Early American gardening centered on vegetables - In the first half of the nineteenth century gardeners focused on growing vegetables rather than cultivating a flower garden. Perhaps the emphasis on vegetable growing may have been related to the simple need…
James Vick offered New Year advice - Rochester, New York horticulturist James Vick (1818-1882) owned a successful seed company in the late nineteenth century. His mail order business included customers from around the world. Vick published a monthly garden magazine…
19th Century advertising featured people as vegetables - Tower Hill, near Worcester, Massachusetts, ranks high on my list of favorite public gardens. On a recent visit I saw their newest exhibit. The exhibit featured several trade cards from the nineteenth…
Last weekend I drove to North Kingston, Rhode Island for a dahlia show, sponsored by the Rhode Island Dahlia Society. This is an annual late summer event that I thoroughly enjoy. Here is one of the flowers I saw that afternoon.…
Annuals make summer's end special. Annuals become an important part of the garden at the end of the summer. When so many perennials have gone by, annuals continue to supply color and structure to the garden. Rochester, New York seed company…