Virginia Spring Beauty (Claytonia virginica) Image Credit: Native Wildflowers Nursery Height: 6″ – 10″ Spring Beauties are Ephemerals. “A spring ephemeral is a native plant that blooms in early spring and only lasts a short amount of time. They are woodland wildflowers that emerge, then quickly go dormant.” Google ai First Blossom Noticed in May Garden…
Tag: Cottage Garden Living
Pesto Recipes
Recipe for Classic Basil Pesto 4 to 6 Cloves Garlic 4 cups shredded fresh basil leaves 1 cup olive oil 1 cup grated Parmesan or Romano cheese, preferably a mix Salt “Place the…garlic, basil and oil in a food processor and blend as fine as possible. Transfer the mixture to a medium bowl and stir…
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,…
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…
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…
Basil – Beautiful Herb to Grow – Invaluable in the Kitchen – Includes Recipes
Sweet Basil (Ocimum basilicum) Image Credit: gardenia.net There are many varieties of Basil, but many sources say that Sweet Basil is the variety that every gardener should grow: “This herb is known around the world for its wonderful fragrance and flavor. The key ingredient in classic Italian pesto, Sweet Basil has big leaves that are…
Artemisia – White Sage – A Plant Traditionally Used by Native Americans
White Sage (Artemisia ludoviciana) Image Credit: gardenia.net Height: 12 – 36″ I love to share personal stories, and I have a story about how I discovered White Sage. Over the years, I have lived in many different parts of the country, and while I was living somewhere else, I was invited to a Native American…
How to Start Creeping Thyme Plants for Your Garden — Start Early — Inside
English Creeping Thyme Image Credit: Breoudo Height: 2 – 3″ Creeping Thyme Used as a groundcover for rapid spreading. Attracts beneficial insects. Handles light traffic. Great for rock gardens. Creeping Thyme is popularly sown in rock gardens, along borders, fences & walkways, in containers & pots, or directly in the garden. This versatile groundcover also…
How to Create A Kitchen Garden — A French Potager — Includes Free Plan
Jacki Kellum Kitchen Garden 2021 I have read that as people began planting their food, as opposed to hunting and gathering it, the first kitchen gardens began. The earliest cottage gardens were usually kitchen gardens–what the French would call a potager.In my mind, a kitchen garden is not the same as a place where only…