A Sensory Garden In Maine

Thursday, September 17, 2009

A beautiful morning here on the mountain. We're back in Vermont where the morning temperature is just 40 degrees and the heavy dew is dripping from goldenrod that are already turning brown with age. Maine was beautiful and we are already sentimental for the sound of the ocean. The morning chatter of the ravens is a slim replacement but in fact, it's part of Vermont.

The newest garden at the Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens is the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses. I had been following the grand opening of this garden and wanted to attend the official opening in June when I blew the engine in my truck. Life has priorities and my visit had to be postponed. One of the staff at the reception center told me that the day of the celebration was a bit damp with four inches of rain and slim attendance. I wasn't the only one missing.

The sensory garden is a combination of sunken garden, pond, stream, walkways, trees, shrubs, plants, sculpture and a fountain that challenge all the senses. Looking down from above, the stone floor reminds me of the trilobite fossils that prevail in the rocks that line Lake Champlain here in Vermont.


Visitors stop and bare their feet to walk the paths and extend their use of "foot senses", long ago neglected. I watched one child close her eyes and follow the course with giggles and wide smiles.


I often marvel at seeing garden floors such as this one displayed in gardening magazines as if they appear out of no where in your garden. Just collecting stones, let along "planting" them, takes patience and mastery. Few folks even know how to mix cement anymore. The finished product, however, always brings compliments and "how'd you do it's?"


The plantings are special and I found myself spending more time with each planting than I probably had at other places at MCBG. It might have been the newness but I think it was simply that this is a really special place that affords opportunities for everyone, with or without missing senses or hampered accessibility. I really liked it!

Here are a few pictures. They won't replace a visit but they will make you want to go!

The pond and fountain area are visible from the natural bridge or anyplace on the surrounding walkways. Between the sound from the fountain or the streams, a tranquility prevails over the chatter of happy kids. The granite sculpture in the background affords a chance to "touch" the drilled carvings visually and by actual touch. As we design our own gardens, it's good to think about how we intend our visitors to master and absorb our key garden components.

I always enjoy water gardens and lilies draw my attention. Rural Maine has thousands of small ponds and lakes full of water lilies and I'm sure there are some businesses hidden away someplace where lilies are raised commercially. In this pond, I kept looking under the lilies to try to spot a fish but I think the pond is fishless although frogs like it here.

Some plants such as this cardamon are perfect for a sensory garden because they bring so many talents with them. I am not familiar with the plant or its herbal uses but I was struck by the seed heads which form their very own sculpture.


The designers did a super job with colors and textures and I cannot offer enough praise for the product. Gail and I have always been partial to heucheras and apparently we are not alone. Aside from the multitude of ways people pronounce "heuchera" (check out Heucheras & Heucherellas by Dan Heims & Grahame Ware, Timber Press), these examples of 'Caramel' were great as were the Heuchera 'Frosted Violet'.

This next silver sage named 'Hobbit's Foot' also caught our attention. I doubt it will grow well here in zone 4 but it is so appropriate in the Lerner Garden of the Five Senses. I almost wanted to pat it but I held off, rubbing the head of a nearby rabbit sculpture instead. I shouldn't have but there was something beckoning about the smooth head of that stone bunny.

Trees and shrubs abound and this Tiger Eyes Staghorn Sumac is an eye catcher I had only seen on websites before. The color was appropriate for the season and the sumac worked so well with surrounding colors and textures. My mind momentarily went into rewind mode and I recalled the Glory maples in the front parking lot under planted with masses of Hemerocallis 'Patio Parade'--more examples of very good use of a color some folks say they are tiring of. There's no way I could be bored with the opportunity of Tiger Eyes.



There's plenty to experience at the sensory gardens. I'll get back to this soon but for now, it's time to get going on our own gardens. Time is short, the heavy frosts will be here soon, and there's lots of summer clean up to do. If you happen to drive by the nursery and the gate is open, stop by for a garden chat. There's always time to talk gardens, compare notes.


Writing again from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the loons still call as maple leaves turn yellow, orange and red.

Fall gardening wishes,

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

Still shipping very healthy plants until mid October from Vermont Flower Farm

Parks & People

Monday, September 14, 2009

Sitting by the hotel window looking east as the sunrise spreads bigger and bigger in front of me. High tide is working its way to shore and the mornings' beach walkers are moving closer and closer to the cement beach walls. Men in pick up trucks are parked at the overlook area drinking coffee and telling stories. It looks like another nice day.

When we left Maine Coastal Botanical Gardens the other day, I day plenty of thoughts and pictures to share but for right now I keep thinking of a stop we made in Georgetown, Maine at Reid State Park. This is a park that I took Gail to back in 1989 and we just never made it back again. She really enjoyed the place so I said we'd stop by again. Alex, now 17, was never there so he wondered what Gail was enamored with too.

We parked the car and unloaded our beach chairs, cooler and cameras and headed down the path to the north. There were only a couple cars in the lot but it was early enough in the day to explain that. As we crested the hill, the beach had a strange look to it as if a shipload of settlers landed and began building shelters for the night.





I was taken by the driftwood assemblies and wondered about their origin. I thought it would have been fun to watch whomever it was that appeared and began building them. There was a mystery here that challenged me.

Down the road a ways we had passed Woolrich, Maine, a town that I had misrepresented in my mind for years. When I was a kid growing up, I reached age ten which was the time I was allowed to go deer hunting by myself. That included visiting deer camps and seeing real hunters. Back then, hunters wore woolen clothes either made by Johnson Woolen Mills in Johnson, Vermont, or Woolrich woolen clothes from Woolrich, Maine...I thought. It was only during this trip to Maine that I found out that Woolrich, no less a maker of fine woolen garments, was actually from Pennsylvania although both Woolrich, Maine and Woolrich, Pennsylvania were no doubt named after the same town in England. Whether it be clothes by Johnson or Woolrich, my early deer hunting dreams sought out a .300 magnum rifle and green plaid woolen pants and coat--identities of "real" hunters.

The reason I mention Woolrich is that it's also home to The Shelter Institute, another place on my list of places to visit, things to do. The Shelter Institute offers courses in building small houses and learning post and beam construction. The thought of a course rings louder every year as I really want to build a camp down towards Peacham Pond and post and beam is the way I want to go. The Shelter Institute came to mind immediately as I looked at the Reid State Park beach and saw primitive structures reaching more than half a mile down the shore.The implication is mine alone and I don't want to misrepresent such as fine company with the suggestion that you learn house building by stacking driftwood, but factually, primitive shelters begin that way and these were examples to me.

We set up our chairs and began our relentless reading and relaxing--two pursuits that follow seven days a week in our gardens since Vermont's white stuff stopped falling. Every once in a while I'd look up at the structures and think about who built them....a pointless curiosity but a gnawing thought. As I glanced up from reading the latest copy of Northern Woodlands Magazine (subscribe folks!) I noticed a group of a dozen older looking folks at the top of the beach trail. One by one then slowly inched to the beach and it was clear they were a group of seniors out and about for the day. One man worked his way to the largest, closest structure, and then bent over, picked up a large piece of driftwood and leaned it up against the other wood. He had made his contribution to shelter building. He must have been heading towards 80 years old but the smile on his face showed an enthusiasm similar to his younger years. His companions cheered him for his accomplishment. Although I couldn't get the camera going fast enough to catch the "pick up the wood" part, here's part of the sequence.

By now good gardeners are probably wondering how come I am bunny hopping around with conversation devoid of gardening info. Rightful question but gardeners are people and I'll bet there was a time when this man was a passionate gardener. For this day, just like me, he was enjoying a piece of Maine and a bright sunny day.


Writing from a beach in Maine where the sun is up, the morning is warm, the seagulls are talking in terms I don't understand, and people are all saying the same thing..."Isn't this a wonderful day?"

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

FYI: If you ever head down the peninsula to Reid State Park, stop at Georgetown Pottery. It has some of the nicest Ikebana vases you'll find. One vase, one late blooming daylily scape, one piece of clematis or hops vine and you'll witness contemplative floristry at its finest! And yes, you can do it yourself!

Botanical Gardens

Saturday. September 12, 2009

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

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

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

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

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


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



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

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

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

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

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


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


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


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

Just Maine

Saturday, September 12, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Now writing from Wells, Maine


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

Fall Approaches

Monday, September 7, 2009
Labor Day

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

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

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

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

Good gardening wishes,

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

Good Communication

Sunday, September 6, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

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

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

Hurricane leftovers

Saturday, August 29, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

Miss Amelia

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

So Lovely
See what I mean?

Highland Lord


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


Ezekial
Talbott 1991
Actually a little darker than this picture.

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

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

Morning Drips and Drops

Vera Biaglow

Sunday, August 23, 2009

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

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

Rococo

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

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

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

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

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

Omomuki

Dragon's Eye
Smaller bloom, good bud count.

Catherine Woodbery

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

Beauty To Behold

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

Bama Music

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

Amazon Parrot

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



Have to go!

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

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

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

Where's George?

Saturday, August 22, 2009

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

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

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

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

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

Pat's Nearly Famous BBQ

Bonanza

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


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

Becky Lynn

Barbary Corsair

Anne Warner

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

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

Business Cards

Sunday, August 2, 2009

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

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

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

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

Corky

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

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

Good gardening wishes!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm