Montbretia, My Crocosmia

Friday, August 3, 2007

Just in from turning on the hoses as the hot, hot weather is drying out the potted plants faster than we can water. Gail and Winnie watered until dark last night until hunger for supper became more important that drooping plants. This morning it's 76 degrees out and an immediate reminder of yesterday's heat. The Fairbanks Museum reported that yesterday in 1975 New England heat records of 100 in Cornwall,Vermont and 107 in Boston, Massachusetts were set. We won't get close to that today but there is a stuffiness in the air that guarantees an afternoon thunderstorm. Lots of rain in a short amount of time calms the dust on the road but does almost nothing for the gardens.

Wednesday night Gail invited Jerome Bolkum, his friend Barb and our mutual friend Julie to come see the flowers and have a little dinner. If you live around here you know Jerome as Jerome the Florist from Barre. He is one of the finest florists in the business and his arrangements, regardless of the intended event, have a speciality to them that always elicit fine comments. It's always fun to walk the gardens with people who like flowers because you can learn a different perspective about colors and combinations and those little pieces of info that have a place in later work.

The crocosmia was in bloom in the display gardens and Jerome commented on how beautiful it looks. He knows it as Montbretia as that's the way the flower industry refers to it. This is a member of the iris family although the leaf and corm would make you think you are dealing with some type of gladiola. The plant is actually from the grasslands of South Africa although I somehow have it in my head that it grows in South America. I have a habit of missing things by thousands of miles so this error is not uncommon with me.


Montbretia is listed as zone 5 but the brilliant red named 'Lucifer' is certainly very hardy here in zone 4 and perhaps into zone 3 if properly sited. There are white, pink and yellow montbretias on the market but these do not make it here and must be considered an annual. Some have told me that they haven't been successful with 'Lucifer' but after a little discussion we usually arrive at poor siting in wet areas. South African grasslands and under the eaves of a house in Vermont are just not the same.

Gail wanted everyone to come see the daylilies and any time after 6 PM as the sun begins to fade, the daylilies have a special beauty that is never better. Around and around we walked, down through the lower hosta garden, out into the field past the peony nursery and then back up around the house to the main gardens. There was plenty to see and the smiles supported the variety available.

Here are four daylilies I snapped quick pictures of as we walked along. Real Wind, Orange Vols, Chicago Peach and Sea Gold are not expensive daylilies but they are popular with gardeners who visit here. Sea Gold is sold out and I am kicking myself for selling more than I should have. That's how it is with me and begging, badgering, "oh-just-one-please" gardeners.






Well, the sun is coming up fast and I have to get going. Mark is coming for the next three days to help me finish the deer fence at the new property. Gail has her bare root daylily sale going on this weekend so she is already busy getting things set up. Elizabeth will be here to help with sales as Michelle is off to Newport RI to a concert. I'll probably fill in between both places as we get closer and closer to beginning planting at our new property.

If you get a chance over the next three days, stop by and consider some exceptional bare root daylilies. If you can't make it, Gail might (?) be coerced to mail you some if you don't mind some extra shipping and handling and a half bushel of roots. I think she has about 9 varieties prepared for sale and you can't beat the root size for $3 each. Give it some thought.

On a final note I'd like to thank everyone who has made donations to Gail's raffle. She is sponsoring the raffle to support a fall conference on transitioning young adults on the autism spectrum to adulthood and the world of work. Interest has been exceptional and Gail is really pleased to be able to promote information about autism and help with something very dear to both of us. If you want to particiapte but can't make it here, send a donation and Gail will get your raffle tickets into the drawing.


From the mountain above Peacham Pond where folks from the pond are speeding up the hill faster than they should so they can get to work and talk about how hot it is.

Best gardening wishes,

Come visit!

George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com
http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com

Daylilies Everywhere!

Saturday, July 28, 2007

I woke up at a little after 4 this morning to the clunk-clunk-clunk of a boat and trailer heading down the road to Peacham Pond. Brown trout grow big and smart there and fishermen get going
early as they dream of a new record. As for me, I arose feeling much like this gloriosa daisy. I was still a little cramped up but once I get going I expect a beautiful day.

I spent much of yesterday standing in the Winooski River as a volunteer on a stream flow management program. Work in Plainfield behind the recreation field, by the Martin Covered Bridge, Paradise Falls and the Durant Cemetary kind of whithered me down. It was hot yesterday but this is a good project tied to water quality samplings and a plan for the future. At some point I'll write about it all at Vermont Gardens

This morning it appears I'm on my own, kind of like this assassin bug strolling into Hemerocallis 'Big Bird' as it looks for breakfast. I couldn't pry Karl the wonderdog out of bed with Gail so I went for my morning walk by myself. Today is Gail's birthday and Karl is apparently sticking close by as if there will be treats to share. He is probably right but we don't start festivities at 5 in the morning here.

Today looks like another rainy day but it is obviously Daylily Days at Vermont Flower Farm. If you are out and about, do stop by soon as the colors are special and Gail's forty or so new daylilies, although scattered within the rows of hundreds of other daylilies, stand strong and beckon you to reach for a pot and a few bucks.

With well over 60,000 registered daylilies, there is plenty to pick from. Gail likes the older varieties and she always proves there are planting combinations to be made which are show stoppers. Leebea Orange Crush is another orange to some gardeners but it's potential is unyielding. A garden of orange daylilies sounds blah but until you have mixed Tuscawilla Tigress and My Reggae Tiger with Leebea, perhaps a few Kwanso and some bright yellows, reds and golds, you don't have the whole picture.

Last night as I toured the gardens on the last sweep of the night before arthritis set in, I noticed someone was trying this combination with 'Jeune Tom' and 'Over There' which had been left with a group of Leebeas. About 6 Orange Crush were missing from the rows so I assume the plan received favorable reviews from whomever the gardener was. It sure made sense to me.






If you stop by, Gail can help with some combinations of color and bloom time to fit your need. Yesterday she did a nice presentation for a lady from New Jersey who comes to her summer place for only this two week period every year. Her request was to have a colorful display that shouts "Relax" when she opens the car door and steps onto Vermont soil. Gail did a great job and we know the customer will be very pleased when she arrives at her summer home next year. If you can't make it to get some in-the-garden attention from Gail, send her an e-mail and prepare a web order. Gail can make it really easy and since we take credit cards now too, making the payment and getting on with the planting is much easier.

Karl just pranced in with a strong suggestion that we go for a walk so I'm out of here. If you do stop by for a visit, stroll through the lower hosta garden and out back to the little daylily nursery we have going over the bank. The daylilies are great but the back drop of giant clumps of 6 year old astilbes will catch your breath and make you want to explore this flower too. Don't forget!

From the mountain above Peacham Pond where it's pin-drop quiet right now with the only noise coming from two cedar waxwings eating a breakfast of choke cherries. If you do stop by, wish Gail a Happy Birthday. It will make her smile!

George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com
http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com

Bright Days, Daylily Days!

Friday, July 20, 2007

This mornings' walk with Karl, the wonder dog, was brief as the rains continued to pound down on us. Now two hours later, there is a slow drizzle as the sun creeps up from Peacham Pond to chase away the clouds and bring drying to the saturated earth. This is such a contrast to what is going on in other parts of America where the forest fire index has reached new highs.

Today begins Daylily Days here at Vermont Flower Farm. This is time we designate for folks to join us in seeing new-to-us varieties and thousands of pots amounting to hundreds of different plants. As I have mentioned before, Gail loves older varieties so "new" to her might mean something that was registered or released to the market 7-8-9 years ago. Her choices, however, are impeccable and the pricing is most always in the $10-$15 range, with a few plants on either side of that. Daylilies are indestructible and their color and bloom period are worthy of your investment.

I cannot stop talking about hostas because the weather has cooperated for a plant that too few in Vermont know about. Our display gardens contain hundreds of varieties and despite selling thousands so far this year (no exaggeration!!) we still have 150-180 varieties available for sale. If you don't get a chance to stop by, then you really don't know how great our selection and display gardens are. I have not been able to keep up with the web site over the past couple years so a visit is almost a must. If you happen to be looking for something you don't see on the site, e-mail me. Just like our daylilies, we don't maintain the newest varieties until their pricing is reasonable to what we feel people will pay.

If you look closely at these pictures you'll notice some are current versions of gardens on our
Vermont Flower Farm site. Go to the page entitled Stone Steps: A Garden Journey and you'll be able to see how the walkway to the lower garden has changed over the past 4 years. I'm really proud of the transpiration despite the fact that Green Mountain Power saw fit to cut down some maples that provided shade and one that they "trimmed" has since died too.

The standing stones in the lower garden are becoming the attention grabber I knew they would be when Gail and I had Kevin Hudson help us Kubota-ize them into the ground with his tractor in the year 2000. The epimedium circles around the base of each stone are maturing nicely. The backdrop of Lilium superbum, Hosta 'Tall Boy', Hosta 'Lakeside Cha Cha', Lilium henryi and various aruncus and rodgersias are now maturing too so that an 8 foot tall color display with plants of lesser heights should begin to show color any day now.


