Blooming Peaches
Every year the spring arrival in the plain of Veroia in central Macedonia is accompanied with stunning images of blossoming peach trees, apricot trees and other orchards that thrive in the area. A unique mosaic of pink, white and red shades of flowering trees that is even mentioned in Herodotus’ writings as the famous “Gardens… Read More …
CHESTNUT
CHESTNUT The chestnut tree belongs to the Fagaceae family, genus Castanea, with the main species being the European chestnut (Castanea sativa), the American chestnut (Castanea dentata), the Japanese chestnut (Castanea crenata) and the Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima). Chestnut is a large tree that can grow to a height of up to 35 meters. There… Read More …
PUMPKIN
PUMPKIN Pumpkin is closely related to the Halloween holiday, celebrated mainly in the USA and many countries in the UK, where pumpkins are carved into decorative lanterns. Interesting fact that this tradition originated in Ireland, where traditionally the carving was done on turnips or beetroot and involved the mythical hero “Stingy Jack O’Lantern”… Read More …
BROCCOLI
BROCCOLI Scientific name: Brassica oleracea var. italica, of the Brassicaceae family, cultivated as an annual plant. Broccoli originated in Italy, where it owes its name, from the wild cabbage with continuous natural evolution of the plant’s flower buds for about 2,000 years. Global broccoli production (together with cauliflower) according to FAO reached 26.9 million… Read More …
Strawberry
STRAWBERRY Scientific name: Fragaria sp., of the Rosaceae family, was known from ancient times as wild strawberry. Commercial strawberry cultivation began in the Brittany region in 1750 from the crossing of three wild strawberry varieties. This crossing gave the hybrid Fragaria x anannasa Duch., which replaced in commercial production the forest strawberry (Fragaria… Read More …
1st day of Spring
1st day of Spring “You can cut all the flowers, but you cannot keep Spring from coming”. Pablo Neruda 20th of March – 1st day of Spring, identified with the vernal Equinox, the phenomenon in which day and night have equal duration. Ιt occurs twice a year, once on March 20-21 and once… Read More …
Quince tree
QUINCE TREE Scientific name: Cydonia oblonga of the Rosaceae family. In biblical texts quince is referred to as the “Golden Apple”, while in ancient Greece it was offered on the wedding day as a symbol of fertility. It is also mentioned in Homer’s Odyssey as an ornamental tree, while in Roman times in the… Read More …
Grapevine
GRAPEVINE (Vitis vinifera, Family: Vitaceae) September, the beginning of autumn – also known as “Harvester”, is a peak month for grapevines and for the completion of harvesting. Grape harvesting, along with the pressing afterwards, has been one of the most important agricultural tasks since antiquity and an occasion for celebration, such as the Dionysian feast,… Read More …
