Japanese Beetles

Friday, August 2, 2013

Just in from a morning walk with Karl the Wonder Dog. It rained a little during the night and the skunks came by to work on our lawn some more, looking of course for Japanese beetles that are coming to the surface to begin adulthood on the rugosa roses.This is August and in Vermont this is when the biggest hatches occur. I say "hatches" which is really not correct but this is the time when soil temperatures rise and adult beetles emerge from the soil to feed heavily on plants they like. Gail has 5 varieties of rugosa rose we brought from Burlington when we moved here and they are big roses now and the beetles love them. But they like our grape vines and our hollyhocks and in a drier year, the zinnia crop we grow for cut flowers. They also seem to prefer the lighter colored daylilies we have growing in sandy soil when they set up residence  in the fields.

Japanese beetles have been around since about 1914 in America when they are believed to have arrived  mixed in with a shipment if irises. Documentation on when certain insects arrive is always a problem because it's likely that bad insects arrive some time before they are noticed. Asian longhorn beetles, the emerald ash borer and the lily leaf beetle all have varying dates of arrival but unlike people type immigrants there is no clearing house upon their arrival and they seem to get established all too soon. Right now the state of Oregon is waging a giant battle against Japanese beetles because they figure the beetles cost their nursery growers $33 million per year. I suspect the actual figure is higher. The impact of this particular insect is even greater than state by state losses as Cornell University did a study and determined that they are also responsible for 40% of the threatened/endangered plant species in America. This is a little insect that has enormous influence.

Control is always possible but there is coast to coast debate on the best way to slow down the pest. I go with organic as my experience is that organic compounds such as the bacteria known as milky spore really work very well and do nothing to injure or kill other insects such as my honey bees. There are also nematodes that work very well but I think take a little longer to get established than milky spore. Others do not agree with either and feel that more harsh chemicals such as Sevin have to be used so you can visualize the death of the insects and know that you're eliminating the problem. I don't like to get to that point.

The state of Oregon uses traps scented with pheromones but these are a nuisance to me for a variety of reasons. If you do not have a big beetle problem, you will have as the pheromone is so strong that it lures in beetles from as far as 3-4 miles away (University of Vermont study). Seems to me a person would have enough trouble in their own backyard without enlarging the territory they are drawing bugs from. On top of that, what do you do with the bag full of beetles when the trap is full? And finally, here in Vermont as example, we have a big, big, big problem with black bears. They love beetles and while visiting your home they smell the bags of trapped beetles and sit on your lawn ripping open the bags and feasting--hence another mess and another even bigger challenge--how to tell the bears you do not trap beetles any more?

Milky spore is available in garden centers and box stores. It looks like talcum powder when you open the can or bag but the bacteria is really there and it really works. It should be applied to the soil prior to or during a rain so it can get into the soil and then it attaches itself to beetle grubs. Once infected the grubs die and become another source for the bacteria to grow in. It takes some time to establish in your lawns or fields but once established you will see the difference. You'll know you are successful as Spring arrives and signs of moles rototilling your lawns are finally absent. No grubs, no food source for moles either and they move someplace else. Give it some thought, give it a try.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where it just started to rain again. It's 58.8° this morning. I hear a loon calling from the pond suggesting I guess that I get moving. Lots to do at the flower farm. Rain or shine, stop by and say hello. The daylilies are very special right now and I have to say I am really enjoying the opportunity to meet new gardeners from around the world as some report  they are a Facebook friend and others explain where they live. Maine is always very well represented but yesterday three cars were from Michigan. Fun! Interesting!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens (Like page) and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

George

Late Daylilies

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

A quiet morning here on the mountain except for Karl the Wonder Dog and his pink squeaky toy. He just returned from a morning walk, all barked out after spotting a deer, and now he wants to play. It's 54.2°. and windless with thin gray clouds moving in and eastern sun pushing through blue sky here and there. It will rain at some point today but for now it's a nice morning.

The daylilies  have been spectacular this season and if you haven't stopped at Vermont Flower Farm yet you are missing something special. The +20" of rain we received over less than a month really pushed an unusual number of flower scapes skyward and the bloom counts have been super!. The daylily fields as pictured here have been in place since 2007 so many of the plants are quite large so flower counts provide plenty of color. The daylily display garden is still very wet from road problems along Route 2 but the balance of the fields within our almost 5 acres of plants are easily walkable and very nice.

Gardeners are obviously intrigued by daylilies and I can see by their questions that they know more about what is available. People ask about plant size now and like/dislike big flowers, small flowers, tall or short scapes, early-mid-late-very late season bloomers. Some have read about "rebloomers" and want plants that bloom all summer and some who have less experience ask for "one of those that blooms three months straight". I don't make points when I tell people the reality of rebloomers but I am known for providing honest information, not just a story to sell a plant.

I have to get headed to the flower farm soon to continue deadheading the fields and cleaning up from a busy week. But first, here's a list of plants in what we call the Mid to Late range here in Marshfield. We call mid season late July into August and late season from mid August into September. When you receive two weeks of  70° temperatures in late March-early April like we did this year, daylilies break dormancy and get out of sync and the bloom times vary by the plant. That's what we are seeing this year. Just the same, we are close on many plants and there's plenty to see.   Here are some examples of where we are at that Gail prepared last night based on current bloom expectations. Call or visit with questions. There are thousands of plants in bloom and we have a great selection of potted daylilies including many new to us varieties.

