borer, caterpillar, and curculio in the Northeast, I’ve concluded that none of these are the ultimate garden wrecker. The worst pest in my…
It’s tempting to think of these pests as alien invaders, but they’re actually natives. Uncovered fruit bowls attract the swarm. Fruit flies win the “Most Annoying Pest” contest hands down. They live in the kitchen, crawling around and breeding on food, and then fly into hard-to-swat, in-your-face swarms when disturbed. If that behavior isn’t a category winner, I don’t want to see the competition! Fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) invas…
…. Cline, former director of the Garden’s Kemper Center for Home Gardening, started the program in 1998. The botanical garden’s Pots to Planks program sells 6″ x 6″ timbers made from ground-up pots (No. 2 and No. 5 plastics). The rigid, heavy timbers are great for raised beds and strong enough to use for retaining walls. “They are fantastic,” Cline says. “It’s a lot of plastic in one product, but we&…
…mal DNA. Many Americans are concerned about the negative effects of GMO use on the agricultural economy and small-scale and organic farming. Surveys show a wide majority of Americans support mandatory labeling. At least 21 countries and the European Union have established some form of mandatory labeling. Mandatory labeling will allow consumers to identify food products they want to avoid. So why not label? Well, here are some of the argu…
Earlier this summer I potted up a miniature bog garden in a bowl and it thrived! Even the dried sphagnum peat moss grew. Check Venus fly traps and pitcher plants for aphids before bringing indoors. Planted in early June, the bog garden is lush and healthy in September. North American pitcher plants (Sarracenia) stop growing during the winter. Pitchers may naturally turn brown. Earlier this summer I potte…
Like many who lost tomato plants to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Plant a diversity of tomato varieties to reduce the possibility of disease. Like many gardeners who lost their tomato crop to late blight last year, I’m wondering: How can I make sure it doesn’t happen again this year? Unfortunately, there’s no silver bullet. The most important thin…
to double the amount you use in this recipe. Anytime Tabouli 1 cup bulgur 1½ cup boiling water 1 tsp. salt ¼ cup lemon juice ¼ cup olive oil 1 clove garlic, pressed or minced 1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes (or 2 cups fresh) 1½ cup finely chopped parsley 3 scallions, chopped, with greens salt and freshly ground black pepper Put bulgur in a heatproof bowl and pour boiling water over it. Let sit for about 20 minutes until m…
…nkling of sea salt. She said it would be a life-changing experience — and it was. About the writer: Jim Romanoff is a recipe developer, food writer for the Associated Press and an avid home cook, based in Burlington, VT. In 2011, he received the IACP Burt Greene award for Culinary Writing That Makes a Difference. He has also been honored by the James Beard Foundation. While it’s refreshing to eat the best specimens just as you would an a…
…ted about was this deep black, eggplant-colored tomato.” The Indigo Rose variety of true purple tomatoes was created at Oregon State University (OSU) using conventional crossing and selection techniques, and released in 2012 in limited numbers. In their quest to develop non-genetically engineered tomatoes with high levels of antioxidants, OSU’s researchers bred the Indigo Rose to have an abundance of anthocyanins — the same pigments t…