Who Are You?

Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Morning greetings from the mountain where it's 35° in the sun but 16° in the shade. This is why I always have a couple thermometers at the house to track "the real" temperature.The sun is bright and the promise that today will bring temperatures into the high forties/maybe low fifties makes us happy. 2011 is so different a year than 2010!

Today I plan to teach Alex more about growing willows and I want to get some more hosta seeds planted too. I have had this thought about getting Alex started in his own willow business and since he has some interest, I'm moving along. The curly willows I cut at the nursery a few weeks back are well rooted now so we'll transfer them to bigger containers after we cut off the tops and get those in clear glass containers in the sun for rooting. Willows have become well used in America by the floral industry, especially the curly willow, the flat stemmed, fasciated willows, and of course the springtime favorites with nice white, pink or yellow catkins or brown, black, or yellow stems. Besides what we know as traditional uses, many in North America are promoting what the English have done for a long, long time. We are seeing more and more willow furniture, potted, woven willows with manicured tops grown topiary-like in big containers, woven fence wattles....the list goes on and on.

This time of year, post income taxes, mid-website rebuild for me, is still a busy time. The snow is so deep that there's little outside work that I can do so inside tasks continue. Today I should finish up adding all the new daylilies to the website and then I'll move on to the astilbes. Gail continues to tweak the plant orders based on delivery confirmations and I'll place the order this afternoon for a truck load of potting mix.

One of the things businesses often forget to do in the fury of preseason activity is remember to tell potential customers who they are. Putting out your name is a start but showing your face through pictures or videos is critical to building confidence for your product. It's an important part of branding your business but for some reason some folks are reluctant to post a picture.

If you haven't visited Vermont Flower Farm over the years, the picture up top will show you who the real George and Gail are. The picture was taken last year by East Montpelier photographer Ricka McNaughton. She was doing a piece on our business for The Bridge, a Montpelier newspaper.

Couple things about the picture. First, anyone can take a picture now days but a skilled photographer is one who can listen to a brief conversation with the client and capture them in a setting that makes the viewer know what the person is all about. Ricka does a super job and I would favorably recommend her if you have some photography needs.

Secondly, pictures in newspaper ads and on websites, Facebook, other social media, need to be current. I learned this so well recently when I attended the flower show in Burlington. I had plans to meet a speaker/writer for the first time prior to his presentation. I had not met him before but we shared a mutual interest in the topic of his presentation. As we met in the convention room, his very first comments were that I sure didn't look like my pictures. I was surprised by the comments but couldn't agree more. Most of the pictures I use of myself are from a series Alex took of me when we climbed Owls Head mountain when he was ten or eleven. Time has passed and more than my gray hair and beard have changed. A new picture is in order and I'll get to all those changes soon. In the meantime, here's a renewed picture of me and Gail and a kokopelli friend last summer. The kokopelli is providing "pretend" background flute music. If you didn't know us before, now you do. And if you get a chance this summer, stop by and say hello. We always offer warm welcomes, no matter now much we change from year to year!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where sunshine has already raised the temperature to 46.5° in the sun and has brought out 12 mourning doves that are competing with jays, grosbeaks and two red squirrels for black oil sunflower.


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Business Marketing

Thursday, March 10, 2011

Heading towards 10 o'clock and I'm ticking away on a list of overdue items. Gail is not all that pleased with me this morning because I have misplaced a list of daylilies I need to update our website. She is convinced she gave it to me and I am convinced my office needs a good cleaning. You don't find many people like Gail and despite my shortcomings, she is always there to bail me out of messes. Some friends would have given up on me by now but Gail is Gail and she accepts the good and the not so good in me................so far.

The snow continues here as the temperature rises. We are almost at 30° so my guess that rain would be here by noon is about on target. The birds are feeding as if it's a big storm coming. A lone red squirrel sits on the weather station post eating sunflower seeds and ignoring me as the anemometer turns at 4 mph. The trees and shrubs are dusted with a couple inches of the latest snow and life is still good. Life will be lots better when the snow slides off the roof.

Yesterday Gail and I traveled to Greensboro, Vermont to Highland Lodge for a marketing seminar. The lodge, pictured up top here, is now moving into its fourth generation of Smiths. The Smiths are a special family and the lodge is a fine piece of Vermont, sitting mid mountain and looking down on beautiful Caspian Lake. The accommodations are excellent and the Lodge's tag line is so very appropriate .......... "Unplug, Relax, Reconnect".

The seminar seemed like something any small business owner should attend. It was billed as "Marketing Your Business Without $pending a Fortune". Internationally known marketing expert Scott Vogel was on hand to help participants quantify their current marketing practices and then plan how to bring in more customers, sales, smiles. Scott has offered his marketing skills to businesses of all sizes including Marriott, Walt Disney, Pepsi and the US Military. He also has excellent experience in the food and beverage industry and he obviously knows people very well. Gail and I had the privilege to be accompanied by an owner of a restaurants/inn/motel, two non profits owners, a transportation company manager, a music producer, a farmer raising goats for cashmere and meat, an artist, a clothing store owner, a specialty cake producer, an agritourism farm owner, a Green certified sealant company manager, and two day care/children activity specialists. The mix was unplanned but excellent and in the end, the potential linkages we built were significant.

It was pleasant to hear Scott confirm some of the things Gail and I have been tossing around for a couple years. He also shared some stimulating suggestions for each business. Here are a few bullets for you to apply against your business or plans for a business.