Some of our Mid to late season:

 

 

El Desperado

Western Sandstone

August Frost

Red Sentinel

Red Razzmatazz

The Jury's Out

Chicago Apache

Lavender Stardust

Marque Moon

Modern Design

August Bloom:

Fire King

Mighty Chestnut

Spanish Glow

Scottish Fantasy

The Jury's Out

Late Bloom:

Steeple Jackie: 4-5 feet, yellow, very late

Challenger

Last man Standing

Autumn Gold

New In Town

Butterscotch Harvest

Have a great day! Come see us,

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

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Buy Local, Buy Vermont Flowers

 

Jovibara heuffelli

Purple Haze

Monday, July 22, 2013

A quiet morning on the mountain. Light clouds float against patches of blue sky. The temperature hangs at 49.5°, the coldest morning in weeks but I love it. The humidity is low enough to notice its absence but the morning weather report suggests the humidity will be bothersome by late afternoon and the clouds will build to a storm. We don't need rain here but it is coming again.

People like to take vacations away from the state they live in.They spend hours and hours planning and saving money for trips that leave them happy but tired and often with credit card balances that detract over time from the glory of the visits. There was a time when I spent too much time on a plane or in a car and I have reduced my travel to more local visits. It works for me and I will continue. Tomorrow for example, I am leaving the flower farm in Gail's hands and traveling 90 miles to Crawford Notch in New Hampshire. I plan to hike to Arethusa Falls and then backtrack and do part of the Webster Cliffs Trail. It will be hot, it may be raining, but I will enjoy every bit of it right down to chasing away squirrels that have become begging pests at the falls.

Yesterday was a busy day at Vermont Flower Farm. The daylilies are in peak bloom, many urged on to bloom ahead of time by last week's record setting heat. Sales could have been better but we sold a lot of plants anyway. I better remember to refuel the golf cart this morning or we'll be in trouble digging plants from two different fields and hundreds of yards apart. Gail loves that cart!

Part of yesterday's plan was to close the gate at five and pack quickly to head to Glover, Vermont, +30 miles away, I had made plans for Gail, house painting friend Michelle, Alex and me to go visit Kate Butler and her Labour of Love Nursery. 

We arrived only 15 minutes later than I planned and almost immediately Gail and Michelle were letting out lots of "look at this" sounds. Adjacent to the parking area is the start of one of the finest collections of sempervivens I have ever seen and if you like the looks of hens and chickens in your dry or rock  garden, this is a must-visit place for sure. Like the named example pictured up top here, the names are tricky  but the plants-oh the plants-they are so exciting with idiosyncrasies, colors, webs.

We walked back and forth along the manicured rows of plants, often walking on patches of creeping thymes that shared fragrances with us as we walked from one exciting plant to another. As I sit here writing now I can still reflect on the fragrances that reminded me of days in Shelburne, Vermont when Gail and I grew over 50 varieties of herbs for the farmers market and we smelled those very same aromas.

Kate has a very nice collection of daylilies across the bridge and we spent some time there doing what daylily people do, talking about flower shapes and size and color and when do they open and how long do they bloom. We returned across the bridge and looked over rows of potted plants as Gail took the opportunity to add to our daylily collection with a couple we "needed". Plant collectors often get a bit obsessive and the "I need" part is questionable but a reality.

I know we could have turned around and toured the gardens all over again but  as the evening temperature cooled, our bodies reminded us that yesterday started at 5 AM and sleep was the next thing on the to-do list.

If you are out and about, think about the many fine gardens and nurseries in Vermont. They are closer than you think. Small businesses make Vermont what it is and they need your help growing on. Plane flights are fun but Vermont has a lot to offer without an airport. Ask for suggestions and we can probably help. And if you go see Kate in Glover, stop at Currier's Market. It's a part of Vermont you won't forget.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond. People are heading to work from the pond but I know they wish they didn't have to go. The weekend was beautiful and life outdoors was fun. Come visit!

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
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!
Yes, we do sell plants on-line. Lots of them!

Old Gardening Books

Sunday, July 14, 2013

65.5° here on the mountain, windless, quiet save for an occasional call from loons on the reservoir. One has 2 chicks I hear.  Gail is packing the car with lunch and supplies for the flower farm and I have to shift gears here soon. Time flies and often it's easy to forget what day it is. Today is my son Adam's birthday. He's 39. He lives in Seattle with wife Leah and my grandsons Max, Cooper and Griffin. The kids are like daylilies in the garden, little buds today,  beautiful offerings in short order. Yes, time flies!

Whenever I am in a used book store I look around for gardening books from times past. Newer books for example, make it difficult to find historical daylilies that started being registered in 1883. I pick up what I can and always ferret out some interesting info. This is an idea worth considering.

The book pictured up top here is titled The Suburban Garden Guide. It was published in 1911. It covers vegetables first, then garden flowers, but it avoids any mention of daylilies. As an example of perception over time, here's what it says about broccoli, a favorite vegetable of mine.

