Podcast

October 2, 2019 National Pumpkin Seed Day, Julius von Sachs, the HMS Beagle Returns Home, Patrick Geddes, Martha Brooks Hutcheson, Wallace Stevens, Heirloom Vegetable Gardening by William Woys Weaver, Rhubarb, and Old Garden Stories

Today is National Pumpkin Seed Day. Pumpkin seeds, also known as pepitas, are native to the Americas. Archaeologists discovered them in Mexico in caves that date back to 7,000 B.C. Today, China produces more pumpkins and pumpkin seeds than any other country. Pumpkin seeds are loaded with protein; a single cup provides 8-10 grams of protein. They are packed with nutrients, and they are overall very good for your health. Next time you’re whipping up a batch of protein bites,…

October 1, 2019 International Coffee Day, Jens Jensen, LeRoy Abrams, John and Harvey Ruth, Cyrus Tracy, Daniel Boorstin, Eudora Welty, The Naturalist by Thom Conroy, Dark Times for Poinsettia, and the Restoration of the WIlliam Hallicy Nursery

Today is International Coffee Day. There is a legend that tells of coffee’s discovery: In Ethiopia, there was a goatherder who observed his goats didn’t want to go to sleep at night after eating berries from a certain tree. After he reported this to the Abbot of a local monastery, the Abbott gathered the berries himself and then made a drink with them. The Abbott’s discovered the drink kept him awake and alert for the long hours of evening prayers.…

September 30, 2019 How to Help Autumn Crocus Shine, Sarah Hynes, Faith Fyles, Helia Bravo Hollis, WS Merwin, Planting in a Post-Wild World by Thomas Rainer and Claudia West, Add Color with Chrysanthemums, and Robert Louis Stevenson Playing Cards with King Kalakaua

I was reading on Facebook yesterday, and a friend had planted all of these autumn croci, colchicums, in her garden. Like any bulb, it takes lots of dedication to get them planted, and then you have all of the anticipations – waiting to see if they come up and if they meet your expectations. Anyway, she’d invited some friends over to come and check them out. Instead of being amazed by the beautiful autumn crocus, her friends were utterly taken…

September 27, 2019 Ina Garten Roasted Tomato Basil Soup, 1843 Chrysanthemums, Joy Morton, James Drummond Dole, John Burroughs, Elizabeth Bowen, Bonaro Overstreet, Hedgemaids and Fairy Candles by Jack Sanders, Your 2020 Garden, and Pick Blackberries before Michaelmas

What are you doing with all of your tomatoes? If you’re looking for a good recipe, I have a suggestion for you: Ina Garten’s Roasted Tomato Soup. A few years ago, I stumbled on Ina Garten’s recipe for Roasted Tomato Soup – it’s the best-roasted tomato basil soup recipe out there if you ask me! It’s so good. Ina’s recipe calls for fresh tomatoes and herbs, and she doesn’t use cream or milk. Best of all, Ina’s soup is rich…

September 26, 2019 Bringing Nature Indoors, Nehemiah Grew, John Chapman, Oakes Ames, Robert Finch, The Pursuit of Paradise by Jane Brown, Preserve Herbs in Salt, and Cora Older

Right now is the perfect time to bring some nature indoors. Why buy something manufactured to look like nature, when some of the most impactful pieces can be found right in your own garden? I love to bring in some of the bird’s nests from my garden. I place them on top of a stack of books, in a crystal bowl, or on a bookshelf. They add wonderful texture and interest to help ground your interior for winter. Adding leaves…