Postponed Plans

Monday, May 30, 2011

1 PM and a beautiful day after a slow start. The phone is ringing to find out if we are open or not as folks ask for road conditions. Yes, we are open and the major roads are back open too! The current exception is Route 14 from Barre to East Montpelier and the Transportation website says it will be a few more days. The past few days have been a blur to us beginning with last week's storm that dropped 5.66" in one night amidst a thunderstorm that lasted non stop for over 6 hours here. Subsequent rainfalls of 2" and 1" and then half an inch led us to last evening. I don't know what the rainfall was last night but more than half an inch for sure so that was quite a total....quite a week! Gail tells me last night's water covered the daylilies again but should be gone by late afternoon.



Our nursery has been open every day as our office, shade houses and potted plants sit above the Winooski River so they were not challenged by fast rising water. Keeping the flag waving was inspirational during a bad time.

I finally gave up late Friday morning as waters showed a temporary decline. I cleaned up what I could and headed home leaving Gail to handle business if there was any. At that point Route 2 was in terrible shape, kinda opened from Montpelier but closed five miles beyond us all the way to St Johnsbury.

I couldn't walk very well but after a day in recovery the honey bees appeared to be alive and doing better than me even though the entire hive was under water for how long I do not know. My problem was that during a week of turmoil I fell off a ladder and broke my right tibia. It was a weird break and not a good way to start a growing season but things happen. I handle pain and kept telling myself the little pain I felt would go away. Returning home with the reality a leg cast offers didn't bring smiles but with this much trouble in a week, things have to get better.

If you look through the trees in these pictures you can see the Winooski River that in places swelled to hundreds upon hundreds of feet wide. At our place the water receded and then came up again last night so I never have really checked out the hosta and daylily display gardens. I know a lot of hostas are someplace between here and the mouth of the Winooski and I hope some readers can give reports sometime in the future about interesting finds among questions of "How'd this get here?"
If you look at the back of this daylily growing field, you'll see the river taking down our fence in the corner. At this point I cannot tell if fencing or lost plants was the biggest monetary loss but in another week when I can get around better, I'll answer that question too.

In the meantime, friends are asking, writing, calling about what they can do. As I write, friends Mike and Michelle are helping get the grass mowed and the water system replumbed. They are a no nonsense couple and relentless workers. They make me feel guilty and in fact called this morning to verify that I did not drive by their house at 7 and that I was in fact in bed with my leg raised. Quite the pair!

Customers are few and far between because there has been so much damage but calls are coming in and people will return soon. If you are out and about, stop by 2263 US Route 2 and say hi to Gail. As always, one of us will be there every day. Our tag line says it all:
Selling Hardy Plants to Hardy Vermonters and Their Friends!

Thanks for your support!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
At VFF we'll help you GROW your GREEN THUMB!

Flooded Bees

Friday, May 27, 2011

The sun is trying to break through this morning and although it's only 9:30, I feel as if I have been up for a full day. Last night at 7 PM the National Weather Forecast made an emergency announcement for parts of Vermont. It included a tornado warning and indicated that the storm was currently in Roxbury and was traveling east at 40 mph. Roxbury is 10 miles from Northfield which is 12 miles from Montpelier which is 20 miles from Vermont Flower Farm. Even though these are "crow flies" distances, I figured the storm would be here between 7:45 and 8 PM. The storm arrived in full fury at 8:10 and continued with pouring rain. When you see rain coming off your standing seam roof and shooting out 12 feek away from the "V", you know it's raining. I nodded off at midnight, three hours after the electricity went off. At 1 and 3 AM when I awoke, the storm was still pounding but the high winds never materialized.

This morning at 5 I headed for the nursery. Traveling down Route 232 suggested things would not be good at the nursery. The road was covered in places with gravel, running water and tree limbs and logs. Still no electricity. Around the corner at Creamery Street the traffic was stopped as trucks challenged water crossing Route 2. My neighbors Gerry and Duane were walking down Rt 2 looking at the water and the damage and as I rolled down the window, Gerry commented that things were not looking good for my bees. Duane, a beekeeper for years thought they were history since the hive had almost been under water. I moved on.

As I stopped to open the gate, the nursery looked different. To my left looking towards the village I saw our port-a-potty floating in a pond that was 6 feet deep. The daylily field, the hosta display garden, one rototiller--all were under water. As I walked the "shore" I could see that the water had dropped 4-5 feet since the rain had stopped and that was a good sign. Then I noticed the snowmobile bridge from the village. It now bordered what used to be my fence line.

Everyone is not fortunate to have good neighbors but Gail and I are really lucky at our house and at our nursery. Gerry pulled off his boots and walked into the water to help save the toilet as we both joked about the new vocational prospects we shared. I tied the port-a-potty to an apple tree and got on to the next chore. My neighbors were there to help.

Out back my pump house was 2 feet from the roaring river. I gathered my tools and for the sake of time, sawed off the pipes, disconnected the 220 electric and dragged the pump and tank up the bank to the tractor. Another problem averted for the moment at least. Then I moved all my equipment higher up the hill and headed to check the bees.

The water mark on the hive gave no hope that the bees were alive. The only hope was that they got into the second story and somehow by miracle the queen had climbed as the water in the hive rose. Not a good sign for a beekeeper in his second day. I lifted the top and found an angry mass of bees that had either climbed or floated to the top. I replaced the top and headed for home. Maybe, just maybe there was hope. I needed to find them a new location.

My neighbor Kim was on the road as I pulled in our drive. I asked if he could help me move the hive. He headed for tools and I grabbed a flashlight and headed down stairs for strapping material to screw the hive together for transport. Thankfully, our cellar was dry. Back at the nursery we blocked the entrance and then screwed strapping to each side of the hive to keep the supers from shifting. The sound of bees was noticeable and they were no more pleased with the day than me. As we loaded the hive on the truck, one bee nailed Kim on the leg as we left for home.

10 AM now. A helicopter just flew over surveying damage. The phone is working and people are calling for reports and whether the road is open and does the store have coffee ready yet. Some folks amaze me. Gail is packing the truck to head to the nursery and begin putting things back in place. I'm going to rest for a while and go down later when the water drops. The hosta garden I have worked on for 4 years will be missing some plants as the water cut a new course and I suspect all my latest plantings--almost a hundred this week, are probably gone. But here's the news about this all. Yes, we may have lost our bees and some flowers. The tiller will have to be drained and cleaned up but it will run again. The pump house will need to be restored but for now, there is no need for water anyway. Our retail area is in great shape and all other equipment is fine. Route 2 will probably reopen by late today or tomorrow and things will get back to normal. Like some in the area, we didn't loose that much. Admittedly I hate doing fencing and there is at least 400 feet that is missing and needs replacement. But there was no loss of housing or property or life like in other parts of the US. Karl the Wonder Dog was up all night during the storm but he is fine now and is sleeping soundly. As I have heard some Vermonters say "We done good." There's a ton of work to do but farmers are resilient. They have no choice, they have to be.



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where it's 67° and calm. Another storm is approaching for tonight but for now, we are ok. Hope you are too.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Honey Bees

Wednesday, May 26, 2011

A beautiful day here on the mountain. It's already up to 68.4° with a mild wind that barely ripples the tree leaves. As much as I want to jump into the list of things to do, I'm a little tired after a six hour round trip to Orwell, Vermont yesterday with friend Michelle to pick up a joint project--our first hive of honey bees.

Honey and honey bees have been an interest of mine since I was perhaps 5 or 6 and saw bees tended by Harold, a local beekeeper who was known for his skills as well as his reputation of being a hermit. When people had trouble with their bees or when hives swarmed or were found, Harold was always called to come remedy the problem.