• Know the difference between advertising and marketing.
• Test your advertising format. What is the return on your ad investment?
• What is a new customer worth over a lifetime?
• What are you willing to spend for a new customer?
• How big is your business community and how do you interact with its members?
• Consider and develop a distinct, recognizable business brand.
• Build video and recording into your marketing now!.
  
• Consider 1-2 minute YouTube videos. Could be tied to FAQ's rec'd from customers.
  
• Use direct mail with oversize post cards.
• Ask yourself, who are you? what's the benefit of your service/product to your customers?
• How do you communicate this succinctly to customers so they remember it?

Any business needs to get out and about once in a while and see what other people are doing, saying, learning, teaching. Scott did a great job reinforcing linkages and explaining how to use networking to be more productive. It's bigger than Facebook or Twitter or a blog or website. It involves business men and women looking into themselves and looking out to their competition. No matter what you think your skills are at the beginning, I'll guarantee your confidence will improve along with your business.



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the first snow just slid off the house. 32°. When you build your house just like you build a business, figure out where the snow will slide. I did not. I'm going out to shovel the steps and get the mail.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Sharing Stories About Our Woodlands

Monday, March 7, 2011

Almost 7:30 here on the mountain and things have finally quieted down for the day. The temperature is still dropping--it's 14.5° now, and it's expected to drop below zero a bit before it comes back around tomorrow morning. The snow has pretty much stopped although you could still be confused at the 7 mph wind tossing horizontal waves at anything that gets in the way. I noticed that an hour ago as I took Karl the Wonder Dog out just in the middle of the evening news. He has very poor timing....or perhaps prefers to avoid "bad news".

Snowfall around the state varied today from "not much" (trace to 3" in Springfield) to 30" in the shadows of Mt Mansfield and the Sterling Range from Stowe past Jericho-Underhill. If you live around here you are tired of hearing that kind of news but for folks from afar where spring is on their minds, this snow is a surprise. Tonight just before dinner the phone rang and it was a caller from Orange County, California. He had seen the article about daylilies in Fine Gardening Magazine and noticed our name mentioned as a daylily vendor. He was thinking spring in his zone 9 gardens but was surprised when Gail updated the weather info for Monday in Vermont. That reaction is not uncommon this time of year and I know we lose some sales when people are impatient to plant and we can't give a better shipping estimate than "mid-May"

This time of year I enjoy the quiet even if it comes packaged with snow plowing or shoveling or even getting up on the roof. I can take things slowly and I can catch up on my reading. One of my favorite Vermont magazines is Northern Woodlands. It arrives quarterly with a tag line I like: "A New Way of Looking at the Forest". I think I picked up my very first copy at the little Mom and Pop store in Cabot village in the early 90's. As I think back, I don't even know if there was a real "mom and a pop" back then but then the store sold and there wasn't a mom or a pop and then it sold again and there was and continues to be. Those little stores are like forests, they change over time and some of them do not return to a picture we'd like to remember.

Anyway, this is a fine magazine and no matter where you live, it's something you might consider subscribing to. If you have a son or daughter or grand kids taking any aspect of environmental science in college, this is a useful gift that will put them a step ahead of others.

N0rthern Woodlands has a feature I really enjoy and I refer to often. It's called A Look At The Seasons MAIN EVENTS by Virginia Barlow. It comes three months at a time and fours weeks per month. For each week of each month the author presents a summary of events of the forests, swamps, fields, waterways. I find it very accurate and I enjoy the reminder it serves to me. It looks like this.

For the first week in March, now almost history:

"Brown creepers have started to sing their endearing song. Some of them have been here all winter, but others have come from wintering grounds farther south. We can see creepers all year, but individuals come and go/ Warm days bring snow fleas to the surface. At first they look like flecks of pepper on the snow, except that they appear and disappear/ Barred owls are nesting in old hawks' nests or tree cavities. Incubation is mostly done by the female."


When I read the notes, I reflect on what I have recently seen or heard or sensed. I like Northern Woodlands. I'll bet you would too!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where a sliver of moon may show by midnight as the balance of storm clouds pass. Hungry critters of the woods and pastures will begin moving soon after more than 24 hours of storm. Still too early to start seeds here.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

PS: Bird on magazine cover is a Nashville Warbler photographed in Brunswick, Vermont by Roger Irwin. Regrettably for me I have never seen this beautiful bird or met the skilled photographer. Anyone seen this bird?

Making Rustic Arbors

Monday, March 7, 2010

Already 6:15 here on the mountain and despite several attempts, I have been unable to find the courage to pull on the boots, plop on the wool hat and figure out how to get out the back door--or any door. 22.1° now and shortly after I told a friend there was no wind here, the wind started, slowly, but enough to begin competing with the snow that continues to fall from the sky. When I turned out the lights at 11 last night there wasn't much going on--maybe 2-3 inches of snow but this morning is a different world. Karl the Wonder Dog with his built-in barometer at 29.35 is snoring by the fire and shows no interest in joining me when I do get out the door. Courage please!

Most any flower show including the one that just ended in Essex yesterday includes an assortment of garden sheds and arbors. Gardeners seem to like arbors and some buy them and some build them. The one I have pictured was a typical New England orientation from cedar which is a good choice. It grays in color over time and always looks good with very limited care. Gail said the price was $600 or something close but I have seen them priced much more than this in other New England States.

If you have a little creativity and aren't afraid of tools, you can make arbors like this yourself. They are traditional mortise and tenon construction and Lee River and similar tool suppliers have tenon cutters for sale that will get you started.