If you can possibly stop by and see this garden, I know you'll be pleased you did. Yes, the slugs and snails and weevils have made hostas such as Celebration look like Swiss cheese but the glory of the masses from afar brings awe and encourages even the neophyte gardener what can be accomplished as a low budget, dynamic affair. Hostas rule, and good gardeners with new ideas make it happen.

As I look out the office window I can see daylilies opening to the morning sun. Eeenie Weenie, Golden Chimes, Wayside Greenlamp, Hyperion, Lemon Lollypop, Mauna Loa, Watson Park, Chicago Rainbow....dozens more. I'll get some pictures coming soon but a personal visit to Vermont Flower Farm would be the greatest. Stop by if you can!


From the mountain above Peacham Pond where a gentle wind has begun to dry things as I prepare to head for Burlington. If you do stop by during the summer, consider buying a ticket for a raffle Gail is sponsoring to help support a fall conference on transition for young adult Vermonters with autism. If you know me and Gail, you know autism is a subject very dear to us. With 1 in every 150 newborns diagnosed on the autism spectrum, and with autism currently being "forever", there is no better time to help. If you win the raffle, you win a gift certificate of $100 in hardy plants from Gail. If you don't win the raffle you still win by helping a great cause and feeling good that you care about others.

Great gardening wishes,

George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com
http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com

Next Year's Peonies

Thursday, July 19, 2007

9:15 PM and it has been a long day and a long time since I have appeared as The Vermont Gardener. In the past days I have met hundreds of new gardeners I never knew before and I have shared lots of information about growing hostas and peonies. As the faces of happy gardeners whiz through my mind, the rain is pounding off the standing seam metal roof like it has been since early July. It doesn't seem to stop.


I never did find my rain gauge this spring but I know it's in the cellar some place. It doesn't matter as the past three weeks have only offered a couple nice days and a lot of wet ones. Noah didn't need a rain gauge to be reminded to start hammering on the ark and I guess I don't need one either.


This weekend we kind of ended our Hosta Days but not because the hostas don't look great. The weather has been perfect for them all season and although the slugs and snails are out in force now, keeping good company with black weevils, the hostas look super and are growing as fast as the jewel weed. I expect that with the prediction of warmer weather by tomorrow afternoon and through the weekend, the hostas, super saturated with water, will be unable to maintain their vascular system and will droop and cry for a few days. This is not uncommon when there is lots of rain but the behavior causes a flurry of questions from concerned hosta growers.

If you have not visited our hosta gardens or traveled the walk through the +180 varieties we still have for sale, get in the car and head out this weekend. It's worth the trip. And by the way, if you have questions about growing great hostas, fire off a few questions. Often the answers you receive help others with the same question. Good gardeners are like barred owls--they are always listening!

The peonies have about faded into seed production and I have to get some kid busy pruning off the seed pods so the strength goes to the roots, not seeds. I do not aspire to be a great peony hybridizer like Alan Rogers or Don Hollingsworth although I have studied a bit of their work. Those very talented, dedicated folks can deal with creating new peonies for us.



We had a great year with the peonies and although people seem reluctant to part with the cost of a good potted root, some come back each year to add to their collection while some just come to see the bloom. Ours were exceptions and will only get better.


I always leave folks with a couple tidbits of info and I'll repeat myself here for newcomers to The Vermont Gardener. Peonies must be planted not more and 1.5 to 2 inches below the surface. Planting the roots deeper will bring on some good foliage but limited or no bloom. They are hungry plants so plant them well to begin with and feed them again in the spring. And finally, in mid-August in the years when New England is not involved internationally in The Great Monsoon Contest, water your peonies well. Peonies set buds on the rootstock for the following year at this time and water encourages good bud development. The way things have been going here in Marshfield, we'll likely have a bumper crop of scapes next year. Watch your weather, water in mid-August in New England, earlier in other peony areas, and you'll note the difference.


With this last picture of the night, Topeka Garnet, I'll say good evening to all. Despite the rain we have a beautiful weekend projected. Today started Daylily Days at the farm and with that comes more of Gail's baked treats, and an incredible display of hundreds of daylilies, potted or for sale from the gardens. The weather has been kind to the daylilies and the plants are robust and waiting for a new home.

If you do stop by, consider helping Gail with a raffle she is sponsoring to benefit a fall conference on transition for young adult Vermonters with autism. This is a topic that is dear to Gail and me
and your help would be most appreciated. The winner will be announced on Labor Day for a $100 gift certificate for shopping here at VFF. If you can't stop by but want to help, send in your name, phone number and $$ and Gail will take care of the rest. One in every 150 newborns is diagnosed on the autism spectrum so we all really need to get involved.


From the mountain above Peacham Pond where hard rain pounds the roof and the critters outside hold up, patiently awaiting a chance for dinner.

Best gardening wishes,

George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com
http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com

Flattened Poppies

Saturday, July 7, 2007

A foggy, damp morning here at Vermont Flower Farm. The sun is pulling its way above the mountain and showing some sign of hope for a brighter day. There was another half inch of rain last night and once again we have been spared the hail storms that have frequented the surrounding area. We are at 1530 feet elevation here and the hail has come within 200 feet several times now.

I just came in from my morning walk, wonder-dogless this morning as Karl snores away in the bedroom with Gail. We had company for a couple days and there were several little kids with high pitched voices and random movements that irritated a dog that prefers his domain to be in his control. It tires him. I haven't walked without my friend for a while and noticed that the walk is quicker and quieter when I don't have to remind the professional sniffer that he is that it's time to move on. Change is good.



There are a few earlier blooming plants which have started their decline and deserve some discussion. I'm talking about plants that draw lots of attention because of their color, quality and profusion of bloom. These same plants decline towards the end of their bloom and just don't look attractive. The problem is just a suggestion that you more carefully site the plants so you can enjoy their beauty but not have to relive the fallen foliage.

The blue bachelors button that is a perennial has a great blue that catches people's attention. Gardeners love the color blue and when they see this one in its glory they want it. This perennial comes in a rosy color too. As the blooms are about 80% spent the plant is tired and succumbs to fungus which discolors the foliage. If you cut the plants back to 4", they will spurt regrowth and bloom again in August. If you don't do anything, you'll have a hole in your garden and a messy looking affair that you'll walk by quickly when giving garden tours. We don't sell it but I have seen Gail give away a few clumps this year, asking only for a promise that the giftee won't tell where they got it and won't hold the gift against her when it declines.

Another plant is the Oriental Poppy. The poppy hybridizers of the world have come up with some great colors but have never "fixed" the fact that as the flowers fade, the foliage flattens with the rain from the plant's center on out. This creates a bushel basket sized hole in the garden that can't easily be replaced.

Here at VFF we postpone the inevitable as long as possible and then trim the plants to 4" and grab a large pot of something or other and fill in the hole. That's easier for us to do because we have so many pots but it can become a chore for the average gardener. The pinks, roses and ruby reds are very nice too and I expect the hybridizers will keep working on new colors but will continue to fail on making a sturdier plant.

As poppies go to seed, a beautiful seed head develops. Each contains thousands of seeds and it's best to remove these so the "hole-in-the-garden" problem doesn't grow larger from year to year. We cut the heads, wrap a rubber band around them and hang them upside down to dry. They make nice additions to fall flower baskets.

The final plant I'll include here is the red baneberry. This is not a common plant or one you'll typically find at garden centers because it's a wild flower. In Vermont we have white, pink and red baneberries and the red has great clusters of shiny red berries right now. As soon as the plant matures and the berries ripen, the plant moves quickly to dormancy. With the red baneberry that means the berries drop to the ground and the leaves blacken and shrivel all in a little over a week's time.

When I planted the lower hosta and shade garden I left all the native plants in place. By now the baneberries have grown in numbers and in a few weeks they will become unsightly and people will frequently ask "what happened here?" In the meantime they will beg me to dig more than the twenty I put up for sale this year and despite my answer they will repeat their questions as if I'll change my mind. People who do this are usually new visitors and they don't know me yet.

The lesson then is that whatever plant you purchase or bring home from a friend's garden, think about it's life cycle and plant accordingly. Some parts of good gardening require that little extra piece of thought to go with the good planting job. In the end, everyone is happier.

Now it's time to sound revelly and get ready for a busy day. Karl will be the easiest to get going. He stretches but he doesn't protest. Others who live here will.

With damp gardening thoughts and dry wishes for a great day,

George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com/
http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com/

Independence Day Wishes

July 4, 2007

59 degrees here at Vermont Flower Farm. The sun is bright and there is a quietness that is pleasant and deserved after last evening's fireworks at Peacham Pond. The property owners seem to muster up quite a display every year that starts before the 4th and seems to lag on for days until the next holiday arrives. Some years there are more "holidays" than others.

Karl the wonder dog and I headed out early to check the gardens for intruders and enjoy the peace that prevails until Roger puts out the morning papers at the Marshfield General Store. People know when the papers make their way to the rack on the porch and the cars start heading for town, with Stan F. always leading the way. Stan always drives a reasonable speed but others have to rush everywhere they go and appear to enjoy making clouds of dust.

The gardens were absent of deer tracks and that was nice to see. I sprayed the hostas with Tree Guard last night as many of them are coming into bloom and it's very difficult for me to hybridize without the flowers. Deer like hostas and they really like to eat the flowers. There must be some kind of sweetness there that translates to "deer candy" as the flowers are the first to go. For whatever reason, no deer last night.

As we worked our way back up the steps by the road, Stan returned from town with his paper. He stopped and rolled down the car window and wished me a Happy 4th. I was glad he stopped because he is an authority on loons and I had a loon question. I told him about spotting an older male in the back cove. It seemed to come and go but spent a lot of time there. I wondered if it was protecting a female still on a nest. That theory made no sense this late but I wanted to ask.

Stan replied that the chicks are hatched and factually one new mother went by yesterday with two new family members. Stan said as long as a loon is diving it's probably fine. When they lose oil in their feathers, buoyancy becomes a problem and so does life. The big loon appears free of any fishing line or sinkers and does in fact leave the cove to dive and feed so I guess it's fine. There are many people like Stan around. If you have a question, there's someone close by who has the answer. That's nice!

Just before the first of July every year, some large allium Gail bought me years ago begin to bloom. I don't remember the name now but they are large globes of color, the size of grapefruits and upon inspection they look like 4th of July fireworks going off. They are great flowers because they last a long time and even as then begin to form little green seed pods, the drying flower heads are attractive. The plant industry is mass producing these now and there are many purple hybrids out there. They are fairly inexpensive and worthy of your garden.

As Karl and I slowly moved up the steps, a chipmunk or red squirrel must have run between the hostas and Karl and me. He about pulled my shoulder out of joint as he acted more like a Ford Interceptor police car, in his appointed role of garden warden. I won't mention the hosta leaves that are now permanently rearranged.



As I stopped to catch my breath and rub my arm, I noticed how nice the red baneberries look The red berried plants are first to color up, then the pink and a bit later the white. The white are known as doll's eyes from the days of good kid's dolls and small glass or porcelain eyes. It was really too bright to snap a picture but here is an idea how nice they look until late July-early August dormancy. For the perimeter of a woodland garden, they are special and will draw attention and comments from many. I hope I can remember to take some good pictures this week as I always want to use them on a holiday card but have yet to get that "perfect" shot.


Time to get going here. Many chores before customers begin to arrive. The weatherman has been cautious about today so I expect that people will be out and about early today. I have to be out there too. Enjoy your family and friends but never forget what independence is and what it means to live in America. For me the final step is independence in a state as beautiful as Vermont.

Independent gardening wishes,

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

http://vermontflowerfarm.com
http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com

Foggy Morn

Tuesday, July 3, 2007

A foggy morning here at Vermont Flower Farm. The temperature is already up to 54 degrees. Last evening's rains, limited but wet, and a declining temperature, created some dense fog which only now is being cut apart by bright sun rays from above. A beautiful day is promised.

Hosta Days continues here and if you haven't come by, you're missing our hosta gardens in their prime. There are a few holes here and there from black weevils but except for a few of the thin leaved, light-colored hostas that insects go after, everything looks great.

We've had hundreds of visitors to the lower hosta garden so far and all the comments have been positive. Even the little kid who handed over a collection of plant signs was so positive I was only half bothered by having to put them back. One couple who are hosta enthusiasts said it was the best garden they have seen this year. It is a truly peaceful garden and has it's own strengths but if you look around, you'll find many other great hosta gardens. Some of the finest are collectors gardens and not publicized although the owners are always happy to give tours--you just have to find them first. They are real garden treasures just like our Hosta 'Garden Treasure' pictured next.


So if you have a few minutes in the next few days, stop by and come walk with us. The hosta gardens are beautiful and just sitting for a minute listening to the red eyed vireos will make you ask why you haven't stopped before.


Our website is not up to date on the hostas we have available for sale. We are close to 200 varieties potted and ready to go which is less than half what we have for you to see. Excuse us for short days and too much to do and just stop by and see for yourself that hostas and Vermont go well together.



From the mountain above Peacham Pond where I am heading in a few minutes with patience and two cameras. I think I know where a loon is nesting and I hope with some camouflage and a pair of binoculars I can find the nest. Distance and silence are included in my backpack. Be well!

George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com
http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com

Lilies, Oh My Lilies!

Sunday, June 24, 2007

A great morning here at Vermont Flower Farm and a good day to get out and visit nurseries in your area. Flowers are popping right and left and even though we have had some strong winds and hard rains of late, things look great. Today's weather is much improved over yesterday. I spent ten hours on the tractor on our new property on Route 2 and I'll be heading back there in a few minutes. Yesterday was one of those "coat on, coat off" days. The 42 degrees at 5 AM took a long time to get to 60 and every time the cloud cover moved in, we were back to wind and low fifties.

