Sedums

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

A beautiful morning here on the mountain. The sun is pushing above the trees from Peacham Pond and accentuating the lush green leaves resulting from what has really been too much rain for spring planting. Yesterday morning the National Weather Service was blaring warnings for southern Vermont where up to 4" of rain was predicted but someplace between then and now I missed the news coverage of what happened. We have already been there more than once this spring and we continue to work through the consequences.

Some places, some towns, and many people can't seem to get a break with the weather no matter what. As I traveled to the nursery yesterday morning I noticed that the brand new sign at the corner of Routes 2 and 215 in Marshfield, a sign announcing a benefit tomorrow night for Cabot's repeated disasters, was run over by a car. There are skid marks leading straight to it. Sometimes what happens in the world just seems impossible but repetitions continue on. Lots of damage all around the area so help your neighbors as you can.

I have always liked anything that grows in among the rocks. I remember in the early 50's my Dad made a rock garden for my mother on top of an old barn foundation at our 1826 house. She planted portulaca everywhere and then plugged every variety of sedum and sempervivum she could find in among the layered stones. Thinking back on it, she really came up with quite a number of varieties in contrast to what's available today. The collection drew lots of "where'd you get that?s" because in Vermont in the early 50's, times were tough and people were thinking more about planting things to grow and raising animals to eat. Chickens for eggs and meat where much more popular than my mom's hens and chickens in the garden!



We have a good collection of sedums and a few different sempervivums at the nursery. I continue to work on a garden for our collection by the front fence. It still looks a little sparse but I am getting there. We'll get the potted plants moved up today or tomorrow and make the whole area more pleasant and visible. If you're out and about, stop by and see what's available.

If you head up towards Glover (remember Glover=Bread and Puppet Theater??) stop at my friend Kate Butler's place. Labour of Love Landscaping and check out Vermont's largest collection of sempervivums. If you do make it that far, don't forget to stop at Curriers Quality Market too. Curriers is one of those all purpose places with a real butcher, nice people, a sporting goods section and an incredible collection of taxidermy that makes you think you're in the woods. Give it all a try in Glover and stop and see Vermont Flower Farm while you're coming or going.


Gotta get going here. Hope I don't get side tracked during the rest of the day. Hens and chickens, Glover, Kate, taxidermy, real butchers--what a morning!


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
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And still growing hardy plants for hardy Vermonters and their friends!

Hot Weather & Sedums

Monday, July 12, 2010

A light fog settles in the valley near the house. Last night's 60 degrees made for better sleeping after another sticky afternoon. 98% humidity and windless is not a way to start another day at the nursery but so be it. As long as customers and visitors keep arriving, we'll lemonade and water ourselves through the day.

I have always been interested in sedums, probably from the days when my mother started one of Vermont's earliest rock gardens and plastered it with sedums that relatives brought her from New York and Connecticut. Various sempervivens, the garden hens and chicks, prevailed and people came to see them and take home a generous trowel full my mother would share via a clay pot--no plastics back then. Today the number of varieties available to gardeners is enormous and it's no longer uncommon to see them worked in with other plantings.

Here are some quick pictures of what we offer this year beginning with a couple shots of how Gail has them displayed.

Just below is Voodoo, a contrasting mix of browns and reds and greens that spreads well and contrasts nicely with river rocks, green schists and granites.

Next is Vera Jameson, a 12"-14" sedum that offers that blue gray/purple combination to counter associated blues, yellows and whites.

Matrona is a larger sedum, in the Autumn Joy class, but strong and with good seed heads later in August.
Black Jack has nice early flowers and the red in the center of each flower catches attention.

Purple Emperor darkens some as the summer progresses but is close to this picture when planted in lots of sun. I like the way the fleshy leaves always grasp rain drops as if they'll need future refreshment.
Angelina is a very easy to propagate sedum. I like to stuff pieces in and around cracks in walls. Some visitors stuff a piece into their pockets. This irritates me as farmers work hard for what they get but I leave them with the thought that they did something they should not have.

If you are interested in sedums, stop by and review what we offer. These plants are not on our website but if you can't locate them, I'm sure Gail could arrange a shipment for you. For other ideas, Debra Lee Baldwin has a couple books out and I recently picked up Hardy Succulents by Gwen More Kelaidis. The photography by Saxon Holt merited an American Horticultural Society Award and it's special!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where neighbor Michelle just walked by with Jelly, her new puppy. Karl the Wonder Dog barked a morning hello suggesting a desire to walk with a friend. If you get a chance today, stop at Vermont Flower Farm and I'll walk down to the hosta garden with you and point out what I'm creating.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Our website with lots of "how-to" info
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
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Sadly for gardeners, no one found the kokopelli plant sticker that was most obviously stuck in a fine pot of the daylily Lime Frost. The Kokopelli Challenge continues today but the secret location will change within the hour. Come visit!

It's Dry Out There!

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

A super still morning here on the mountain above Peacham Pond. 45 degrees, 98% humidity, windless, as the sun brightens the treeline. It's the second longest day of the year and of course our official "summer" has begun. Gail and I have been up since just after 4 but Karl the Wonder Dog shows no interest in long days as he snores loudly from the other room. I expect he'll hear my keystrokes in a few minutes and bound into a new day as if he is calling all the shots.

The temperatures for over five months now have been the warmest in Vermont since 1880 when official weather records started. This has really changed our summer around but we still don't know the real impact. The heat has required us to water the hostas in the garden more often as rain has been a missing commodity. The potted plants have to be watered every other day and the garden plants are getting to where I need to make a decision. The rows of zinnias, a flower which generally thrives on heat, have been watered regularly and they are still not meeting my expectation. Dry springs and early summers are a problem.

Sedums and the various succulents do well despite the heat and Gail has added to her small collection in recent years. As rock gardens regain popularity in America and as people travel more, the interest in these plants increases and garden centers and box stores add to their offerings. These are easy to grow plants most of which maintain their composure in your garden and offer flowers to brighten dry areas. Here are a few examples of flowers.

Glover, Vermont is the home of the famous Bread and Puppet Theater, some fine Vermont scenery and Labor of Love Landscaping and Nursery. Kate Butler offers a nice collection of sempervivums (hens and chickens) and many fine potted plants. I haven't stopped in a couple years but if you have an interest in sempervivums, you'll enjoy the collection. The local grocery store is a great place for fresh meat, a nice sandwich or a kid's delight as there are hundreds of examples of taxidermy including some full sized mounts of Vermont's largest mammals like bear, deer and moose. It's a Northeast Kingdom country store with a museum overtone.

Over the next year I want to build a sedum garden near the parking lot but in the meantime stop by and see what we have to offer. Gail is pleased with how the plants look this year as the pots are overflowing and the colors are nice. Picture updates tomorrow.

Writing from the mountain where the sun and the thermometer are now rising together. Out and about today? Stop by 2263 US 2 in Marshfield and say hello! Good gardeners love to share plants that tolerate sun.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
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