The tenon cutters slide in an electric drill and away you go. I purchased a set of the smaller sizes from 1/4" to 5/8" or 3/4's--can't remember--- with plans to make lattices and gates and chairs. We don't have cedar on our property so I cut maple saplings and designed from there. The bigger cutter pictured just below here handles 5/8" and the stubby maple pieces below the cutter are about 1 1/4" in diameter. I found that shaping freshly cut wood worked best as long as you layed it flat to dry so it doesn't warp.

I suggest using forstner bits instead of regular drill bits to cut the holes and then I use Gorilla Glue although regular wood glue would be just as good. Pretty straightforward and easy to add detail such as curved branches, pieces of glass, or metal work. What do you think?



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where even the town plow hasn't showed yet. Kids and teachers have another snow day and I have another snow plow day. Quite a winter! Steer careful!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Building A Flower Show

Sunday, March 6, 2011

40.5° here on the mountain this morning. It has been raining most of the night and as the sun begins to rise with reluctance, it is very apparent how much the snow has shrunk over the night. This in no way hurts my feelings as this has been the winter of snow. Although many remind us of the countdown to Spring, I know that we are in for a number of big storms between now and green grass. Last year on April 28th, 18" of "wet white" fell just days after we had uncovered our potted perennials. On Mothers Day in May, I stood with a group of ladies in a snow squall contemplating spring planting. Vermont is clearly a state of surprises!

Every other year Green Works, The Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association produces a flower show at the Robert Miller Convention Center at the Fairgrounds in Essex. This year the theme is "Sweet Dreams" and on Friday Gail, Alex, and me, and a couple friends made the journey to tour the show. Today (Sunday) is the last day of the show and as rain falls outside spring flowers beckon you within.

Flower shows are a tremendous amount of work. In a very short time Green Works members appear from all corners of the state to work like beavers completing a fine dam before the sun rises. No matter what your impression of any flower show you ever visit, always remember this beaver thing. Flower shows take organization, money, forced flowers, trees and shrubs and volunteers; and when the show is over, everything that was built has to come down and quickly I might add, as there's always another venue waiting in the wings.



I took the wrong camera I guess or perhaps the main show gardens were a little less lit than I expected but I will put an album together today on our Facebook page Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens. The map up top shows the show gardens with a meandering path requiring a walk through a giant birds nest constructed of mature willows, topped with big and colorful birds and offering giant , unhatched eggs. It challenges the gardener out of the nest and into the next turn of excitement. It reminded me of something a favorite sculptor of mine, Andy Goldsworthy could have been involved in.

Anyway, forget the rain, and think flower show. As you tour the show floor, look for my friend Sarah, the owner of Full Circle Gardens in Essex. Tell her George sent you. I'l bet she'll have a big smile for you!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I may, just may, put on the snowshoes later and walk through the fields out back looking for last year's bird nests. Guaranteed they won't be as big as the one at the flower show!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Hale Street Gang Show

Saturday, February 26, 2011

I tried to get going early this morning but just when things were going well, Karl the Wonder Dog came out and shook off enough sleep to ask for a walk. We headed out into a bright, cold morning. I'm happy for this time of year because the sun is up early and I can get a lot done before many are even out of bed. Karl, in contrast, usually goes first for a walk and then back to bed. He's a dog and he can do that.

The temperature was just above zero when we exited the house and windy ice crystals prickled my face. I could hear crows yakking loudly in the balsams to the south of the house and as I looked for them, I noticed a slice of goodnight moon, still bright, but going back to sleep until tonight. I thought I might see an owl or the jake turkey with the bad foot but despite the crow talk I couldn't spot anything but the moon.

Gardeners come in all sizes and ages and they all need entertainment from time to time. I want to mention a gallery opening that will take place this afternoon, Saturday the 26th, at Chandler Gallery in Randolph, Vermont. You should consider going. The opening is from 2-4 PM and is titled the Hale Street Gang: Portraits in Writing. You might have seen this covered the other night on Channel 3's The 30 with Kristen Carlson or heard an interview on WDEV radio. This is not something to miss!

One of Gail's friend's from the past, Sara Tucker, and some other folks from the Randolph area helped start a writing group a while back for seniors at the Greater Randolph Senior Center. I guess one younger participant is in their seventies and the balance are in their 80's and 90's. One lady finished her memoirs at just about age 100 as she passed to another place. In a portrait of her at Chandler, you will see that she has a smile that is eternal.

This show is a collection of photos taken by one of Vermont's premiere portrait photographers, Jack Rowell and it includes writing and recordings from the writers. Sara writes a blog, The Hale Street Gang and Me which is a place to start if you need any more background info or encouragement to attend. Click on Portraits in Writing on the top of the blog and you'll get more information.

I don't have a clue is any of these people are gardeners but chances are very good that seniors of that age gardened. The point isn't gardening though, it's the reality that a group of folks have gotten together to write and record their stories as a very fine photographer has captured their images. We're going to the Chandler today. Hope to see you there. I have intentionally excluded any photos today. Click the links and see the great work involved in a special project.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Epimediums and Hellebores

Friday, February 25, 2011

Just past noon and the snow is really coming down now. I finished lunch and went out to get the mail and was surprised how covered I got in that short a trip. The noontime weather report has not changed at all from this morning or last night for that matter. This is a good storm that's bringing more snow to the mountains and keeping our ski industry in high gear. Since our state of $175 million in the red, every ski ticket counts.

One of the important things about managing a business in today's economy is keeping informed about what your industry and your competitors are doing. I think Gail and I do a very good job of this although we often hear each other comment about how much time we spend reading. That is a fact as we read perhaps 9 trade magazines and half a dozen private publications as well as the reading we doing via plant, tree and shrub listservs and the Internet in general.

This winter I have noticed an increased interest in hellebores and also epimediums. Catalogs are promoting specials for both these plants and picture displays and articles encourage gardeners to the fact that these are easy to grow and worth trying. We concur!

Google up epimediums or hellebores and you'll be surprised how many varieties are on the market. Today I am featuring a few epimediums so check out Darrell' Probst's The Epimedium Page for a better over view of what's available. Worldwide more new natives are being discovered and more hybridizers are working their magic.


Spring is still a couple months off here but epimedium are early to bloom and I guarantee you will be happy with them. Continue to scout for sources and if all else fails, stop by and see what Gail has available this year. For me, the only thing difficult about epimediums is describing what the flower shape looks like. Tell me what you think!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I'm thinking I should probably sweep off the satellite dish before too long.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Butterflies of Joy

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Like the sun, I seem slow to rise today. Karl the Wonder Dog has been out and about, coffee cup is filled for the second time, the sun really is shinning bright red through the tamaracks and
the thermometer has been clutching zero like there is no other number. The weather lady says 6-10" of snow tomorrow so today will be a day to finish chores and enjoy as February winds down and we look towards spring.

The Internet is a fascinating affair and I for one cannot do without it anymore. I have met people from around the world and they are generous with their thoughts, opinions and gifts. Little boxes from people I may never see are especially meaningful in a time when so many parts of our world are experiencing disasters of all size. Kind comments make me smile appreciatively even when complicated days disrupt things.

A couple days ago I received an email from Cate Newton from the SRE Education Group. He had come upon The Vermont Gardener and wanted to share some information his group had put together on monarch butterflies. I have mentioned butterflies many times on my blog as I have always been fascinated by them. I can remember second grade with Miss Hawthorn when someone brought in a monarch chrysalis and we watched it hatch. There's something foggy about +50 years ago but I do remember that a walk into the back field above the barn and along the field my family planted in life saving potatoes found giant patches of milkweed covered with dancing monarchs. Along with parts of my memory, the number of monarchs has diminished.

Here at the house I leave patches of milkweed to spread out more roots and seeds in hopes that I can do my little part in maintaining these fine insects. But there are more interferences than Vermont's changing winters and the monarch numbers this year were the smallest we have seen.

Newton's website on monarch migration is http://www.onlineclasses.net/monarch-migration Other websites are included and The Monarch Migration suggests that where I live here at 44° latitude, the peak fall migration should be around September 4th. This is interesting to me because this particular site was prepared in 2000 and yet despite the many environmental and climatological changes in +10 years, the monarchs are usually gone from here at the house by Labor Day but hang on a little longer at the nursery, along the river and at an elevation that's about 700 feet lower.

If you are interested in tracking monarchs, another site I use is Journey North. Sites abound and although we're a long way from seeing a monarch in New England, now is a good time to conduct your research and get your tracking info set up. Like the backyard bird counts we do with Cornell University, tracking butterflies can provide information on a world that has developed a strange spin.Give it a try!



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the anemometer has stopped for the first time in days. As a Vermonter from Springfield I once knew always said "I kinda like it!"

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Gardening Forgetfulness

Tuesday, February 21, 2011

Almost 5 PM and quiet here on the mountain. It was a pleasant day from the inside out but the wind blew all day and at best and with full, bright sun, the temperature found it difficult to get to 19°. The weather lady said last night and tonight would drop to -15° but last night only got to -9° here but reached -22° in Greensboro Bend. It's +11 degrees now, the wind is at 3 mph, and Karl the Wonder Dog says the fire feels nice on his belly after an abbreviated walk to the mail box.

I've always kept myself busy and in recent years I got more and more bothered by people asking what I would possibly do to keep busy when I retired. People that really knew me knew it would be no problem. I am loving retirement but I cannot find enough time to do everything that I need to finish. I need to mend my ways soon on this tax preparation thing because progress is snail slow and even Gail is getting impatient with my list of excuses for not finishing.

As a gardener I have started gardens I never completed. There weren't many but there were some. I really do not like incomplete paintings either. Just like a painter, I respect the creativity that occurs when that burst of energy occurs. In bookstores I am always wondering how Stephen King can crank out book after book, so big each time that store clerks hate to see new deliveries. I produce gardens quickly, except when I don't. Here's a photo of the corner of one that really never was finished.

In summer 2000, I hired a man with a tractor to skid large granite fragments from the woods and "plant" them in a garden I wanted to make here at the house. They ranged in length from 4-5 feet to over 11 feet and there were seven of them. Some visitors called them the 7 Sisters while other asked the significance of 7 stones in a circle. There was none. I just planted them the way they felt right to me.

My vision at the time was to plant a backdrop behind the circle of stones so that from the road to the pond, people would see an incredible ocean of color. Much of the garden was planted over the next 6-7 years and it began to take shape just in time for us to close up shop at the house and move the nursery. See if you can envision what was supposed to happen.

Behind the circle of stones, think of a row of Lilium superbum, 9-10 feet tall at maturity. Orange-red, black spotted, reaching for more light but waving "Look at us." to passersbys. The next picture shows them a couple years ago. In between each L. superbum I planted small groups of Lilium henryi. These top out at 4-5 feet and are orange with lots of whiskers. Like the L. superbum they are August bloomers here.

In front of the lilies were two row of hostas. The first was a solid row of Hosta 'Tall Boy'. Not all gardeners like Tall Boy because it's plain green leaves are just that. For me the strength comes in the flower scapes that over time as the plant matures will top out at 7 feet tall with beautiful purple flowers that are hummingbird and butterfly magnets. It's a plant I am always selling out of because people just don't see it in nurseries here and when they see it at maturity, it is coveted.

Then there was a row of Hosta 'Lakeside Cha Cha' mixed with Hosta 'Formal Attire' and each was spaced at about 3 feet so they would fill in over the years. In front of them was a mixed row of astilbes of various heights and colors but generally in the 28" range.... and then epimediums in good sized groupings with white grandiflorum predominating.

Behind the the lilies is a path that leads to a vernal pond and passes a bog garden I made. The back side of the path is planted with Aruncus dioicus that reaches almost 6 feet and has feathery , creamy white plumes on course, cut foliage. Those flowers add a lightness from afar. There are also some plantings of various ligularia and as they send up scapes, large spots of yellows and orange appear.

The garden has fallen in disarray, partly because of my forgetfulness but more so because time is short. My plan to clean it up last spring ran into a fit of reallocation of resources as we needed more help at the nursery than I expected. I am in hopes again of hiring a person who can work independently and without supervision--not a lot can work alone--but that is easier said than done. The deer have found the now-mature hostas and just after the new crop of fawns are delivered in June, mother does provide lunch preparation training to youngsters and hosta leaves, the "deer lettuce" of Vermont, begin to disappear. As such I want to get the last quarter of fence around the garden too. Maybe just maybe some blog reader with strong arms and no ties to a love life or an I pod or cell phone will respond with an interest in helping. In the meantime the snow is still deep and I can dream of what I really wanted this garden to be. If by chance you saw it in its partial glory, you know the masterpiece it almost was.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where last night's start to this blog has carried on to 7:20 AM. It's an even zero degrees here now, clear sky, rising sun, 2 mph wind. Don't be forgetful today!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

Gardening in the Digital Age

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Just past 7 on the mountain and Karl the Wonder Dog just headed back to bed. He came out, licked my hand twice and decided the wind was too much for him this morning. He'll be back in half an hour or so, and in the meantime maybe the thermometer can coax itself up past zero. He no doubt heard the wind and did a dog translation for wind chill temperature. The wind is brutal this morning!

Gail and I sat by the fire last night reviewing what has transpired in the world of digital gardening since we did our first website years back. We saw the site as a necessity because our gardens were here at our house in the middle of nowhere. As our little handmade catalog became more and more expensive to produce and mail, the digital world seemed the way to go while providing gardeners with lots of color pictures, good gardening ideas and easier updates for us.

One wouldn't think you'd receive negative comments about being progressive and offering more at your own expense but that was in the pre-electronic era. Cell phones were new and the likes of Kindle, Nook, ibooks, Sony, or Readius didn't exist. Many folks still had dial up when we did our site and we drove people nuts with download times even though our picture sizes were small and images were plentiful. Despite what politicians promise every year, much of rural America remains on dial up and complaints, though fewer than before, still trickle in. When you make any business decision, you know that you cannot please everyone.

After the website, we started this blog, The Vermont Gardener, and when we purchased land on Route 2 and decided to move our business, we started another blog, Vermont Gardens, to discuss building a horticultural business. Our intentions were good, but as the business move required more time, Vermont Gardens was merged with The Vermont Gardener. Some have suggested that I take Vermont Gardens down as it's been dormant for a year and a half now but every month someone goes back into the history and finds something to comment on.

Gardening blogs are plentiful and they represent all manner of gardening around the world. As I began my blog, I linked to blogs I liked. Quickly I found that blogs were popping up every minute and I couldn't possibly even find the time to add those I really liked as links to The Vermont Gardener. Then I found Blotanical, a server for gardening blogs. I joined that and in 2009, was named Vermont Gardening Blog of the Year.

But 2009, was the year of Facebook and I started a page to keep up with the competition. I started a page under my name, George Africa, and then started a Vermont Flower Farm page. Web visits bothered me and as I looked behind the way I had constructed our website and FB page, I found that competition within the hospitality business for the words "flower" and farm" were intensive enough that I changed the name to Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens. Every bed and breakfast in New England had caught on to promoting flowers on the dining table, flower petals on the sheets and at weddings, and walks in gardens. I had to change how I used words and ideas just to compete.

Last spring I decided to try Twitter which was all too easy. My thought was to purchase an Apple phone and walk the gardens each morning uploading the latest blooming flower with a description, price and invitation to visit. The idea was good but cell coverage at our home and business hardly exists at all to the point of remaining more trouble than it may be worth because of inconsistency. I continued with taking the pictures and I put them out via computer. My time saving ideas for promotion are still waiting for someone to deliver technology here.

Twitter and Twitpic did it for me and before spring I suspect we'll exceed a 1000 followers. Again, it's all part of the digital challenge. People offer invitations each week to join Linkedin and a variety of social networking tools but I have had to close the door for now for the sake of time management. Visitors have suggested I build an application for electronic devices and give it to people so they can tour the garden with accompanying flower pictures, descriptions, zonal information and price. Fine idea but again, time in a two person business is tight and each decision like that must be tempered with financial return for time and money spent.

One of the greatest rewards of digital gardening relative to our business is Gail's feedback on customer and visitor response. People look at our website, good or bad, and come with a list of plants they want to purchase and a list of questions to ask. This makes for better gardeners and makes us better retailers. People say the pictures and information are tranquilizing and entertaining and that's nice to know too. They find the blog from the site or the site from Facebook or Twitter or from other links. And through this process, every gardener learns other digital resources which eventually come full circle to us.

Digital gardening is nice for days like today when wind keeps birds and critters in the woods, pushes snow horizontally, and wind chills cause frostbite in minutes. It is only going to grow. Some social networks may grow, merge with others, even fail.... but they will continue.

Up top is a picture of a great old lilium named Journey's End. We grew this lily for years and then availability diminished and by accident Gail and Alex planted tulips next to the last ones I had. Tulip breaking virus took one year to bring the plants down and their journey was over. In contrast, social networking will remain strong and will grow bigger....a great journey that's really just begun If you aren't a digital gardener yet, get clicking!!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the crackling fire and fresh coffee make me happy! Outside gusts to 16 right now.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Smaller Advertising

Saturday, February 12, 2011

12° here on the mountain this morning with a slight wind and a flock of goldfinches cleaning out the feeders. Ice fishermen continue to head to the pond while locals head in the opposite direction for Saturday morning recycling and shopping. Life is good!

A couple days ago Gail stopped in Wells River with a friend for lunch. They had just come from the nursing home where Gail's only remaining uncle, age 93, is now a resident. Lunch was a little late but the local pharmacy, called just that--The Pharmacy--offers a nice lunch. Vermont provides surprises as you don't always know where you can find good food but often it's in places you would never look. The Cabot Hardware Store has a good lunch too, but again--pharmacy--hardware store--who would think to go there?

As Gail exited the pharmacy, a woman was looking towards the car. "Does your husband write a blog?" she inquired. That started the conversation between Gail and new found friend, Janis Moore of TailGait Farm in Wells River. Janis raises and markets grass fed, free range, naturally raised beef including Herefords, Angus and a breed I wasn't familiar with named Simmentals. Janis had seen the URL decal on Gail's car window, was familiar with this blog and made the inquiry.

Years ago I had Tina from The Sign Depot in St Johnsbury make me a vinyl sign for Gail's car and then had a couple made for my trucks. Back then they were $25 each but the point is a little sign like this draws more attention to your business than you might think. I'm sure the price has probably gone up a little since I bought ours as the Toyota is now a 2004 and the truck has been replaced again but what I'm saying is this is a very good business investment that always conjures up a discussion . I had Tina's Dad make the 16 foot sign for our building roof and this summer I have a couple more I want made.

Gail didn't mention if Janis had a sign on her car or truck but the brief conversation was a good one and I was happy to hear that someone else reads my thoughts and enjoys hearing about gardening in Vermont. Hope you do too!

Writing from the moutain above Peacham Pond where the sun really never came out and where snow is now falling lightly. Blue jays have replaced the finches.

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

Social Networking Works!©

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

On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Garden Phlox

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Already past 10 o'clock this morning and the wind is coming up just as predicted. Last night's 4"-8" turned out to be only 3" but this wind is tossing it into drifts that confuse the totals. I'm still enjoying the 29°, knowing that we'll be below zero again in two days. The wild birds are in a feeding frenzy as if there is a storm approaching I don't know about but they were late in arriving this morning and that may be the cause of their behavior.

One of our favorite plants has always been garden phlox although you would never know it if you visited us. For years we have tried to grow phlox in pots for resale and have failed miserably, so much so that I refused to grow any until I completed a better study. I read what I could find for information and listened to University of Vermont studies on controlling powdery mildew. I attended a couple lectures and asked every grower I met if they had words of wisdom.

During the fall of 2009, we took all our potted phlox and lined them out at the nursery. They were planted at the top of the hill where air circulation was best and where the tall trees along the river provided some shade. The clay soil, although amended before planting, held too much moisture and although the roots grew well, the weeds seemed to grow taller than the phlox.


Purely by accident, "someone" planted some phlox in the lower garden by the river. It turned out to be a "good" mistake. The soil there is what I call sandy river loam but the correct classification is Sunny Silt Loam. The Natural Resources Conservation Service says about these soils:

"Sunny soils formed in loamy over sandy alluvial deposits on flood plains that are frequently flooded for brief duration from Fall through late Spring. They are very deep to bedrock and poorly drained. These soils have a water table at depths of 0 to 1.5 feet below the surface from late Fall through late Spring. Permeability is moderate in the loamy material and rapid in the sandy substratum."

At our location, the area does not flood but runoff from the mountain across Route 2 in early Spring and during heavy summer rains, collects for a day or two. The soil itself within 80-100 feet of the river is heavily stoned and absent of much organic material. Prior to our arrival the land was grown for hay and I heard corn was grown for a short period before it was reseeded with grass and various clovers.

The long and short of the soil story is that the phlox that were planted by mistake did very well. They showed no sign of mildew and their root systems multiplied several times what we had experienced at the top of the hill. We were impressed enough with the outcome to work up a new piece of land and prepare it for more planting this Spring. We have 14 varieties left from last year and are adding another ten varieties for this year. The plants should be ready for sale by late June-early July. They will be field dug based on demand.

