Botanical Gardens

Saturday. September 12, 2009

Half an hour before high tide here at Wells, Maine. The water is about 50 feet from the seawall right now and is approaching closer with each new wave. Surfers are in their glory with the tides as the water is the warmest it has been in 100 years. Swimmers don't want to leave the water either. The afternoon rain kept many away but just after the dinner hour, people in raincoats, some with umbrellas, many walking dogs, will try to squeeze out a little more of New England summer as we know it.

Our time in Boothbay at the Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens was in full sun and pleasurable. The brightness made taking pictures difficult with my limited skills but the pictures should help those of you who have not visited to gain an appreciation for what has been built. This botanical majesty experienced a sixteen year evolution that culminated in its June 2007 grand opening. 126 acres were purchased in 1996 that included 3600 feet of tidal shore frontage. In 2005, another 120 acres were added as a gift from the Pine Tree Conservation Society. This is a massive project and a great tribute to it originators, its Board of Directors and its benefactors.

The Visitor Center pictured above is 9500 square feet small. It offers a garden cafe, a gift shop, lots of educational space and a library. Currently there is an outstanding art exhibit on display.

As we parked this year, I was instantly reminded of my visit in 2006, when I pulled in by a mass planting of a daylily named Patio Parade planted under a single October Glory maple tree. That year was more dry than this so the tree leaves displayed oranges and bright reds. This year the leaves only show a hint of color. The mass flower planting format is repeated at MCBG and is one I have begun to employ in my own gardens. Large blocks of the same plant bloom with an obvious presence that always begs "What's the name, what's the name?"

As soon as you pay your admission, you're directed out the side doors to the front lawn. This is a spacious lawn surrounded by flowers and paths. To the right is the demonstration vegetable garden outside the cafe end of the facility. A prominent metal sculpture of a feeding elk bends forward near some miscanthus that waves silvery in the sun. Wendy Klemperer is the sculptor here and her "reimagined" work of deer, elk, wolves, foxes and even a quilled porcupine greet you, first on the entrance road and later throughout the gardens.


As you walk the perimeter of the lawn, a fascinating piece of stainless steel floats in the wind. This is named "Wind Orchid" by George Sherwood who calls his work quite appropriately, "kinetic sculpture".



The sculptural work of Klemperer, Sherwood and many others at MCBG is curated by June LaCombe SCULPTURE. It provides thoughtful mystery and enthusiasm to the gardens, and of course, their visitors.

As you look to the right entering the lawn, the horizon suggests the presence of the ocean. As your eyes move closer, ahead and to the left, the flowers become more and more awesome. I had the opportunity to see these gardens in their infancy and this week's viewing left me just speechless.

Stone work is everywhere as walkways, stone art work and hard scape abound. The hardness of the stone softens the gardens through mass, design and texture and each piece beckons the visitor to walk on and see more.

Rudbeckias, eupatoriums, actaeas and many grasses, some as tall as 8-9 feet, draw attention and suggest "You can build like this too!" Every garden makes its own statement and over time the message is more clear.

As Gail and I sat with Alex within the gazebo, surrounded by the fragrance of countless roses, we shared praise for the spectacular gardens we had just started to explore. The Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens is certainly a special place!


I welcome comments about your visits and even this virtual visit which I hope has been successful for you. More gardens and garden thoughts soon!


Writing from Wells, Maine where the tide retreats with a pleasant thunder.


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

Just Maine

Saturday, September 12, 2009

A few days back I explained that sometimes gardeners get tired and they need a break from gardening. At Vermont Flower Farm we have had a tradition that spans over 25 years. When Labor Day passes, we pack for some time in Maine. This year was no different. Gail and Alex finished the packing Wednesday and then we left for Boothbay Harbor.

Maine has always been dear to me and there are times when I don't know why I never ended up living there. When I was a young sprout, my Dad packed the old Buick on many Fridays and we headed for Maine. Cabins were $5 or $6 a night back then and he'd find us a place and then go looking for fishermen to swap beer and stories for fish. It was an unusual relationship I never understood but I often talk or write about. We were about as poor as you could be but we always made the trip to the ocean my mother loved.

In the mid sixties I considered Bates College and in the late seventies after purchasing my first house and not having a nickel to spare, I found a beautiful piece of property--14 acres on the Damariscottia River for $36,000. The lure for the property got into a mental debate over common sense and financial stability and Vermont is where I stayed. Looking back on it, I think it was more the fact that I had just been drafted into the Army that made staying home more sensible.

This year's rest was scheduled to begin in Boothbay Harbor. Gail and Alex hadn' t been there before but it was the adjacent Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens that I wanted them to see. Six hours time from Vermont (including a few stops to stretch and one 20 mile reroute in Bethel Maine....oops!) and we pulled into Brown's Wharf & Marina. Gail and Alex had done some Internet work and made this choice based on a description of mariner memorabilia in the restaurant portion and fine views from every room. Neither was a disappointment.

The marina as well as the parking lot, had a good representation of visitors from around the US and Canada. Walking the marina was like a historical trip through the evolution of watercraft. Alex and I agreed that perhaps the oldest boat there was the best even though the dishes weren't washed and the maps and charts were a bit crinkled and torn.

Our first morning was a beauty although I have to say that the unfamiliar noise of lobster boats warming up at 3:30-4 AM was unusal for me to sleep through. Alex and Gail have no problem with strange noises but I sat there watching them head out to sea to snag buoys and pull up lobster pots. The retail cost of lobsters this year is the lowest we have seen in years and it makes no sense to us to see prices at $3.99 a pound everywhere. Today's paper even advertises a local lobsterman who sells from his house for $3.49 a pound. If you eat lobster you can relate to these prices but if you are a business person you'll have real trouble trying to figure out how the prices get set like this when diesel fuel is $2.67 a gallon.

Click on this next picture and across the harbor, in the top, middle/left middle of the picture, you'll see a blue roof. The building to the left of that roof is Kaler's Crab and Lobster House. Boothbay Harbor has an abundance of places to eat and many came highly recommended to us. The Tugboat Inn, for example was well recommended to us by a customer of ours back home. "super lobster bisque and Blood Mary's to kill for" but what I look for is a restaurant where the local folks line up on Friday night. We started with roasted calamari with sliced banana peppers and a light garlic butter glaze. Gail had a double on the steamed lobsters, Alex had haddack and I went for whole belly clams. In today's world I'm hate to see things wasted. I have to say that at Kalers there's no shortage as the wait staff bring things to the table.

Boothbay Harbor is like most Maine peninsula towns. Each is surrounded by water and houses, churches, and town buildings; fishing and commercial businesses are always packed around the point and parking is at a premium. You have to plan ahead or be prepared to walk but the walking part is a good idea at the end of the meal anyway.

Gardeners like to visit gardens and nurseries, even when they are on vacation. We are no different. Our trip to Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens coming up next!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Now writing from Wells, Maine


Vermont Flower Farm: A business taking a couple days off.

Fall Approaches

Monday, September 7, 2009
Labor Day

Today is the last day our nursery is regularly open for the 2009 season. We're heading out on vacation soon and when we return we will be open by chance or appointment until all the fall work is finished. After a busy season, Gail and I figure it's our time to pick the hours we work. Many, many thanks to all who have visited, made purchases, and offered kind comments about our progress. Despite 15" of rain in July, the season has been a tremendous success and we are very thankful for your support.

Today we still have a nice assortment of bare root daylilies available for sale. They are 5 for $15 and Gail is forever tossing in something else to end the year and show appreciation. We always say we are open 9-5 but 99% of the time it's later than that. Today is the real McCoy so come early and plan on the gate closing at 5.

If you do stop by, take a look down at the new hosta garden I am working on. There are some large blocks of 25-35 daylilies, same daylily in each block, in between the maples. Among these is Tetrinas Daughter, now in bloom because they were planted mid summer. This is a very nice daylily, 42" tall, thick scape, lots of flowers, some fragrance. Although they are in the display garden, they are available for sale. The color is about gone from the daylily field because of the hot days for several weeks now but we are still digging some fine plants. Ask for some help with choices and you'll go home with some big plants guaranteed to grow and make you happy you stopped for a visit.

We're heading to Maine as we always do and we'll try to offer some flower updates along the way. The Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens in Boothbay is first on the list so keep in touch.

Good gardening wishes,

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Where gift certificates and nice plants grow with smiles!

