A Neighbor

Friday, August 27, 2010

A beautiful morning here on the mountain. I didn't get going as early as I wanted but Karl the Wonder Dog and I made a trip down the road and briefly up into the woods before returning home. He went back to bed and I checked Gail's car for her trip today. She and three friends are heading south to Olallies, a third generation daylily grower in Newfane Vermont. Olallie's has a reputation for growing some late bloomers and that's the intent of today's trip. I stopped there back in 2005-6-7--can't quite remember--and bought 20 daylilies that were budded or had just started blooming. Today they are massive plants, obsessively trimmed half way to the ground by two deer moms and their friends, but still great plants ready for dividing. Gail's absence for the day means I have to get going here and get to the nursery as "I am it".

I stopped at friend Mike's last night on the way home to leave off a birthday present for Michelle. I was greeted by Buck, the bantam rooster pictured up top. Buck may be small but his voice is growing every day! He was out and about with the other chickens cleaning up insects for dinner.

I took a minute and looked at Mike's tomatoes and peppers, still blight free. This year Mike planted them along the house where it is warmer and he put down dripper hose before covering the area with landscape fabric. Just recently he had to put up some fence to keep the chickens away from the ripening tomatoes.

The roma tomatoes are so heavy on the vine that Mike pounded in 6 foot rebar and tied the vines up. The tomatoes are coming along nicely now and there will be plenty to dehydrate and store for winter. A couple months back, I gave Mike a plant of Black Krim that was sent to me by a grower to test. Mine at the nursery succumbed to blight but this one of Mike's is doing very well. Still no darkening of color as the name implies but it's coming! Note the hierloom shape.

The romas are Mike's favorite for putting away for winter soups and stews. He can pick some every day now as they ripen. We have a week of hot weather coming from today on so the tomatoes should do well.

Karl is barking at something outside so guess it's time to resolve that issue and get to work. Great day to get out and about. If you have some time, stop and see me at the nursery. Plenty of fall plants to consider. If you happen to be traveling Route 302 through Groton today between 2-8 PM, stop at Artesano and try some Munson's Maple ice cream, tour the gift shop or purchase a freshly bottled, locally handcrafted mead. Nice folks, nice products!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the sun is getting stronger like the voice of a lone raven sitting outside my office window.

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

Lady Bugs & Butterflies

Monday, October 19, 2009

A crisp, clear morning here on the mountain. Not a cloud in the sky but the thick white ground frost is reminder that the 21 degrees this morning does more than suggest winter is coming. There's something about the heaviness in the air today that is keeping the woodsmoke in a layer above the ground and it's bothering the crows coming into the compost pile, scavenging the remains of last night's New England fish chowder preparation. Why they carry a lone mussel shell 50 yards into the trees to peck out one tiny hinge is beyond me. They need to study Return On Investment a bit more!

My post on climate change was more a series of observations than a firm statement. When you garden like Gail and I do, you have to hone good observation skills to try to keep a step ahead of unknown problems before they materialize. We are not vegetable farmers although we grow some for ourselves. This year's late blight surfaced as small spots on tomatoes and potatoes one day and became dead plants within a week. Our skill at observing was of little use for this problem but often times it works.

During the past year we have noticed that ladybugs and Monarch butterflies are less obvious than before. We are not alone in noticing this as tracking systems have been put in place to help gather information about where these helpers have gone. Take a look at the Lost Ladybug Project or Monarch Butterfly: Journey North Both projects solicit folks like you and me to gather data and try to figure out what is happening. If you have any observations you would like to share, drop us a note.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where a pick up just went by pulling a duck boat fully camouflaged with cedar boughs. All sorts of hunting seasons are open in Vermont now. The moose and deer are really moving now and I guess I better get going too!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm