Category: Plants and Animals
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How Jack-O-Lanterns got to be made out of Pumpkins in America
Carving Jack-O-Lanterns started over in Europe in the late 1700’s in Ireland England & Scotland. They weren’t originally made from pumpkins but from cultivated turnips called mangelwurzels (orange field beets) hollowed out to act as lanterns and often carved with grotesque faces. When the Irish immigrated to the U.S. in the 1800’s they brought the… Read more
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The legend of the woolly bear caterpillar
We grew up looking for the “woolly bears” in November on the way to school. And it wasn’t to step on them. Really. They are predictors of the future. You see … the caterpillars emerge from eggs during the warm summer months. Just as it’s getting cold in 4-5 months they mature and search for… Read more
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12 easy steps to pack your Dahlia babies away for the winter.
Step 1 Cut the plants about 9″to a foot above the soil about a week before you dig them up. This should be after the first soft frost. This year I did this on November 4th. Remember to mark them in October while they still have flowers so you can tell the colors next year.… Read more
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Keep this 2025 Planting & Harvesting Schedule for Sudbury
Uncle Mike’s Handy Garden Guide Winter is almost here. The garden and seed catalogs are coming in the mail daily. I reminisce about wonderful gardens past. Next year I’m going to have the best garden ever. Then I remember that by July I’m sick of watering and weeding. I wonder what I was thinking, planting… Read more
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GARDEN THUGS – Don’t use these bullies.
Some folks call them “thugs of the plant world”, some call them “spite plants”, I like to think of them as plants that are by their nature invasive or die easily or somehow bring pain to the recipient. And before you ask, no I’ve never given nor gotten them as presents. Prairie Radish Have you… Read more
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Having a green thumb is a thing
Do you love gardening but have a “black thumb” and can absolutely kill just about any house plant within a week. Brings up the question “can I change from a “black thumb” to a “green thumb”? The answer is of course you can. Follow along and I’ll tell you how to try. Growing house plants… Read more
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I Bet You Didn’t Know This – Garden Trivia V3
During the War between the States, doctors in the Union army routinely used onion juice to clean gunshot wounds, and General Grant, deprived of it, sent a testy memo to the War Department : “I will not move my troops without onions!” When potatoes were brought back to England, the English were not quite sure… Read more
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Fall is best to Grow Exact Copies of Your Plants by Taking Cuttings
During the month of August is a great time to take cuttings of your favorite plants and once they’ve taken, plant elsewhere on your lot in October or trade with friends. Getting cuttings to grow is fun if you’re patient Contrary to what you may believe, getting cuttings to grow is not all that difficult.… Read more
