Where's Waldo?

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

The temperature is back up to 17.1 degrees after starting at 20 degrees and dropping to 13. The wind is off and on at 3 mph as the sun rises above Peacham Pond and a new day starts with little promise of the warmth we enjoyed earlier in the week. I just finished a breakfast of poached eggs, OJ and coffee with my friend, Karl the Wonder Dog,  but he only had eggs. He just returned from a walk with Gail and now he is enjoying the wood stove's warmth.

If you remember the Martin Handford  kid's book, Where's Waldo, you remember searching around for a little guy with a red hat. I have been a Waldo of sorts during the past couple months and people have asked Gail where I'm hiding. The Waldo hat is replaced by my honey bee association hat in warm weather or a Carhartt hat on colder days but otherwise I am the same George, just older and busier than ever.

When we get through most of August and the first of September at the flower farm, Gail continues to clean things up there and I get back into my work here at the house creating more wood trails and roads, cutting firewood and cleaning the fields. A year ago I heard just too many stories about friends and acquaintances younger than me passing on to another world. I told Gail that I intended to do more of what I wanted to do. That's exactly what I have done. To keep social media going I have concentrated more on Facebook and Twitter so if you miss me again, look at my personal George Africa page on Facebook or the Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens Like page. Both have pictures and stories and yes, I know well, there is a group of blog readers out there that refuses Facebook at every corner but of course the choice on where and when to write is always that of the author. I hope you'll continue to read on all the formats but if you only like The Vermont Gardener, rest assured that fall is here and I am back to more writing.  In a couple more weeks I will be spending more time at the writer's cottage back in the woods and I hope that will get me closer to some personal goals and provide gardeners with more good material.

This summer was another good one at the flower farm excepting I guess that the changing climate is something we must resign ourselves to. By that I mean that for agricultural  business owners like Gail and me, summer 2013 in Vermont saw many, many days when no one drove into the yard because it was raining so hard. The summer ended with much better weather and although sales were down from three years ago, they were slightly better than last year so I guess we haven't lost our touch with many gardeners.

In May just before our busy season started, I headed for Acadia National Park in Maine and over 4 days climbed trails and learned more of Downeast Maine. The park is not as busy then and for me it's a better time to hike when I don't have to back off trails for speedy kids to scoot by.

Worker Bee Michael who we have known since soon after he was born in 1992, finished his final year with us and headed back to his senior year at Castleton. He'll graduate next spring and will be into the world of work, perhaps in law enforcement which has interested him for some time. He was a great worker, great company and very good with visitors. When he left, Gail T. from Peacham helped a few days here and there  including the weekend that daylily sales peaked. I was really lucky because wife Gail had chosen that weekend to head to Maine with friend Julie for a tour of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, Schoodic Bay and points around Milbridge where I have been looking at real estate. Gail T. and I really loaded cars for several days and were almost too tired to smile. Almost.

Just after Labor Day,  Gail and Alex and I headed to Maine for a few days R&R and it was really nice to sit on the beach, read, listen to music and eat fresh seafood. We were all so tired we each did our own thing but had a good time and added to our list of Maine memories. I returned long enough to rest, then headed for Crawford Notch, NH to hike to Arethusa Falls in monsoon-like conditions and come within 75 yards of one of the biggest black bears alive in New England. Guess it was a day of "BIG" as the waterfalls I visited is the largest in New Hampshire at almost 200 feet tall. Great trips.

On the home front I continued to dig and line out daylilies for next year's sales, I weeded and tilled 3/4's of the daylily display gardens and field gardens, and I started splitting wood for fall 2014. My work on the trails in our forests continued and I chipped about 20 truckloads of brush to serve as soil amendment which Alex and I spread on top of tons of shredded maple leaves he and Gail and I moved to various beds. I brush hogged around the fields, framed up an outhouse at the writers cottage and found a logger to help clean up some trees that are experiencing serious insect infestation.

