The ethereal blossoms of the passion flower vine provide a dreamlike drama in the landscape. The native deciduous purple passion flower vine, Passiflora incarnata, aka maypop or wild apricot, grows across the eastern United States from Pennsylvania west to Kansas and south to Texas and across to Florida. The herbaceous perennial vine is found in wilderness areas along steams, wood’s […]
Home and Garden
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Cold NoodleSalads
Garlic Sesame Noodles 3 Tbsp. soy sauce 4 garlic cloves, minced 1 Tbsp. oyster sauce (optional) 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar 2 tsp. sesame oil 1 tsp. crushed red pepper chili flakes, or to taste 1/2 tsp. brown sugar 1/2 tsp. chicken bouillon powder 1 green onion, white part only, finely chopped 5 ounces dry wheat noodles 1 tsp. black sesame […]
Rhubarb for the South
Stopping to smell the flowersAt a recent garden tour in Columbia a couple from Illinois asked me, “How do you grow rhubarb in South Carolina?” Rhubarb is a quintessential sign of spring in northern regions of the U.S. with cooler temperatures and long cold winters. Growing up in Illinois in USDA hardiness zone 5, my family grew huge rhubarb plants. My grandmother and mother […]
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RhubarbStrawberry-Rhubarb Pie 3 cups rhubarb cut into ¾-inch pieces 2 cups whole strawberries 1 cup sugar ½ tsp. salt 4 Tbsp. flour 2 Tbsp. soft butter 1 egg yolk 1 Tbsp. milk Mix dry ingredients together before mixing into rhubarb and strawberries. Mix egg yolk and blend into rhubarb mixture. Pastry for Top and Bottom Crust 2 cups sifted flour […]
Weekend Updates for Your Landscape
Adding new life to your landscape can seem overwhelming. Tackling small achievable upgrades in a weekend can get the momentum started and make a big difference in the overall curb appeal. Start with your door. Painting or staining the door can add new life to a tired entrance. Look at your home’s style, siding, and trim to guide you in […]
Cultivate a family sensory garden
Stopping to smell the flowersSchool may be out for summer but learning never stops especially when gardening at home. Parents and children can collaborate to create a summer sensory garden. Most sensory gardens focus on the five external senses—visual (sight), olfactory (smell), tactile (touch), auditory (hearing), and gustatory (taste)—in design and plant selection. The following plants are suggested starters for engaging the five external […]
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Vintage Jell- O DessertsHeavenly Raspberry Dessert 1 (9 inch) angel food cake 2 (3 ounce) packages raspberry-flavored gelatin mix (such as Jell-O®) 1 ¼ cups boiling water 1 (15 ounce) package frozen raspberries in syrup, thawed and undrained 1 pint heavy whipping cream Butter a 9-inch tube pan. Break angel food cake into chunks; set aside. Stir raspberry gelatin and boiling water together […]
The Power of Produce (POP)
Stopping to smell the flowersFor parents having the problem of getting their children to taste and eat their daily MyPlate serving of half a plate of fruits and vegetables, help is as close as the Power of Produce (POP) Club tent at the Blythewood Farmers Market. The Power of Produce is a national farmers market program that originated in 2011 at the Oregon Farmer’s […]
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Campus CookingCreamy Pesto Penne with Sausage 1 (16 ounce) package penne pasta ½ pound ground sausage 1 (1.2 ounce) package creamy pesto sauce mix (such as Knorr®) 1 cup milk ¼ cup olive oil Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Cook penne at a boil, stirring occasionally, until tender yet firm to the bite, about 11 […]
Sweet William—A Nosegay Flower
Stopping to smell the flowersOne of my favorite spring blooming flowers is sweet William, Dianthus barbatus in the Carnation family. Each 12-24-inch floral stem has a bouquet-like cluster of white, pink, red, purple, or bicolored fragrant fringe-petaled flowers at the top mimicking a tussie-mussie, aka nosegay. References to the genus Dianthus can be found in early Greek literature. Theophrastus, (c. 371 –287 BC), a […]
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