"BROCCOLI: This is really nothing but a longer-seasoned and later-maturing cauliflower, but better adapted than it for the far North. Early White, Mammoth White and Purple Cape, are good varieties."

Daylilies are in full swing at the flower farm. Some of the fields are still quite wet but we have thousands in pots ready to go and have two fields full of flowers that we will dig from. The other day Gail got a boot stuck while digging a large daylily and I guess I just need to ask that you give us a couple minutes to do the digging for you. We have some giant clumps of Ruby Spider for $40 and have a number of  20 and 30 gallon pots of popular daylilies for $38. These might be of interest if you do the math on value versus single pots. We grow them because of the current need for instant gratification.

I hear a neighbor mowing her lawn so I guess I better get with it. We are open every day 9-5, some days a little later, so stop by and visit us. The hostas are looking very good with all the rain and the daylilies are coloring up the fields and slowing traffic along Route 2. We think it's worth a visit but of course ...we're biased! Come stop and walk the fields with us.

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

On Facebook as George Africa and also as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

On Twitter as vtflower farm

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Bears Abound And Rebound All Around

Sunday, June 30, 2013

61.2°  here on the mountain this morning. Quiet. Windless.  The valley below my office window is a field a floating fog that drifts in layers so slowly I have to watch carefully to see movement. My eyes keep searching for Mrs Doe Deer, a recent mother and a frequent visitor to breakfasts of timothy and clover grasses which she seems to prefer. We watched the morning she delivered her fawn in the field in front of us and marveled as she coaxed it to its feet to nurse. It is fascinating how a fawn, still wet from birth, knows how to bump against its mother and get more milk. Mrs. D is ever watchful when she feeds as her ears stay perked up to catch sounds of danger and insure that her baby is safe. 

Spring is an interesting time in Vermont and early summer provides frequent animal sightings. Some of these we enjoy, others we enjoy less. Friday's view of a young skunk heading to my honey bees was neat to watch but unpleasant to think about. I banged on the window and scared the little one away before (s)he encountered the electric fence for the first time. (maybe, maybe not). Just the same, the fresh, spanky clean black and white fur and wet black nose were fun to see, especially from the safety of my office window. 

Less than a week ago, friend Michelle was standing in our dining room looking out the window in preparation to say goodbye after a visit. Then her voice had an obvious "octave experience" as she looked out the window and found that Karl the Wonder Dog's barking was not at the neighbor's oft antagonizing cat but instead at a two year old black bear. The bear was in Gear No. 1, Lowest-of Lows,  and walked so slowly that you wanted to go push him up the hill. No amount of yelling made him go any faster. He had just walked right by the back door and at under twenty feet from the window, he showed no fear and actually seemed irritated to be coaxed along. When Michelle left ten minutes later she had to wait while the bear exited the woods by a neighbor's home and walked right up the middle of the road to Rt 232, not speeding up and continuing to show he was fearless and in charge. I don't know if the "he" was a "she" but it was a two year old for sure.

For three weeks now I have been trying to put the flower farm back together after a terrible wind, rain and hail storm arrived while I was enjoying some hiking in Acadia National Park. The repair work is about down to fence repair and although I probably should have done that as soon as I finished with the downed trees and brush, I put it off. Yesterday as I walked down to work in the hosta display garden, a track in the mud caught my eye. A bear had come across Route 2, walked under the floppy fence, and through the lower daylily garden. What was most interesting was the way the tracks went to the edge of the property behind the display garden and then returned to the daylily rows. This bear was apparently checking buds and looking for pretty but as yet unopened daylily blooms as it went up and down two different rows before returning to Route 2. The Winooski River is running at almost maximum force now and the bear obviously decided it was not going for a swim. 

Vermont's Fish and Wildlife Division reports that we have over 6000 black bears now and the population exceeds what they feel can be properly managed. They have extended the fall hunting season for this year and they are confident they can keep things in control. I am not sure their numbers are correct as last summer we had three sows here at the house that had a total of 6 cubs between them. Work the math and you might see the source of the regular bear sitings. A friend down Route 2 from the flower farm has a bear with dumpster experience and those guys are difficult to retrain (not possible). I suspect I will be commenting on bear behavior again.

A month's worth of rain has kept gardeners thinking of gardening but not in their gardens.There's only so much sqwoosh-sqwoosh, sqwoosh anyone can take and even rain wear gets too wet after day upon day of heavy rain. The sun is breaking through the clouds now and we're hopeful that gardeners will stop by the flower farm and make purchases. The daylily fields are still wet with over 16" of rain in a three weeks but the resulting scape count is exceptional.  Daylilies are well budded and although it appears that the bloom time of some varieties is off by a couple weeks, the display should be really special at the farm in a couple weeks, maybe less if we get some sun. 

We are digging from the fields now although I have to say that it takes courage to dig along the top rows that are heavy clay as boots sometimes sink faster than a shovel or a spade and we end up hosing off the plants and ourselves after digging. The yellows and oranges that are first to bloom will very soon be accompanied by every color but blue and the field will slow traffic on Route 2. Here's an image of what will be obvious in a couple weeks.

