9-11

2001 Memories

Just in from walking Karl the Wonder Dog. My first morning walk with him since returning with Gail and Alex from a vacation in Maine. Karl was pleased with the walk and the smells which result from falling temperatures and the critters of the fields and woods. As we walked, we could hear a local logger loading trucks that will head out shortly for mills in Maine. Vermont mills are limited now and I guess better prices come from hauling the logs out of state. We also heard the call of an owl. I do not know the call for sure as it was a single, quick whoo-o-o-o which might be the seldom used call of the barred owl.

911 is a memory that returns to me all the time. I know that not a week goes by but what I think about the events and everything that has transpired since. I left that day to go to Maine to buy some plants for the nursery. It probably seems odd to be buying plants at the end of a growing season but come Labor Day when things slow at the nursery, I find a need for a brief rest after working seven days a week since spring. It might seem more odd that on a day off I would be on the road before 4 AM but I had an appointment at 9:30 outside of Belfast and that's a haul from Vermont. I knew I had school buses to contend with and some unknown roads so that was my rationale for heading out so early.

My first visit was with a hosta grower who I had never met. He had a great reputation among my friends and I knew I would enjoy meeting him. As I arrived and shook his hand, there was something very strange about the welcome, something missing, almost as if it was not real. When I go on trips or vacations, I enjoy peace, and quiet is important to me so I avoid listening to the radio in the truck and avoid newspapers and any form of media. I had no idea what was happening in the world. The man introduced me to where things were located and he went back into the house as I meandered around, puzzled by his behavior, his cold salutation, his quick departure.

I got hung up looking at various gingers that I liked and spent some time with a variety of hepaticas and other wildflowers and then started picking hostas and other plants to purchase. The man's wife joined me in one of the shade houses and mentioned how terrible the events were. It was not until then that I understood what was happening. Their daughter worked at the Pentagon and there was no answer on her cell phone or work phone. The gravity of the situation had a different emotion to it and I shared my concern. My mind raced with thoughts of what happened and I felt a strange burden I could not explain. I continued on with my buying for another hour and by the time I had reached my limit, my host came back and explained the situation and said with obvious relief that he had just heard from his daughter and she was safe. I was greatly relieved too.

I headed cross country with a set of directions that was guaranteed to get me to my next destination on time. I was looking for a daylily grower in a tiny town away from the coast. By the time I arrived it was after three and I had kept an ear to the radio for a few hours. The grower's season was ending that day and his eagerness to close was even more intense due to a desire to get home to the latest news. I wished to spend more time but it was obvious that my purchases were less than important than the events of the world. I paid up, expressed thanks and hopes for safety, and I headed south to a hotel reservation.

That day was a long time ago but the memories have been repeated often and their intensity has grown. Yes, I am a gardener and I take great pride in what I do and the products that I sell. But I think often about our world and how it has changed since my earlier days. Much of what has transpired is confusing and although I continue to seek answers, I sometimes find a greater abundance of questions. Often I return to a quote attributed to Minnie Aumonier. "When the world wearies and ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden." Often we ask "why?" but there is no answer. The garden is a place to think and wait for answers.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the air is damp, the sky still lit with a slice of moon and a number of stars. The stars will extinguish soon but my thoughts of the past will continue.

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
And at the nursery where we always offer to help you grow your green thumb!

Nice Bloom Continues

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Dripping wet morning here on the mountain. I am late as usual trying to get out the door to the nursery. Today's excuse is that Karl the Wonder Dog wanted a third walk because the critters of the woods were late in getting out and about because of last night's heavy rains. Karl likes to confront other critters and seeing a deer, moose or bear means nothing to him. Coyotes are another story but this morning, despite his ungracious thank you, we saw nothing.

The daylilies continue to bloom and Gail's work on later blooming plants has been worth the effort. Just the same the repeated days of hot, hot weather have expedited bloom and many daylilies which normally bloom in September are going to be finished in another week.

Yesterday I was at the nursery by myself for the day as Gail was home helping neighbor Liz prepare tons of flowers for a wedding. Rain came and stopped, came and stopped and by 4 PM I was getting bored with drippy clothes and not much else I wanted to do inside the shed. I took a cardboard flat that we use to sell annuals in around springtime and I made a hole in the center big enough to accommodate a daylily flower. The idea worked and the backdrop gave a different emphasis on the flower. Here are a few pictures of daylilies we are selling this weekend. Some are in bloom, others about finished. The daylily up top is Witch Hazel, one of my favorites.

Princeton Silky is a +3 foot tall, strong scaped daylily with loads of blooms that go on and on. Give it some room in the garden as it is a good grower.

Primal Scream is another orange with beautiful petals and a flare that begs "How did you miss me before?" Give it some room too.


August Frost is a big flower, a good 6" across once established. Again it is added to the list of "I want white" which it is not but still it is a beauty on tall scapes. It goes on and on and works with any other perennials.


