How to Grow Kentucky Wonder Pole Green Beans – Heirloom

Kentucky Wonder Pole Green Bean – Heirloom Image Credit: Burpee “You get big crops of sweet and always stringless pods. “Kentucky Blue is an All-America Selections winner that combines the excellence of the all-time greatest pole beans: Kentucky Wonder and Blue Lake. You get big crops of sweet, straight, stringless pods 7″ long. A heavy…

How to Grow Contender Green Beans – Heirloom Bush Beans

Contender Green Beans – Heirloom Bush Beans – (Phaseolus vulgaris) Image Credit: Burpee Height; 18″ – 30″ “Great bean flavor. “Contender is one of the best bush beans ever. It is a heavy cropper with round-oval pods and a strong, distinctive flavor. It’s an early bean that does well under short seasons and cool conditions,…

Swiss Chard: A Beautiful Plant that Is Also Nutritious

Swiss Chard ‘Bright Lights’ (Beta vulgaris var cicl) I must be twitterpated by the thought of starting my 2024 garden, but today I noticed, for the first time, a gorgeous vegetable plant Swiss Chard Bright Lights. I had always heard that Swiss Chard is bitter, and perhaps I have simply blocked out this gorgeous plant…

Setting Up My Flower, Herb & Plant Business – First Steps

Cottage Garden Living Plant Shop For many, many years, I have been building a plant business, but until now,  my efforts have been on the back burner. But this spring, I’m moving forward with my plan. I have maintained my garden website Cottage Garden Living for at least ten years: https://cottagegardenliving.com/ This spring, I’ll set…

When to Plant Your Garden – Dates to Start Seeds Indoor & Dates to Plant Outside

When Should You Transplant Seedlings? “It’s time to transplant when seedlings have grown too large for their seed trays or starter pots. If it’s not yet warm enough to plant outdoors, transplant the seedlings to larger plastic or peat pots indoors and continue care. If outdoor conditions allow, start hardening off your seedlings approximately one week…

Bee Balm or Monarda – Queen of the Herbs in My Garden

Wild Bergamot (Monarda fistulosa) Image Credit: American Meadows Height: 24 – 48″ tall The Native Americans made healing teas from Monarda. “After the Boston Tea Party in 1773, when American colonists dumped tea shipped by the British East India Company, in protest against British rule, the bergamot tea of the Oswego Indians became a popular…

Artemisia – Herb Named for an Ancient Greek Goddess

There are about 500 species of Artemisia. In this post, I’ll tell you about a few of those varieties, and I’ll tell you about the Ancient Greek Goddess Artemis. Diana and Cupid Painted by Pomeo Batoni at the Metropolitan Museum of Art 1761 “Artemisia was named for the Greek goddess Artemis. In Ancient Greek Mythology,…