Gail, Alex and I hope you will stop by for a personal visit soon or order on-line if you cannot get up/over/down to see us. Farming is difficult work no matter what the weather or the type of farm, so please try to support all farmers and understand the stress that bad weather all over the country has caused. There are dairy and beef farmers all over who have yet to make their first cut of hay because it will never dry and there are folks who rely on single crops like strawberries that have poor crops this year because of the rain. CSA's have typically made bountiful offerings of spring greens by now but rains have not been helpful to even fairly easy crops such as lettuce, chards and choys. I have no idea  how the potato growers are doing but know for sure that in many place save for certain quick draining river bottom soil, the corn crops will never make "knee high by the 4th of July" and some crops have already been replanted at great expense. Again, think what it's like to put food on your plate, flowers on your table and support farmers for what they do.

For me, it's time to get to the flower farm. I'll probably be sitting at the front table in half an hour reading the Sunday paper but when I close up the last section, another day will be under way. Stop and say hello, bring your questions, bring your kids. Gardening is a good way to have fun and keep  family, friends, and neighbors together.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I hear the loons at the pond talking loonish which I clearly do not understand. Friday I saw a loon mom on Joe's Pond with a single chick swimming close to her. It felt good to see another successful hatch for such an interesting and very primitive bird. I love 'em!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as George Africa and also as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Trillium Highlights

Saturday, June 15, 2013

A beautiful morning, bright, clear and cold at 41.2°. It feels like September but I know  it's June. I just returned from a second walk with Karl the Wonder Dog and he made it clear that this was a morning to walk, not return to bed.  I'm in agreement with him but I have a lot of things that have to get going today. The last of the shade cloth, torn off the shade houses by the serious storm from two weeks ago tomorrow has to be installed and waiting later that 8 AM means the wind comes up and the job becomes more difficult. I have to get moving!

For some reason many people were interested in trilliums this spring. I am not sure why but maybe it's because I talk about them a lot, maybe because they are difficult to find on the retail market. The velvety burgundy red erectums are gone by now as are most all the white grandiflorums. The woods still have a few undulatums, the white with pinky red centers scattered about although most are gone too. Luteum, the yellow, not native to New England,  is just flowering in one of my old gardens at the house and looks great. Knowing that there are slightly more that 40 trilliums in the world, and knowing that they all come from North America makes me feel good that I have 4 varieties.

Trilliums are not difficult to raise from seed as  long as you have patience. Seed is dispersed in nature by ants so you have to watch seed pods careful because with trillium seed pods it's one of those "here today, gone tomorrow" things with the insects. Each seed has a sweet little coating that ants love to eat and in the process of taking back the "candy" to other ants, they carry the seed along. Seems like unnecessary work but ants are workers and in a million years have never caught on. In the process of overdoing things, they get tired and drop seeds along the way and that's where the dispersal thought comes in.

 

Keep an eye on trillium seed pods and when mid to late August appears, snap off a soft, almost squooshy pod and then push a finger into the ground a couple inches and put the whole pod in, breaking it apart in the process. Next comes the patience. Seeds take a couple years to germinate and you'll have a neat little clump of seeds that the following fall you can dig and line out. Then the real patience arrives as it will be 5 more years before flowering occurs. Now you know  why they are expensive if you do find a seed source!

Here's a picture of luteum, a nice yellow. A great reference book is Fred and Roberta Case's  Trilliums by Timber Press, 1997. Great info, plenty of pictures.

I hear looms calling at Peacham Pond. They could be suggesting I get to work. Probably not but I should get going. Have a nice day and stop at Vermont Flower Farm if you're out and about!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens (Like us!) and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Turn On The Lights

Almost 7 AM, 53.1°, windless, quiet. The rain has stopped which is ever so nice after +15 days of rain....so much rain that I gave up dumping the rain gauge as my interest faded quickly after a few days. Rivers are high, roads missing in places, puddles in our lower garden more like a pond big enough to lure in Canada geese and an assortment of ducks. Not good!.

As I write,  a new fawn suckles on mom in the lower field, bumping her in excitement as it tries to get the milk to come quicker. The doe's tail swats flies and she chews on timothy and other grasses, acting proud to be a mom but at the same time looking from side to side with ears at attention to possible danger. This is a picture but Gail reminds me again to leave them alone.

The gardens do not look good because of the shear winds and rains which have rearranged them. Just the same, the daylilies of spring are turning on like little dots of light here and there that draw attention to gardens that in a few more weeks will slow traffic along the highway.  Daylilies that bloom first are the yellows and oranges that represent hybridizing from the original species by those two colors. Irish Eyes, Golden Chimes, First Show, Corky, Lemon lily, Lemon Lollypop and others welcome us to an assurance that the snows really are gone for now and summer is coming!

If you're out and about today, stop by for a visit. The hosta display garden is coming around after three trees did a number on a few plants  here and there. Actually it is exceptional this year after dodging repeated bullets of 25° nights, sleet and hail, and shear winds.which arrived from all directions.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I now hear the loons at Peacham discussing bird politics over fish breakfast. I need to get down there and count chicks, take some pictures.

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 
We're always here to help you grow your green thumb!

 

Just Peonies

 Thursday, May 30, 2013

57.0° here on the mountain, windless, quiet. I have been out twice with Karl the Wonder Dog and he has settled back to sleep for a while. Yesterday's rain has quieted the critters of the woods too and only now do some of the birds start their wake up calls. It will be a great day.