I cannot remember where I bought Susan Elizabeth many years ago but this one, now about finished, is available in large clumps for $25-$30 each. Did I say large? It has a nice reflection to the petals, much like Patio Parade, and it is a standout in the distance away from your home or garden walkways.


Again I want to thank my many, many blog readers, Facebook friends, and Twitter followers who have stopped by this summer. It is so nice to see faces, shake hands, get warm embraces and an occasional kiss. Mostly I enjoy hearing comments that writing about gardening is something some folks look forward to. Thanks!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the clock says I am late again. Gail will be at a wedding and Steve and I will run the show today with one other worker bee if the morning clears and rains stay away. Drive out and visit us, the state forests, and Cabot Creamery and plan to pick some blueberries at Thistle Hill. At very least, give us a toot as you pass by.


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also at George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
And remember, we're always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Morning Walk

Monday, July 23, 2012

Just returned from a morning walk with Karl the Wonder Dog. It's 59° and quiet, save for the warblers and vireos of the forest who sing kind pleasantries as others begin to awake. I hope sometime to find a skilled bird enthusiast who can share with me the identities of these elusive little birds. They are songiferous!

Karl does not see well and has always had a problem with one eye. This morning he caught a patch of black down the road almost 200 yards that I missed at first. He came to attention, tail raised, feet firmly planted. I held tight and made out a bear cub crossing the road. We waited and waited for the sow and perhaps a brother or sister cub but the one we spotted must have been the last to cross. Black berries and black caps are ripening now and perhaps they were heading for the edge of the road to find breakfast. I like cream on my berries but they use their tongues to curl them off the bushes.

The Queen Anne's Lace pictured above are noticeable everywhere now. I enjoy seeing them begin to unfurl. A month ago people began to comment on how many Queen Anne's Lace they were seeing along the roads but really they were seeing that insidious weed, wild chervil which is spreading all over the east just like filipendula and Joe Pye weed. The white flower of Queen Anne's Lace is not close to the chervil but people and kids don't seem to know that. Some have a very bad reaction, something similar to poison ivy, when they pick chervil thinking it is the Queen. I suspect that warmer climates and fewer killing temperatures during the winters have lead to these invasives growing everywhere. I don't like them but many are already beyond control. I always hoped some day to teach myself welding so I could pick up a type of sculpture I began back in university days. I always wanted to recreate a Queen Anne's Lace flower in steel before it unfurled but perhaps the dream will only continue. Right now they are nice to look at. A cousin of the carrot but not something to eat.

For now it's simply another cup of coffee as I grab the money box and head to the nursery. I'll check the level of the Winooski River first to insure that the foot valve for the pump is still adequately under water and then I will get the hoses ready for this morning's watering. It takes three hours to get the pots done. The daylilies are looking beautiful and the 400 we planted during the past month need a drink too.

If you get a chance today, stop and visit us and see the daylilies. They are in peak bloom and nice to see. The Northeast Kingdom has lots of activities in the summer and a trip north from here is worth it. Gail and I will be at the farm all day and would enjoy seeing you!

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
And always here to help you with design ideas and to help grow your green thumb!

Bitten By The Fence

Monday, July 2, 2012

Birds are already singing to me this morning through a fog that floats along the meadow border and cozy ups to the wood line. The view is less than clear through my tired eyes but there is something tranquilizing about the way the fog moves. It reminds me of the Maine coast, my favorite place other than Vermont.

I was away from the flower farm this weekend as I had committed to helping a friend paint her house in Barre. You have to understand that my dad was a great painter and wall paperer but when people asked if I would follow in his steps, I always looked the other way. I greatly dislike paint brushes but the weekend's excitement involved using an airless sprayer to apply paint to a hundred year old house with dry cedar shakes. I'll leave that story there and just say that my painting days are officially over but the house is painted and just needs a couple-three days to clean up the mess, over spray here and there, that kind of thing. It really does look good and neighbors have been very kind with compliments, horn toots and thumbs-up congratulations for trying to fix up this old house.

The flowers at the farm are coloring up nicely and the daylilies should be impressive from along Route 2 in another week or so. The bloom time for some seems very confused with some later bloomers already putting up loads of flower scapes. In contrast, some are behind but some are right on target. Beloved Country pictured above, is an example of a timely daylily at our place.

This morning I thought I would take a couple pictures of Beloved Country which grows in a row outside my office window. It was supposed to be transplanted to the flower farm but after a couple years now it appears to have been forgotten as it competes with high grass and a terrible weed named colts foot. I grabbed the Olympus and headed out, already late from spending too long on Karl's walk.

As I approached the row, I found a few blooms that looked like a picture but as I bent over for a close-up, my derriere came in contact with the electric fence which protects the honey bees from bears and other critters. Let's just say that expletives were plentiful. Reluctantly I returned at a different angle and snapped a couple more shots. Here's another one.

Beloved Country is right on target based on Gail's records. For the last two years it has opened on June 29th and it has not disappointed us. Bloom time doesn't matter to many but to those people thinking in terms of a special event, a birthday, or remembering the loss of a friend, the date is important. Weather changes over the past few years have made some flowers change their bloom time but Beloved Country has held firm. Keep it in mind if you need something that is 34" tall and has slender bloom scapes that wave in the breeze. We like it--bet you will too.

