Inquirer Columnist Virginia Smith http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith RSS Feed for Inq Col Virginia Smith en-us Fri, 20 Nov 2009 14:38:39 GMT They dig garden tools http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith/20091120_They_dig_garden_tools.html Maybe, says Harold Sweetman, there are no new ideas when it comes to garden tools. No good ones, anyway. Maybe the old standbys - spade, trowel, hoe, fork, pruner, saw - cannot be improved upon, though Lord knows, the marketplace keeps trying. Landreth Seed Co. turns 225, launches African American collection http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith/20091113_Landreth_Seed_Co__turns_225__launches_African_American_collection.html Six years ago, when Barbara Melera bought the venerable D. Landreth Seed Co., it had been decades since Landreths were at the helm, and the company no longer specialized in the vegetables and flowers that had built its fine reputation. For truly tasty garlic, it's a do-it-yourself delight http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith/20091106_For_truly_tasty_garlic__it_s_a_do-it-yourself_delight.html Last year, Tim Jones created the perfect recipe for garlic butter, but as he searched for just the right ingredients, he discovered something many Americans still don't realize: Most of the garlic sold in supermarkets comes from China. Good old orchids http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith/20091030_Good_old_orchids.html Six years ago, Julie MacKenzie wandered into a greenhouse looking for a Christmas gift. She emerged lovestruck - for orchids. Seeds, a favorite collectible http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith/20091023_Seeds__a_favorite_collectible.html This summer, there must have been a dozen patches around the tiny borough of Narberth sporting huge sunflowers. It was no accident. The supersize sun-lovers were grown from seeds swapped among neighbors earlier in the year at Bob and Dawn Weisbord's house, as part of the Narberth Greens Flower and Vegetable Exchange. Still a household favorite http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith/20091016_Still_a_household_favorite.html Drew Brining of Hammonton is only 12, but already he's signed up with the Southern New Jersey African Violet Club. He's even breeding his own plants. The right mix of water, light, etc. http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith/20091016_The_right_mix_of_water__light__etc_.html African violets have a finicky rap, but fans say it ain't so. They do concede this: It may take some experimenting to get the right mix of light, water, soil, fertilizer, temperature and humidity, pot size, and proper grooming. He got stung by beekeeping bug http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith/20091009_He_got_stung_by_beekeeping_bug.html It's a cloudy day, which means Jim Bobb's Italian honeybees - mellow by nature - are hanging out at home, a condo-like colony of 24 hives set up in a field at Morris Arboretum in Chestnut Hill. Autumn sonata http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith/20090925_Autumn_sonata.html September's garden is bittersweet. Its mounded annuals are brighter, fuller than ever, a spirit-lifter every day. They stand on strong, green legs next to brown stalks of spent perennials, an odd couple in the garden light, which is astonishingly beautiful this time of year. Potting with papercrete http://www.philly.com/inquirer/columnists/virginia_smith/20090918_Potting_with_papercrete.html For as long as humans have been upright, we've been planting in decorative containers, ranging from terra-cotta pots and cast-iron urns to humble buckets, bowls, boxes, and troughs.