Good Communication

Sunday, September 6, 2009

A clear morning here on the mountain. The steam is rising gently from the trout pond but fat rainbows and brookies don't use alarm clocks to rise for breakfast. The fog is thick enough that it mutes the whiteness of the adjacent birches as it floats skyward. Life on the mountain is good even though Vermont was summerless in my mind, with 15 inches of rain in July and a spring that lasted until August. The past two weeks have been flawless and writing has taken a backburner to chores and plant sales.

I was at the nursery yesterday afternoon and two aging ladies drove in, parking a grey PT Cruiser by the chip pile. They walked as older ladies sometimes do, with a gait that suggests arthritis that older folks seem to either deny or talk/complain about. Farmer women complain less or not at all and others are split about 50-50. I have bad arthritis too so I can relate to it all. And yes, I complain freely!

The women made it to the shade house where I was standing by the table we use for check out. We are not sophisticated at Vermont Flower Farm and your check out experience is usually a quick "how are the kids" "who went to college", "sorry to hear your mom moved to a care facility", "so sorry to hear about your kitty". One woman looked straight at me and in the same tone my mother in law often used and asked "Is Karl ok? Why ain't you writing much?"

The world of the Internet has always fascinated me and it either does or doesn't fascinate older folks. This lady, clearly in her early 80's, had been snagged by the Internet and it was obviously a part of her communication network. The downside for me was that she apparently read this blog and was expressing her dissatisfaction with me. She didn't imply that I was lazy or busy, just made it clear that if you start something, it should continue and you shouldn't let people down. In a world of disappointment, she did not want to be disappointed.

"Yes, Karl is fine," I said, "but I got lashed out again for feeding him non-traditional dog food." (two little pieces of steak and the end of my maple walnut ice cream) "You did that before." she replied, as if to suggest I am a slow learned at Karl's expense. She was right. I finally managed to squeeze in a "Welcome to Vermont Flower Farm" but for the life of me I couldn't remember ever meeting her before.

I did my quick "where everything is located, what's on sale, let us know if you need help" presentation and as if I couldn't finish fast enough, she mangled the name "cimicifuga" and I lead the way to the lower shade house. Foolishly I tried to explain that in recent years the plant had been properly named "actaea" to which she replied that she couldn't say that name either and where were they.

I was hoping this would be easy while at the same time I was fearful that the price of the James Compton, or Pink Spike, or Hillside Black Beauty would get me into trouble. She volunteered that she and her friend had just returned from Maine and they had seen them in a group planting at the gardens in Boothbay. When I said that I loved Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens, knew the exact planting they had seen, and was actually going there this week, the ice was broken and we were almost best of gardening buddies. Almost. The woman bought an atropurpurea and her friend followed suit as if in garden competition with each other. They didn't seem to care about the price and already had checked out planting instructions before they arrived. I bagged up a different daylily root for each of them as a gift and suggested they compete with each other to verify gardening skills. I think I'll always remember those two as they walked with a little shoulder roll to the Cruiser, laboriously turned it around, and then drove away. I know they are special friends and I hope they return.



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the sun has made it above the tamaracks and balsams and am I ever behind this morning. The picture up top is of a favorite of mine. A rattlesnake orchid that frequents the maple orchards here. The picture is from a year ago but Karl and I visited a couple patches this morning. See if you can find some where you live.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm: A website that makes sales for flowers and gift certificates year round. Great bare root sales at the farm for the next two days so if you have a minute, stop by. PT Cruisers accepted in the parking lot, good communication a "must".

Reception Center looking through Actaea atropurpurea
Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens
Boothbay, Maine

Hurricane leftovers

Saturday, August 29, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

Miss Amelia

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

So Lovely
See what I mean?

Highland Lord


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


Ezekial
Talbott 1991
Actually a little darker than this picture.

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

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

Morning Drips and Drops

Vera Biaglow

Sunday, August 23, 2009

64 degrees here on the mountain this morning. It rained again last night but not enough to amount to much. Some places in Vermont are still cleaning up from Friday's downpours but here the rain was limited and the gardens are dry enough that even the zinnias are almost falling over.