June is when peonies begin to bloom here although in most parts of New England south of here they have already been entertaining people. I heard a report last week of Smouthii, the nice fern leaf peony,  being in bloom for several days already in Morrisville. Smouthii is a dark red and for some reason it is the only peony I know that deer like to munch on.

We sell half a dozen different peonies in pots every year until they are gone although I have quite a nice collection started at the house. Information about peonies seems to differ and when and how to plant creates problems. At the flower farm we plant and divide when we want to but we recommend differently to other gardeners. Potted peonies can be planted anytime but the dividing and replanting chores are best left to late summer on into fall.

Peonies should be planted in a well thought out location, in full sun if possible and in a large hole well amended with compost. They have to be planted not more than 1.5"-2" deep so I recommend the "finger joint rule" meaning keep the root close to the surface and when you have planted it, be sure the top of the root is no deeper than 2 finger joints, i.e., push a finger into the ground and be sure there are only a couple finger joints between soil surface and striking the root .Deeper planted roots make great foliage but bloom is hard to come by.

We have had rain for 12 of the past 13 days and have set a new rain record for the month of May. 8.75". Peonies are big plants so they make good use of water but they require soil that drains. August is the month to watch for rain as mid August is when peonies set buds on their root stocks for the following year. Remind yourself to dump a couple buckets of water on each peony in August and you will be rewarded next year with a much improved bloom count.

Peonies seem to last too short a season for their beauty.  It might sound odd but they have become so popular as a cut flower that they are grown successfully in Alaska and are shipped to our east coast "summertime" well into October. A trick to employ here to make cut peonies last longer is to cut stems when the tight buds  are just showing color and then place them in the bottom of your refrigerator. They will last 30 days there at which time they can be removed,  given a fresh cut and a vase of water. They will begin opening in a day or so. Give it a try!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the first chore today is to give attention to my bee hives. The bees have been making honey like crazy because of the great apple blossom production this year, I am leaving for Maine tomorrow so I want to add to the hive size today so the bees don't swarm in my absence. I have a lot invested this year and want to see the bees still making honey come fall. If the hives get crowded, the bees leave.

Gail and Michael will be at the flower farm for the next week and Alex will be handling chores at the house. Stop by the flower farm and walk down to the hosta display garden if you can. It is exceptional this year!!

Best gardening wishes!

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
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Dealing With Spring Freezes

 Tuesday, May 21, 2013

55.2° now after a noisy night of pounding rain and winds. Things quieted down just after 4:30 this morning and the lighter rain was a welcome change. Karl the Wonder Dog greatly dislikes rain and thunder and he is now settled in beside me snoring away as if it's just another day in Vermont.

We have been busy at Vermont Flower Farm and many things are coming together at the same time. Worker bee Michael finished up his third year at Castleton and started back with us yesterday and Gail was dancing in great glory to have a helper other than me. Michael and I will work together from 9-noon every day for the next couple weeks before I go to Maine and we will get the daylily beds weeded out so we can begin bringing down the last of the daylilies from the house. Still over a hundred-- I think many more--different daylilies left to move, divide and line out for sales. They are 6-7-8 year old clumps so there are a lot of plants.

During the past week we experienced our typical spring freezes. These are scary days when you have no real idea when the wind will stop and how low the temperatures will fall. The freezes always occur after repetitive days of higher than normal temperature. Our experiences have not often been good ones as anything below 28° will freeze new hosta growth back to the ground and make them useless for sale until late July or early August depending on the summer. We say this from experience because covering a couple thousand square feet of pots as well as the 18,000 square foot display area is just not feasible.

So last week when very low temperatures were predicted,  Gail pulled out a quart of a product she purchased a year back and put on the shelf  "Just in case". It is named FreezePruf and it's made by EcoLogic, the same company that manufactures the Liquid Fence that many of you may use for deer and rodent control. Anyway while I was away Gail mixed it up and sprayed everything in the display gardens and all the potted hostas. Then she covered every potted hosta with whatever she could find from shade cloth still available since it's too early to install it on the shade houses, to plastic tarps. 

The first night the temperature at the house was 26° and I had serious worries. The second night was 25° at our friend Jerry's across the road and up the hill so I knew the hosta display garden would be lower than that. Miracle of miracles the FreezePruff worked and the only losses were leaves that the sprayer missed or leaves that had come in direct contact with the tarps. The tarps conducted the cold and froze the leaves in any place that touched.

Now it's been 3-4 days of waiting to see what the real result is as freezing sometimes takes a bit to really show. Regardless of the time, things look very good and at this point I am really pleased with Gail's purchase. I will not know 100% on this for another week but if what I see now continues, I want to research the product a little more. An anti freeze for my truck is understandable but for plants--I'm still learning.

Time moves on here and I have to get to the farm and get working. If you are out and about over the next few days, stop by and visit. Things are looking great and we hope they continue.

Best gardening wishes from the mountain above Peacham Pond where loons are calling.

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
We're always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Diggin' and Dividin'

Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Already 6 AM and I am supposed to be at the flower farm watering, digging plants, dividing and repotting. This time of year we are very busy and this year is no exception. We finished with the last of the new plants yesterday but do have two more shipments arriving Thursday and Friday. I don't like to have a lot going on during Mothers Day weekend because people are out and about and usually have lots of questions but freight companies send shipments when trucks are full now so your choice on arrival times is slim to "here it comes".