Karl the wonder dog and I made our 5 AM walk this morning and were bothered that a young deer, only one, decided to visit the lower hosta garden for a late night/early morning snack. Two hostas I really like were on the menu: Rascal and Alex Summers. A few others such as Inniswood and Revolution lost a leaf or two.

I tracked the deer through the peony garden and into the back field. It spent some time finding a piece of fence that looked like it had a big enough space to scoot under. As soon as the fawns are able to run with their moms, the deer head to our hosta heaven and try to find leaves that I haven't sprayed with TreeGuard. It's a great product but not worth much when it's still in the jug. I have been too busy to spray but that has to happen by nightfall. Hostas turn into "deer lettuce" this time of year and you have to keep the deer from thinking it's the best eating crop available.

Before I head out of here I want to ask that you go out today and check all your lilium. If you know Gail and me, you know that we have grown tens of thousands of lilium over the years. We have dozens of customers who have better collections than we ever had because they purchased and cared for new bulbs from Vermont Flower Farm. The current problem is a big one so please listen and look well.

As our climate changes, our lands our invaded by more and more insect life from afar. In 1992, a very destructive, small red beetle, the lily leaf beetle, Lilioceris lilii, entered the east coast at Boston. This picture from the University of Rhode Island isn't the greatest but try http://bugguide.net for some other pictures.

Our insect communication was not all that good because the beetle actually entered Montreal in the mid forties, fifty years before we might have shared that information. It immediately began its migration south and east. The various lily listservs I subscribe to have now documented the bug in all parts of the US east of the Rockies and now through Nova Scotia.

The reason I am mentioning this beetle today is that the beetles were visible three weeks ago and by now, the first set of eggs have no doubt hatched and the larvae should be obvious if you haven't taken any counter measures. Here's a larvae picture I took last year.


If you do not eliminate the beetles and the larvae by either hand picking or some chemical or organic means, this is what your stem of lilies looks like in short order.


So the question is "Control". The research funded by the North American Lily Society resulted in a recommendation of a parasitic wasp. That's fine but it's questionable if the wasp will live in Vermont and similar climates and production never even started. The second recommendation was Neem oil spray. This works well, is very expensive and has to be reapplied several times. A friend of ours in Burlington has been using dormant oil spray for years and even though he lives in a well established pocket of lily beetles, he has never had a problem.

I followed friend David's suggestion and went one step further and bought a light weight dormant oil with a built in fungicide and miticide. Remember, this stuff is made for fruit trees and people in the industry only know it as being used for that. I sprayed early after seeing a few beetles which I presumed probably had already layed some eggs. To date there has not been any hatch and if there was, the oil prevented the eggs from developing. Is this accurate? I think so, but we have lots of gardens and I only sprayed the lilies I saw on the first passing. To continue with the study, I have sprayed gardens of two friends. One is a half mile from here and one is 3.5 miles from here. One had noticed beetles, one had not. Neither has larvae yet. I also gave some oil to a friend in Morrisville and it appears to be working there too.

Please do some careful inspection today and if you find beetles, please let me know. Sevin has been recommended but that is a spray which kills the good bugs and beetles too and I am a butterfly man so I'm reluctant to get carried away with that stuff. A friend in White River said the price just went up as the announcement of the beetles ran in the local paper. Similar stories abound. A month ago, another friend asked the Dept of Ag to comment and they kind of did a "what beetle?" response. That would not be the case today. So-o-o-o if you want some good looking lilies like this Uchida (below) do a through inspection and formulate a control plan today.

And since this picture just came through from http://bugguide.net print it off and put it on the fridge. With luck, it will be the only one you'll see. Unfortunately, I fear for the worse as I think this beetle is here to stay.



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where a trailer of canoes and kayaks just went by--probably heading out on the water to check on the loon population. As for me, I heading into the garden and then out onto the tractor. Enjoy your gardens, stop by for a visit! Ask us a garden question!

George Africa

http://vermontflowerfarm.com

Have you checked http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com
lately????

The Fan Gardener

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Almost 9 PM already. I just interrupted my computer time to run outside to the upper drive to move my truck down to our drive for the night. I have to be out of here by 5 tomorrow morning and since it may be raining, I want the shortest route from the house. The sky is black and there is thunder over towards Montpelier. The television has one of those "searching for satellite" messages so we know there's a big storm nearby.

During the past week the gardens have opened with color and one by one, customers and visitors have made their way to Vermont Flower Farm to see things they have never seen before. I could probably write a book about our meetings with fellow gardeners and if I did, Gail would be the center of all the conversations turned to stories.