Karl the Wonder Dog was up again at 4:30 begging to go out. Morning walks are common in our house as it's a nice way to start the day. It's trickier now because the sun is still sleeping until almost 6 and the local bear population is staying close to the house eating choke cherries and creating scents that Karl cannot avoid. This morning the walk was going fine until Karl jumped off the roadbed and growled and barked as something heavy crashed through the brush. My aging eyes couldn't even pick up a form but there was an odor in the air suggesting to me that it was probably a bear. They don't practice great hygiene!

Rococo

I like this spider. It's an older one, a vigorous grower and the right height to show off it's special curl.

Yesterday at the nursery was a good day for us. In Vermont, the governor came up with this "no tax day" which makes no sense at all but some people love it so they can save a couple bucks on big ticket items like washers and dryers, stoves or furnaces. People will drive a hundred miles to save $60 on something they should have bought anyway but they think they are getting a good deal. All the financial pundits say this makes no sense but the Governor is the top dog and just like Karl he can jump off the road if he wants to. For us it means that no one shows up at the nursery until after they have done the "important" shopping.

About 2PM yesterday I told Gail to go home and I'd call her if I needed help with customers. She had been gone a little over an hour when I looked up from pulling weeds and six cars had rolled in to look at daylilies. I called for help and got digging. The balance of the day until 5:30 was busy and that was good. Gardeners like sales and bought several anenomes, a few astilbes and lots of bare roots. I dug 15 daylilies and Gail probably dug another six. It was sticky hot but at closing time we celebrated the good day and began to dig bare roots for today's sales.

Although the field is not as colorful as it was three weeks earlier, many of the later daylilies are worthy of note. Remember that we go for the older daylilies, not the newer, more expensive ones but we can offer real good clumps at "not bad" prices. You kind of have to see the place to understand what we sell.

Here are a few more pictures of what is blooming or just finishing up. Stop by for a visit if you can!

Omomuki

Dragon's Eye
Smaller bloom, good bud count.

Catherine Woodbery

Sometimes people miss on the spelling but this old flower, now on 4 foot tall scapes in the garden, waves like colorful flags, drawing in honey and flower bees from afar.

Beauty To Behold

I really like this plant but it doesn't sell that well. Lots of bloom substance and a great bud count that goes on and on but I guess the shorter statute and the way the bloom is held to the plant body detracts from what folks want.

Bama Music

We are selling these as bare roots today. Can't miss that bargin!

Amazon Parrot

This is one of Alex's choices from some time back. It finished blooming Friday but has been very popular this year even though it's been around a few years.



Have to go!

Good gardening wishes from the mountain and the nursery!. Stop by and visit if you can. We are open every day until Labor Day, then by chance or appointment.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

Web sales continue year 'round at http://vermontflowerfarm.com

Where's George?

Saturday, August 22, 2009

5 AM on the mountain above Peacham Pond. Where's George? Last night's heavy rains have all the trees hanging low and the critters of the woods are out and about in numbers now that 10 hours of rain has stopped. Rutland and Chelsea, Vermont got hammered yesterday with inches in minutes as the rains of Summer 2009 continue.

Karl the Wonder Dog had to go out before five. His sniffer was in full gear and he half ran from here to there trying to pick up scent of big animals and small. The bears have been through here again and it drives Karl silly as he tries to figure out which way they went.

Daylily season is different today than it was back on the 8th when I last wrote but the bloom has been special and customers and visitors alike have kept us very busy. The early morning sunshine of June is long past and this morning's darkness reminds me how much I already miss early summer. Gail is already up trying to get ready to head to the nursery before 6 so we can split up all the daylilies we will be selling today as bare roots. When we have too many of one variety or something is not moving along or has lost popularity, we dig up most all and prepare them to sell 5 for $15.

I have tried to manage the new gardens at the nursery as if they were shelves at a supermarket. In those situations vendors pay for shelf space so items must sell or they are replaced. Same thing is happening at Vermont Flower Farm. We are often sad to see nice flowers go but part of selling flowers is an eye of the beholder thing and what's nice to me might bring harsh opinions from others. Up top is Apricot Sparkles which Gail bought in this year. We both think that by next year it will form nice clumps and be a great bloomer but for now it is an unpopular apricot which needs too much conversation to sell. It's on the table this morning, marked down enough not to make me happy but some gardeners should be all smiles come summer 2010.

