Gardening has shaped the world around us. Since the beginning of time we have been gardening, and our gardening tools have found use well beyond the fields. It is amazing what you can do with a stick. Add a bit of steel to the end of that stick and you can change the world … or at least conquer it.
Read MoreWe are at war. The enemy is invisible, and we know the best way to fight it is to stay home. It’s extremely hard, we’re all wading into the unknown together … apart.
Read MoreWhen I was a child, I was always intrigued by one particular decoration around the holidays. Many decorations, like candy canes at Christmas, have a story behind them, but I had never heard the story of these weird, cone-shaped baskets we see decorating tables at Thanksgiving. Later in school I learned that they were called “cornucopia” or “horn of plenty” and associated with the blessing of a good harvest.
Read MoreIt’s hard to imagine an American Thanksgiving table without the ubiquitous orange-crusted custard made from strained, spiced and twice-cooked squash.
Read MoreWith canning season upon us, we’re going to take a look at how to preserve your harvest over the next few weeks. There’s no better place to start than with one of the first known preservations methods. Do you like your pickles sour or sweet? Let us know in the comments.
Read MoreDuring World War I, a severe food crisis emerged in Europe as agricultural workers were recruited into military service and farms were transformed into battlefields. As a result, the burden of feeding millions of starving people fell to the United States.
Read MoreOn Wednesday, I put my body on the line by drinking a poinsettia smoothie. … Well I’m still alive! I feel safe declaring this myth “busted”, but let’s take a look at the facts.
Read MoreOne of my most indispensable tools in the garden isn’t a hoe, shovel, or tiller … it is a book. To be specific, I use a couple of books. I have a day planner that I use to plan out my daily tasks, and I have a notebook that I use for bigger projects. (I’m writing this draft in it right now.) This time of the year gardening starts to occupy more space in my notes.
Read MoreI have a confession to make. My wife and I watch The Bachelor. I think I like it more than her, but for totally different reasons. It is the best comedy on television! I think the producers are wise to this. That’s how the crazies stick around for so long! We all know they made Arie keep Krystal around for the ratings. Anyhow, I think Arie should give out colored roses to let the ladies know how he feels. That would really crank the drama up to 11. Here’s why…
Read MoreIt’s fall. Here at Bob’s this means three things – pansies, mums, and apples. Apples are pretty amazing. We owe modern apples to central Asian farmers thousands of years ago who first domesticated apples. However, we can look a little closer to home when it comes to the most popular varieties of apples today. Two popular varieties have their origin right here in West Virginia. Grimes Golden and Golden Delicious, West Virginia’s official state fruit. In 2013, the Golden Delicious was one of four apple varieties featured on 33-cent stamps issued by the U.S. Postal Service.
Read MoreFall is just around the corner. Pretty soon you’ll start to see fall displays of pumpkins, mums, and corn shocks. Today corn shocks are used as a decoration, but a little over a century ago they still served a very real purpose.
Read MoreI have always been interested in studying history, and in West Virginia we have a rich history that holds many secrets and stories.
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