Folklore

The Snow-Storm

December 10, 2009
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With snow falling all over the nation this week, I couldn’t help think of a poem by Ralph Waldo Emerson. It goes like this… “Announced by all the trumpets of the sky, Arrives the snow; and driving o’er the fields, Seems nowhere to alight; the whited air Hides hills and woods, the river and the […]

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Winter Survival Tips From Five Pros

November 2, 2009
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Photo by gagilas The days are growing shorter. The temperatures are dropping. And old man winter will be here before we know it. Meanwhile, I can’t help but wonder how gardeners in much colder climates survive the dark, dreary days of winter. I’ll be honest with you. In my USDA Hardiness Zone 6B garden, winters […]

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Happy Summer Solstice

June 20, 2009
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Since pre-Christian times, the summer solstice has been celebrated with seasonal rituals of major importance. Here are six fun facts you might not know about the summer solstice:

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A Joyful May

May 5, 2009

“The moon shines bright, and the stars give a light, A little before it is day So God bless you all, both great and small And send you a joyful May.”

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A Historical Look at May Day

May 1, 2009

“The fair maid who the first of May, Goes to the fields the break of day, And washes in dew from the hawthorn tree, Will ever handsome be.” Old Proverb    The first of May – otherwise known as May Day – is “rich in customs, perhaps more so than any other day of the […]

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Strange Easter Facts

April 12, 2009
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Since the earliest times, spring and the renewal of life after winter have been celebrated around Easter. Most people know Easter as a Christian holiday that marks the resurrection of Jesus. But here are Easter facts you might not know:

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Are You Fooling? It’s April!

April 1, 2009

“Hail April, the Medea of the year, That makest all things young and fresh appear.” R. Chambers, The Book of Days, 1866 It’s the first day of April. Each day, spring grows stronger in its fight against winter. And our gardens start to look especially lovely after months of gray, dreary days. The colorful bulb […]

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Weather Like a Lion or Lamb?

March 26, 2009

Weather predictions are common in March and have been for centuries. Consider this old English weather proverb: “If March comes in like a lion, it goes out like a lamb,If it comes in like a lamb, it goes out like a lion.” What are you experiencing now — the lion or the lamb?

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Happy Lady Day, Happy New Year

March 25, 2009

While you’re out enjoying your spring garden, consider this cool fact. Today was the start of the year for many gardeners in past centuries. It’s true. From the twelfth century until the calendar changed in 1752, March 25 began the year (not Jan. 1) on the Old Style calendars in England and Ireland. In the […]

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17th Century Garden Tips for March

March 24, 2009

“In March, the Moon being new, sow Garlic, Chervil, Marjoram, white Poppy, double Marigolds, Thyme and Violets. At the full Moon, Chicory, Fennel and Apples of Love. At the wane, Artichokes, Basil, Cucumbers, Spinach, Gillyflowers, Cabbage, Lettuce, Burnets, Leeks and Savory.” Gervase Markham, The English Housewife, 1683 Keep in mind this advice was written for […]

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