The Rape – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Rape is an annual belonging to the mustard family and a member of the larger brassica group, which includes cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and turnips. Little is known about the origin of rape except that the seeds have been highly valued for their oil since ancient times. Nearly half the…
The Radish
The Radish – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Radishes originated in China, and in China, today, truly wild forms of the radish can still be found. The name, radish, comes from the Latin word, radix, which means “root” and specifically radish root. The genus name, Raphanus, is a Latinized form of a Greek expression raphanos which means “easily reared”.…
The Pumpkin and the Squash
The Pumpkin and the Squash – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Squash, beans and corn, known as the “Three Sisters” comprised the trinity that was the staple diet of ancient America. Unbelievably, remains of wild or, possibly, cultivated squash have been found in Mexico that date to 9000 BC. Similar archaeological evidence has been unearthed in South America, Central…
The Pepper
The Pepper – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Sweet and hot peppers are indigenous to Central and South America. They have been cultivated since prehistoric times. Archaeologists have found chili peppers at sites dating to 7000 BC. The Aztecs, Incans and Mayans all cultivated peppers. The Aztecs had at least seven different words for hot peppers. We derive the…
The Peanut
The Peanut – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Peanuts are native to the Amazon Basin area of South America and have been a staple of the diet of the South Americans for thousands of years. As long as people have been making pottery in South America, pots shaped like peanuts have been created and decorated with peanut images. Graves…
The Pea
The Pea – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Peas, along with beans and grains, are among the earliest of all cultivated vegetables. Evidence of peas have been found in lake mud beneath the site of houses created by Bronze Age Swiss lake dwellers that is over 5000 years old. Peas have also been found at a prehistoric cave site…
The Parsnip
The Parsnip – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Parsnips have been cultivated for their sweet roots since ancient times. The Romans frequently grew the vegetables. In fact, Emperor Tiberius adored parsnips and, every year, had them brought from France where the colder climate allowed the roots to develop a sweeter flavor. The British are particularly fond of parsnips. It…
The Parsley
The Parsley – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Parsley is the world’s most popular herb. The name, parsley, means rock celery. Parsley is, in fact, related to celery. Parsley is native to the Mediterranean region of southern Europe and has been cultivated for more than 2000 years. It has been used for medicinal purposes since prehistoric times. The Romans…
The Onion
The Onion – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions The origin of onions like the origin of garlic is buried in antiquity. It is known that onions were grown in Ancient Egypt and that eventually they arrived in Rome. It was in Rome that they were given the name unio, which means large pearl. Unio became unyon in Middle English…
The Okra
The Okra – A Little History and Some Growing Instructions Okra is a beautiful ornamental plant which produces flowers which resemble hollyhock or hibiscus blossoms as well as a delicious and nutritious vegetable. Okra most likely originated in northeast Africa where okra plants can be found growing wild along the banks of the White Nile River and where it has been…