-
The Cucumber - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions It is generally agreed that cucumbers originated in India and have been under cultivation for at least 3000 years. From India, the pant was introduced into China and then into the West. Both the Greeks and the Romans knew and grew the cucumber. With the possible exception of some gherkins grown in the West Indies, they were not indigenous to the New World, but they quickly became popular after the European explorers introduced them. Benjamin Watson in his book Heirloom Vegetables states, “In 1535 Jacques Cartier mentioned seeing large cucumbers being grown in what is now Montreal, and in 1539 DeSoto found Indians in Florida growing cucumbers that were ‘better than those of Spain’.” In a 1848 Catalogue,
View more -
The Corn - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions One of the greatest gifts that the New World presented to the Europeans was corn or maize as it was then called by some. One of the first sights for Christopher Columbus’ crew as they reached Hispaniola was of fields of maize growing on the island. The cultivation of corn in the New World is one of the most ancient of traditions. Corn was grown from Brazil and Chile to as far north as southern Canada. It was a key ingredient in the diets of the Aztecs, the Mayans and the Incans. , and even before these civilizations appeared, corn was cultivated by prehistoric peoples of the Americas. Corn is believed to have originated from a wild grass
View more -
The Collard and the Kale - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Kale and Collards are probably the earliest cultivated variations of the European wild cabbage. Kale is known to have been widely grown by both the Greeks and the Romans. From a scientific classification point of view, kale and collards are considered to be the same plant – just two different varieties. Sometimes collards are described as a kind of kale. However, diehard Southerners will tell you that collards are collards and kale is kale and they are very different. Kale, also known as Borecole, and collards are non-heading, leafy greens that are among the most cold-hardy vegetables grown. Kale is definitely a cool season crop whose sweet flavor is substantially enhanced when the plant is
View more -
Sweet William Single and Double - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Sweet Williams, members of the Dianthus family, specifically Dianthus Barbatus, have been cultivated for at least 1000 years. It was the Athenians that named the flower Dianthos, from the Greek words dios (devine) and anthos (flower), but the common name, Sweet William, has a much more confusing past. Most plant historians believe that the plant is named after William the Conqueror, the conqueror of Normandy, because the plants were said to grow, "aplenty in the hills of Normandy". Some, however, feel that the plant was named in honor of William of Aquitaine - the Saint, and still other believe that the name was a tribute to William Shakespeare who seemed to have a high
View more -
Potatoes - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Potatoes are members of the Nightshade family of plants which also include the Tomato and the Eggplant. The potato is native to the Andes mountain regions of Chile and Peru. Archaeologists believe that the potato was being cultivated by pre-Columbian farmers as early as 5000 B.C. Remains of potatoes have been found at Incan burial sites which date to 500 B.C. In 1540, the potato was discovered by Spanish explorers who eventually introduced the plant into Europe around 1560. The potato was not popular in the United States until the mid-19th century. Many people thought that the tubers were poisonous and others did not like the yellowish color of the flesh. In 1811, potato with white flesh was introduced
View more -
Portulaca - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Portulaca is an annual member of the Purslane family that is indigenous to the tropical regions of the world. It is also known as the Moss Rose. It is one of the few ornamental plants that can be used to stabilize a sandy bank. Portulacas have been a part of American gardens since the 1700's. In his 1851 book, The Flower Garden, Joseph Breck said of the plant, "Every person who has had any experience in the garden is too well acquainted with the weed Purslane, or Pursly, and would gladly see an extermination, not only of that plant, but all its kindred. It is indeed a troublesome weed; but no one should be condemned because he happens
View more -
Poppies - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Poppies are native to the temperate regions of the world and have been known and cultivated for thousands of years, primarily for medicinal purposes. There are more than 50 species of annual and perennial poppies native to Europe and at least 100 varieties that are indigenous to other areas of the Northern Hemisphere and California, in particular. The Romans are believed to have introduced the poppy into Great Britain. The Latin name, Papaver, comes from the word, Pappa which means milky juice. The plants have a long history in the mythology and legend of most Western cultures. They were recognized as symbols of fertility (a single seed pod can contain as many as 32,000 seeds), fecundity and
View more -
Nigella - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Nigella, also known as Love-In-A-Mist, Jack-In-The-Green or Lady-In-The-Bower, is an annual and member of the Ranunculus Family. It is native to southern Europe and the northern regions of Africa. It has been cultivated in British and European gardens since 1548, but it has been known since Biblical times when in Isaiah 28:27, it was called the "Bitter Fitch". The name Nigella comes from the word, niger, which means black. It refers to the color of the seeds which are used in medicinal and culinary applications. The seeds, when crushed into a paste, were used to banish freckles. The leaves are used in various recipes as an aromatic. The plant was introduced into the United States by colonists in the
View more -
Nasturtium including Canary Creeper - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Nasturtiums, also known as Indian Cress or Flame Flower, are annuals, native to Columbia, Bolivia and Peru where they grow as perennials. They were discovered by the Spanish conquistadors and brought to Spain in the sixteenth century. The first nasturtiums brought to Europe were a variety, Tropaeolum minus, which produced a small yellow flower with a purple blotch. This nasturtium is now very rare. The more familiar nasturtiums, Tropaeolum majus, were introduced in the 1600's and gained almost instant popularity for their ability to hide almost anything with their climbing habit. Nasturtiums also quickly established themselves as a culinary delight - their seeds, when cured in vinegar, could be used as capers and their peppery flavored
View more -
Money Plant (Lunaria) - A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Money Plant, also known as Lunaria or the Honesty Plant, was originally native to the central and southern areas of Europe, but the plant has proliferated throughout the temperate regions of the world. It was introduced into Britain before the 1600's and was brought to the United States by the pilgrims. The plant was prized for its decorative, translucent, disk-shaped seed pods which when dried are lovely in floral displays. The plant is a member of the Mustard family. Its white, tapered roots can be eaten either boiled or raw. Joseph Breck in his 1851 book, The Flower Garden, described the plant in this way, "Honesty is an old-fashioned plant, flowering the second year from seed,
View more
