Portland, Maine

Friday, September 17, 2010

48° here on the mountain, wet and quiet. Three deer are feeding not 100 feet from my office window but that won't last long as I hear Karl the Wonder Dog stirring. The weather is supposed to change to the positive by noon and I am in hopes that Alex and I can get away to the Tunbridge Fair. If you know that fair you know that it is synonymous with "wet" and "interesting". We'll see.

Gardeners always have different ways of expanding their knowledge of gardening and for Gail and me it has always been a ton of reading, lots of trade journals, a few trade and flower shows, discussions with plant brokers and an annual trip to the Maine coast to see what is happening a couple hundred miles away. We stop at New Hampshire gardens and garden centers along the route and always come away with new ideas. If you cannot make the trip yourself, Lynn Karlin and Rebecca Sawyer-Fay produced a book maybe ten years ago named Gardens Maine Style. It was published by Down East Books and was the first of what became popular pictorial summaries of Maine gardens. There is a sequel to it now that is also interesting and other authors have produced in similar styles.

Alex has always been interested in history and it was his autism and his interest in military history that led us one summer when he was about eight or nine to South Portland Maine, the Portland Head Lighthouse, Fort Williams and Goddard Mansion. Part of gardening includes history and these three sites are part of one park in South Portland, Maine. Last week I had a chance to go back and see what changes had taken place. For the sake of time, I've included some websites to provide the background. Click on any images for a better view.

Certain places draw me like a magnet and the Goddard Mansion is a place I'd like history to rewind for me. Sadly the building crumbles away and what began by the local selectmen as filling in the basement led to outside fencing and at some point the building will be taken down. It is a monument to summer homes of bygone years and encyclopedic stories could be documented of events that took place there. It is a fabulous structure that must have had incredible gardens at some point.

I love stone and as my mind walks through the vacant rooms via these pictures, what incredible gardens these stones could make. In reality, my vision is far distant from others and the costs alone of razing this size building get scary.

Both sides of the walls could be a classroom for teaching invasive species as bittersweet climbs to the sky covering sections with thick vines. The blue of wild chicory around the building's base is the only color of interest and as I walked the circumference I really was surprised that all I could find were a few rugosa roses, typical of the coast, and the crunch-crunch-crunch of acorns under a minor number of oaks that set seed this year.

Goddard Mansion is probably like many similar buildings throughout America. Devoted non profits work diligently to secure funding for rehabilitation but interest often cannot be jump started and building decay is all that's left. For me, Goddard Mansion remains a place to visit--a ruin for sure, gardenless, hidden on three sides by overgrowth that even prevents ocean views, but a place with a spirit from the past. If any readers have historical insight into the gardens I suppose existed, I am interested. When I get a chance, I will put a few more pictures on our Facebook Page, Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens for those who are interested.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the temperature is dropping as what I hope is some high pressure begins to move in. Animals of the wood, birds and courageous gardens will be moving soon.

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

Reminder of Fall

Thursday, September 16, 2010

39° here on the mountain above Peacham Pond. The sun is breaking through the clouds, the grass is heavy with yesterday's raindrops, and the morning is quiet as if the wild things don't want to stir yet. These are reminders that fall is approaching. Even the hydrangeas by the back walk have taken on a rosy-pink color to their happy faces as reminder of impending seasonal change.

Two feet of light fog wanders across the trout pond this morning but the glass finish on the water doesn't move. Karl the Wonder Dog, just back from a quick walk, has renestled by the now-cold wood stove as if continuing where he left off last night. Life is good for some dogs!

I have always promised those who follow The Vermont Gardener that I would try to talk gardening interspersed with people stories, Vermont, my family and friends. We have just returned from our annual Maine vacation and as such I would like to write a couple stories here about people I met and places I went. Hold tight and I'll get back to garden talk very soon. First up, two men I met in Maine....check tomorrow morning, as for now I have to get into the woods and get some wood worked up before the heavy rains of this afternoon chase me inside.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where goldenrod yellow prevails, fooling people that they are allergic to it (not so) while providing a food source for insects galore.

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

We're Ba-a-a-a-ck!

Portland Head Lighthouse
South Portland, Maine

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

41° and cloudy here on the mountain. Last night's heavy rains drip-drip-drip off everything and there's a quiet about the morning suggesting that the animals are sleeping in. Two deer just awoke with my coaxing from beds in the middle of the field below my office window. A doe looked straight at me and gave a big snort in deer talk, probably expressing dissatisfaction with the interruption. I only offered a wake up call because I wanted to see the full set of antlers that I thought I saw but didn't. Vermont is good!

Just returned yesterday afternoon from a vacation in Maine. The Vermont Gardener has been silent and private e-mails have inquired about my absence. Everyone needs a change of pace once in a while and after working 7 days a week since April 1st, change was due.

