The sweet pea has long been a garden favorite. We owe its popularity to the seed trade from the late nineteenth century. James Vick (1818-1882), seed merchant from Rochester, New York, was reponsible for putting the sweet pea into the…
We gardeners love the benefits of gardening. Many rewards come our way. A customer, D. V. D. from San Francisco, once wrote to nineteenth century horticulturist James Vick (1818-1882) who owned a large seed company in Rochester, New York. In…
It wasn't always the case that a plant had a certain dollar value. Sometimes people planted what was available, what they loved, or what they could find. There was no question about the cost of the plant. Just because a…
This is another list blog post. I wrote recently about our fasciation with lists like the top five or the top ten. Yesterday I came across a poem by a Victorian gardener, "L. O." from Newburgh, New York. The poem…
Many of the annuals we grow every summer have a long history in the garden. Not every flower is a new introduction. In fact, we prefer to plant old favorites. Just ask any garden center. There is a certain variety…