Being a farmer or gardener makes one more tuned to insects including bees. It's an interesting symbiosis. Trouble is that wild bees are almost nonexistent any more and mite and virus problems exist now that never prevailed when I was a kid. Local author Rowan Jacobsen wrote a good book on the demise of bees titled Fruitless Fall: The Collapse of the Honey Bee and the Coming Agricultural Crisis. It's a good read and it sure wakes you up to the trouble we are in. When he wrote the book there was no definitive cause of colony collapse but now there are strong theories and additional challenges to all theories.

So part because I wanted to and part because I felt obligated to and mostly because my friend Mike came up with a free hive, frames, hats, gloves, and smoker, I located a beekeeper named Roland Smith, owner of Singing Cedars Apiaries, and I ordered up one-five frame nucleus, a laying queen and bees like you can't count. The purpose of our trip to Orwell was to place the frames, queen bee and other bees into our hive and begin an exciting hobby.

It's an interesting affair to pull into someone's driveway in the middle of nowhere and find yourself surround first by people you have never seen in your life all donning once-white beekeeper suits..... and then being surrounded by flying honey bees in numbers that aren't even imaginable. Many people had been into beekeeping before as contrasted by our hospital-clean suits. To say that Michelle and I were standouts as beekeeping novices doesn't tell the story. Everyone we met was helpful and shared their experiences and advice freely even though we were the cleanest dressed people there. So much so that we decided on the way home that we needed to roll around a little and dirty-up the suits before returning next year so we looked like the more experienced keepers we will be by then.


The property is packed deep in little brooder boxes, each a small hive in itself. Each contains a queen bee and 5 frames of unborn bees and also a little honey. There are live bees already contributing to the health of the little colony and it is this entire collection that you swap out into your hive. You need a hand held smoker to quiet the bees and a hive tool to pry apart the frames and dig them apart for inspection as you decide what boxful you want to transfer and take home. I had prepared torn up newspaper and pine needles in my smoker and peers deemed this acceptable. Never got to use it myself though as I begged for help from the owner's helper--who by the way was the only person to be stung in the crowd of +20 customers standing in the midst of a bazillion bees. Michelle and I had no problem with any of the bees--not even one colony that was aggressive from the minute the top of the box was popped. We left those there for someone else.

All the customers wanted to know how many hives we were picking up. Having a spanky clean suit on was as bad perhaps as saying "One" when others were picking up 2, 3, 5, "lots". One was quite fine for us as we journey into beekeeping.

If you get a chance, read the book I cite and see what a dilemma we are in. And if you are out and about and close by Vermont Flower Farm, stop for a visit, but please don't go near the bees. They are working all day long, just like me!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the apples are in full bloom and the lilacs are finally breaking. Shad bushes are in bloom which means the trout are finally biting.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

New picture album on the trip will be posted to the VFF and Gardens FB page in the next day. Take a look!

Primrose Majesty!

Tuesday, May 24, 2011

3 mph wind on the mountain and 54°. A ten degree contrast to Burlington at 64° but with mutual promise for the seventies today. There's also chance for another t-storm to add excitement to my long list of chores. I'm excited that tonight I pick up my first-ever honey bees and commence what I hope will be a successful journey. Gail is less than optimistic about what she sees as my latest expense but there aren't a lot of things I fail at so we'll see. She is optimistic about my bulldozer purchase and I expect over time this endeavor will receive smiles too. This is a mutual project with friends Mike and Michelle who have helped get things ready. More on that tomorrow.

Last night Gail and "the girls", Tracey, Diana, and Elizabeth visited primrose heaven in East Montpelier, Vermont. I couldn't make it. Arlene Perkins and her husband live at the top of a mountain off Gould Hill Road and they grow a magnificent garden of primroses as well as many, many interesting perennials and also peonies. Gail and I went last year and I am still telling people about it. This is a picture up top of one of the gardens at the Perkins residence that is situated at the top of the Winooski River Valley above the North Branch Nature Center.

This is the kind of garden that you walk around and around, each time seeing things you missed before. You can't avoid questions and comments and many, many "I can't believe how beautiful this is" statements. It really is breathtaking.

Arlene is a hybridizer and a collector and I doubt you will find a garden or a host and hostess like you'll experience at the Perkins. If you aren't interested in primulas yet, you will be before you leave. This is "the" flower for May in Vermont because of abundant and diverse bloom just when you really need to a jump start to forget about winter and mud season.

The mixed varieties are like a painter's palette and they go on and on. Last year I walked the little paths 3-4-5 times, each time seeing things I missed before. The mixed flowers are treasures to find and from the unusual trilliums to the pink bloodroot to the miniature 1.5" primrose, you will be well entertained.

There is something about the beauty of these gardens that makes it difficult to leave. Kind of like going to a great party when you know it's time to leave but you're in such great company you cannot make yourself say goodbye. The primroses hold you tight and make you want to stay.
Their enthusiasm makes you want to start a collection of your own but you already know you can never create what you are standing in the middle of and enjoying!


Couple things to consider. Purchases and spring in Vermont. Arlene always has some primroses and other plants potted for sale. Like many collectors, sales help purchase new flowers and expand the collection you get to see in future years. The opportunities are not something you'll see at other nurseries in Vermont so don't miss the potted plants. Secondly, remember it's spring in Vermont and the insidious black flies sometimes prevail and at other times they overlook the invitation. Be prepared for them just in case. And if you get to meet Arlene, tell her George recommended her gardens. Like any visit to a private collection, call first and make an appointment. 802-223-6245. Show consideration for the gardens and the gardeners and you'll take away memories like I did!



Writing from "our" mountain above Peacham Pond where just now the sun is poking through the clouds. I have to get busy. Be well!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and on my personal page, George Africa
On twitter as vtflowerfarm
At Vermont Flower Farm we'll help you grow your green thumb!

Yellow-gold Richness Rises!

Saturday, May 21, 2011

Just 6 AM here on the mountain above Peacham Pond. 54.3°. The heavy rains have quieted the birds and animals and so far, nothing is moving about. I suspect if I walked towards the pond I would begin to see deer and other bigger animals but for now everything mimics the anemometer--motionless, apprehensive, waiting for the opportunity to bound and spin into a sunny day.

This spring's New England rains have been well documented as farmers and gardeners share depressed days over saturated fields and flower beds. I would like to grab my fields and gardens like a giant wash cloth and wring out excess water but that cannot be. Three days of sun and wind would make a big difference but for this weekend the best we can expect is a half day of sun and then more showers. Customers at the nursery have been sparse as no one can consider planting at a time when the results will be so poor. Hosta admirers have been the exception. I notice one greenhouse advertising on television has repeated its ads with notes that the rain and sales continue. Sadly they will have to run those ads again as the weather lady says more rain most of next week.

Yesterday Michael completed his 4th day working with us. The work is some different than his studies at Castleton but he tells me that he feels fine and will be back Monday for another week. He would have worked through the weekend but with more rain coming, he'll visit friends and get a chance to dry out clothes and boots. In the past couple days we patched fences that were opened by errant moose and then put 3600 square feet of shade cloth on the three shade houses. That means a lot of up and down the ladders and pulling and tugging on shade fabric and bungie cords.

As bad as the rain has been, certain flowers prevail in their glory. You could not want a better spring to jump start hostas and ours are fabulous. Those in pots have unfurled and those in the display garden I am building are ready to open as soon as we get a little heat. I still wonder where the slugs and snails are as most of the leaves look clean so far.

A great plant to pick up where your daffodil yellows and creams have left off is trollius, the cultivated buttercup you know from the wild. Trollius come in various heights and flower sizes and whether you call them by their correct names or just call out "double buttercups", you'll find a plant that loves damp feet, flowers now for a good month, and then again in September if you deadhead after the early flower production.

