This past week the gospel reading at Sunday Mass included instructions known to every gardener. The story Jesus told was that without adequate soil a seed will not flourish. Jesus said, "A farmer went out to sow his seed. " Some…
The petunia, first brought from Argentina to England in 1831, provides a powerful example of the importance of hybridizing in the garden industry. We continue to grow petunias, and, in fact, they are among the top sellers each spring. It…
Who knew that one day history would link Charles Darwin and James Vick in the same memorial? In England Charles Darwin conducted his research on plants and called it the struggle for life. In his book Darwin's Backyard: How Small…
Annuals play an important role in the summer garden. How do so many annuals make it to your garden center in the spring? The major methods to reproduce a plant are through a seed or a cutting. The new plants…
Last week turned out to be extra special for me. On Monday Ohio Unversity Press sent me the cover for my new book All about Flowers: James Vick's Nineteenth Century Seed Company. James Vick (1818-1882) from Rochester, New York, owned…