Monday, May 26, 2008

Lily Leaf Beetle Pictures

Memorial Day 2008


I had mentioned an article I wrote about using dormant oil sprays. Here's the link again and some pictures of the beetle I took yesterday. Lily Bugs! Included in the Friends of the University of Vermont Hort Farm Newsletter











Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the temperature is an even 59 degrees at 6:30 PM and the rain is gentle and constant.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm A place to purchase great flowers at good prices
Vermont Gardens A blog about growing a nursery business in Vermont

Sunday, May 25, 2008

Seeing Red: The Lily Leaf Beetle


Sunday, May 25, 2008
Gail and I have been growing lilies for years and now we have had the misfortune of coming to meet the lily leaf beetle. We are not alone as it has now swept all lily growing lands east of the Rockies and on into Canada including Nova Scotia. I wrote about using dormant oil as a control last year and the article was recently reproduced on the University of Vermont's Hort Farm Newsletter. Here's what I wrote: Lily Bugs!

We've been really busy moving our nursery to a new location but here are some pictures so you know what you are looking for. I took the pictures this afternoon and the maturity of the beetles suggests that they are well established. They have an ability to fly in so it's impossible to say whether the size of the problem is local or the bugs have simply found your lilies. Feel free to reproduce the pictures as you wish and alert other gardeners to the problem.

Note: Satellite problems so will send other pictures soon.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

















Saturday, May 24, 2008

Lily Leaf Beetle: BEWARE!

Saturday, May 24, 2008

Have to scoot out of here in a minute as we are moving our nursery this weekend. Thousands and thousands of pots heading down Peacham Pond Road to our new location just west of Marshfield Village on Route 2. Half mile out of town on the left if you are heading towards Plainfield. Should have an "Open" sign up by noon but it will be a week before the bulk of the material makes its way there. Help is welcome, people with trucks and spare time will be rewarded with plants and gas money.

An important warning to lily growers. I don't have time to get some pictures out but the lily leaf beetle is everywhere. I wrote an article which was published on the net and recently by the Friends of the Hort Farm. The response has been dismal. Beetles are everywhere and lilies are being eaten. If you are a lilium grower, get out there right away and do an inspection. I'll try to get some pictures out tomorrow. I have been successful with dormant oil spray to control the new larvae.

Right now the bright red beetles, 1/4" to 3/8" long, black legs and antennae, are probably burrowing into the top of your lily stems where the leaves have not yet unfurled. Pry open the leaves and look for the beetle. Many have told me they are too obvious on the plants to be anything but depressing. I have not heard of a gardener who has not found a problem upon inspection. Hate to start the day on a bad note but if you enjoy lilies, you have to take action now.

Best wishes for a good Memorial Day weekend. Please stop for a minute and give thankful thoughts for the country we live in and those who have helped protect our freedoms over the years. The sacrifices have been great to allow us the opportunities to do things everyday which we now too often take for granted.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Vermont Gardens Another blog I write

Monday, May 19, 2008

Quick Morning Walk

Monday, May 19, 2008

Karl and I took a quick morning walk and with one hand and a few expletives I took a few spring shots. Walking a dog in spring and taking a picture are not compatible and I know better than to try. Time is short and I keep trying to satisfy a number of responsibilities. Here are some picture thoughts to accompany your morning coffee. Check out Vermont Gardens
and you will see why I am busy.



Hellebores are a fascinating flower. They begin to bloom when cold April snows melt enough to get some sun to left-over foliage. They jump start our need to see color and always interest visitors.

Hellebores come in a variety of colors. As they begin to go to seed, all the petals, regardless of what color they start at, turn to green.

Wild leeks are prominent now. As you walk along many Vermont streams and rivers, the smell of onions will become prominent and you might not understand the source. The Winooski River was named after these onions, hence The Onion River.

There is a great variety of cherries and crabs on the market which add good height up to 12-15 feet and even are available as 6 foot dwarf specimens. This one is especially colorful with double flowers. It is susceptible to a virus my nursery friends have never figured out and I tolerate it's spring color but cannot recommend it to others.

Epimediums are a great flower which is just now receiving appropriate claim. I mention it often on my blogs. This nice ruby red with yellow center is rubrum although I notice I mislabeled the picture 'roseum' which is more lavender. Great clusters of flowers hang on a long time as long as moisture is sufficient.

Epimedium grandiflorum alba is an eye catcher. It is a favorite. Write me a good description of the flower. I have trouble saying spider-like as that's just not quite right.