I like the smaller flowered varieties but admit that Pritchard's Giant (last image at bottom), a little later to bloom here, is an eye catcher. Gail has not had the best luck with Alabaster, a creamy white, but that could be the luck of the draw and involve repeated plantings in areas too wet or too shady.

Trollius make a great cut flower and hold up well with other spring flowers. Give them some thought. You'll find ours potted for sale and located in front of the shed/office as you enter the nursery. Let us know if you have questions. Orange Princess is pictured up top, and here are two examples of typical bud count after a couple years. The +2" diameter flowers of Pritchard's Giant are at the bottom.







Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where fog is rolling in like a Maine morning. Have to get going. Stop by and see us if you're out and about today.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens & also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Even if it keeps raining, we'll help you GROW your GREEN THUMB @Vermont Flower Farm!

Gingers

Monday, May 16, 2011

Just in after a second walk with Karl the Wonder Dog. Yesterday's rain kept him inside more than he wanted and since the rain has subsided for a bit, he is eager to enjoy the smells of spring and moving wildlife. I have to get going here as I need to get to Guys Farm and Yard in Montpelier and pick up some supplies.

I walked the old hosta garden here at the house last night after returning from the nursery. It rained so hard yesterday that even with complete rain gear, I got soaked over time. I spent much of the day on my knees weeding and planting hostas so it was fitting to come back to the house and view a garden that has become a reminder of what you can build. There is hardly a day that goes by but what a customer reminds us how beautiful the garden was and how much they miss it. I have to offer agreement and a constant reminder that I am working hard on a fitting replacement. I know it will be a nice garden but it sure will not be built within an old barn foundation with a history dating from the 1800s.

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The old garden had two Asurums I like. One is our native ginger, Asurum canadense plucked from our back woods. Here's a picture of it just coming out of the ground a couple weeks back. It is not that easy to find here but is in good supply along the Winooski River. Few like it because the color is dull and the flowers are hidden under the leaves and unexciting. I still like it. Up top is Asurum european, the shiny, smooth leafed European Ginger that everyone wants even though they question the price. There are lots of other good gingers out there although many will not hold up to zone 3 or 4 Vermont climates. Search around and you'll find some that have a place in your garden too! Nice groundcovers that encourage nice comments from your gardening friends!



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the rain just started again and walking this morning is an exercise in swosh-swosh-swosh-splash! I hope the Winooski River is not as high as I fear it is this morning.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
Let Us Help You Grow Your Green Thumb!
Visit Us On Facebook at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

Quick garden Thoughts

Saturday, May 14, 2011

48° with a 3 mph breeze greets gardeners here on the mountain this morning. The weather folks are depressing us again with what will apparently be 7 consecutive days of rain. Have to get to the nursery right away and make the best of the morning for planting and then probably inside for paperwork this afternoon as the rain starts.

If you're out and about today, the pansies and violas look nice and make little children smile with thoughts of becoming real gardeners. They will. Gail has an assortment of hanging baskets that are very nice. Although I am not that keen on red, the large flowered geraniums are drawing in the very busy male hummingbirds in interesting numbers. Hummers are real competitors and stake out a plant they like and defend it from their bird friends.

The bergenias are opening. I should know the name of the red leafed variety that is coming into bloom but a short night is interfering with my morning memory. Maybe another cup of coffee with help.

Hostas by the thousands are beginning to unfurl. Hosta 'First Frost' is showing its early spring edge of yellow as we remind people this will turn to cream as summer approaches. Gail is planting 3-4 hostas of the same variety in 20 gallon pots so those who don't want to walk down the hill to the hosta display garden can get an idea idea of mature size.

Various epimedium are beginning to flower. The heat has held them back a little but they are growing well now and are a good ground cover type plant for dry, "under-that-tree" type locations.

