The Ever-So-Slow Adoption of New Vegetables
By Larry Hodgson I can recall when my father first grew broccoli (Brassica oleracea italica) when I was a boy.Continue Reading
Category: Garden History
The Year Tulips Saved the Dutch from Starvation
During the Second World War, tulips helped save the Dutch population from starvation. By Larry Hodgson Did you know thatContinue Reading
How the Potato Got Its Name
By Larry Hodgson Back in the 16th century, two new tubers were introduced into the British Isles at much theContinue Reading
The Fascinating History of the Lawn
The Green Carpet at Versailles was one of the first lawns designed strictly for show. Photo: Remi Jouan, Wikimedia CommonsContinue Reading
Grow Your Own Three Sisters Garden
Three sisters garden. Photo: www.tasteantigua.com On this National Indigenous Peoples Day (Canada), why not take a look at the threeContinue Reading
The Plant That May Have Driven Vikings Berserk
Vikings in a state of uncontrollable rage terrified settlements throughout Western Europe from the late 8th to the early 11thContinue Reading
A Saint Patrick’s Day Story: The Famine Potato Rises Again
The famous ‘Lumper’: the deadliest potato in human history. Photo: myirelandspast.wordpress.com You might wonder why anyone would want to resurrectContinue Reading
Miss Willmott’s Ghost
Miss Willmott’s ghost (Eryngium giganteum). Photo: www.ballyrobertgardens.com She’s tall, prickly, wears an eerie Elizabethan collar and appears icy blue inContinue Reading
The Two Women Behind the Cottage Garden
Cottage garden at Hestercombe Park, Somerset, a Gertrude Jekyll garden. Photo: www.thecultureconcept.com The history of gardens is full of men’sContinue Reading
The Pass-Along Pilea
Photo: Pilea Place I first heard of an unusual round-leaved houseplant back in the 1980s. I was at that timeContinue Reading