Gail and I bought in a number of perennials to line out in the gardens  for use as cut flowers and also for direct sale to customers as the plants mature. The stock all looked quite good and should make for more interesting bouquets come July. The caveat is I have to keep things watered well as Mother Nature is not helping well in the east. Up top I have pictured Savlia nemorosa Caradonna, a meadow sage I really like. I have 72 to line out today and have to get some of the two-three year old plants potted.

I planted Aconitum Napellus, a nice monkshood (also very poisonous, so don't eat any!!), Helianthus Lemon Queen, a 5 foot sunflower type and Campanula Border Blue. Blues and pale yellows work well together and these all hold up well when cut. I lined out a row of Achillea Summer Wine. Yes, this is a yarrow but it holds up forever in arrangements and adds a different texture. I planted three sneezeweeds--funny name for Helenium-- for August bloom and I am trying a couple astrantias and an Anchusa Loddon Royalist. Most of these are planted over by the river so if you come visit, ask and we'll point out where so you can see how they are doing.

A fishing boat is bouncing along the road heading to Peacham Pond and Karl the Wonder Dog is all upset with the sound. I ran into summer pond neighbor Chuck yesterday at the recycling center and he reported seeing his first bear of the year. He said it would probably go 350 pounds but if it is the one that I am thinking of, it's actually larger than that. I haven't see the old boar for a couple years but he is a beautiful animal that is quick to bring about a "Wow, look at that one". 

Gotta scoot but would love to have you stop by soon and give me a break from planting, dividing and potting. I think Gail would spare me a few minutes for a chat.

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're always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Hot Milk Sponge Cake

Sunday, April 28, 2013

A beautiful morning here on the mountain. Up to 35.4° in the sun, windless, birds everywhere. The lone male Hairy Woodpecker continues to beat on the electric fence charger outside my office window in hopes I guess that he'll drum up a girlfriend. This is the third day of this noise and apparently his tune is not yet spot-on as he continues, interrupted only by my occasional tap on the window.

I should be at the flower farm already but my writing has encouraged tardiness and I have to get going. But first, I want to post a recipe I mentioned on Facebook last night. It's called Hot Milk Sponge Cake. As chronology, Gail got the recipe from her mother who would be 96 if she were still alive. Gail's mom, Miriam, got the recipe from her good friend, Etta Dickey who got it from her mother in Maine so you can see the recipe is "old" and well traveled. Back then, exchanging recipes showed respect for the persons exchanging and receiving them and many used to call them "receipts" not recipes. Now days people seem to want you to deliver the finished product more than provide a copy of the recipe but that's another story.

So without further "anything" as I really do have to get to work, here's the recipe.

HOT MILK SPONGE CAKE

Scald 1 c. milk

Beat 4 eggs until thick

Add 2 c. sugar (slowly)

2 tsp vanilla (slow beater)

Add hot milk

Combine, then add: 2 c. flour

                              2 tsp. baking powder

                              1 tsp. salt

Just mix. 

Place in 11" X 13" baking pan

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes.

Recipe assumes you know how to "scald milk" "add slowly", (use) slow beater (speed), and "Just mix". I love it!!  We never apply icing but here's the recipe if you want it iced.

Mix together 1 c. sugar

3 tbs cocoa

Chop in 1/4 lb margarine

Add 1/4 c. milk

Boil full boil one minute.

Add 1 tsp. vanilla. 

Beat, cool, spread.

Now The Vermont Gardener must garden!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I can hear the loons saying something very loonish.

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

We are always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Social Networking Works! ©

Changing Interests, Changing Colors

Friday, April 19, 2013

The wind continues to howl this morning, slightly less than last night when I found myself tossing around in bed as it beat the walls of the house.  It was noisy enough to suggest someone needed assistance and was at one of the doors but no one was there. Karl the Wonder Dog did not take kindly to the noise and interrupted an already disrupted night with barks to chastise, ward off something that didn't exist. Now it's 6 AM as the neighbor's dogs bark continuously telling me they want someone to let them back in the house. Gail just succumbed to Karl's "Let's go out again, let's go out again!" and with fresh coffee in hand, she is heading down the road. It's blowing at about 5 mph  now as masses of lower level gray clouds sweep quickly northwards against a backdrop of distant blue. I hope that single nice day that is predicted will make its way here. We all need some sun!

Reports are beginning to come in to me about flowers and bird sightings, things that suggest that despite the continued cold, spring is really here. A friend in Calais spotted a toad while cleaning up some gardens as well as a couple bluebirds, and two others have mentioned male bluebirds checking birdhouses, cleaning out old boxes and making nests. Waterfowl can be heard all day long and the Fish and Wildlife fish truck dropped off 2500 brown trout from the hatchery into Peacham Pond here yesterday, Change is everywhere!

When I was a kid of 12 and just leaning about flower gardening, there was probably a single garden related magazine out there named Horticulture. Things are different today and the obvious evolution of journalism has traveled from dozens upon dozens of gardening magazines in print to bankruptcies and command decisions to cease publication. There is also the transition to on-line publications replete with so many apps we cannot count them all. And already cell phones have become Smart phones and websites must be able to work over several platforms to mesh nicely with the variety of smaller handheld devices. 

