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There are many species of beans in cultivation around the world, yet it is the common garden bean, Phaseolus vulgaris that takes on celebrity status as National Garden Bureau’s vegetable focus for 2021. One of the earliest cultivated plants, garden beans can trace their beginnings to Central and South America. Vining or climbing beans were an original... Continue Reading →
Tree fruits look very appealing in garden magazines and catalogs. But not all tree fruits in the catalogs do well in eastern Nebraska. Important considerations to make sure trees thrive and produce well include winter hardiness, bloom time, disease resistance, growth requirements and regular maintenance. HardinessExtreme winter conditions are the biggest limiting factor for backyard... Continue Reading →
This is a great time of year for gardeners – the mailbox is full of seed and plant catalogs, and we get the joy of considering hundreds of new plants we could try in our gardens this year. Here are some tips to keep in mind as you peruse your catalogs and decide which plants... Continue Reading →
A major challenge for good growth of houseplants indoors, particularly in winter, is poor light. Most homes are just too dark for plants to grow well in winter, especially those plants requiring high light. Signs your plants are not getting enough light are small leaves, long thin stems, failure of blooming plants to flower... Continue Reading →
Cherries have been a favored fruit for centuries, eaten by people since before recorded history. Sweet cherries, Prunus avium, are native throughout most of Europe, western Asia and parts of northern Africa. Naturally, they have been used extensively in holiday cooking through the years. But tart cherries, Prunus cerasus, are the most common and well-adapted cherry grown... Continue Reading →
Winter is a time many people prefer to stay indoors, enjoy a good book, a crackling fire in the fireplace and a hot cup of cocoa, giving little thought to the outdoors or their landscape. But gardeners know winter is a time to dream and plan for next summer’s gardens. For Nebraska Extension Master Gardener (EMG) volunteers, winter... Continue Reading →
Holiday cooking, and it's wonderful aromas, are one of the best parts of the holiday for me. Culinary herbs such as cinnamon, rosemary, oregano and sage, are major players in holiday cooking. Cinnamon comes from tropical or subtropical plants, which are not winter hard in Nebraska, but have been grown and harvested in east Asian... Continue Reading →
Yam or Sweet Potato? Sweet potato, botanically named Ipomoeas batatas, is a member of the morning glory family and native to Central and South America. In the United States, the terms yam and sweet potato are often used interchangeably but true yams are a completely different plant. True yams are in the Dioscorea genus and native to West Africa and Asia. Their... Continue Reading →
What? Why should I water something that isn’t growing? Ah, but it is growing…you just can’t see it. A compost pile is a combination of many elements; brown stuff (tree leaves, twigs, coffee grounds), green stuff (kitchen waste, grass clippings) and microscopic animals called microbes.
Pumpkins are typically thought of as a Halloween decoration, however, they are also a staple of our holiday season. Everyone loves pumpkin pie at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Also, pumpkins and gourds make great Thanksgiving decorations! Description Pumpkins are a member of the cucurbit family of plants. They are in the same family as cucumbers, squash,... Continue Reading →
The history of popcorn in the Americas is very old, with the oldest samples of popcorn found in the Bat Cave of west central New Mexico dated at about 4,000 years old. According to the Popcorn Board, an organization of United States popcorn processors, it’s thought that the first use of wild and early-cultivated corn... Continue Reading →
Gooseberry is another great fruit for the home garden. The genus Ribes is home to both gooseberries and currants, so these two plants are closely related. Both are hardy and productive. One way to distinguish gooseberry from currant, is the arrangement of fruits. Gooseberry produces single fruits, or small clusters of 2-3 berries, from leaf... Continue Reading →