Gail is one of those people who can't ever tell me if we have any money left in the checkbook but she can tell customers what they bought 4 years ago on a Wednesday and what color they need to complement a garden. I have never understood this skill but it comes in handy when folks stop by for advice on planning a wedding or a reunion and they want Gail to provide a weather prediction for a specific weekend. She's about on target all the time.

Gail also has a way to drag out information from people she has only met five minutes earlier. She doesn't need any of those interrogation skills you see on television crime shows as she has a natural way of making people feel immediately comfortable so they spill out things you can't even believe. She usually comes away with a complete family tree, doctors, medications, shoe size, college attendence, number of cows milked, horses boarded and what type chickens they keep. If the person is a bread baker she'll come away knowing the type of baking powder used and whether they use lard or some type of margarine, and if so, which brand. The list goes on. Yesterday was a perfect example.


A couple arrived from up St Johnsbury way. They were first time visitors. The lady looked around and the man, recently retired, struck up a conversation with the "interrogator". One thing led to another and in just minutes the man offered Gail a VCR and/or a record player, both fully functional and only being retired from his homestead because his kids convinced him DVD players worked better. Gail apparently gave some thought to the record player because she has a stack of Bob Dylan records in the cellar that people would cry for. There are also some great Wayland Jennings and Bonnie Raitt, similarly collecting dust.


Very much unlike Gail, she turned down the offers to which the man asked if she'd be interested in 3 perfectly good window fans. Now I don't know if it was the humidity of the day or Gail's marketing prowess but she accepted the fans gratis and the man and his wife drove away with some nice flowers. Within two hours, Gail had those three fans farmed out to people in need of cooler homes. Reminded me of the year she saw a kid without a good winter coat and she decided to start a clothes drive so kids would be warm. I knew it was working when one year a guy stopped me at the store and asked if Gail had any coats for his kids. That's Gail--a gardener with a diversity of people skills.


One flower Gail really enjoys is peonies. We have rows in the upper garden and maybe 135-50 in a lower garden nursery. I have them all labeled and they have been growing for three or more years now so they have reached good size. They started bloooming a couple-three weeks ago and are well budded now. The way the rain is now pounding on the roof, it's questionable how many will be flat on the ground when morning arrives. That would just translate to bouquets for sale. At any rate we have a small collection that's big enough to stop a peony novice or encourage a new gardener to get growing.


It's amazing to me to look at a row of peonies in bud and then work my way down to a single bud. These Felix Crouse look great in a row in bloom but look equally stunning in a large vase with some oversized hosta leaves for accent. To me there is something special about looking at a bud that's just "showing color" and then the next day finding a beautiful flower.

Peonies can be cut in the bud stage when they are just showing color and then wrapped in newspaper or a loose plastic bag and placed in the bottom of the fridge. They'll last there for about a month and then with a fresh cut and a vase full of water they'll open up to everyone's surprise. The only real problem with peonies is that everyone wants them year 'round and their season is limited. If you don't have any peonies yet, Gail has some nice pots for about $25. Some are in bud, some will bloom next year. Whether you buy one or not, we'll tell you some secrets to growing good peonies.


From the mountain above Peacham Pond where loud thunder means the same as "goodnight folks".

With good gardening wishes,

George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com
http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com

Two Friends

Saturday, June 16, 2007

Yesterday was a busy day at Vermont Flower Farm. Gail was here by herself as it was my turn to take Alex to an appointment which would take up more than half the day. Things are busy out and about anyway with high school graduations and parties and weddings and reunions. Everyone is busy and it's best to be cautious wherever you travel as many folks have just too much on their minds.

Gail and I juggle many things this time of year as well as the gardens. I work full time away from here, often in a different part of Vermont every day. That part is fun but traveling different distances makes for an uneven schedule and some days tend to be long ones. Yesterday was fun because I was with Alex, getting through an appointment and then doing something that was special to him. He has a lot of challenges and when we are together I try to devote my attention to everything that he wants to accomplish.

As we returned home there were customers in the gardens, cars parked here and there and Gail was not immediately visible. When I approached the back steps with an armload of groceries, I could see her in the kitchen in front of a tall pile of dishes, plunger in hand working on a clogged sink drain. It didn't look like it had been going that well so I encouraged her to head out to the customers as I unloaded the truck and tried to solve the great plugged drain mystery.

Gail and I are two friends, good friends, friends of over twenty five years. We are married, are parents, share a house, raise a son, run a nursery and care for a 90 year old mother in law up the road. We are good friends, gardening friends, working friends. We share all the good and all the bad as good friends should.

In fairly short order the truck was unloaded, Alex was settled back into his "at home" routine, the drain was unplugged, the customers were smiling and I had a chance to pour a couple iced teas and go out side and get Gail to sit and rest for a minute. It had been a long day but we are good friends and we know these days will come and come again.