The flower industry has changed too as gardeners are impatient for new plants, new colors. For years and years this was ever so noticeable within the floral industry but if you talk to a florist now, they will tell you how their industry has diminished as people buy and send fewer flowers now just like there are fewer funerals, more family oriented services and more cremations, all of which take away from that industry. 

The picture has changed even for little nurseries such as Vermont Flower Farm as every year people get out of their cars and ask "What's brand new?". This is very obvious to me because I live with a gardener who tries to track local interest, local change and despite how good Gail is at this, it's difficult for her to keep on top of interest. Here's an example. Astilbes. We have always loved astilbes, a very hardy perennial with varieties that range in height from 8" to 5 feet and bloom at various times, usually from June into August but with some varieties blooming into early September too. Five years ago we had one of the largest collections of astilbes offered for sale and as I recall it was in the 75 variety class. That was a lot of choice and I wish we still had such a sizeable offering. Three years ago astilbe sales slowed and gardening magazines overlooked astilbes so Gail responded accordingly and reduced our numbers. Many visitors went home with incredible displays for very little money. Gail's plan was to maintain half a dozen good astilbes and forget about maintaining such a wide assortment. What happened, however, was that the plant industry developed new varieties which contained the attributes people were looking for including quicker growing plants with more flower scapes and longer bloom periods. The industry did this to rejuvenate interest and to sell the millions of older varieties still in production cycles worldwide. So now Gail is rebuilding a selection which meets common needs, a smaller number sold in larger pots affording the look that they have been in the garden for some time. The cycle continues as home gardeners will have new opportunities, slightly different shades and heights and perhaps a new look to older gardens. That's how it works, here at Vermont Flower Farm as well as in the the flower industry anywhere. Stop and see what Gail decided upon!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where a flock of Canada geese just went over, still flying low because of the clouds but honking what I will accept as "Good morning" wishes to gardeners.everywhere. I don't speak Canada goose but I always wanted to learn goose calling the way experienced callers do, not with a commercial call but with their hands and mouth. Interesting!

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
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

An Outside Perspective

Tuesday, April 16, 2012

A windy morning here on the mountain above Peacham Pond. The 38° temperature is tolerable but the wind provides a chill we wish would dissipate. Yesterday afternoon's sun and warmth were the harbinger of the spring we really want but apparently it was short lived and we'll have to dream a little more. I had the first delivery truck arrive yesterday morning and it's an interesting annual event meeting the same truck drivers you have met for years and years. This truck was from Griffin Greenhouse Supplies in Tewksbury, Massachusetts and we have known the driver from the years he used to deliver here at the house. I always ask about his kids as one had some very special needs at birth but now both kids are fine, doing well in school and playing sports too. 6 and 9, 7 and 10 years old--I can't remember for sure but like all kids they are kids that grow fast.

We order specific supplies from Griffin because they are a wholesaler and even though we have to pay freight, we can do the best with their prices for pots, landscape fabric, certain potting mixes. Yesterday we had 1500 black plastic nursery pots arrive as we are repotting the hostas into 6 quart pots from 4. I was surprised that the pots were only 60 cents a piece because being plastic,  they are actually an oil related product and such items never go down in price. I think Gail should have ordered more but maybe she has a plan she hasn't shared with me yet.

Griffin recently bought out the only other New England greenhouse supply giant, W H Milikowski, Inc from Strafford, Connecticut back in January. I had read about this in my trade magazines but I wanted to ask the driver how the transition was going during the busiest time of the year. He was very positive about the purchase even though it probably made some of his days longer than last year. As he prepared to leave he tried his cell phone to call the next stop and get them to expect him because they have to pick up from the side of the road--their nursery and greenhouses are a ways off the main road and a small bridge with weight limits prevents him from driving in. "Heh, when you gettin' cell service in Vermont? 'Bout time isn't it?" A perennial question for sure!  Seems like every year the driver asks the same thing, knowing that his job is sometimes more difficult when he has to take the truck off the main road to a new location in the middle of nowhere--like today when he made his first trip to East Hlll Tree Farm in Plainfield. Been there?

So with a yard full of supplies to deal with and plastic covering  to get off the potted perennials today (winter is over, right?) , I guess I better get going here. For those of you who are new to The Vermont Gardener or our Vermont Flower Farm  web site, you might enjoy reading a recent story Andrew Nemethy from Maple Corner Media wrote for release to VTDigger and other publications. It gives a different insight into Gail and me and the flowers we love to grow and the customers we enjoy meeting again and again. Take a look on VtDigger at
 http://vtdigger.org/2013/04/14/in-this-state-for-this-gardening-couple-lifes-been-a-moving-busy-experience

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
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Your Lawn

35.1° here on the mountain this morning and windless for a change. That's nice. The crows are pleased with me at the compost pile where they are going over last night's vegetable parings and egg shells. They love those shells and fight over them until they have all been carried away, over the back fields and into the red pines. I never figured out what the attraction is but it is always there.