Pastel Pink is a daylily that I really like. When it clumps up, it is a nice addition to the later garden here and it has a nice flower and a strong rib. I can never keep enough of it and this year's offering are a couple fans each even though summer rains were perpetual. Some things you cannot grow fast enough.

Double Yellow intrigues me as many of the doubles do. They are a little different from flower to flower but they bloom very well. This one is a late bloomer and brings forth dozens of buds that go on and on. I like it more than Double Gold with its habit of buds hanging on too long after they bloom. Mix in a couple blues or purples with Double Yellow and Apricot Sparkles and you'll catch folks attention in seconds. These two show that you don't have to spend lots of money on a nice late display. Late displays is what Gail continues to work on because she maintains gardeners need color until Columbus Day and it truly is possible, even in this part of Vermont.


Dominic is another mid to late addition we like. This picture is a bit duller than the color really presents. It's interesting and creates attention but this year for some reason it also drew in rose chafers, an insect we never had to deal with before.

There's plenty to do this morning so I must get going. I'm sure you have things to do today too but if you have a few minutes, stop by and look over the bare roots. Last night I dug some Fragrant Treasure, some large Bama Music, some fair clumps of Stella and there are a few Grand Masterpiece, Siloam Space Age, Butter Curls, Autumn Red and a Chicago I cannot remember right now. Good choices for a garden, along a drive or to cover a bank that you're tired of mowing. Come see!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where brown trout fishermen are heading to the pond and ravens are waking up everyone with harsh calls using words I do not understand.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

Check out Vermont Flower Farm our website of pictures and good information. If you are trying to learn a little about autism, a non gardening topic for sure, try our autism page. Autism may not yet have touched a family you know, but the incidence suggests it will. Be thoguhtful, be supportive!

Pat's Nearly Famous BBQ

Bonanza

Just past 8:30 PM here on the mountain. It's been a hectic week but with sunshine at last, Gail and I cannot complain. When I finally made it to the nursery this afternoon, Gail had customers scattered around, she had a tired look on her face and what appeared to be Bela Lugosi stains on her shirt. She pointed in the direction of a couple in the lower shade house and I knew that meant she had not greeted them yet. Everything that happened from that point on for the next couple hours remains a blur.

When gardeners and visitors stop at the nursery, we always try to greet them as soon as possible and orient them to what is available. Many haven't been to a nursery that digs daylilies from the garden and some don't even feel comfortable walking into the daylily fields or down to the work-in-progress hosta garden without asking first. Making that first connection with first time visitors is really important. It shows we care and shows what kind of folks we are.

Gail had called me at work earlier in the day to say that Lynn from Lynn's Garden: Best In Bloom Today had phoned to say she would be stopping by for a visit. I really wanted to get in the truck and come back to meet her personally but I had a meeting that just couldn't be changed. Lynn and I have conversed via our blogs for some time and she has made some purchases from Vermont Flower Farm. It was quiet when she arrived and she and Gail got to spend a little time together. Maybe next time for me.

Later in the day, a family from Utah finally made it to the nursery. They have bought hundreds of daylilies from us. It was really great to meet them at last and let them see where their plants were grown. They have become ardent daylily fans although there's no doubt they are real gardeners anyway. I say "ardent" because the Utah deer ate the buds on their daylilies and they moved everyone of them from their first planting spaces to protected gardens within a fence at their house. I've never been keen on planting things twice but gardeners have a devotion and a drive for success that doesn't stop.

As customers and visitors thinned out a bit I got on the tractor and began mowing the 3 acres of grass lawn that intersects the gardens. About half way through it occurred to me that I'd really like a pulled pork sandwich for dinner. There was no convincing Gail that after the long week, one less meal to prepare sounded good. She picked up Alex as I finished mowing and we headed to Hardwick, 20 miles away.

Hardwick is an interesting town that to a degree has become almost a suburb of Montpelier. Housing in the Barre-Montpelier area has increased in price and people have moved 20-25 miles away for quieter living and nice houses at less expense. The community is reorganizing and there is a great restaurant there named Claire's. Hardwick is the home of the Center for Agricultural Economy that deserves a lot of praise, is just down the road from High Mowing Organic Seeds, offers up the Galaxy Bookshop and the Buffalo Mountain Coop and has an assortment of other restaurants, coffee shops and stores. Hardwick is not big but it is fun to visit.

Hardwick has had several fires in recent years and the tragedies have encouraged rebirth and everything has been very positive. The old boxing club building along the river that offers up histories you don't necessarily want to know about needs a little help; so does the three story store/apartment complex at the center of town that caught fire but was saved--kind of. The mix of residents is interesting for sure and there's plenty going on. Then there's Pat's.

Earlier this summer, a small trailer moved alongside the highway over towards Riteway Sports. It's the seasonal home of Pat's Nearly Famous BBQ. Pat and his wife and helpers make a pulled pork sandwich and curly fries and slaw that just tickles my fancy even though I have to drive to get it. This is one of those walk-up, place-your-order, sit-outside-under-a-little-tent places. There is a little chit chat as tables get bused and food is delivered. White vinegar in a spray bottle is in the condiment tray. Pat's wife told me Pat was a pipe fitter for a while but I am happy he mastered pulled pork sandwiches. Gail and I enjoy them while Alex repeatedly has less creative sauerkraut piled on his hot dogs. If you're in Hardwick in season, try Pats. He's open 11-2 daily and until 8 at night Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

There was a chill in the air as we left Pat's. The Eye On The Sky weather folks at the Fairbanks Museum and Planetarium predicted 40 degrees or less tonight and it feels as if there's a good chance for "or less".

Daylilies at Vermont Flower Farm continue to bloom. Many have slowed to occasional flowers while some later ones are just starting their first bloom. Every morning we pick representatives of what is currently in bloom and put the blooms on display in the shed in small jelly jars so you can see everything in one small place for easy comparison. The fields are colorful and have dried out from July's 15" of rain so walking is easier now. If you have some time this weekend, stop by and walk with us. if you aren't familiar with daylilies, we're sure you will be impressed.


Now in bloom including Bonanza up top and about 140 others:

Becky Lynn

Barbary Corsair

Anne Warner

Best garden greetings from the mountain above Peacham Pond. Karl the Wonder Dog just said "Let's walk" so I have to get going!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

Business Cards

Sunday, August 2, 2009

Almost five AM right now. Dark and quiet. Very much darker than the 4 AM mornings I enjoyed in June. Just the same I have been up since just after four when a combination of circadian rhythm and melatonin change boosted me out of bed pretty much on time. We don't use an alarm clock at our house unless we are heading to the airport at 2 or 3 AM and it's a very rare occasion when we are a few minutes late. Alarm-clock-less: Life without the ringing or buzzing sound of a clock going off. We like it.

Yesterday was a busy day at the farm. Gail had worker bee Gail T. from Peacham spend the day with her as I had to take Alex to a program in Jericho. People stopped by the nursery to walk the gardens, some to buy plants for themselves, one family to buy perennials for a cemetery location. The fields are wet from what totalled over 15 inches of rain in July. Holes left from vacant daylilies have become mini ponds and the rows where water gushes out of the clay soil have sprouted mini rivers that flow in all directions by gravity to the Winooski River. We caution everyone to stay out of the rows themselves and on the grassy paths as warning to stuck boots and dirty shoes. What a summer! It still hasn't hit 90 degrees for even a day and +80 degrees can be counted on fewer than one handful of fingers.

This year Gail had some business cards made and she passes one along to every visitor whether they visit to look around or they make a purchase. Our card has our web site URL and the blog address for The Vermont Gardener. Many people find us through Google but many more just don't know we have had a site for over 5 years and a blog too. The business cards confirm what we explain and make it easier for folks to remember. We know it works based on gardeners getting back home, planting their plants and then telling us the visit was fun, the plants good and the blog or site entertaining. That's great to hear.

Many times, people exchange cards with us. Here are two from this week that I put in my pocket for too long. One is from The Marble Man, Jack Hahn, who travels with his wife, Sue as they go from craft show to craft show. They are daylily enthusiasts too and they stopped as they headed back south after a show in Camden, Maine. Jack gave Gail and Michelle each a hand made marble. They use recycled glass and the thought of marbles brings back memories of games from fifty years ago. Just finding marbles in a store to share with grand kids is a chore so Jack's visit was valuable as a resource. He and Sue make and sell game boards too and board games are something families should get back into versus the techno stuff kids expect now.

Corky

We also had a visit from Robert Bangs, owner and designer at Windswept Gardens in Bangor, Maine. He is another daylily collector and he spotted Corky which he purchased because he has a dog by that name. The daylily was registered in 1959 by HA Fischer so it's been around a long time. I like to use a single scape with a florists frog and a piece of clematis to make a quick and easy Ikebana-like arrangement but for Robert it's another Corky now residing in Bangor, Maine.

I keep looking out the office window for wildlife this morning but it seems quiet. Karl the Wonder Dog wants to go for a walk and the coffee pot gurgles "I'm ready!" so it's time for me to get going. If you're out and about today, stop by and see us. Try 2263 US Route 2 Vermont Flower Farm in your GPS and you'll be there soon. We'll be open until 6 tonight, maybe a little longer if the predicted rain doesn't come too early. Hope to see you. Web orders are fine if you aren't in the area.

Good gardening wishes!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

Bountiful Blossoms

Friday, July 31, 2009

The clock read 4:03 AM when Karl the Wonder Dog's thunderous commands brought me to attention. I neither understood his message nor really wanted to hear it. Yesterday's arthritic leftovers made thoughts of an early morning walk less than desirable.

I layed there for a minute waiting for the noise to stop and then between barks I heard the calling of a cat. The voice was different than any of the neighbors cats and I assumed that it was a "left-over", a cat that was brought on vacation to Peacham Pond and then left behind as it wandered while the family packed and left. Not all cats are good at adapting and this one is on that list.

With reluctance I got up, started the coffee and headed out with Karl. 57 degrees, still and overcast as if more rain is predicted. The previous night the rain gauge measured 2.75" here and exceeded 5 inches in southern Vermont. The wet summer that is not a summer continues.

I have to say the gardens are lush with all the rain and the daylilies are especially thick and full of blossoms. Morning walks here at the house are best for me because the absence of foot and car traffic allows me to hide from the embarrassment of gardens in shambles around the house. This is the second year we are trying to get the new nursery organized and priorities require that sacrifices be made. The wild impatiens is 4 feet tall with the rain and even some of the grand hostas in the lower garden are almost out of sight because of the rain and weed growth.

Up top is a picture of the Lilium superbum which came out yesterday. It's a poor picture but I'll get back to some better ones tonight if the weather comes around. These are tall lilies, sometimes reaching ten feet here. The bulbs are actually in the shape of a dog bone. They are easy to scale and start anew but even the simplicity of that reproductive process is something I couldn't find time for last fall or this spring. I have lost a few to voles and other critters and it's about time to get with some restoration.

Bee balm, monarda, Oswego tea, that mint family herb that does make a tea if you are into that stuff is in full bloom. I should dig and bag some and sell it but it's just another thing on the "to do" list that makes sense but I don't get to doing. I promised some more to Leslie down at the pond and I'll have to give her a call and tell her where the shovel is.


Again, my photography skills show the bad side of working in haste but this daylily picture is of a daylily known as the best coral colored daylily on the market. It's not new but it surely is nice. It's named South Seas. If you see it in our gardens, you'll think there's something wrong with the photo or the photographer and both are a little off. The daylily is a beauty!

Lilium that did not succumb to the lily leaf beetles are in bloom and doing well. An assortment that Brent and Becky's Bulbs sent me a couple years back to trial are in bloom now and most are longiflorum-asiatic crosses. These tend to be taller lilies with thicker stems and larger flowers. Some have faint fragrance, others almost none.

Some Asistic lilies have been with us since the 80's. Tags get lost, memories get foggy and yet some still return despite thick weed competition and the beetle. I forget the name of this 5 foot tall Asiatic over by the compost pile but it returns each year even though I dig away a few each season for customers who bug me for a chance to add a strong bulb to their collections. Some days when I am tired I give in because it's easier than repeating "No, not this year".

Gail is in the garden now making notes of things she wants Austin to dig and bring down to the nursery today. Some of the plants will require lots of digging as they are older, established plants. I sure wish Austin would find my 6 foot pry bar. I don't need it today but he will.