By the end of September I was ready for more hiking and I headed back to Acadia Maine to hike the Precipice Trail and the Beachcroft Trail, locate a nice private beach and relive previous visits to the Ladder Trail, the Wild Gardens of Acadia, Otter Cliffs and a number of other places. 

In mid October we had the opportunity to ride the Cog Railroad to the top of Mt Washington. This was a special experience and got me excited about making that climb on one of the many trails. I decided I would never drive my car up there after riding the train and seeing people with overheated radiators.

In recent days, as the air has chilled and snow crystals have peppered me, I have begun to think through getting started next summer on the Long Trail. I have a good friend who has me almost convinced to head for Baxter State Park in Maine, climb Mt Katahdin and consider the Knife Edge. The last part of that is only a consideration and only on a dry, windless day with an early start for an old set of legs but......maybe, maybe not.

So here it is almost Thanksgiving and my to-do list is bigger than a legal pad. Just the same it has been a great summer. We met so many gardening friends this summer, past and current customers, and met many, many new gardeners from all over the world. Some people stopped to visit and see what was new but apologized for no longer being able to garden. Others brought their kids and grand kids and asked us to participate in an education program. It was just an incredible experience where the family of customers and visitors is far reaching and the stories, although sometimes sad, most of the time bring smiles, laughter, and more stories. That's the good part about gardening!

Guess I better get going. We contracted with a local logger to help us with some problem areas and that work should start within the next month. Before, during and after, I'll be busy. Stop by if you're out and about. Thanks for a great summer and thanks for reading thoughts from The Vermont Gardener. If you have gardening questions and want an opinion, fire away and we'll try to  be help.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond, where the temperature remains a reluctant 20.1 degrees and blue jays fill the platform bird feeder as mourning doves and chickadees eat from the ground. Enjoy today!

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

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

On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

 Web sales always available at vermontflowerfarm.com

PS The picture up top is a sculpture at the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland, Maine. I love that museum because I love Wyeth family art...all art. Great place!

What Does Lining Out Mean?

 Tuesday, September 24, 2013

41.1° here on the mountain with a fairly constant 4 mph wind. People from the pond are heading out to work early today and some very questionable motorcycle maniac is going up and down the road a top speed  apparently testing something that is still not working correctly. Odd behavior for 5:15 AM. Oh well, part of living here.

Just returned from a long walk with Karl the Wonder Dog. He sniffed and snorted a few times and got me worried once when he backed out of the bushes with big barks but I didn't see or hear anything of concern. A neighbor reported a bear crossing the road above our house last night and perhaps it's still in the area, smelling the bee hives or the compost pile.

Sometimes when I write on Blogger or Facebook, I mention that I am lining out daylilies or other perennials. Not everyone has heard this terminology. Up top is a picture of my truck with some boxes of daylilies which just arrived from Walters in Michigan. We have used Walters for years since the quality of supplies from Europe began to diminish. Walters is big but it cares for customers and sends consistently sized roots. Although we continue to raise our own stock, there are times when we miscalculate and have to buy in replacements. This was the case this year when the daylily Prairie Wildfire was so popular. It's wasn't that it was new or different but the plants grew well with all the rain and the bloom counts were exceptional and we ended the season with only a half dozen plants. That was not enough to divide and get going for next season. .

Lining out plants simply means dividing them into smaller divisions if necessary and then planting them in rows to grow bigger. We leave space between the plants based on the size of the plant and how long we intend to leave them in the row. Some we plan to dig and pot, others we plan to dig and sell from the field but regardless, they all start out in rows--all "lined out" to grow bigger. This new garden pictured just above here is 120 feet long and it is heavier clay than I hoped for but it will help us with more space and more of the popular daylilies for next summer.

Sometimes we take large plants and divide them ourselves. Below here are two rows of a popular daylily named Ruby Spider. It's not a spider classification daylily but it has 9"-10" blooms at maturity and it blooms for a long time so it's really popular. I lined out 100 about three years ago and this summer we sold giant plants for $40 each. They were a chore to dig and carry but they sold well and we made a bunch of space by the end of the season. These that I lined out will go into 5 gallon pots come spring or will be sold from the garden again. Should be very nice!

So whether we dig and divide our own stock or buy in more new or replacemnt stock, lining out plants into the garden is a quicker way to get plants looking good really fast. Being planted in the ground requires less care and the plants grow more consistently because the humidity and fertilizer are not impacted as much by heavy rains. Potted plants require more work to keep nice as temperatures fluctuate and rain washes out nutrients. Today I have another 10 cases of plants to get in the ground and Gail has 8 more plants in the field that have to be divided and replanted. I'll be busy but I don't care as nice weather is on the way and by Thursday after lunch I'll be headed for Maine for some hiking. If you get a chance, stop by the flower farm if the gate is open. We are not staying until 5-6-7 PM any more this time of year but we're happy to see you if you're in the neighborhood!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where it's a very quiet morning. Peak foliage should be here the end of this week--middle of next week-- so come see the color. It's special and an important part of Vermont!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Always here to answer questions and help you grow your green thumb!
Yes, social networking works!

R&R In Maine

 Tuesday, September 10, 2013

A cool calm morning here on the mountain above Peacham Pond. 46° and windless as the sun adds just a touch of color to the sky as stars twinkle off one by one and a new days starts. For Gail and Alex and me,  we are back in Vermont after 4 days sitting on the beach in Wells, Maine. We do this every year right after Labor Day as an incentive to making it through the next month of cleaning up the nursery, weeding gardens, digging and dividing plants, and receiving orders for next summer that have to be planted now. As fall colors appear and daytime temperatures drop, we have shorter days to get a lot of work finished but the trip to the ocean always seems to provide the necessary rejuvenation.

We have been making this trip to Maine since the early 80's and only missed a year when Alex was born and I think when a family member was moving on to another world. We never stay long and always go about the same time because we know we can count on the weather to be just perfect. We were not disappointed again. What I have noticed is that the beaches we enjoy so much are experiencing serious change and there's nothing we can do about it.

It's hard for Gail and me to comprehend that Alex is actually 21 now but when he was small I would lay on the sand and we would collect all sorts of ocean debris and make little houses and forts and castles decorated with small pieces of driftwood, bird feathers, shells and small stones. It's all different now and it's not just that Alex is 21 that's as noticeable as the missing bird populations, the absence of shells, sand dollars, star fish and sea urchins. The fisherman on the beach don't catch fish like they did in 1982 and their numbers are less than +30 years ago too.

The beaches have changed physically and it appears there is no natural reversion possible. The hurricanes from three years ago reworked the beach in front of the hotel we always stay at and since we have stayed in the same room from year to year, we have a perpetual focus of the oceanfront and how it has changed. What was sand beach is now rock ledge and what was sand awaiting beach goers is now sand dotted with various sized stones that make even walking barefooted most difficult.

So as my hair greys and arthritis reminds me of my age, the world shows change too. Our trip provided rest and relaxation as planned but as for the environment, I am not sure. I walked the trails at the  Rachel Carson National Wildlife Refuge as I do each year and even there, incorporated as a piece of the third largest estuary in America, I see change. I see it in the river, in the marshes, in the oak forests. I see it along the pathways and I see it in the faces of the people who walk the refuge. Somewhere here there are historical messages that needed to be reread. It's bigger than rereading Carson's Silent Spring or George Perkins Marsh's Man and Nature but if you have not read those of late, consider them..........

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond. I hear a loon speaking loonish. If loons had a Webster's Dictionary, it would likely have a bazillion words as loons have been with us for a long, long time.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!
Come visit. There's still plenty of time to plant!

August Peony Reminder

 Monday, August 26, 2013

Raining here this morning---still raining--rained all night. Gail just took Karl the Wonder Dog out for a second walk and I'm surprised they are still out with the rain coming down like this. 57.6°, windless, rain drop quiet!