As a professional gardener trying to act professionally, I am always reading web magazines and various trade magazines. The amount of garden related information available now, whether you grow vegetables, flowers or a mix of everything, trees and shrubs included, is mind boggling and it seems that every company has their own site to offer new products, new opinions.

One of my favorite companies is Ball Horticultural Company. One of their on-line publications is titled Landscape Insider and they just released these statistics on lawns and the value a good lawn has relative to your home. Read on.

Green = Home Value Boost

Think having a healthy, green lawn contributes to the overall value of a home?

So do 79% of homeowners, according to TruGreen's new Lawn Lifestyles National Survey of America.

In fact, 56% of homeowners say when buying a new home, a nice lawn could warrant a higher price, and 53% say the quality of a homeowner's lawn can tell a lot about the quality of the home overall.

According to the National Association of Realtors, the majority of homeowners (71%) surveyed in the TruGreen report say curb appeal was important in choosing their home. Most of the homeowners surveyed report having purchased a home with a healthy, green lawn (71%) and well-maintained landscaping (72%). 

I  haven't verified these stats but have no doubt they are accurate. I also did not check to see if Ball sells any of the chemicals I complain about.  But here's the rub for me, not with the statistics but with the green lawn part. People seem to have the sense that having a nice looking lawn means going to the store and buying bag after bag of weed and feed, get-rid-of-the-dandelions, etc etc etc. Much of the industry has turned lawns into three season "dump on more product" and that is a concern. As example, yesterday's mail contained an offer for buying the first three bags of what was purported to be a plan of four chemicals/fertilizers/ insecticides/herbicides guaranteed to make your lawn took great. What wasn't advertised was that dumping on that many chemicals showed complete environmental disregard. This "chemicals are good" approach is not the way to go. As you tell me  "Yes, but I really want a nice lawn." I ask if you remember that this is Autism Awareness Month, and that there are dozens of neurological diseases with no known cause, no known cure, that might be caused in whole or part by our overuse of chemicals. And if the autism/neurological notion doesn't interest you, then how about the notion that over 30% of honeybees have died in recent years and we aren't sure why---and--here's the big one--over thirty per cent of what we eat is the direct result of bee pollination. Does dumping more chemicals on you lawn with these two consequences make it look any different? I hope so. 

If you get a chance, Google up my friend Paul Tukey founder of SafeLawns and take a look at a different way to think about green lawns. I like Paul's ideas a lot better and you can still reach that green-is-good lawn look you might want.I know you can!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where recent rains have lowered the snow in the fields and woods here but boots remain a necessity for travel anywhere. Deer are beginning to get out and about and a growing flock of red winged blackbirds, here for two weeks now, are cleaning up last falls leftovers. Spring is 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 

We are always here to help you grow your green thumb! 

Nursery opens Mother's Day 2013 for the season; web opportunities every single day!!

 

Grounded Design

Just want to mention a blog I like. It's new to me and a winner for sure! Grounded Design by Thomas Rainer, a landscape architect from Washington, D.C.

 Try this post for starters. http://landscapeofmeaning.blogspot.com/2013/04/noel-kingsbury-ghost-in-machine.html

Feedback welcome!

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
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Just Willows

 Thursday, April 4, 2013

A bright, sunny day here on the mountain with a  temperature that is slow to rise. Heading for 11 o'clock and still only 43.9° and that's "in" the sun. The wind has finally slowed and 3 mph seems quite acceptable after two full days of 7-14 mph.

As we get the impression that spring is really coming, it's fun to prune various shrubs and bring them inside to force. I usually begin with forsythia which is ready to force any time after the end of February. The bright yellow flowers take a week to come around but when they do there is a brightness that brings on smiles. Forsythia is easy to root in straight water although I usually take a two foot piece of willow and cut it in 3" pieces to add to the water. Willow contains a natural rooting hormone and was used back in colonial times when propagating many shrubs and trees. You cannot see what it does but do trust me, it works!

Willows of all types have caught on again in America and the choices exceed 125 varieties even here in New England. Up top is a row I have been propagating of Japanese or Dragon Fantail Willows mixed with Twisted or Curly Willow. I am growing these because the floral industry loves them and Gail, an experienced designer with skill on oversize arrangements knows the mechanics of using large stems to make for dramatic show pieces. This row is in its third year now. The following two pictures are of Fantail and then Twisted or Curly. The fantail is not on every branch and is actually fasciation which is common to that willow.

In 2-3 weeks, Alex and I will spend a day cutting all the pictured willows to about 8" from the ground. Then we will roll out a 4' wide piece of landscape fabric into rows for weed control and we will push freshly cut willows through the fabric and into the ground so they will remain as weed free as possible at their bases.They will root in a couple weeks and by the end of May we'll go back and lop off the top of each piece so that it will branch out over time. To get to where each willow is marketable, we'll wait for three years. By then the willows will be in the 12 foot range so not that handy to cut for sale but always plentiful.

Guess that's enough willow talk for this morning. I better get outside and getting going before the morning leaves me. The birds are mad at me for pulling back on the bird seed but spring warmth translates to bears out of hibernation..... and .....well.....I can't keep everyone in the animal world happy. If you drive by the flower farm and see me out there in the snow working, stop by and I'll cut a couple willows for you to root. A couple.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens (A Like page)  and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
And always here to help you grow your green thumb!