Doug’s Houseplant Highlight – Aloe Vera

A row of Aloe Vera plants

The reason I chose Aloe Vera as my houseplant highlight is simple. Aloe Vera is popular with homeowners and relatively easy to grow. One reason for its popularity is its medicinal use. Aloe Vera plants have been used for medicinal purposes for thousands of years. Cleopatra is reputed to have used Aloe gel in her … Read more

Brighten Your Garden in Winter With Hellebores

Hellebores in bloom

That beautiful hellebore (aka Lenten Rose) that grace my garden in winter has a long, somewhat violent history. In one of the first recorded instances of biological warfare, the Grecian army used massive quantities of hellebores to poison the water supply of the city of Kirrha in 585 B.C. The townspeople were so overcome with … Read more

February is Houseplant Month at The Great Big Greenhouse

Celebrate Houseplant Month this February

ENHANCE YOUR LIFE WITH PLANTS TROPICAL PLANTS ARE MORE THAN JUST DECORATIVE ACCENTS IN OUR HOME OR OFFICE This is our 15th year with highlighting houseplants during the month of February. Let our Professional Staff assist you. We pride ourselves with carrying the best and largest selection of tropical plants in the Richmond area. Have … Read more

Eight Houseplant Dont’s, And One Do

Read on for a list of houseplant don'ts for new houseplant owners

So you just bought a new plant—or you’ve got one at home that isn’t doing what you think it ought to be doing. These are some things you should not do: Don’t repot a stressed plant. That’s just adding to the stress. The exception would be a broken pot or a plant that has major … Read more

How Weather Wise Are Groundhogs?

How accurate are groundhogs at predicting the weather?

This coming Thursday is Groundhog’s Day. So here are a few interesting facts about Groundhogs. Groundhogs are also known as Woodchucks. The name “Woodchuck” has nothing to do with wood at all. It is based on the Native American word for them which is “Wuchak.” Groundhogs (Marmot monax) are not related to hogs at all, but … Read more

Start Thinking About Starting Seeds

Now's the time to starting thinking about starting seeds indoors

This is a great time to start thinking about starting seeds. Seed packets will tell you to start six to eight weeks before your average last frost date for tomatoes and peppers. Some people will tell you mid-April is our last frost date. I’ll remind you that last year we had frost after the first … Read more

Let’s Talk Tomatoes

A bountiful and colorful collection of heirloom tomatoes

As I was going through the seed racks here to pick out a few favorites to start indoors in a couple of weeks, I decided to do a blog on my favorite varieties. Two words you need to know first—determinate and indeterminate. A determinate tomato is a BUSH—it produces a large crop in a shorter … Read more

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