Just a quick reminder for peony growers. Mid to late August is when peonies set buds on their root stocks. If you want good bloom next season, be sure that your peonies are well watered this month. People seem to have this notion that if they remember rain that it translates to lots of water but water getting to the root stock is another thing. Peonies need a good drenching that provides enough water below the earth surface so they can take in a lot and swell up the buds. Give it a try and you'll be much happier with the results next July.

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If you are interested in adding to your peony collection or want to begin a collection, this is the time to make purchases and get them planted. Remember to dig an over sized hole and amend it well. Planting peonies should consider planting them for a long, long time so get the soil right first. And then--the planting--never plant the root deeper than 1.5"-2" below the surface. Planting lower than that will get you some fine looking foliage but never much in the way of bloom. Get it right the first time!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I hear a single loon right now. Love 'em!

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

Rudbeckias and Others

 Monday, August 19, 2013

Pink sky over Peacham Pond suggests another nice day for late summer clean up at the flower farm. We are weeding and dividing daylilies at the same time and the weeding part is a real chore this year after all the rain. We were last able to rototill the gardens in late May and for two weeks now that the sun has come out, we are working hard to make up for lost time. Michael started the work before he returned to college so I am in charge now and I take home a truckload of weeds about every night. It's a lot of work because in many places we had trouble getting control of weeds that floated in on the hurricane winds from two years ago.

For several years now I have grown a tall rudbeckia named herbstonne. Before I started shrinking and widening with age, I was 5'10" tall so you can see what herbstonne looks like in comparison. There are places in your garden that you might need some height and this would be the right plant. I does not spread too quickly and it catches attention from afar. Give it a try if you have that need for "vertical".

Here's an image of some of the success we are making along the fence line that is visible from Route 2. This garden runs parallel to Route 2 and over time will be an attention getter by itself. The cleome pretty much self seeded from last year while the other flowers are spreading themselves.This is a collection of Rudbeckia goldsturm, white and purple liatris, white veronicastrum, the herbstonnes,  and three varieties of baptisia. It makes for a nice mix and comes into its own this time of season.

If you are out and about today, stop by the flower farm and say hello. Hundreds of tourists are visiting the Cabot Creamery for the tour and cheese tasting while others are following the trail of vineyards and wine producers that dot Vermont now.You might want to get involved too!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where loons are yelling at me to get to work. I must!.

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

Hosta Care Reminders

Monday, August 19, 2013

A quiet morning here on the mountain. Another light rain storm passed through during the night but now it is clear, 50.2° and windless. The critters of the woods are out and about now, probably including the bear cub I saw yesterday afternoon.  Folks are heading to work from the pond and I can hear a log truck coming down from Rt 232. Karl the Wonder Dog is sleeping longer than usual and allowing me to write without interruption.

Hostas have always been the number one selling perennial which is a surprise to many. Hosta collectors have the American Hosta Society for guidance and the Hosta Library for reference. But as I meet and sell hostas to customers, I ask what people know about hosta virus and there is little response. The Hosta Library has some good info and pictures about the virus that is important to understand. The most recent on-line newsletter from the society mentions the progress being made to understand the virus. Vice President Rob Mortko had this to report:

"HVX Research Update

We are concluding our two year study at the

University of Minnesota with Dr. Ben Lockhart. The

final study report will be posted later this year. In

the meantime, we have confirmed the transmission

of HVX from virus-infected plant debris remaining

in a planting site. The infection process is slow and

it wasn’t until the second year after planting a clean

hosta in the same location that the virus was

observed and confirmed with a positive test. Please

DO NOT plant another hosta in the same location

after removing an HVX infected hosta."

 

 

This time of year in many parts of the hosta growing world, people are beginning their fall clean up. They might very well be spreading hosta virus to uninfected plants during very routine clean up. Some people mention that they weed whack all their hostas down and then rake the leaves and scapes up for disposal. This method is sure to spread disease.  Replanting a new hosta in the hole where an infected hosta was removed is sure to spread the virus too. I am mentioning this as the last thing you want to do is ruin your collection while trying to keep a good looking garden.

One more cup of coffee for me and I am out the door. I am cleaning up one of the daylily fields which means weeding, digging, dividing and then lining out daylilies that we will need in greater supply for next year. Stop by the flower farm and say hi!

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

On Facebook as George Africa and also as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens--lots of images!

On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Trillium History--So Good!

 Wednesday, August 7, 2013

A quiet morning on the mountain above Peacham Pond. The sky is rosy pink suggesting rain by nightfall. A zephyr blows from the west, ever so lightly that the maple leaves float up and down but don't make sound. The birds are quiet too for some reason and the bigger animals of the forest, the deer, bear and moose are nowhere to be seen this morning. Karl the Wonder Dog and I had a very nice walk and now back home we wonder how many animals stood motionless and watched us pass. We do not know.

Trilliums in our woods and gardens have long since passed and are in the final stages of forming seed pods.  Trillium erectum up top has big pods and grandiflorum (white), luteum (yellow) and undulatum (pink centered) featured below here all show swelling pods. Trilliums grow easily from seed but the gardener must pay attention to seed pod growth and harvest them before the ants do. Ants are the chief recorded seed dispersal agent of trilliums although I think deer might follow a close second as they probably destroy more trillium populations around the US than disrespectful people do.Trilliums are slow to germinate and take 7 years on average to flower so patience is a requirement.

Occasionally people ask if we sell trilliums. We have sold some but generally do not because they have never been popular enough to warrant the time. I can be convinced to sell some but not right now as we are in the middle of daylily season and things are busy.

Although I cannot share potted trilliums right now, I do want to share a marvelous article written by Cole Burrell. Cole is a great plantsman and I really like his book Perennial Combinations: Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right From The Start (Rodale Press). I have recommended it to many gardeners and have given it as a gift several times. But the article that I think is so special is one that friend Barry Glick just shared. It's Burrell's Obsession and Exploitation: 

The Cultural History of Trillium. Here it is as a pdf file. http://www.mtcubacenter.org/images/symposium-files/Burrell-Cole.pdf

 

I know you'll like it just as much as you would like a swath of pink centered, last blooming Trillium undulatum pictured here as a closing memory.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where a loon talks loonish in a noisy voice I can hear from here. Have a great gardening day. Stop and see us! The daylilies remain strong and Gail has some nice late bloomers starting.

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

Daylily Deadheading

 Saturday, August 3, 2013

A not-so-nice morning here on the mountain. Rain has resumed and as it pounds on the roof, Karl the Wonder Dog trot-trot-trots from room to room, whimpering with an uncomfortable feeling, perhaps fearing that thunder is soon to come as it did last night. This is a strange storm as it was raining at 3 this morning but by 4 when we went for our first walk, the sky was clearing and stars were visible. I hope it all heads for the coast and we have a good day of sales at the flower farm.

The daylilies have been beautiful this year because of all the rain we received in May and June.Yesterday and Thursday as I dug large daylilies from the field, it was surprising to notice how dry the roots were in the middle of big plants. The field daylilies were planted in 2007 and 2008 so some of those are big plants and they represent what you might see in your own gardens after seevral years--daylilies that need to be split when scape production in the center of the plants begins to decline.Tight center root systems prevent water and nutrients from entering the center portion.

Three weeks back a rep from the Dept of Agriculture came by for an inspection of our place. This is required annually by law and is tied to a nursery license. The Department has always had inspections but just this year changed the licensing format and the fee schedule. I always try to speak with the inspector even though Gail has already done the same thing. This year was no different except that I was busy when he came and said I'd catch up at the end of his tour.

Two insects that are being seen in all sorts of garden situations, vegetable and flower gardens as well this year,  are tarnished plant bugs and rose chafers. Among our fields, we have seen both but the inspector says the numbers are typical. Here are some thoughts first on the TPB.

We raise thousands of daylilies and depend on high bud counts and plenty of bloom to help us sell flowers. People drive by along Route 2 and see our fields and stop to walk and make purchases.To keep things looking as good as possible, we walk the fields every couple days and try to deadhead as many daylilies as possible. Mature plants might have well over 400 blooms during the course of their flower period so it's a challenge to keep up with the work. But I have a more important reason for deadheading and it's related to the Tarnished Plant Bug TPB.

Take a look at the daylily picture up top. It's a beauty named Ruby Spider. At maturity the blooms meet 10" diameters and there are hundreds of blooms on a clump. We have a couple big rows in the lower growing garden if you want to see what mature clumps look like. Take a  close look and you'll notice spots within the red, especially the top left and lower left petals.Those spots are the work of the Tarnished Plant Bugs as they eat away at the petals. Although they like any daylily, they especially like the darker colors so the reds, purples, and dark variations.

TPBs are speedy little characters and they see you when you are coming and they will fly, drop off, or run for cover. If there are old blooms withered and wet, they may try to get inside those. By deadheading. you eliminate a place they lay their eggs and make a bigger problem next year. Some gardeners see deadheading as a real messy task while others find it difficult to enter a garden, even one that is not theirs, and start deadheading. One time a lady started deadheading daylilies Alex had begun crossing and he was one unhappy camper with her "helpful" behavior as hybridizing does not work without certain plant parts. Anyway, my point about tarnished plant bugs is they are a nuisance, do discolor nice daylilies and will not go away by themselves. Deadheading is one approach to minimizing bug populations.

Rose Chafers have grown in numbers as winters have warmed. In my mind I wonder if the increase in grape vines in Vermont both in home gardens and in commercial vineyards and as wild vines has had any impact on numbers because many, many people stopping at the flower farm ask about control. Although literature often mentions grape vines as a favorite food source, they prevail on all sorts of vegetation and currently seem to be more prevalent along the sandier soils along the Champlain Valley and the mid to lower Connecticut River valleys. I'm saying this based on the complaints we receive from  visitors asking for guidance on control measures.

Since TPBs and rose chafers both fly, control becomes somewhat of a challenge. Internet resources are bountiful but I am still looking for an inexpensive organic resource that works. Yesterday I bought a bag of milky spore that will cover 7000 square feet to help with Japanese beetles and I wish there was something that would dispose of these other two. What we really need is a winter with some deep cold cycles.....but then we'd worry about the heating bill. If you have any good solutions, drop me a line.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the sun is trying to push through grey clouds. Temperature is 60.6° and the morning is windless. Come visit us at the flower farm today, count bugs or tour the gardens. The daylilies are wonderful!!

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

Japanese Beetles

Friday, August 2, 2013

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

George

Late Daylilies

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

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

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

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

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

Some of our Mid to late season:

 

 

El Desperado

Western Sandstone

August Frost

Red Sentinel

Red Razzmatazz

The Jury's Out

Chicago Apache

Lavender Stardust

Marque Moon

Modern Design

August Bloom:

Fire King

Mighty Chestnut

Spanish Glow

Scottish Fantasy

The Jury's Out

Late Bloom:

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

Challenger

Last man Standing

Autumn Gold

New In Town

Butterscotch Harvest

Have a great day! Come see us,

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

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

On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Buy Local, Buy Vermont Flowers

 

Jovibara heuffelli

Purple Haze

Monday, July 22, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Always here to help you grow your green thumb!
Yes, we do sell plants on-line. Lots of them!

Old Gardening Books

Sunday, July 14, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

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

On Twitter as vtflower farm

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Bears Abound And Rebound All Around

Sunday, June 30, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Trillium Highlights

Saturday, June 15, 2013

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

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

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

 

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

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

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

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

Turn On The Lights

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

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

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

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


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

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

 

Just Peonies

 Thursday, May 30, 2013

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

Best gardening wishes!

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