The sun is rising quickly and the phone engineer just called. He's on route with my telephone cable so we can get phone and data service to our new nursery building. The conduit has been underground for weeks and the pull cord is in place and ready to bring in needed service. Guess I better get going. Hope your gardens are cleaned up and beginning to please you. We have a long way to go but a trip here to Peacham Pond Road is worth it just to see what we have and look at the hostas unfurl.

Good gardening wishes from one gardener to another!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Place an order yet?
Vermont Gardens where we offer news about our new nursery!!

Saturday, May 17, 2008

Catch Up Events


Saturday, May 17, 2008

Time is limited today. Please go to Vermont Gardens at http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com
for a quick update on why we haven't had a chance to practice our writing skills. If you visit us at Peacham Pond Road this weekend, you'll find that the place in on auto pilot as we are planting with great vigor in preparation for our move to our new nursery.

In the gardens you'll see the spring colors of hundreds of hostas unfurling, the beauty of hellebores in full bloom, primroses opening forth, bleeding hearts in various stages of opening, trilliums looking great and daffodils and tulips here and there.

If you do stop by, feel free to interrupt with questions and directions of what is located where. Be sure not to overlook the epimediums in the lower garden around the standing stones. Exceptional!

Can't make it today? Try our commercial site Vermont Flower Farm We'll miss meeting you but at least you'll see what you're missing in person.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the sun has us up to 63 degrees and a flock of turkeys has moved into the lower daylily beds. Enjoy today!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

Sunday, May 11, 2008

Spring Fury


Sunday, May 11, 2008
Mother's Day


I bright morning here at Vermont Flower Farm. Last night's 29 degrees left heavy frost on the grass and the promise of another fine day. That's great because there's lots to do. A reader from Townsend in southern Vermont stopped by yesterday to find out what was going on. She didn't think I was writing enough and I agreed with her but pointed out that moving a nursery business is kind of like moving a family even if it's just across town. I begged forgiveness and promised that our new location would be up and running by Memorial Day. I encouraged her to walk the rows of potted plants which Gail and her crews have been cranking out relentlessly. Apparently it all worked, as she bought 11 potted daylilies and said she would see us at our new place.

During the past couple weeks, Kim and Lenny have been busy on our new building. They both work full time in the granite industry so this is a part time endeavor for them. Yesterday the rafters went up and this morning the plywood roof, Grace roof covering/waterproof sheeting and drip edge will go on. Tuesday the shingling starts, then the windows and doors slide in and then the siding goes on. I am the gopher on this project. Kim and I designed the layout based on what Gail wanted and then I finalized the materials lists and bid out the various items. We are really pleased how this is turning out. Gardeners eager to read about spring garden flowers will have to show patience too as they don't make day stretchers and my days are already quite thin. If you're in the neighborhood, do stop by. We are open for business on Peacham Pond Road as we work along on US Route 2.


Yesterday morning I noticed a red Subaru slowing out front at 5:30. I knew it must be our friend, Eric, who lives and works in Massachusetts but has a camp in Groton. Eric loves Vermont and if truth be known he'd rather be living here. I was packing the truck with tools for the job site so he accompanied me down to see how things were advancing. I got things set up for Kim and Lenny, and then Eric and I came back for breakfast with Gail. We hadn't seen each other since last fall so there was lots to catch up on.

Eric is a gardener but he's also an experienced bird watcher and he knows ornithology like no one I know. As always, I had a bird question for him. Gail and I had seen a new bird recently and it was totally unfamiliar to us. We described it as grosbeak size with the breast color of a male robin, black with white wing bars and a most odd habit of scratching the ground under the maples and the spireas with both feet. Good or bad the description was more than enough for Eric and he immediately said "Towhee" and then described the call as "drink-your-tea-ee-ee-ee-ee' Rufous-sided Towhee.

We told Eric of the annual visit last week of a mature male osprey and then fell into catching up on winter and spring events. The conversation had to end too soon as we had to get to work and Eric had some things to do at camp.

Today is Mothers Day and we want to wish all mothers a good day. We have some special things in the greenhouse for Gail, and Alex has crafted his typical card which I haven't seen yet. The day will be busy but our celebration at the end of the day will be a sincere thanks for all Gail does for Alex and me. Sometime this afternoon we'll also slide in some time with my mother-in-law, Miriam, now 91 years young. No matter how busy you are today, try to let your Mom know you care.


Writing form the mountain above Peacham Pond where 1500 plants, mostly hostas, await my presence at the potting bench. Spring sales have been exceptional with incredible astilbe sales because of a brief mention of our business name and website in the spring Better Homes and Gardens Magazine perennial issue. We'll be here at 256 Peacham Pond Road until Memorial Day and then will be at our new location. Stop by if you have a chance.


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Vermont Gardens