If you like phlox, stop by for a visit. In coming months I will be adding a page to our website with pictures and descriptions. I have added pictures of the 14 leftovers on our Facebook Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens page. Phlox such as 'Bright Eyes', pictured below, can brighten your summer garden and add height to you cut flower arrangements.

Note: Blue Paradise pictured up top. Middle picture is an unnamed blue garden phlox from a century old farm in Randloph, Vt--a gift of one of Gail's friends.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where light snow continues and Karl the Wonder Dog says "Time for a walk."

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Garden of Dreams

Monday, February 7, 2011

24° here on the mountain this morning. The sky is cloudy and there is a typical post-Super Bowl lull as if another calendar page has turned. A flock of red polls cover the feeders and the ground so thickly that even the greedy jays sit in the maples waiting their turn.

As Gail drops off a fresh coffee, she mentions that I better put the plow back on the truck. 4"-8" coming late today. We were spoiled by last winter and the early part of this winter when storms stopped along Route 4, 60 miles to our south. In recent weeks it has been one storm after another and cold enough that the snow hasn't come off the roofs. Rake and shovel as I may, I cannot seem to catch up.

The gardens are well covered in snow now and we are left with a garden of dreams save for leftover skeletons from hollyhocks or actaeas or ligularias. I still like this time as it forces me to remember what plants needed attention and what gardens need new additions.

I have been surprised by the number of catalogs that have arrived this year. We work hard to eliminate all but very few catalogs but the economy obviously suggests struggles for new customers. Some of the largest, most successful growers in America are in serious financial condition now, a direct result of the housing situation, and some have already folded. During a discussion with one of the growers we use, I asked about a shrub plant I was interested in. The grower said they had reduced the number of new plantings because of royalty fees on some of the new varieties and because of lack of projected demand two years out. Essentially the grower was saying that if you plant it and it doesn't sell, you still have to take care of it and if it gets too big before it sells, it becomes almost worthless.This is a lesson a home gardener has no reason to understand but it does impact on what is available.

To help us better understand what flower growers are planting, I signed Gail up for a membership with the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers. This is an association for field and greenhouse growers. I wanted to join for some time and I kept belaboring the annual membership. I finally wrote the check and in the first journal issue we have recouped the price in the new information we have learned. To make your garden of dreams current you have to get out and about and see what others are growing.

As you scan the catalogs that probably are arriving in your mailbox, pay close attention to growing conditions on the newer varieties. There are many new flowers to tempt you but some may not make it in your gardens no matter how much you wish they would. Also think twice before you buy those "big collections of perennials" with the cheap price tags or the two pound cans of wild flower mixes for $5. You will definitely receive something for your money but what will actually grow in subsequent years may be another question. Spending just a little more from a local grower will provide a source for planting instructions and a person to actually talk to. Buy local when you can!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where a few snow flakes are falling and the red squirrels are reminding me that the sunflower seeds need replenishing!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Garden Development

Saturday, February 5, 2011

2° above zero here on the mountain this morning. We must have been tired last night as the wood stove was on its last spark this morning when I rose at 5 and fired it up again. It's a Hearthstone brand and I can't recommend it enough as it starts quickly which is nice when you're still half asleep,

Karl the Wonder Dog wasn't interested in much of a walk this morning and he's already back in bed. The crows were upset about something over in the red pines and are still talking loudly enough that I can hear them from inside the house. They should be here in about an hour for their morning review of new contributions to the compost pile.

I continue working on new additions to the hosta garden at the nursery. It is progressing nicely although people who visit us often seem to expect that I will work faster than I do. I have a couple orders in progress for more plants. Visitors interested in hostas and shade plants get out of the car, give a welcome and then head down to see what has changed. I wish it was closer to completion too but everything takes time.

I'm pleased with the trees and shrubs we have planted and only one maple worries me as to whether it will make it or not. I planted maples that can handle more water but the one in question had a poor root system and I should have returned it instead of planting it two years ago. The other trees are doing well.

I have always seen lindens planted along road ways and I have admired the nice leaves, good trunk and the annual growth. Since I was looking for more shade to replace the fading box elders, lindens seemed like a good choice. I obviously overlooked the part about them being a Japanese beetle magnet but like them just the same.

Last summer I added some dwarf yellow and also green nine barks and they are doing well. They offer a different height and width to contrast with the taller maples and mid range lindens. This spring I will add some ginkos and witch hazels so I have additional yellow leaves to work against the sinescing hostas come fall.

I ran short of the stay mat for the pathways--crushed granite that packs well and provides a smooth walk for older, shuffling feet. I have the hemlock timbers to make an 8 foot wide pathway down the mountain to the garden and those steps will be back filled with stay mat too so that part of the project will come together soon after spring planting.

Since we moved many, many mature hostas to this site, the plants are well set and should provide a good display this year. They still need to be relabeled and the entire area needs a coating of aged wood chips. Until the snow got deep two weeks ago I was stockpiling chips for that purpose. Lots of work to do but by mid July I hope that those making the walk will see a big difference from last year. It's nice to be able to see what a mature hosta looks like compared to a potted plant, a label and half a guess. Come visit!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where a ball of red sun pushes through the tamaracks and pines and suggests morning is here.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Winter Repairs

Friday, February 4, 2011

Although the sun is bright and there isn't any wind this morning, the temperature has worked to get to zero degrees here at just past 9 AM. It was below zero again last night and every aspect of this winter has been a real contrast to last year's record setting warmth.