Gotta get moving here. I have committed to spending the day with Alex and we are going to begin in Hanover and West Lebanon, NH. Gail and worker bee Michael will be at the flower farm so if you're driving by, stop and say hello.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where honey bee flights have commenced in great magnitude and the now-absent fog has left a series of spider weds and cobwebs everywhere. Slender strings of web with drips of dew suggesting another hot day! Be well, be cool!

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
And remember: We always help you grow your green thumb!

Favorite Old Daylilies

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

A rainy day here on the mountain. I have been fighting with Blogger for half an hour trying to get this blog out and the new format is having a few problems today. Not the only thing with problems. Gail just returned to the house after a walk with Karl the Wonder Dog and her hair looks like she just attended some ceremonial event where confetti was freely tossed. Her hair was covered with spent blossoms from the Miss Kim lilac by the walkway and it probably took me ten minutes to pick out the flowers. Now the kitchen floor is dotted with lavender colors and I have been chastised once again for not trimming down the lilac two years ago. I love starting a day with "warm" comments. Oh well.

As the daylilies begin to show color at the flower farm, web orders come in and we begin digging from the fields as people passing by on Route 2 see something they want in their gardens. Many gardeners enjoy the old fashioned daylilies. These are not anything special color-wise and many are shades of yellow or orange which are the two original species colors from a couple hundred years ago. Many have nice fragrances and some bloom in the evening, not the morning at sunrise. Up top is Hesperus and next down here is Hyperion.

Many of the older daylilies are very strong growers and they provide a jump start to early summer garden blooms. Dumortieri pictured below, is a vigorous grower and with its bronze back it provides real nice contrast. This clump is pictured from the display garden where it is backed up to a granite boulder.


I have always loved Citrina, pictured next. It is a night bloomer, fragrant, 5 feet tall over time, and is now used by more and more hybridizers because of these traits. It is a lighter yellow with a slight ripple to the petals. Very nice!


Bitsy, just above here, is an early bloomer that goes on and on. The dark stems are very nice and it works well in late spring arrangements with Trollius, perennial Bachelor Buttons, peonies, bleeding heart and a couple field-friendly lupines. The daylily blooms might have to be pulled from the arrangement after the second day but their presence is welcome for a while.

Apricot, just below, was the first daylily ever registered back in 1883. It is a neat daylily, a sparkling orange, and upfacing. The upfacing part requires a little more thought--as if you are planting Asiatic lilies, but it sure is nice, very hardy and it has a nice deep green foliage.

Golden Chimes is another small flowered daylily with a bronze back and dark stem. Like Bitsy, it works well in arrangements and this one has a long, dark stem.

I have to get going here as we have crates and crates of daylilies ready to get divided and planted or mailed. The loons are calling from Peacham Pond and remind me I'd rather be on a pond some place right now but work beckons. Despite the rain, stop by the flower farm and say hello if you have a chance today.

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
And ready every day to help you grow your green thumb!

Moving Daylilies

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

A nice morning here on the mountain. 22.6°, windless, quiet down the road at the log landing, noisy at the bird feeders. My friends are coming in for their newly placed breakfast buffet of sunflower, cracked corn and mixed seed treats. I'll get back later today with some peanuts for the blue jays but I want to get the cameras set up first to get some better pictures of the gluttons that jays are.

It's been four full years that we have been at our nursery on Route 2 in the village and one might think that by now all the plants from here at the house would be moved. It just doesn't work that way when you have a two person business. As we enter year five, we shake our heads in disbelief but that's nothing compared to the fact that Gail and I started gardening together in Shelburne in 1983. Our first joint task was planting a hundred eggplant in early June on a day that turned so cold it was spitting snow instead of welcoming summer. Looking back, I guess that should have been a harbinger to what was to come.

So here we are, thinking seriously about spring planting and scared about what is going to happen with sales. As I ever so slowly finish up income taxes it's a sad reminder to what we didn't sell last year. Those floods in May and then Hurricane Irene really kept customers away and sales were off by numbers that startle. No wonder we are still tired as there was a lot of rebuilding that is yet to be completed and deposits to the bank were few and far between at the beginning and at the end of the season. Sales were off by almost 30% for the year but factually customers can't get to a place without a road and Vermont suffered some of the greatest devastation in America.

But despite the sadness, farmers are built to rebound. They have to. I used to say that farmers had great confidence but now I describe them as resolute because I think it's a stronger statement of bucking up to adversity and moving along.

I haven't counted but I know that here at the house there are over 200 different daylilies left to move and 2012 is the year for this. This picture shows one of the gardens that needs to be dug and moved and when worker bee Michael gets out of college in May, this will be one of his early chores. We'll dig the clumps, divide them and then plant some in pots for resale and we'll line the rest out in the gardens to grow along for future sales. These are big old clumps so I'll probably help with the tractor getting them out of the ground.