My new honey bees should be available to pick up next week and already I am leery of this endeavor. I have never cared for a hive and I don't fear the bees or the challenge. I fear the possible interaction of the 3 year old black bear my friend Gerry, across the road, had looking in his window last Sunday morning at 5 . I'll keep you posted. But for now, it's off the the nursery. Log onto 2263 US Route 2 or Vermont Flower Farm on your GPS today, find us and stop by--rain or not, we'll be there.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where buds are forming on the beautiful yellow leafed bleeding heart, Gold Heart. Some available at the nursery, small but nice.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Remember: At VFF, we help you GROW your GREEN THUMB!

Alabama Jubilee

Wednesday, May 4, 2011

48° and a steady rain this morning. Windless which is nice but still it feels colder than I wish for. The trees are more heavily budded today and poplars, birches and maples are offering pollen challenges to those with allergies. The fields around the house are finally snow free and the grasses are greening through winter packed thatch. Much to do!

Yesterday we planted all day and despite warnings of heavy rain, it wasn't bad. Gail and I were going full bore by 6:30 AM when she called Steve and asked him if he could come down. When Gail gets something in her mind, she moves ahead. The fact that someone else may still be looking for their first cup of coffee has no bearing on her plans. Steve is a great guy and a hard worker. He always works at 2-3 jobs and he learns the first time through which is why Gail likes to work with him. He appeared before 8 and we cranked out pot after pot for hours. By noon Diana from the Marshfield Inn arrived, and like Steve, there's no need to train and retrain as she starts right in and potted plants begin flowing. I had some afternoon business to tend to with Alex and when I returned they had potted 200 more daylilies as well as some other plants.

Spring is a good time to divide daylilies. Here in Marshfield the plants are just beginning to green up so digging and dividing is easier. Saturday we did +300 including Yellow Mammoth, Yellow Monster, Ruby Spider, Ruby Throat, Rooten Tooten Red, Red Volunteer, Red Sentinel and Orange Vols. Jason helped me dig and crate them and the crew finished the dividing and planting. These are robust plants that will be good additions to anyone's spring garden.

Today has the appearance of a day to catch up on web work and paperwork. The rain is pouring down right now and since we do all our potting outside, even good rain gear makes for long days. I'm heading out in a few minutes but Gail will stay here for the day. If you have any gardening questions, give her a call. We will open for the season this Saturday at 9 and have some very nice potted daffodils we did ourselves last fall as well as some hanging baskets from our friends at Claussen's Florist and Greenhouses in Colchester. Mothers Day is a day to remember and it arrives this weekend. And don't forget--at Vermont Flower Farm we'll help you grow your green thumb!!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where 6 very wet turkeys just went past the office window.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Social Networking Works©

May Day

Sunday May 1, 2011

Bright sunshine is everywhere and the crisp, wind-free morning made it difficult to get Karl the Wonder Dog to return to the house. I have a ton of things to do before our crew shows up at the nursery but the overwhelming cheerfulness of the morning makes me wish I could stay here on the mountain and enjoy the new sights and sounds of spring. All manner of birds are singing this morning with mourning doves adding their part and pileated woodpeckers drumming on sugar maples.

In just a couple days the spring flowers have really advanced. Daffodils are popping out, drumstick and common primroses are adding spots of color, and the hellebores, heads hanging, offer contrasting whites and purples. The Trillium grandiflorum I seeded in four summers ago are up 6 inches and looking good but the larger clumps have hardly started to break ground. The Trillium luteum that will offer yellow later on are up two inches and Trillium erectum, the odoriferous "stinking benjamins" are coming along nicely . Someplace here I planted some bloodroot but in contrast to along the Winooski River at our nursery where they are in bloom, I cannot even find them here.

Walk your gardens today and get a final look at your layout before the leaves really pop. Make mental notes of spaces that need attention with another plant or shrub and keep your friends in mind for a shovelful of extra plants that need to be divided. Your friends will smile like the spring flowers knowing your gift will add to next spring's beauty.

I have to get going here. We open the nursery next weekend for the season but if you're passing through today, stop and say hello. We're plating madly but we always have time to help you grow a greener thumb!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where loons are calling.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Helping you grow a greener thumb!
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