The iced tea was refreshing and just not moving for a minute calmed our thoughts. The gardens look great because two gardening friends work hard at making them that way. They aren't meticulously clean and weed-free but they are well built and nicely stocked with fairly common plants of interest to all.

As the glasses of tea emptied, I suggested we walk down to the peony nursery and see what has started to bloom.Walking the gardens is always nicer with a gardening friend as each of us notices and shares other things. Good gardening friends do that.

The peony nursery looks great thanks to Michelle's strong effort the other day. It's easier to walk the rows now and count the buds and see the flowers. P. 'Henry Bockstoce' has just started. It's a deep red that I love to look at. P. 'Dad' is opening in time for Father's Day. We don't have any left to sell and that's a problem but it's a nice peony and it's nice to know it is timed so perfectly. P. 'Crusader' is well flowered and easy to spot. It already has missing stems which have made their way into vases here in the house. The fernleaf P. smouthii is down to two buds but this week's heat slowed them and I doubt they will open this year. It is our first peony to bloom and it was glorious two weeks ago. P. 'Festiva Maxima' is bursting open everywhere with big blooms. P 'Paula Fay' just opened and is a great peony, but don't expect nice fragrance from it. There are thousands of buds on the other peonies and if we receive a little rain in the next couple days, they will be even more glorious.

When we finished with the peonies we walked up through the field. The daylily nursery is overgrown with dandelions and an assortment of other weeds but that will get tackled this week. Gail noticed a bright orangy-yellow daylily, quite prominent even mixed in with the weeds. It was a gift three years ago from our friends Harold and Leila. It didn't come with a name, it just came as an extra early daylily with a pleasing color and a catchy fragrance. I split up the clump and now there are perhaps 15 good plants. I'll have to take some pictures and then consult my A.B. Stout book and figure out the name. Everything has a name or two. Gail and I are "good friends".


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the hummingbirds make great employees, up early and working industriously while others just think about rising. If you are out and about today and not busy with a big event, stop by Vermont Flower Farm and say hello. Your gardening friends will be here to meet you!

With good garden wishes,

George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com
http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com

Japanese Primroses Abound

Sunday, June 10, 2007

Almost 7 AM here on the mountain. 60 degrees but the morning has that stillness and heavy air that makes it feel like rain is on the way. The sun has only shown itself briefly and the clouds are thick. I've been up and outside since 4:30 and it hasn't changed too much since then.

Got going early because I wanted to bring the tractor home from the new property. Lacking a trailer yet, I drove down early yesterday morning before 5 AM so the traffic was down to fisherman. Today I reversed the route and drove home. It's all uphill so the trip was another 15 minutes longer in mid-range. I saw the same two doe deer as yesterday, four turkeys crossing in front of me and one still very sleepy eyed jogger with a dog that limped. Interesting morning.

The gardens are really popping with color just a couple weeks before the official start of summer. The Siberian iris are starting, lemon lilies as species daylilies and in various hybrid variations, poppies, tall beared iris and primroses are really beautiful now.

Several years ago a lady gardener stopped and wanted to know if I wanted to trade some Oriental lilies for some Japanese primroses. I agreed and a few days later she showed with a small box of primroses and a desire for more lilies in trade than even a generous gardener would agree to. Nonetheless the trade was agreed upon. I planted the small plants in what I thought was a good location within the lower foundation garden. As time progressed I cut out a couple more small trees and limbed another and the primroses received slightly more sunlight and looked better and better.

These are a beautiful spring plant which naturalize very well. They enjoy a soil which holds some moisture and a location which has about three hours of good sunlight each day. This spring I have noticed plants as far as 80 feet from the original grouping. They have seeded well and made an impressive mass. I dug out about 20 on the perimeter for Gail to sell and last night she was down to three so I guess their popularity extends beyond my interest.



If you get a chance to stop by Vermont Flower Farm in the enxt few days, walk down the walkway by the mailboxes and take a right. The primroses are in the back corner of the hosta garden. You can't miss them.


From the mountain above Peacham Pond where Gail is mumbling to herself as she picks up a trash bag of household trash--again. Last night she left a bag by the back door and this morning it was down towards the mailboxes. A local bear is less than neighborly and as bears do well, (s)he carried the bag a distance before tearing it open to look for a snack. This spring I found one of last year's suet sacks about 400 yards into the woods and up the hill towards the road. Bears are everywhere and they take advantage of people's forgetfulness.

Rain or shine, try to get into the garden today. You'll feel happy that you did!

Gardening wishes,

George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com
http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com