Winter is a time when gardeners need to catch up on their reading and then begin to prepare for the following spring. Repairing equipment is always on the list even if it is something as simple as sanding and oiling tool handles or sharpening shovels and hoes. As gardens grow larger and and gardeners resort to more and more power equipment, the repair process becomes more important. Some things I can do and some things I need help with.

In 1983, Gail and I began gardening together and our first investment was a Troy Built Rototiller. This was in the days of a South Burlington, Vermont store named Garden Way located on Williston Road where the current Alpine Shop operates. It was a great store that carried all means of putting-food-by equipment as it espoused the WWII theories of the Have-More Plan. There were seeds and tools and books and canning equipment. It was one of those stores that always took time to just visit, let alone make a purchase at because everything was good quality and interesting. Even though we didn't have much money, we opted for a Horse Model 8 hp 319 CC with a Briggs & Stratton Industrial Commercial Engine complete with hiller/furrower attachment for potatoes and similar crops. I'm not sure but I think the cost was somewhere around $1400.

A great deal has transpired in the 28 years since and our gardens have grown into a business that now involves 5 acres at our nursery and a couple acres here at our house. Over those years the Troy Built received regular oil changes, a few spark plugs, a couple belts, starter springs and pull cords and one, maybe two Magnetron ignitions......and it kept starting on a couple pulls and kept chugging along.

This summer, the 28 years caught up with the engine. Although it had developed an added mosquito fogger control feature we didn't count on, fact was it needed an engine job.

Equipment doesn't come with a technician and although routine maintenance was not difficult, I knew I needed help on an engine rebuild. My friend Mike just down the road from our house can fix about everything going and he spends his winters rebuilding equipment. His project list goes from remote control toys to a 1940 something Case tractor he completely dismantled, moved into his cellar and has been restoring for a couple years now. That project will roll back out this spring and it may well join Gail's John Deere 320 Utility tractor on display at the nursery.

Anyway Mike stops by the nursery on weekends during the summer and one day I guess he saw blue smoke rising. He suggested that he bring me his tiller, same make and size but different vintage, and take away our tiller until he could take it apart. As I sit offering this history, the pieces you see here have about come back together.

The engine block needed to be bored and the piston and rings are now appropriately resized too. Valves and seals everywhere are new as are a couple springs and a new gas shut off valve.


As Mike worked through the dismantling and rebuilding, he said the quality of this engine was superior. He and a friend chuckled over a comment that the tiller would now last a lot longer than the owner. If it lasts another 28 years, I'll be 90 and it will need new tires too. I'm really grateful to have a friend who can laugh with me about my shortcomings and work through what I need to keep my equipment operating. Mike's a great guy and if you knew him, you'd wish he lived down the road from you too!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the only thing on today's list is raking the last quarter of the house roof. It will be nice to have that done before the next storm comes through. Oh yes, never forget preventive maintenance.


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Gettin' Better

Thursday, February 3, 2011

Almost 10:30 AM here on the mountain. 16° with a 3 mph wind. The sun is still trying to break through the clouds but to no avail. Kinda like me trying to get back to The Vermont Gardener after two weeks of fighting a virus. I always get a flu shot but this year, even after the shot, something did an end run. All I can say is that if I had encountered the "real" thing, I'm not sure how well I would have done. I'm still weak but I'm making myself do a few things every day. Yesterday's storm left little choice and minutes ago I came in from plowing the last of yesterday's gift. Alex will get the paths shoveled for the final time and Gail will feed the birds.

Tons of fresh white snow make gardeners yearn for color. I return to this simple picture of a garden at our house when I want to show how easy and inexpensive it is to put together a season-long mass of color that involves Vermont hardy plants. When we ran Vermont Flower Farm out of our house, the gardens around the property served to represent mature examples of what we sold in pots. We lined the paths with thousands of pots, all in alphabetical order and all properly signed. The pots are gone now and the displays are unkept but the notion of inexpensive gardens remains.

Take a look at the picture and you'll notice some tall reds. Those are Crocosmia 'Lucifer', a bulb that will remind you of a gladiola. This plant is from the plains of southern Africa and only 'Lucifier' is hardy here in Vermont. It needs to be planted in a light moist-to-dry situation. You'll know if you have it placed right by year two when it will be profoundly absent or have happily reproduced into more and more flower scapes.

3 foot tall lavender flower scapes from various hostas border the fence. Their numbers wave in obvious clumps and last a number of weeks. Rudbeckias from yellows and oranges to mahogany browns begin in July and bloom into late September. Over time the flowers dry somewhat but the color binds everything together.

Daylilies line the borders and provide continuous color. Simple daylilies such as Lemon Lollipop or Mini Pearl bloom from July into almost Columbus Day and rejuvenate themselves daily as there is fresh color. The cream shades of Joan Senior and Miss Amelia and So Lovely provide varying heights and nice color even after frosts have begun.

Across the fence a collection of actaeas, formerly known as cimicifugas, range in height from 3 to 8 feet and put up bottle brush flower plumes that draw daytime butterfly visitors and any-time moths and insects. And then towards the backdrop, hollyhocks mingle with hydrangeas and garden pholx in purples, whites, lavenders, fuchsias, "almost" blues, reds and pinks. None of these are difficult to grow and all can be used as cut flowers.

So as you look out at new snow cover, think positive thoughts about the colorful gardens you have or can have without great expense or work. If you have questions or comments, drop us a line.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where three crows just found a new addition to the compost pile.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
Social Networking Works!©
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm