By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener Are the two really related? I think they are through kitchen recipes. It is easy to take for granted the accessibility of herbs and spices. If you live in a climate that supports the growth of spice trees or shrubs for flavor and scent such as the Mediterranean Valley …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener SYRACUSE — The lone scent of one herb, such as sage, can immediately bring occasions to mind such as family gatherings at Thanksgiving or Christmas. Blending two herbs or more together, such as basil and oregano, is a familiar aroma of pizza or pasta such as lasagna. Cilantro, onion …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener SYRACUSE — The herb gardens featured here are three of my favorite. They have been featured in previous articles and it is great to see how they have progressed. Keeping location in mind, each destination is premium space. The production yield is clearly based on sun exposure, water source …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener SYRACUSE — It isn’t too late to plant annual, perennial and biennial flower seeds for summer blossoms, maybe not this summer, but the following for sure. Why is it necessary to start plants before it’s warm outdoors? Well, for some species, it isn’t too early, directly sown seeds into …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener SYRACUSE — Every year around the middle of March and as part of our St. Patty’s Day celebration, we plant snow peas and set potatoes in the ground. Some save planting potatoes for Good Friday. The Irish shamrock, Trifolium dubium also known as Lucky Charm plant, was used by …read more.

[weaver_youtube u7_blHE_gbc rel=0]   By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener SYRACUSE — Once you have the feel for an indoor garden many options for grooming and managing will take place. Smaller tools will be helpful. Many sizes of tools can be found in bonsai catalogues or from your cast-off table silverware. Soil and containers need …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener Two forms of art in my life; culinary and garden require sharp tools. My father Ralph Freels kept mother’s kitchen hand tools sharp with a whet stone. I keep my knives sharp with a sharpening steel. The garden tools, shovels, hoes, trimmers, clippers and lawn mower blades can all …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener SYRACUSE — By now all of us, here in Northern Indiana, may have experienced the frost date of September 15, scheduled by Mother Nature. Some of our tenders may already have been nipped by cold winds or drops of freezing dew. You may have heard the sound of the …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener SYRACUSE — Many of us have pulled off the seed pod of a marigold, pressed on the dried blossoms gently pulling the seeds out and fanning them between our fingers. You can save them in a paper sandwich bag to plant in your garden in a neat row like …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener A flower is born, lives out its life and dies. It makes seeds or dust for the next generation of flowers. Some flowers bear fruit or leaves that we may eat holding nutrients that feed or heal our bodies. The reason to remove the “deadhead:” it is the proper …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener The hot days of July and August can take a toll on perennials that need to survive not only cold spring weather but the warmer months without rain. This is the ultimate challenge for the seasoned gardener. It is important to have rotating crops of flowers to have your …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener Your garden and surroundings can be a great resource for you. Plants, like people, have habits and characteristics essential to their survival. Some take more of a lot than a little water. Watering should be early, between 4 and 8 a.m. as a recommendation. If watering in the afternoon, …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener Annual labeling may be a thing of the past if you can develop a backup map and nomenclature descriptions for your flowers and the beds where they rest. The landscape here at the lake, 46 years ago, was pretty bleak except for the abundance of mature trees that outnumbered any …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener Can you remember how you became acquainted with a flower with which you fell in love? My first impression of Caladiums, native to Brazil, was their use in a department store as a summer accent. Later, I saw a collection of Caladiums mixed with hosta and ferns at a …read more.

By JOYCE ARLEEN CORSON Master Gardener (EDITOR’S NOTE: Corson is a graduate of Adams Central High School, Manchester University and Ball State University. She and her husband, Ron, were married and enjoyed many years of traveling before they settled at Lake Papakeechie to raise their family. Soon after moving to the Syracuse area, Corson joined …read more.

Spring has arrived in the area and with it comes planting time for both flowers and vegetable gardens. Not everyone has a green thumb and even those who do often have questions and concerns. InkFreeNews.com will be adding a new category to the site, “In The Garden.” We have asked three local master gardeners to …read more.