I'm heading to the nursery in a few minutes. Gail will have breakfast at Maple Valley mid morning with some friends from the autism community. Autism is an important reality in our lives and with a couple of the ladies attending this morning. They have sons, ages 25 and 43, who have presented them with lots of challenges. At some point in most gardeners lives, autism appears as a family member, friend or community acquaintance and things look a bunch different. Among the many things Gail juggles in life is how to make a better world for those on the spectrum. Her knowledge gets applied first right here at home. She is quick to answer gardening questions but speaks authoritatively about many aspects of autism too. If you have a question, feel comfortable asking her. We have a list of resources on our website

Got to scoot. If you some time, stop by and see us at the nursery.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where ravens and "raucous' are made for each other.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

Gardening at Vermont Flower Farm where we grow hardy plants for hardy Vermonters and their friends. Come visit!

A Presentation Of Lilies

Thursday, July 23, 2009

Not too quiet at 4:30 this morning here on the mountain. For some reason there is heavy snoring competition going on in our house and Karl the Wonder Dog is one of the three competitors. It's probably well that I woke up during the competition as I have to move the tractor back to the nursery this morning and it's best to get going before the traffic begins to get busy.

This is lily time in Vermont and surprisingly, the presentation is gorgeous despite the cool weather and heavy rains which often complicate good flowering with botrytis and other fungus type problems. The bloom started around Fourth of July with the native Lilium canadense (directly above and just below inc. red variety) and the beautiful martagons. It continues now with the various Asiatics, the longiflorum hybrids, and early Orientals. The few trumpets we have left are mixed in someplace here and the Oriental-trumpet crosses, the orienpets, are not too far behind.

If you have followed our flower journey over the years, you recall that up until last year, we always presented gardeners with a super selection of potted lilies. Perhaps eight years ago now, maybe a little longer, we were one of the top lily retailers in New England. I came across a photo a few weeks back that I'll have to find again to post as it shows our old nursery with our house completely surrounded by thousands of potted lilies. That's the way it was when lilies were king here.

With the planned move to a new nursery last year, Gail and I decided we just could not deal adequately with the lily leaf beetle. If you search this blog and our former Vermont Gardens blog (use search option in upper left corner) you will find information about this insidious insect. Try http://thevermontgardener.blogspot.com/2009/05/beat-rain-beat-beetles.html for some info and pictures. For gardeners with a few lilies, perhaps hand picking is a good option but when you're growing in the thousands you want plants to be insect free and for that to happen, the challenge was near impossible and we disbanded a beautiful plant from sales.

For many gardeners, growing lilium is a "must do" and they are willing to exchange the use of strong chemicals with the luxury of nice blooms. We are not. We enjoy birds and bees and butterflies too much to spread chemicals at the level that would have been needed to control three annual generations of lily beetle. So for us, it means enjoying our lilies as they continue in our gardens, for as long as they live on their own. The beetles defoliate the stems and over time this weakens the plants, the bulbs shrink in size and finally they succumb to an inability to replace food matter with bulb size to live in Vermont's climate. That's just a reality. So for now, here are pictures of a few still showing in the gardens. Our good friend Winnie, our Chief of Hydrological Services, lives down the road four miles. She maintains a very nice representation of our lilies and does so through rigorous hand picking and use of dormant oil spray. For Gail and me, a visit during our busy schedule is a reminder to where we were a few years back. It's certainly not the same as looking out your window to your own gardens but that's just how it is.
Here are some pictures.

Asiatic named Update

Tiger Babies, a strong grower

Shiraz, an Asiatic

Mona Lisa, 18"-24" tall Oriental. One of the first Orientals to bloom here.

Asiatic Lollypop, well known, well distributed, quick to reproduce in large clumps

Golden Torch, a Longiflorum-Asiatic cross. Large flowers.

Arena, a strong Oriental that has been with us for over ten years. Someone should study the genetics of this one.

For this morning, these thoughts of lilies will have to suffice to jump start your day. I hope your gardens are doing well and you are enjoying this gardening season.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the snoring festival has subsided and I have to get moving. Stop and see us if you have some time. 2263 US Route 2 Marshfield, VT. The daylily field is intense and there's no way you can miss the color as you travel Route 2.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Our easy to use web site for ordering plants when you aren't close enough to visit. A daylily order will not disappoint you!