Over near the peony display garden there are about 50 daylilies including 25 that Alex picked out back when he was nine and just interested in hybridizing. Almost every daylily he picked from catalogs to grow along has become a good seller and that shows the good eye he has for color and vitality. I also have +20 late bloomers I purchased from Olallies in Newfane Vt. These are very nice daylilies from an old and very nice nursery that faced the same flood challenges we did as their road was washed away too. Southern Vermont really took it heavy and there are still places that need attention down there.

So if you happen to stop by come May and don't have anything planned for the day, I'll be happy to exchange labor for daylilies as we move along, Maybe I will be surprised and things will be more positive but yesterday after I started to write this I went to Montpelier and in one day the gas prices went to $3.69.9 and I saw people on ladders changing prices ever higher. My research a month ago said $4.50 in Vermont by Memorial Day and more than $5 a gallon by July 4th. It isn't necessary but it's a reality.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I can hear a beagle barking across the balsams chasing a rabbit. I don't know who is hunting here today. My sport will be installing a new dishwasher for Gail.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens (Like?) and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Helping everyone grow their green thumb!

Out With The Old

January 1, 2012

31.8° here on the mountain, windless and the only noise comes from deer, walking through the lower field and crunch, crunch, crunching through the wet snow. The sound of cars three miles below on Route 2 is absent today as people rest in preparation for the first day of 2012. There is a lazy fog hanging above the snow and no sense of urgency to jump into anything this morning.

Alex just turned off his lights and went to bed. He is 19 now but still and forever will be a member of the autism spectrum of life. He has had this thing for many New Years where he stays up well into the new day checking New Years events around the world and continuing his study of world and military history on his computer. I checked him at 1:30 and he smiled as only Alex can smile and he reminded how well 2012 was going. He also studies the actual history of alcohol as well as mixology and last night he ended 2011 with an Irish Whiskey Sour made with Bushmills, an Irish whiskey dating from 1608. I asked if he has chosen a drink to celebrate today with and he only replied "Contemplating".

I cannot recall the origin of "Out with the old" but it is an appropriate saying for the first day of a new year. As I finish writing this morning I will return the last of my garden books to the shelves of my newly painted, reorganized, freed-of-bushels-of-paper office. I never throw away a book but do recycle some here and there to where I know they will be appreciated. I also never throw away a plant even if I don't like it and that's what Gail and I have spent three years now doing with some of our daylilies at the nursery.

Daylilies are a fine perennial and appropriate for modern day gardeners who want color with almost no care needs. Gail has been taking rows of daylilies that no longer sell well and selling them each fall as bare root divisions to free up more garden space and get more people growing daylilies. I don't know the current count of registrations held with the American Hemerocallis Society but it is somewhere around 64-65,000 different registrations. Daylilies are the second most popular perennial, following hostas which have always held first place despite a contrasting registration count of under 7000 last I knew.

The very first daylily was registered in 1893. It was a cross between the species Flava and Middendorfii. It was named Apricot and here are some pictures. There are obvious characteristics that make this easier to identify but admittedly it took me years to get ours, an unnamed gift from friends, properly identified. That is understandable with so many to choose from.


So New Years has long been known as "Out with the old, in with the gold" but in the case of daylilies at Vermont Flower Farm, the "out" part only means that we reduce the number of each less popular daylily to a spot in a display garden where the name with remain as "gold" as the day it was first registered.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where my second walk of the morning with Karl the Wonder Dog spotted three sets of coyote tracks that weren't in the field two hours ago. Karl looks funny pushing his nose into the snow to get a good smell. When he identifies "coyote" his head raises quickly and he freezes momentarily before he scoots for home. Some dog!

Happy New Year!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Writing on Facebook at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also at George Africa
On Twitter at vtflowerfarm
Helping you grow your green thumb into 2012!

18 Daylilies

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

25° outside and already beginning to drop from this morning's high of 27.9°. By this weekend the temperatures will be in the -15° to -20° range with high winds and serious wind chills. That means all the outside chores I want to get done need to get started today. Working outside when the daytime high is zero is just not for me. This winter is quite a contrast to last year when from January on through September, warm weather records dating from the 1880's were broken.

I am a fan of Fine Gardening Magazine and have been reading it since its inception. There were a couple years when I temporarily gave up a subscription but Gail and I have been regular readers to the magazine and other Taunton Press specialty issues.

The February 2011 issue has an article entitled That's a Daylily? by Brandi Spade. It includes 18 daylily favorites complete with pictures and cites 7 growers who have a good representation of the 18 that are featured. Vermont Flower Farm is mentioned as a plant source and we are happy to say that we offer 5 of the daylilies. We offer Charles Johnston, Chorus Line, Condilla, Sir Blackstem and Sunday Gloves. For those who do not read Fine Gardening, here are pictures of all but Sir Blackstem.

Charles Johnston

Chorus Line

Condilla

Sunday Gloves

I picked up Sir Blackstem two years ago to add to some plants that I want available when I start hybridizing. It's a hybrid from 1988, and one of its parents is the older Gold Thimble, registered in 1966. With one Gold Thimble parent being Thumbelina, another older daylily I like, you can see that there is some heritage involved. Sir Blackstem reflects itself well with a very dark stem of mahogany red to black. Although its name as registered is a single word, it's not uncommon to see two words used. I know I have some pictures here somewhere from this summer but for now you will have to conjure up an image of a noctural, yellow-orange flower, 2.5" in diameter on a 24" black stem. Those who enjoy Bitsy, Golden Chimes and similar older, smaller flowered daylilies will like Sir Blackstem--no matter how they write the name.


As for writing, I'm writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the sunshine has brought a nice spirit to the day and four Pine Grosbeaks to the bird feeder. I've been interrupted five times and this piece reads like a man with a broken day wrote it. Be well!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
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Monday, November 29, 2010

Been up since just after 4 this morning and have to say that the wait for sunshine has been a long one. Seasons change and this time of year is quite a contrast to late May-early June when by now I am able to pull on some boots and head out with Karl the Wonder Dog. As I pushed the button on the coffee maker I noticed a movement outside at the upper edge of the garden. I turned off the light and watched out the window as 1-2-3 deer came through the field to the crab apples. Seasons have changed for them too as their morning diet begins to change from local gardens, grasses and wild fruits to twigs, raspberry and blackberry tips and any remaining apples. Today I can see the deer are eating a few grape vines too. When I work in the forests which I do this time of year, I make it a point to leave slightly taller stumps on certain trees so they will coppice for the deer and moose. Not all trees but many hardwoods put up lots of new shoots from the trunk base and over a couple years the multitude of branches provides a good food source.


The living room is a disaster now with plant catalogs, books and copies of our website. Gail is rewriting the daylily section and adding all the new-to-us daylilies that should have been added but haven't. She's doing a fine job but I am no longer asking when I can start my part. With Christmas approaching, we have only a week or so left to pull this all together. Having a website, even as small as ours is, requires more attention than many understand.

I made a German Apple Cake this morning (up top) and once again will share the recipe via a previous blog from September 2008. The only thing I ever add to the recipe is a teaspoon of vanilla. You'll enjoy this recipe but as I oft repeat, you'll be left with an empty pan and a desire for a second piece yourself if you're not watchful. It is tasty! Click on the link and if you try it, tell me what you think.

Guess I better get going here. A lone blue jay is looking in at me asking "Where's the seed?" Think I'll have another piece of apple cake first.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where morning car and truck traffic doesn't exist. Deer season ended yesterday and there is a little break before the next season.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social networking works. Try George Africa or Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens on Facebook or vtflowerfarm on Twitter.

Cool August Morn!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Up at my regular 4:30 today but I'm the one having trouble catching on to the fact that the sun doesn't shine for another hour. Karl the Wonder Dog has the message and he sleeps on later but my circadian rhythm wants me out and about early. I've been through all the email, Facebook for both accounts, and I have a plan for Twitter in a few minutes. I even replaced a pair of boot laces. Still no sun.

From a nurseryman's perspective I greatly dislike the way America marketing equates summer as ending when kids go back to school. When I was in school this happened right after Labor Day but now some schools begin as early as this week and that sends a marketing message that summer is over. In Vermont, August is the chief summer travel month for out of state, out of country visitors but for Vermonters with kids, the end of summer message is promoted in all the media. Sales for kids clothes and school supplies makes people think gardens are finished and everything should be on sale. I blame places like Wally World, Lowes and Home Depot for making it seem that gardens should be put to bed in mid August when in fact some of the nicest colors are just beginning. Obviously part of this is the responsibility of the gardener but I guess my suggestion is that we are tuned to marketing and it's so ever present that we can't step beyond it. Gail's attitude is to continue to work on gardens which display nice color through September and into the first part of October and that's what we do here.

As I walked the nursery gardens last night before leaving for the day, I was surprised by the number of daylilies we have still blooming. It's a real surprise this year because major bloom occurred three weeks early along the east coast and many gardens have been colorless for almost two weeks now. Strawberry Candy up top is blooming with fresh scapes now and Patio Parade, just below, offers beacon-like yellow that's clear from a distance. Jen Melon, renamed Starstruck, has strong bloom that makes visitors ask "what's the name?" not because they haven't seen it before but because it has lots of buds when other daylilies are budless.

Years ago Pardon Me hit the daylily stage and although this brick red, small flowered daylily (just below) has lost some of it's original popularity, it blooms and blooms en mass and works well right now with the notion that fall is approaching. I need to move some later on to the front of the gardens where I can slide in a few pots of mums and work their mutual strengths together for people to see.
Sunday Gloves has been out for two weeks and will continue for a couple more. My picture doesn't do it justice. To me it's a shorter version of my favorite So Lovely which blooms on 3 foot scapes that work so well next to any variety of hydrangea available. Sunday Gloves can be planted in front of hydrangeas with So Lovely to the sides so both pick up the chartreuse-often -changing-to-pink in many hydrangea florets.