I'll get unpacked today and tend to domestic chores, email, go for a walk, talk to neighbors, check our nursery. By tomorrow I should be back to full swing and have a post. In the meantime thanks for missing us and we hope our time away was a great time for you too!

Writing again from the mountain above Peacham Pond where Karl the Wonder Dog waits with impatience for a long walk.

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

Nursery is open by chance or appointment now through Columbus Day. Fall is a great time for planting perennials, shrubs and trees.

Rugosa rose hips at circular entrance garden
Portland Head Lighthouse

Heat Wave

Thursday, September 2, 2010

Just in from an extended morning walk with Karl the Wonder Dog. He is not my favorite dog again this morning. It's not his fault. This is the third night in a row the local bears decided to visit the house and although there is not so much as a nibble left by we humans, there are just enough blackberries left to keep bringing them back. Karl runs bear control all night which means about the time both eyes are shut and I'm back into some sort of dreaminess, the howling, barking, running from window to window continues. Gotta love the great protector!

We went far out back on the woods road this morning seeking night time revenge and hoping to wake something up like we had been disrupted repeatedly. No luck at all--a few song birds singing and one distant hawk. As we got to the end of our property about a half mile from the house, there's quite a colony of wild roses. This time of year they are covered with orange-turning-red hips full of fattening seeds and vitamin C. It was obvious that the bears had made this one of their stops in recent days as the thorny bushes, over 6 feet in height, were heavily mauled and flattened and most all the hips were missing. The grass underneath the shrubs was well matted too. With a limited wild apple crop here this year, bears will be traveling wide for field corn, domestic apples, berries and any other scraps they can find.

I'm trying to get to the nursery soon as there is lots to do before it gets too hot to work much. This is the third day in the 90s so by weather standards this is an official heat wave. It feels to us as if this has been going on since last Friday. Gail and I just flipped through all the channels for the latest updates on the hurricane and I am also using a good tracker. I always park all my equipment on the highest point along the river which is convenient for me but not too smart if there's a chance of a major weather event. If you ever visit us, you'll understand the method to my madness.



Last week I wanted to mention peonies as the east was going through lots of heat. New Englanders love their peonies and they are a flower that was always found at every farm, planted around the house and also by the barn's milk house. Peonies are special to me and I have over 150 in my collection. Gail loves them too and sells a fair number potted for summer and fall sales. They are selling now and there are probably 18 left if you have any interest. No shipping on these as they are in two and three gallon pots. What I have neglected to remind folks is that it's very important to water peonies well in mid August as that is when they are setting buds on the rootstock for next June's flowers. Although we have some amount of rain inland from the coast coming by this weekend, recent dry weather suggests getting some water to your peonies now. No fertilizer, just lots of water. You'll notice a difference in next year's bloom.

I have to scoot. Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where Karl just gave me a kiss as if suggesting a reciprocal thank you for his "hard work" last night. Yeh, right!


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

Where's Austin?

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Another hot day headed this way. 72° right now, already a reminder to yesterday's heat. I have been out and about with Karl the Wonder Dog twice this morning and both times encountered deer and fawns having breakfast before it gets too hot.

Yesterday Gail and I got to the nursery early as we wanted to get going on a project along the Winooski River. I started this project in June but never had a chance to get back to it. Essentially we want big waves of color that are visible all summer for Route 2 traffic. Garden color is better than any other form of advertising as it stops people who can't stand not knowing what the garden color is all about. When finished, this piece will be a garden 180 feet long and 12 feet wide.

Any soil near a river is not that good and this soil is really gravel with big stones and no organic material. Just digging the holes and removing the stones is a chore. I seem to be the chief digger now. For two years we were fortunate to have Austin work for us but this year Gail recommended him for job in Burlington where he attends UVM. Boy do we miss our digger! Austin seemed to enjoy digging and in fact dug hundreds of holes for us--something like 180 holes for mature hostas alone, hundreds more for daylilies and other flowers.

At the bottom of each hole we add composted maple leaves shredded last year. These act as a sponge and eventually provide minor elements that plants need. Then we add composted manure, lime and 10-10-10. This gets all mixed up, thoroughly watered and then the plants are installed.



Yesterday we added hydrangeas, coneflowers, anenomes, various daylilies in 4's, 5's and 6's, helianthus, a few more liatris and some more crocosmia. The heat caught up with us and we have a little more to plant this weekend and then I'll mulch the entire garden with an inch of last year's maple leaves. If you are visionary you can picture what this garden will look like next year. Painting in flowers is great fun!



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I notice the songbirds of summer are quieting their songs as fall approaches. Maples and birches in the mountains are showing what I would call premature color. This has been an unusual summer for sure! Come visit!

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

A Neighbor

Friday, August 27, 2010

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Spring Bulbs

Thursday, August 26, 2010

57° here on the mountain. Foggy and wet from a brief shower some time last night. Quiet here on a very important day. Today is my son Alex's 18th birthday. He was born at 8:30 AM by C section under tenuous circumstances and some of his first day on earth will be with him forever. Later this morning we'll head for Hanover and West Lebanon, NH for shopping at the stores he enjoys and then we'll have lunch at a fish house he feels comfortable at. This has become a monthly ritual of sorts and it gives me a chance to complete garden related errands at the same time. Every day I learn something new about the autism spectrum.

Yesterday I cleaned up daylilies all day. A couple customers walked into the field to see me work and they explained that dividing daylilies is difficult for them. They said they thought other gardeners would enjoy a picture summary of how it's done so I'll try to get some pictures soon. One time I found a video on the Internet but it began with the author holding a lilium bulb and it seemed to confuse the issue of what is really being divided. Seems to me there are too many videos out there made by people who want a couple bucks but aren't necessarily experienced gardeners. At Vermont Flower Farm we try to give out good information all the time and if we don't know the correct answers, we say so, look for correct responses, and then get back with the answer.

August may not seem like the time to be thinking about spring bulbs but it is. Late August is a good time to plant bulbs. Gail ordered two bushels of daffodils for delivery next week. We want to plant some in the front gardens at the nursery and pot some up for spring sales. Spring bulbs have become a big business as more and more new varieties are released to the market. Take a look at Bright Smiling Faces that I wrote back in April on this same blog and you'll see some of the opportunities that exist. Even crab spiders, pictured below, like daffodils. Daffodils are a great investment and they return for many years.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where Karl the Wonder Dog is anxious to go out for another walk. I like this time of year too as the opportunities to see big sized wildlife prevail. Moose anyone?

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

No Salmonella

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

A beautiful day here in Vermont after several days of rain. Started with a morning walk with Karl the Wonder Dog but only got to the back steps when he was conflicted with jumping, barking, waggy tail syndrome as three deer stood by a clump of hostas finishing off the last leaf of what I hope was an enjoyable breakfast. Hosta are known as "deer lettuce" and for whatever reason hosta rank above lettuce in the vegetable garden.

More and more people are raising their own chickens for eggs and meat. I have yet to make the move although my friend Mike just down the road lectures me often on the merits of chicken companionship. People stare at me when I talk to flowers so I have avoided being caught around chicken talk and rely instead on Mike's surplus eggs. I usually buy two dozen a week but sometimes more when Gail knocks off a hot milk sponge cake or a similar cake that requires 6-8 eggs to get going.

When I pick up eggs at Mike's, the eggs are visibly large and the box covers never shut without a rubber band. I don't know which chickens produce the big eggs but do know that sure are good. The news has done a regular job of late on the salmonella problem now estimated at over 550 million eggs and although salmonella can be a problem anywhere there are chickens, I'm really pleased with Mike's eggs.

Returned home yesterday and one carton had a surprise egg. I know Mike placed it there for laughs but I don't know what chicken it might have come from. It could have come from any of his girls as they are of varying ages but it might have come from Becky, a small bantie that doesn't ever leave her companion, Buck. These are the smallest pair but they are big on courage and don't get tossed around by other birds. My guess is the egg came from another bird but tiny eggs makes one think of Bantams. When Becky really does start producing, I'll need 4 dozen a week to meet my quota.

Have to get going here. Still dividing daylilies at the nursery--a chore than will continue for another three weeks. If you have nothing to do today and want to work for daylilies, not eggs, stop by.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where a noisy loon just flew over the house heading for Osmore Pond.

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

Primary Day so take just a couple minutes and vote. Many in the world don't have this freedom.

In Case You Missed It...

Monday, August 23, 2010

Just 5 AM here on the drippy-from-everywhere mountain. Yesterday's storm brought lots of rain with six tenths of an inch in the rain gauge by yesterday morning and half that again by nightfall. This morning is silent unless you listen carefully. The rain has quieted the woods and fields and animal life, hold up during the great wetness, is out and about now seeking food and companionship. I just returned from a quick walk with Karl the Wonder Dog and I pulled hard on the leash when I heard the squeak of a nearby skunk. Skunks are ok at a distance.

If you have followed The Vermont Gardener this past year you have read about Hardwick Vermont, Claire's Restaurant (blog New Vermont Cooking), Cabot, Vermont's author Ben Hewitt and his book The Town That Food Saved, the Vermont Food Venture Center and The Center for An Agricultural Economy. These are all exciting participants in and around a town that's 15 miles from our home and Vermont Flower Farm.

This past weekend was a super event known as Kingdom Farm and Food Days which was a field days type event where you could visit 20 agricultural endeavors, see gardens, food processors and meet the people that make it all work. The events culminated yesterday afternoon at the High Mowing Organic Seeds trail fields at the top of Wolcott's Marsh Road where visitors could see over 800 varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers and sample the tastiness of "hybridized, grown and offered" in Vermont.

I got to the tomato table too late in the day and although the baskets had all kinds of samples for me to try, the names that had been suggested to me had already been carved and eaten. Seeing this many vegetables was the problem and respect for such beautifully cared for gardens slowed me down.
There's something about being able to look down a row of produce and marvel at the perfection and thoughts of how many people can be fed good food. In contrast, I also think about how we need to do a better job with raising and sharing crops with those who cannot garden.

I'm a salad person and I kept thinking I left my colander someplace as I stopped to view dozens of varieties of greens that would have matched so well with the tomatoes and cukes and fresh herbs. Somehow I missed the dill someplace and I wanted to check it out for hover flies and tiger swallow tail caterpillars, two insects that love dill as much as I do.

There were tents for New England Culinary Institute to prepare food and serve from, and tents for music, seating and taste testing. Smiles were abundant, little kids with sticky hands from all variety of melons scooted among several hundred people, and license plates from out of state cars suggested that the word is out that Vermont can grow good things!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where darkness still holds the morning tightly. Eggs without threat of salmonella from neighbor Mike's chickens, fresh bread from a Vermont oven, blueberries and cream from the side field. Gotta love Vermont!

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

Business Insurance

Nationwide Agribusiness Staff Visit
Vermont Flower Farm
Saturday, August 21, 2010

Almost 8 PM and raining lightly here in the mountain. Lots of rain coming this way by daybreak. Karl the Wonder Dog is already snoring loudly and Gail is talking to herself as she works on next year's plant orders which have to be submitted very soon. I just finished reading my mail and want to get caught up on some overdue writing including some thoughts on business insurance.

When people decide to pursue their small business dream, one of the last things on their list is always insurance. I never could figure out how a person could plan to extend their assets and liabilities to start a new enterprise and then neglect the importance of protecting those new and old assets. Just because your track record has been outstanding doesn't mean you don't need or won't need insurance. Perhaps new business owners think they can skate for a while or maybe they think their business is fairly safe. Personally I have never operated without insurance and I recommend you consider that plan too.

Two years ago when I was attending the Vermont Farm Show in Barre, Nationwide had a display for a new Agribusiness policy they were offering. The concept interested me and the suggestion that I could save some money while increasing my coverage sounded even better.

When we moved our business to our new Route 2 location in 2008, I simply added to an existing policy I had with Nationwide since 1985. That policy had started as vehicle coverage, then included a house, then another vehicle, then our business--on and on. I added a building and some equipment and picked up a workers comp add-on too. But this new agribusiness policy was tailored for farmers and it offered better coverage for less money and I switched.

Last year a new agent was assigned to my account. He was a farmer himself so he knew what other farmers were talking about. Once again, my policy benefits increased slightly but more importantly, I understood my coverage, what I was paying and how I would be protected. This was a good feeling. I mention it because when people place insurance at the bottom of their new business list, it's likely that when they do get insurance, they still do not understand what protection they do or do not have.

A few weeks back Roy Folsom, my agent, said that some regional Nationwide reps had expressed interest in what typical small business farmers in Vermont looked like. Roy had picked three area farmers and asked if Vermont Flower Farm would like to be included. Gail says I have an opinion on everything and as such the Nationwide crew arrived last Tuesday along with Roy and his border collie.

Vermont farms at their largest are not the 2-3000 cow dairy farms of the west. In fact they aren't just dairy or beef farms but might be sheep or goats or pigs or alpacas or llamas or emus or traditonal poultry . They might be vegetable farms or flower farms , organic or not, apple orchards or vineyards or even food or drink producers. One thing that Vermont has is diversity but despite that, none of these are big businesses.

Up top is a picture of the Nationwide crew, dog included, with Gail in the middle. These guys asked questions and listened attentively. In today's world, that's a good feeling. Gail and I feel comfortable with our policy and feel good knowing that Roy wants it that way. He visits us, waves greetings when we pass on the road and we know he's there.

If you haven't looked at your insurance coverage in a while, do it now. Call your agent and get together to go over your coverage. Read your current policy, makes note of questions or changes and prepare for your meeting. Explain what you do, how your assets have changed, who works for you and what work is performed. With that type information you can come away with a thorough understanding of where you are or what changes you should consider making. The whole process is not painful unless you never do it. Learn the easy way--make the call.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the rain is keeping the loons on the pond quiet tonight.

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

Making Friends

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Quiet, motionless here on the mountain this morning. 41° as the sun considers waking beyond Peacham Pond. Even the loons are silent today. A beautiful doe deer, alone as always, walks though the lower field eating grasses but always keeping one ear leaning towards the house as if listening for me to say "Good morning dear deer."

We have been busy at the nursery despite the absence of the daylily color that filled the fields just two weeks ago. The mums are coming on nicely and should provide color in another couple days and some of the fall perennials are coloring up too. Trees along the Winooski River are beginning to change colors and even the out of control goldenrod along the western border is turning brown much earlier than usual.

Weeks ago I wanted to write about friendship and I never made it. Maintaining 5 acres of plants for two people is a challenge in itself. As many have reminded me, my writing and entertaining have been neglected and last year's Blotanical award of Best Gardening Blog in Vermont probably will not repeat this year with the scarcity of my writing. Those things do happen.

Any business person meets visitors and customers who over time become more than visitors or customers. Friendships build over a ten minute conversation or repeated welcomes. The friendships can surround flowers but often work into health and family, kids and grandkids, community, religion --all the things that make people what they are.

This summer was different to me than previous years as recollection suggests I spent more time sharing with customers and visitors. I always ask about a friend's son in Afghanistan because I care and I respect his strength to be there. Those questions always come with a fear of the answer but I always ask them. A customer friend of many years arrived with headgear suggesting she had met cancer over the winter. She shared her story and as always, discussed the strength of her gardens and what she needed to buy to make them better. She spoke compliments about her doctor, hospital and friends and it was clear how strong those friendships were. She returned twice more this summer.

A man returned to show me some fine sundials he is making. They are made of slate and are designed specific to one's personal garden longitude and latitude. His absence was much longer than he intended as he developed serious heart problems and was hospitalized for some time on the brink of never making a sundial, never making anything again. But he recovered some and he came back to see me.

I keep thinking of Nicole who I met last year as she pulled off an incredible flower raising fund raiser for a friend with cancer. You might have seen the friend's story on Channel 3 News earlier this summer. I think of Nicole's devotion to her project and to her strength. Working, raising kids and devoting an entire season--every single day--to a friend shows a strength that is more than commendable. I will remember her forever!

My son Alex has a friend Michael who spent part of yesterday with us. We have known him ever since preschool days and even though autism pushed Alex into a home education program away from the public school, Michael has remained a strong friend. For some it's a nuisance to deal with a person with special behaviors but Michael never cared and always has been an important part of Alex (on right in picture) Yesterday the smiles and laughter of these two made me feel all too emotional. As I sit here writing, my eyes get watery just thinking about their friendship. Michael leaves today for his first year of college. Although distance will challenge the relationship, I know it will remain strong.

Friendships take on different courses but gardeners are a strong crew. I met a woman earlier this summer named Jocelyn Hebert. You might have seen her on the Channel 3 News last night. She is a gardener and I have met her mother who is also a gardener. Jocelyn and I talked about gardening and plants and I immediately liked her and bundled up some special hellebores that had just arrived and gave them to her after finding that we have both like them a lot. As we talked I learned that she was about to embark on a hike of the Long Trail as a fund raising and awareness raising tribute to her father who had passed away after an experience with Parkinsons. Her website Peaks For Parkinsons is available at http://peaksforparkinsons.blogspot.com/2010/08/news-from-trail.html Meeting Jocelyn was an experience that came as a result of being gardeners but the information we shared and the events of her hike will remain with me forever. She displayed a different kind of courage during this hike, a courage I learned about because she had become a gardening friend.

The two sunflowers up top are two friends. I often take pictures of two similar flowers to represent friendships. I cherish the friends I have met as a result of being a gardener and I know I could write a book about those people and what we shared. In a world that shows us problems every day, our friendships are important. Gardening friendships remain strong and encourage us to walk another day just as Jocelyn walked the Long Trial with others as a reminder to her Dad and to our need to help each other. As you walk into a garden today, yours or anothers, think about gardening friendships. They are special!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the sun is pushing through fog that snuck up on me. Friendships shine just as the sun will soon.

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

Cool August Morn!

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Up at my regular 4:30 today but I'm the one having trouble catching on to the fact that the sun doesn't shine for another hour. Karl the Wonder Dog has the message and he sleeps on later but my circadian rhythm wants me out and about early. I've been through all the email, Facebook for both accounts, and I have a plan for Twitter in a few minutes. I even replaced a pair of boot laces. Still no sun.

From a nurseryman's perspective I greatly dislike the way America marketing equates summer as ending when kids go back to school. When I was in school this happened right after Labor Day but now some schools begin as early as this week and that sends a marketing message that summer is over. In Vermont, August is the chief summer travel month for out of state, out of country visitors but for Vermonters with kids, the end of summer message is promoted in all the media. Sales for kids clothes and school supplies makes people think gardens are finished and everything should be on sale. I blame places like Wally World, Lowes and Home Depot for making it seem that gardens should be put to bed in mid August when in fact some of the nicest colors are just beginning. Obviously part of this is the responsibility of the gardener but I guess my suggestion is that we are tuned to marketing and it's so ever present that we can't step beyond it. Gail's attitude is to continue to work on gardens which display nice color through September and into the first part of October and that's what we do here.

As I walked the nursery gardens last night before leaving for the day, I was surprised by the number of daylilies we have still blooming. It's a real surprise this year because major bloom occurred three weeks early along the east coast and many gardens have been colorless for almost two weeks now. Strawberry Candy up top is blooming with fresh scapes now and Patio Parade, just below, offers beacon-like yellow that's clear from a distance. Jen Melon, renamed Starstruck, has strong bloom that makes visitors ask "what's the name?" not because they haven't seen it before but because it has lots of buds when other daylilies are budless.

Years ago Pardon Me hit the daylily stage and although this brick red, small flowered daylily (just below) has lost some of it's original popularity, it blooms and blooms en mass and works well right now with the notion that fall is approaching. I need to move some later on to the front of the gardens where I can slide in a few pots of mums and work their mutual strengths together for people to see.
Sunday Gloves has been out for two weeks and will continue for a couple more. My picture doesn't do it justice. To me it's a shorter version of my favorite So Lovely which blooms on 3 foot scapes that work so well next to any variety of hydrangea available. Sunday Gloves can be planted in front of hydrangeas with So Lovely to the sides so both pick up the chartreuse-often -changing-to-pink in many hydrangea florets.

Chicago Apache is a "drive George crazy" daylily because it seems more susceptible to climate change than others. Up at our home gardens at 1530 feet, it would typically be just starting to bloom but in the previous two years at the nursery at about 750 feet it would be well under way by now. This year when other daylilies have faded, it blooms on with perhaps another week of bloom left. I'm not pleased with how late spring frosts impacted on its summer appearance but the flower count is commendable.

As daylilies wind down in the field, Gail has many in pots that are growing with glory. August Frost, Ruby Throat, Hush Little Baby, Red Sentinel, Tiger Kittens, Alabama Jubilee, Fire King, Bold Tiger, Leebea Orange Crush on rebloom, Late Pink, --surprisingly the list continues on. The anenomes are beginning to show color and the hydrangeas are providing great contrast.

If you are out and about today, stop by. If you have time, visit a greenhouse or nursery this week and you'll be surprised. Gail visited von Trapp Greenhouse in Waitsfield yesterday and although Sally wasn't there when she stopped by, Gail said she was greeted by the nicest, most helpful employee who knew his plants and found a budded, late blooming daylily she wanted, a nice sedum for my collection and a summer blooming daylily that Gail has been searching for. That was nice. Gail and friends lunched in Warren and went over the mountain for a couple hours at Rocky Dale for an equally pleasant time with Amy and Kathy and a tremendous selection of plant material. Vermont nurseries are all great and we've never found a place where our questions haven't been answered with professionalism and warm smiles.

Have to get going here! Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where Mrs. Doe Deer and one fawn just appeared for breakfast outside my office window. One more cup of coffee and I'm out of here.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
On Twitter, sometimes with pictures, as vtflowerfarm

Dimming Lights

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Already almost 5:30 AM and I am making slow but steady progress getting ready to head to the nursery for the day. An hour ago I awoke from a good sleep to a strange thud-thud-thud sound that almost reminded me of a page from H. P. Lovecraft or perhaps Steven King. Something big was walking up the outside front room steps and whatever it was knocked over a couple begonias. Once again Gail had left the door open and apparently that left enough dinner smells to serve as a greeting card for the local bears. I wish she wouldn't do this but after a long day outside, some things are forgotten even if they are important.

As many along the east coast have noted, this has been a strange growing season. The daylilies are about finished blooming and the zinnias, cosmos and statice planted long ago for cut flowers are beginning to bloom but a month late. A couple daylilies look as if they will bloom again but the fields are already turning a shade of brown as even the leaves are finished. The maples along the roads are turning and yellow leaves are already littering the ground as if the first frosts of late September have begun.

Last night I walked out back with Karl the Wonder Dog and the wild apple trees are dropping small fruit for the deer about a month earlier than usual. A doe and nursing twins held steadfast under a tree as mom ate apples and the little guys bumped her for milk and flicked flies with their tails. We walked further into the woods and noticed the white birches are yellowing and dropping leaves too. The spring up the road from our house has a line up each night of campers, locals and long distance visitors in need of water because their systems have already failed or because usual sources have dried up. Just more sign that things are changing.

I'm at the nursery myself today as Gail and Alex are in Burlington for the day. The weather should be nice and I expect I will be busy. If you are out and about today, stop by. We have some very nice hydrangeas for sale --8 varieties left--so enough to find something right for your property. There are plenty of farmers markets and outside activities this weekend. Be sure to remember Kingdom Farm and Food Days next weekend. Different perspectives of the Northeast Kingdom where farmers farm and people smile friendly welcomes to people they have never met.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where 8 turkeys are feeding outside my window. Now that the sun has risen a bit I see that last night's thud-thud-thud was the bears as the remaining blackberry bushes over the bank are rolled flat. I sure do miss sunrise at 4:30!

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

Back On Line Folks

Saturday, August 7, 2010

A beautiful morning here on the mountain. 73 degrees at 9:30 and a peaceful quiet when campers from the pond are usually making lots of noise. Karl the Wonder Dog is snoring after an extended morning walk and Gail is manning the nursery with friend Steve while I mow the back fields and get caught up on some of the work here at the house. Place looks like a jungle but you can't be at two places at the same time.

Have been off line until yesterday at 3 PM when Hughes arrived with a new satellite dish, modem and receiver. I can't say that I am happy how long this last modem lasted but the breakdown forced me to upgrade to better download speed and more band. Alex is happy with his movie viewing and I expect Gail will smile when she can break away from her plants and get back on line. I have been trying to read business mail using our laptop and various WIFI sites but I have to say I'm not that good balancing the thing as I work.

Sadly, the fields of daylilies are fading away as more and more buds bloom out. Gail has a great assortment of late flowering daylilies in pots and these are very nice. I have to get a bunch of pictures printed of daylilies that are finished as the plants are very large and sales should continue. Just the same, between the bare root sales that we do every year this time and the fine new late daylilies, customer numbers have been excellent.

Hydrangeas are coming into bloom in large pots and there are still 10 varieties for sale. Gail and I have been pleased with the sales to date and just need to find someone interested in 7 that I planted in the middle of the field two years ago. They are in full bloom and just need to move sometime between now and mid fall.

The lumber mill started cutting my hemlock timbers yesterday. I have a hundred ordered--6"X 6" by 8 foot to form steps down the mountain to the lower daylily garden and the hosta and shade garden. This is another fall project that will make it easier for visitors to get around. Sometimes after rain, even the grassy hillside is slick with the clay that's underneath.

If you are out and about today, this is a great day to climb Owls Head in Groton State Forest. Visibility is excellent and you can see a big slice of Vermont that will make you smile. As for me, it's back on the tractor for more field and woods road mowing.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where 6 deer visited last night at dusk and started eating our late blooming daylilies. Karl's loud comments moved them along. At 3 AM black bears visited for blackberries which were just ripening nicely over the bank from my office window. Now I am walking around in a slight daze, wishing for more sleep, fewer interruptions, but knowing there are things to do.

Be well! Come visit

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

Crocosmias for Hummingbirds

Saturday, July 31, 2010

42 degrees on the mountain and there is the feel of fall instead of what are supposed to be hot summer days. Vermont has set new records since January with 6 months in a row exceeding all heat records since weather records were started in 1880. Karl the Wonder Dog had a nice walk this morning as he likes days like this when wildlife abound. No big animals for him to see this morning but lots of tracks, cool weather and smells from early morning.

Things have been busy at the farm and days are long but never long enough to finish what needs to be done. People remind us every day as they stop that they are amazed at what the two of us have done during the past three years. That's the encouragement that keeps us going. This piece which I started on the 20th is an example though of how two gardeners can get behind real fast.

A week ago the crocosmias were stopping people in their tracks. Now the flowers are fading and customers are disappointed because we are sold out. Every year Gail increases the number of pots we plant and every year we still sell out. Lucifer is a red that catches a gardener's and a hummingbird's eye.

This is a flower that is native to the plains of southern Africa. It comes in red, pink, white and yellow colors but only this red is hardy here in Vermont. Some try to plant it where it is often damp and it doesn't do that well with wet feet. Sometimes it fails to survive the winter as a result. We have large plantings at the house that have been here for several years despite me angering Gail by digging huge clumps at times to sell to sad gardeners feeling left out because they didn't come early enough.


This plant has a corn just like a glad and in a couple years it will grow more corms and grow taller and wider. Some might say it becomes unruly but when you have the opportunity to watch hummingbirds in sizable numbers frequent your gardens each day, all day, you'll see why we grow them. This is a great plant to slide into the perimeter of fields if you have big properties. Plant it back inside regular gardens as it will exceed 3 feet tall in a couple years and look odd as a border plant.

Today starts our bare root daylily sales at the nursery so I have to get going. We clean out any daylilies that are not selling and the prices are right. These are in fact bare root as we dig the clumps, wash and separate them. Non gardeners always give me a dose of disappointment when they repeatedly ask when the expensive daylilies will go on sale. We don't sell expensive daylilies but it's always an eye of the beholder thing I guess. I still resent the way the box stores have abused plant producers, dropped prices and established an attitude that everything a farmer does should be given away for free. I got secretly mad enough the other day and I suggested to a customer in a Mercedes that she might want to work with me for a day and find out what is involved in operating a nursery. Although there was a strange sigh, her offered comment was "But I can't find these varieties any place else." "Cake and eat it too" is the part of America I'm still trying to understand. Be kind to all farmers. They are hard workers!

Right now I have to get to the nursery and get ready for another day. The sun will warm things in a couple hours and it will be a great day to pack a lunch and head into Vermont's Northeast Kingdom for the day. If you are out and about stop by in between farmers markets, summer craft or music events, and a hike or paddle. Vermont may be cool today but it's a great place every day!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where my neighbors guests--five cars and a boat-- are here for their annual weekend pilgrimage from Massachusetts. They are breaking free from sleep on unfamiliar beds and heading out for fresh air and the quiet of Vermont. They have been coming since before we moved here in '89 so I guess Vermont is more than a memory for many. Come visit!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Find us on Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
Read our comments on Twitter at vtflowerfarm

Daylily Fields In Color

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Just in from a morning walk with Karl the Wonder Dog. Encountered a complacent doe deer and three turkeys in the quiet of a sunrise accompanied by the morning songs of warblers I still cannot identify. The temperature hangs at 59 degrees and the humidity continues at 98% as if the instrument is broken because it's been that way for days. There's a serious storm scheduled for tomorrow but today should be ok.

I got to the nursery yesterday morning and began picking flowers right away. Gail was down and out with a cold virus and I had to keep things going. She is so much better than I am at handling multiple garden tasks under pressure but I was possessed to do a good job. Within half an hour the first thunderstorm announced itself over East Montpelier and I headed back to the safety of the office. Some people think they are impervious to lightning strikes but for us, retreat is the norm.

Before the morning showers ended there were thousands of new daylily flowers in bloom in the fields and my task of deadheading before customers arrived seemed impossible. It was. First came the berry pickers--older folks who get out early to a berry patch on Thistle Hill. When they have filled their pails and containers they head home, stopping to see our daylilies. Yesterday was on target and it's always fun to watch other drenched people arrive and leave. Sharing smiles is nice. The raspberry and blueberry picking was especially good yesterday.

There were lots of visitors and customers yesterday but a few drove off in impatience. Today Gail and I will be there most of the day and one helper should arrive around ten. If you get a chance, stop by and walk the fields and enjoy the color. We're happy to answer questions and walk with you if it's not too busy. Late afternoons and early evenings are times I'm happy to schedule a walk. See you then!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where a noisy lumber truck just passed with a load of logs. Probably heading for a mill in Maine.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
See more garden pictures on Facebook at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

Weekend Visitors

Monday, July 19, 2010

60 degrees this morning on the mountain. An hour ago as Karl the Wonder Dog and I were walking the woods road, the stillness was disrupted by a doe deer jumping from the brush in front of us. Don't know who was the most startled but in a flash the quiet returned until just now when the ravens are making strategy for a morning of interruptive talk. They always have lots to discuss as if no one else has anything to say.

This weekend the nursery was busy as the hot weather pushed thousands of daylilies into bloom, providing color along Route 2 and entertainment for tourists. Customers appeared as soon as we opened the gates and we hardly had time yesterday to pick representative samples of each daylily and get them on display. Both days when we closed for the night, Gail and I remarked how many visitors we had and how very few people we actually knew from before.

There are many great nurseries in Vermont and no matter where you reside or visit, the distance to another nursery is not that far. We are fortunate at Vermont Flower Farm because our Route 2 location means that we are visible from travelers moving along one of Vermont's main east-west highways. Yesterday as example we had nice conversation with a family from Georgia who were bringing their 88 year old mom back to Northfield for a visit. After a discussion of daylily hardiness in Georgia, they made choices and we'll ship out their order when we know they are back home.


When you see people enter the display fields and then wander from row to row, you know questions will eventually follow. Part of running a successful gardening business is helping new gardeners with planting instructions. Gail and I try to make sure when each customer leaves they have the information they need to be successful with their new plants. No matter how long the lines were this weekend, it was apparent that this information was appreciated as we didn't encounter one example of "I'm in a rush today."



When our friend Mike volunteered to help restore Gail's 1957 John Deere 320 U tractor, he was firm that it would serve as a different form of advertising. He was right. This weekend we met a number of people who looked it over and had questions about when it was last used and did it really run. Yes, it really runs and it is going to continue to be a part of Vermont Flower Farm. It's not shiny and new but like Gail and me, it's dependable and it has an understanding of agriculture and has dirty feet.

Out and about today? Pack a lunch and some gear and head for the Northeast Kingdom. Stop for a few minutes and see the daylilies. Kinda nice!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where blue jays and crows compete for a snack at the compost pile.


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Place an order if you just can't visit in person!
On Facebook at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
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