Chicago Apache is a "drive George crazy" daylily because it seems more susceptible to climate change than others. Up at our home gardens at 1530 feet, it would typically be just starting to bloom but in the previous two years at the nursery at about 750 feet it would be well under way by now. This year when other daylilies have faded, it blooms on with perhaps another week of bloom left. I'm not pleased with how late spring frosts impacted on its summer appearance but the flower count is commendable.

As daylilies wind down in the field, Gail has many in pots that are growing with glory. August Frost, Ruby Throat, Hush Little Baby, Red Sentinel, Tiger Kittens, Alabama Jubilee, Fire King, Bold Tiger, Leebea Orange Crush on rebloom, Late Pink, --surprisingly the list continues on. The anenomes are beginning to show color and the hydrangeas are providing great contrast.

If you are out and about today, stop by. If you have time, visit a greenhouse or nursery this week and you'll be surprised. Gail visited von Trapp Greenhouse in Waitsfield yesterday and although Sally wasn't there when she stopped by, Gail said she was greeted by the nicest, most helpful employee who knew his plants and found a budded, late blooming daylily she wanted, a nice sedum for my collection and a summer blooming daylily that Gail has been searching for. That was nice. Gail and friends lunched in Warren and went over the mountain for a couple hours at Rocky Dale for an equally pleasant time with Amy and Kathy and a tremendous selection of plant material. Vermont nurseries are all great and we've never found a place where our questions haven't been answered with professionalism and warm smiles.

Have to get going here! Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where Mrs. Doe Deer and one fawn just appeared for breakfast outside my office window. One more cup of coffee and I'm out of here.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
On Twitter, sometimes with pictures, as vtflowerfarm

Weekend Visitors

Monday, July 19, 2010

60 degrees this morning on the mountain. An hour ago as Karl the Wonder Dog and I were walking the woods road, the stillness was disrupted by a doe deer jumping from the brush in front of us. Don't know who was the most startled but in a flash the quiet returned until just now when the ravens are making strategy for a morning of interruptive talk. They always have lots to discuss as if no one else has anything to say.

This weekend the nursery was busy as the hot weather pushed thousands of daylilies into bloom, providing color along Route 2 and entertainment for tourists. Customers appeared as soon as we opened the gates and we hardly had time yesterday to pick representative samples of each daylily and get them on display. Both days when we closed for the night, Gail and I remarked how many visitors we had and how very few people we actually knew from before.

There are many great nurseries in Vermont and no matter where you reside or visit, the distance to another nursery is not that far. We are fortunate at Vermont Flower Farm because our Route 2 location means that we are visible from travelers moving along one of Vermont's main east-west highways. Yesterday as example we had nice conversation with a family from Georgia who were bringing their 88 year old mom back to Northfield for a visit. After a discussion of daylily hardiness in Georgia, they made choices and we'll ship out their order when we know they are back home.


When you see people enter the display fields and then wander from row to row, you know questions will eventually follow. Part of running a successful gardening business is helping new gardeners with planting instructions. Gail and I try to make sure when each customer leaves they have the information they need to be successful with their new plants. No matter how long the lines were this weekend, it was apparent that this information was appreciated as we didn't encounter one example of "I'm in a rush today."



When our friend Mike volunteered to help restore Gail's 1957 John Deere 320 U tractor, he was firm that it would serve as a different form of advertising. He was right. This weekend we met a number of people who looked it over and had questions about when it was last used and did it really run. Yes, it really runs and it is going to continue to be a part of Vermont Flower Farm. It's not shiny and new but like Gail and me, it's dependable and it has an understanding of agriculture and has dirty feet.

Out and about today? Pack a lunch and some gear and head for the Northeast Kingdom. Stop for a few minutes and see the daylilies. Kinda nice!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where blue jays and crows compete for a snack at the compost pile.


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Place an order if you just can't visit in person!
On Facebook at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Foggy Morn

Sunday, July 11, 2010

6:30 AM. Time is flying. 60 degrees, the coolest morning in over a week, 98% humidity, windless. Gail just brought Karl the dripping Wonder Dog back from a morning walk and now she is loading the truck for me to head to the nursery. Hope Mike has some eggs this morning as that one lone egg on the plate this morning has little hope of keeping me going until noon.

If you're out and about today, stop by the nursery. The heavy rains were just what the daylilies needed and they are in their glory today. We had 80 varieties on display yesterday with a bloom of each arranged on tables with name and prices for easy review. I expect that by noon today as the sun rises, additional varieties will bloom for the first time. The field is a palette that deserves a look even if you just drive by.

I had some nice pictures prepared for display here today but Blogger is up to its tricks again and nothing is uploading. The lone picture of the daylily 'Fooled Me' up top will have to serve as a reminder that we have some unusual daylilies that come with very good prices. There are over 5000 in the field ready for digging and +1500 in pots in various state of growth.

If you are interested in bee balm, monarda, Oswego tea, 'the great hummingbird attractor' stop by and see the six varieties Gail has for sale. From the short pink 'Petite Wonder' to the 5.5 foot Jacob Cline, this is a nice collection to start with. They are arranged at the entry to the shade houses with a nice hydrangea named 'White Moth'. We have 9 other hydrangeas for sale but most haven't started to set bloom yet.

We really needed the rain and factually could use some more. Bring your rain gear and head for Marshfield today. Lots to do from the Cabot Creamery to local wineries to the mountains, streams and ponds for hiking, biking or paddling.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I can just see the outline of a doe deer over the bank by my office window. Spooky fog right now. Carl Sandburg "The fog comes on little cat's feet" fog.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm With directions and phone numbers
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Daylily Opportunities

James Marsh now in bloom

Friday, July 2, 2010

Last night's temperature dipped to an even 40 degrees after scaring vegetable growers the way it dropped as the sun set. This morning is quite a contrast. As the sun is pulling itself up above Peacham Pond, we are already up to 48 degrees. The sunshine yells at me "Get going, George. Get going, George!" as there is so much to do today. Even the raucous ravens at the compost pile are using inappropriate language to try to get me started today. Among other things, today's 70 degree high will have to be savored as by Monday it will be +90 and not so pleasant.

Blogger is on temporary strike today and images won't load from here. I'll catch up tonight. The daylilies at Vermont Flower Farm are heavily budded and yesterday there were 21 varieties in some stage of bloom. The rising temperature after a couple inches of rain will flower many this weekend so if you are out and about, you'll notice the color at 2263 US Rt 2 Marshfield even if you don't stop.

I always refer folks to our website, http://vermontflowerfarm.com to see what we have for daylilies. The images are fair to good and the descriptions are above average for sure. What I am noticing is how many daylilies we offer that never made it to the site. If you have something in an older daylily that you're looking for and don't find it with us, just ask away because it might be hidden in one of the rows. There are over 5000 daylilies in the field for digging, 2000 potted and who knows how many still at the house, yet to be moved.

Every year Gail adds to what we offer and for the sake of time I'll just list out some of those new additions. Most of these are available in pots but some are growing in the garden. Included this year are: August Frost, Bama Bound, Black Eyed Susan, Duke of Earl, Eyes of Fury, Inwood, Just Plum Happy, Modern Design, My Sweet Rose, Prairie Wildfire, Red Razzmataz, Siloam Peony Display, Spiritual Corridor, Velvet Thunder and Woodside Romance. Of these, Prairie Wildfire has been out for three days and it is one of the best reds that Gail has ever brought in. Having said that, if you stop by today it might not be in bloom but it's still a worthwhile purchase.

As Independence Day approaches remember what America is all about. Anyone, any day, can find something to complain about but never forget our freedoms. No one will ever tell you what daylily to plant, what daylily book you can/cannot read, what nursery you can visit, what day you can make visits, what words you can share. That's part of why I live here.



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the truck needs to be unloaded before I start a new day. Ugh! But the sun is making me smile. Hope to see you this weekend. Travel with care.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook at Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

PS: Any birders out there? I have a woodpecker id question that is bothering. Ask me.

Thursday Walkabout

Thursday, June 24, 2010

The day has ended here. Gail and I both left the nursery about 5:30 as late afternoon rain poured from the sky. It is much needed and although we received much less than we hoped for, the plants look refreshed.

Each morning as we arrive and each evening just before we leave, we take a quick walk around the nursery to see what we have forgotten to pick up or never accomplished as planned. We relocate plants that customers had second thoughts about and we pick up our own trash, weeds pulled but not picked up, wind cast plant tags, miscellaneous pieces of paper that escape from customers pockets as they scrounge for something to write an idea, a plant name, an addition to the grocery list on.

Here are some examples from today's walk. Come walk with us.

This year we purchased some Japanese lilacs for resale. We have enjoyed these for years on the sharp corner entering Plainfield and Goddard College from East Montpelier. These are hardy lilacs that can reach 30 feet if not pruned. The example I cite has 30 footers hanging over Route 2 where they offer a fragrance as a greeting to the small town and college. This is a later blooming lilac which comes after our James Macfarlane or even Miss Kim lilacs. Its fragrance lures a variety of insects and its near-white blooms provide attention getters from a distance. The one pictured up top was purchased when Hillcrest Nursery went out of business two years ago. I intend to keep this one pruned to hold at about 15 feet.

There are some nice Speedwells (just below) out there and this one is named 'Aztec Gold'. It has a nice little flower and it maintains low height. Yesterday Gail planned a very nice walkway combination for a customer from Danville. She included 'Aztec Gold', some tiarellas, and Hosta venusta placed in rows, 1-2-3, 1-2-3. The tiarellas will bloom first and the flowers of the other two will compliment each other.

Gail's friend, Mark from Claussens Greenhouses, Colchester, suggested we try Scaevola aemula, Fanflower, this year in hanging baskets. Word was that this plant accepts neglect by the "I forgot to water you" crowd and that description is right on. These turned out to be big hangers with lots of color and we are happy we tried them.

This morning I noticed Scabiosa columbaria 'Butterfly Blue' beginning to flower. Nice silver dollar sized flowers with plenty of detail at catch a butterfly's attention. They will be fun to look at in another year as they increase in flower scape numbers.



Daylilies continue to bloom. Today there were 10 in bloom including 'Celebrity Elite' pictured here. A similar red, 'Red Rum' also bloomed today and made quite a contrast against a backdrop of Jersey Spider and Spellbinder orange.

Siberian irises are coming to an end--not in the world of Siberian iris or in Vermont but at our nursery. There are hundreds and hundreds on the market but this one, 'Blue Moon' has lots of potential with contrasting flower colors. They all clump well and although they do best in damp soil, they will survive and prosper in the regular garden.

As I ended my tour and made it to the front, one of my favorite hostas, Hosta 'Alex Summers' caught my attention. Mr. Summers was the founder of the American Hosta Society and every time I see this hosta I express a silent gratitude for the great plant that hosta is. Gail took one of our old watering cans and slid it into a grouping of 'Alex Summer' hostas, Dicentra 'Gold Heart', a tatting fern and a few 'Celebrity Elite'. It is a nice little display which some contrasting textures and colors that are sure to please. Do you like it?



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where Karl the Wonder Dog has finally gone to sleep after barking at every fishing boat that pulled its way up the hill from the pond. Thanks for "walking" with us. If you can find a few minutes tomorrow to stop by, we can walk together in person. I'd like that!


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens where Hosta Days continues with some great sales
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

Hurricane leftovers

Saturday, August 29, 2009

A wet day here on the mountain. I have been up since about 4, listening to the rain pound the standing seam roof. Karl the Wonder Dog just awoke and asked to go out but the walk was short, as in seconds, and he hastily returned to catch a few more winks with Gail. Although all the computer reports suggest it's a mild storm right now, the rain is bucketing out of the dark sky and hasn't shown any sign of stopping since I have been up.

Gardening in this part of New England is beginning to slow down. Mums and asters are prevalent at all the gardening stores although I notice that people are still having a tough time adapting to adding perennial asters to their gardens. Gail grew a bunch again this summer but the cold, wet spring slowed them down and she has them on sale now to move them along. When you buy a good perennial, pot it, care for it all summer and then have to send it down the river for $5 or less, you have lost money and time. Just the same, in the gardening business you don't want to carry over anything you don't have to as continued maintenance of a smaller plant is just asking for the loss to continue. In contrast, people who grab these fall bargains get great plants that always grow well once in the ground. We continue to work at cutting labor and supply costs so Gail has quite a collection of good plants at reduced prices now, trying to limit what we carry over. Stop by and see!

The daylilies have slowed but they have been glorious this summer. Gail continues on with her bare root sales as we eliminate slow movers and overstocks. She sells roots for 5 for $15 and this is great for anyone who wants a border by the drive or walkways or wants to plant a hillside and give up on fighting the lawn mower at weird angles all summer. Sales have been very good and people often pick up another pot or two along the way. We are still seeing a number of people just getting around to planting large gardens and they arrive with a list from our website and go home with a car full of fine plants. We always try to offer planting advice and there is an encouraging number of new gardeners this year although very few younger gardeners. Plants don't seem to come with enough technological enticements to please younger folks.

This is very busy time at the nursery as we need to divide daylilies now and fill in rows that have been reduced by good sales. Austin just left to go back to UVM and Michelle is back at her teaching job so that leaves Gail and me and Gail from Peacham to finalize the work. I have from now until mid October to contribute to the process as that's when I am having my right hand operated on for carpal tunnel and trigger finger. The same operation this past January gave me instant relief and made me wonder why I had waited so long. By the time the white stuff falls from the sky, I should have both hands, not just one, working well again. If you're in the area, I can make an excellent recommendation for a hand surgeon at Mary Hitchcock Hospital in Etna, NH (near Hanover/Dartmouth/White River).

As I prepare to pour another coffee and head for the nursery, here are a few more daylily photos. We have perhaps 150 more daylilies here at the house that need to be moved to the nursery, Many are late bloomers which will help next year by offering daylilies that bloom well into September and some into early October. Yesterday I started working on a new daylily garden that's 140 X 50 and then a 60 X 10 display garden adjacent to the new hosta garden. Both should be visible from Route 2 next year and should add some more variety to what is already a good offering for area gardeners.

Miss Amelia

I really like this daylily as it blooms from July and well into the second or third frost. Right now it is flowering at the nursery and here at the house it is backed up by So Lovely, another really good match.

So Lovely
See what I mean?

Highland Lord


Elain Strutt
Registered in 1969 but still a strong variety at 38-42" tall


Ezekial
Talbott 1991
Actually a little darker than this picture.

Have to scoot! Writing form the mountain above Peacham Pond where this morning's wake up sounds are limited to heavy raindrops and hurricane leftovers. As the skies clear today, stop by the nursery. Lots to see and some good deals too!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm