Pollinators

 Thursday, March 31, 2016

An interesting morning here on the mountain. Now up to 40.9° with a 3 mph breeze.  The sky is clouded over but sunlight is just beginning to emerge. It is supposed to warm to 55°-60° by noon so I am trying to wind up inside chores and get outside. In another two days the temperatures will fall again and I won't be so eager to be outside. 

There has been plenty of discussion in the past 2-3 years about the importance of pollinators. The absence of the monarch butterfly has stimulated the discussion in the east where pockets of butterflies have been obvious but not like their absence in places such as the flower farm a couple years ago. Last summer the total count was about 13 but nothing like 10 years ago. Back then I used orange colored flags to mark off 12 X 50 foot garden plots I was preparing to rototill for daylilies. The monarchs were in good numbers then and they appeared around the garden sitting by or on the flags as if orange flags were their favorite friend. Never since have there been so many. 

 So for my part in a personal "Bring Back The Pollinators" campaign I have begun to plant flowers, some annuals, some perennials, that are proven to me to be pollinator magnets. Yesterday I ordered in three flats of 50 plugs each of  Vernonia noveboracensis, an ironweed sometimes commonly named New York Ironweed. I have never found it growing wild in Vermont but understand there are places in New England where it can be found. It caught my attention several years ago at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens where it was mass planted in groupings of 20-40 plants. It grows to be 6-7-8 feet tall and  that height in a large planting is an impressive standout even for long distance eyes.

This ironweed works well with the equally tall Eupatorium maculatum 'Gateway', any of the 3-4 foot heleniums, the 6-7 foot tall Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' , 5-6 foot tall Veronicastrum, and the 6'-7' tall annual Tithonia commonly referred to as Mexican Sunflower.  Grow some annual Verbena bonariensis in front of the entire mass and I guarantee you will be pleased with the color and will have plenty of butterflies, moths, bees, and hummingbirds to look at.  You do not have to do this all at once, as a plant here, a plant there will spread and get to the same grouping size over time. Just remember the mature sizes of these plants so they match your site.

If you stop by the flower farm this summer, ask me about pollinator plants. I'll point out what we might still have for sale and you can check out the garden plantings too.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where in the time I have written this the temperature has risen 6 degrees and the wind speed one mph. I better get going!

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
And always here to help you grow your green thumb!!

Eupatorium Joe Pye Weed

Friday, March 26, 2016

An off and on day that finally settled down in the afternoon and provided sunshine to suggest clearing sky and a nice weekend. This is a picture from last season of our hosta and shade garden. We think it's a very nice place to visit. It's still under construction after 6+ years but many of the hostas are mature at this point  and offer a first-hand look at where you will be in a few years if you start with a plant in a one gallon pot.

In 2011, we had three different floods on this property. Hostas can take a great deal of abuse including water as long as it finally subsides which it did. The real problem with the flooding was the introduction of millions of weed seeds. Some of these came from high in the watershed either up towards Walden or over towards Molly's Falls Pond, maybe even Peacham Pond and further towards the Groton State Forest. We were more fortunate than many farmers along the river that found themselves facing a bazillion new starts of Japanese Knotweed. Our problem has been eupatorium, also known as Joe Pye Weed. The native-to-Vermont eupatorium is a great magnet to pollinators just like the hybrids, but it is a more vigorous grower and it spreads quickly from its root systems and from seeds which are abundant. 

If you happen to live in proximity to a river where knotweed is common, keep vigil in your gardens for eupatorium too. In our image up top here, the eupatorium is the dark green plant, center picture, on the right side. Once it gets established to the size pictured, it is a bear to remove because the roots have taken hold and are already deep. It can be removed, it's just work! It's far easier to get going right away on the seedlings, but do beware that even their roots grow quickly and need persistence to remove.  If you are unfamiliar with eupatorium and want to see it first hand, ask me when you stop by and I'll show you the problem that it creates. 

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the late night is quiet even though the wind continues at 4 mph.

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

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

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

The Ash--A Favorite Tree!

Tuesday, March 22, 2016

A strange day today with weather that changes with the wind that blows from 2 to 8 mph and then stops and starts. 32.1° now with occasional snow flakes floating around despite an earlier weather report that said we would see highs in the low forties by noon. Which noon? Not this noon for sure!

Another interesting article came through from the entomology group I subscribe to. This one is about the emerald ash borer. Ash has been one of my favorite trees since I developed a strong relationship with them as a young kid swinging a way-too-big splitting maul. We lived in a large farmhouse  with multiple wood stoves and on the good winter nights you didn't see your breath downstairs but when going upstairs to sleep, you could be assured that it would be cold. Firewood was part of my job. I loved ash because it burned hot, burned green, and split like butter. It was also lighter to handle than maple or beech, our other two predominant fire woods. Ash was also the wood from which my favorite Louisville Slugger baseball bat was made of.

Some years back it was reported that the emerald ash borer had invaded America and was heading north from Central Park NYC. The thought bothered me because the initial prognosis for trees infected with the borer was bleak. A couple years later purple box-like sticky traps could be found hanging from trees in Groton Forest and my fear of disaster grew. One day I found an emerald ash borer while on my hands and knees weeding one of my gardens. Somehow it dropped out of the ash tree and hit me enough to be noticed. I picked it up, identified it as an EAB and reported it to the state folks. They indicated they didn't need to inspect as the borers had not been verified yet. The inspectors had apparently never caught one on any sticky traps (above) and that was good enough for them.

Since that time emerald ash borers have been identified on the Vermont/Massachusetts line and in several southern counties of New Hampshire. That probably means they are moving north so if we really didn't have them, we really will. Here's the article which you might be interested in:
http://entomologytoday.org/2016/03/07/heres-how-to-inspect-your-trees-for-emerald-ash-borer/

And in case you're wondering about the picture up top of this page, that's an ash tree with a wonderful example of the Lunge Lichen, Lobaria pulmonaria. That lichen can be found on white or black ash trees.  I took the picture at Marshfield's town forest on a January day that was warmer than today if you can believe it. Go see it!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the mourning doves are in the pine trees but the blue jays continue to work the grass under each feeder looking for leftovers from earlier month.

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

Aedes aegypti--Oh Boy!!

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

A damp morning here on the mountain with a 44.2° temperature and a 2-3-4 mph breeze. The snow is about melted from the fields and woods around the house and it's hard to believe that winter never really materialized. My benchmarks involve how many times I put the  snowplow on the truck and this year it occurred just once. Memories of last year's gardens is what keeps me going this time of year when we are between seasons.

Looking out the office window at puddles of water reminded me of an article I just read on one of the entomology sites I subscribe to. It mentioned the Zika crisis and Aedes aegypti, the insidious mosquito that is actively involved in spreading disease and death. Some of the attributes of this insect served as reminder to the spring clean up that we should probably give more importance to. In Vermont, for years and years, we have had Vermont Green Up Day, a giant effort to pick up roadside and "public places" trash and make our state look nicer for the coming summer. It's a great event and in recent years I have noticed that some folks start the event earlier and keep their clean-up going longer. I like that. 

The Aedes egypti mosquito has been around for a long time. It was targeted for its links to dengue and yellow fever and also chikungunya and now has been identified relative to Zika. This mosquito is known to bite during days or nights and is described as a container breeder because the females lay eggs in small amounts of water found is trash, cans, bottles, old tires, and rain gutters. It takes little water to serve as a nesting site and their primary target is human blood. That explains the links between people and trash. 

Aedes aegypti are known to live in South and Central America so most would probably say that Vermont is a stretch. I suggest that maybe we should keep track of what climate change has done to animals and insects. We may not like it, but some critters seem to acclimate to new and unusual places. Large snakes are becoming very large problems halfway up the US coast now. As pets, they have been abandoned into the wild and although some have said that they cannot live where it gets cold, that just doesn't hold true. They may not make it in Vermont but in the past year wildlife control staff have had to deal with alligators and large snakes in proximity to Washington DC. The Charles River in Boston has long been the home of piranha, that toothy fish from South America that prefers schools of company and can devour a large cow in short order. Changes happen!

So as spring weather approaches, thoughts of Green Up Day may have a different meaning this year. Maybe just maybe, we should relate our clean up not just to sprucing up the roads and byways but to improving our likelihood of better health. As I walked along the part of our land that parallels Route 232 last week, I found 5 tires that had been rolled off someone's car and down the hill. Someone apparently thought "Out of sight, out of mind." and didn't want to pay the recycling charge. Chances are good however that left there,  those 5 tires will become breeding habitat for insects after this week's rain and soon-to-come warm weather. Let's think this through and do a better job. And no matter what our opinion on Aedes aegypti, let's Green Up Vermont!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the ground outside my window is full of juncos as noisy crows discuss political news from nearby maples. Be well!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as George Africa and also as Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
And also writing on a variety of gardening sites and social media endeavors!

And remember, we're always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Bad Bugs and Climate

Thursday, March 10, 2016

52 degrees here on the mountain above Peacham Pond. The sky is dark and some more rain is en route for later today. I just checked an old weather journal I used to keep and the entries were interesting.  Today in 1977, it was 57°.  In 1999, March-to-date was 18° below the norm. March 10th was  -3° to start that day but it ended at +30° with sun. That year had a year-to-date accumulation of 61.9" of snow in Burlington, more here, and still had 83" of snow on Mt Mansfield.  This week often has had snow, rain, freezing rain, slushy roads and mud. Today the first grackles appeared.This is the last day that we will have the feeders out as the birds are actively taking down all the remaining suet.

There was a prediction a month ago that the months of March, April and May would be much warmer than usual. Clearly the winter has been on track with the warmest conditions since 1912. The warmer temperatures have been a more recent situation with talk of climate change supported by the readings we have seen. I have noticed the warming trends by way of insect populations. Bad insects. Different insects. Unknown insects. Lots of insects.

Today's Entomology Today has an interesting article on an insidious insect I don't like. The stink bug.  Take a look at the accompanying link and read on. There are a few different stink bugs in New England and research suggests they are impacted differently by warmer weather. Some findings are encouraging, some not so good for the summer to come.

 http://entomologytoday.org/2016/03/10/temperature-affects-stink-bugs-more-than-any-other-factors

Some place in my folders I have pictures of the brown marmorated stink bug that I really dislike.... but.... I cannot find them today. These are pictures (above) of the green stink bug but should suggest what you might have seen in your gardens. The next image is one copied from the article to remind you what to look for during spring garden clean up. Don't be surprised to find masses of stink bugs just hatching out but still piled on top of each other  as shown here.

We are a while away from spring clean up here in Marshfield. Lots of storms are expected before we get better weather but some readers are already well into clean up. Keep in mind your weather conditions and what insects you see as you rake leaves, pick up branches, see damage from voles or deer. If you live in this time zone, don't forget the clock this weekend.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I just watched a neighbor unload car passengers, say a prayer and then gun the engine to get through the mud and to the top of the hill. If you're coming to see me today, park at the top of the hill and walk. A tow truck operator I do not aspire to be.

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

Writing on Facebook as George Africa

Writing on FB as Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens

Writing on Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Writing on various gardening related social media resources.

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Fracking

Monday, March 7, 2016

I watched the Democratic debates last night to continue my record of watching every debate. Bernie Sanders is from Vermont and I worked with him very briefly in 1980, so my interest in his political career has always prevailed. Vermont is not a big state but our 620,000 inhabitants have always maintained a strong sense of their environment and the importance of protecting every part of it.

Part of the debate questioning of Clinton and Sanders last night involved fracking. My first introduction to fracking in Vermont was when a homeowner I knew drilled a 605 foot water well and never hit much water. The options were limited but the person was advised that with that much casing, hence almost 600 feet of pipe or stone filled with water, there could be enough water to maintain a small family. Another option was to install a large holding tank and the final choice was to frack the well hole. In this case, high pressure water and possibly chemicals would be directed to the walls of the well to free it of rock shards and dust that might be packing veins in the granite (common here). Those materials prohibited the flow of water out of the veins and into the well. The homeowner probably had that terrible vision of "How much money do I sink in an empty hole?" but he went with the fracking.  It was not a good story and it had to be done twice but a couple weeks afterwards the well opened up and the estimate was a gallon and a half a minute. To give you an idea of the probable cost of the well alone, I recently obtained an estimate to drill a well at the flower farm and that was in the $15K range. The depth estimate was comparable to the 605 foot well I just described. 

The concern with fracking involves the chemicals which are added to the process. Typically they are in great abundance and once introduced to the aquifer via the new well, there is no way they can be removed. People in the business might say the chemicals will come out with the water due to water pressure or they might be pumped out but where they actually move to within the aquifer is never known.  This is pollution. 

Sec. Clinton went  "round Robin's (Robin Hood's) barn" with her answer of how she would approve fracking and Sen. Sanders kept his response to a simple "NO!" as in "No good, not once, not ever." (my add-on). So why do I bring this up? Because water is very important to all of us, lack of water worldwide is growing in importance,  and for me, it has been a concern for many, many years. Here's a story.

In my early years of school, one of my teachers gave an assignment of writing a paper  that described a couple things that during my lifetime would have great significance to the planet. I thought about it and arrived at water and trash. But the paper didn't go too far, in fact, it received more laughs than atta-boys.  But in 2016, now 60 years later, if there was to be a "last laugh", I am the guy with the laughter. Water is critical and the trash we leave behind is too. Fracking leaves "trash" and unlike roadside trash, we cannot pick it up.

It's not for me to recommend how to vote but there may be merit to looking at the fracking question as a reminder to other issues equally important to us and the rest of the world. Give this some thought. Here at our house on Peacham Pond Road, our well is  200 feet deep, it produces over 25 gallons of water per minute and the water is clean as a whistle and tastes better than any I have ever had. Out back we have a spring that for over 200 years has been known as The White Spring because the water comes out  between granite boulders and immediately forms a stream bed that glistens with white granite dust. That spring runs at over 50 gallons per minute. We're lucky! No fracking ever involved--only Mother Nature!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where it has been snowing for a couple hours. It's 29.9° with a 4 mph wind. Warmer weather is on the way.

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm 

Writing on Facebook as a personal page, George Africa, and also as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Writing about gardening, flowers, the weather on other forms of social media. #feelthebern; #vtflowerfarm; #fracking; #water;

And always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Caring For The Land

Sunday, March 6, 2016

Almost 7 am and the sun in just breaking through the gray band of clouds that hangs tight above Peacham Pond.  A +12.2° night should transform into a nice day and a warming trend that is expected to top 55° here by Wednesday noon. Crows call loudly from the compost pile as blue jays complain at my office window about a lack of seed in the feeders. There are an average of 20-25 jays a day at the feeders as well as 10-15 mourning doves so regardless of what other birds arrive to feed, the food supply quickly runs on "low".

On Mothers Day 2016 when we open Vermont Flower Farm for its ninth season on Route 2, there's a sense of accomplishment. This year will mark 27 years that we have grown flowers in Marshfield after moving from Shelburne and the shores of Lake Champlain. Our business has evolved over that time, partially due to a follow-up move from Peacham Pond Road to Route 2 and partially because of  being forced to discontinue being a New England leader in growing lilum due to the lily leaf beetle. Perhaps the single biggest influence on where the farm is now is the floods of 2011 which began with back to back spring floods and culminated with Tropical Storm Irene on August 28, 2011. So much of what we built and rebuilt had to be restructured after that date. Seeing ten feet of water flowing over your labors is a sight that can never be forgotten.

Since 2011, we have made a number of changes intended to strengthen the land and the gardens when floods occur again. We would hope that floods that exceeded 100 year levels would not arrive again but as the climate has changed and the Winooski River that borders our land has grown wider, we accept the reality that a repeat of the previous calamity is a given. 

On the east side of the property, we have planted trees and shrubs to change the water flow. This is a prayer as well as a plan because high water has a power that is difficult to harness. Rows of lilacs and hydrangeas on the east border, a new lilac nursery planting parallel to Route 2 and more trees and shrubs within the shade gardens seeks to keep in place the perennials we have replanted. We have half a dozen 16 foot tall hybrid maples, some lindens, a dozen golden locusts, Diabolo and Nugget Ninebarks, Gold Pillar barberries, Arctic Fire Dogwoods, North Pole Arborvitae, Japanese Fantail and Golden Curly willows all planted in hopes of holding soil and slowing the loss of perennials in our display gardens. This is a
"maybe, maybe not" affair, hopeful but unknown until the next disaster arrives.

As for the soil itself, we continue to work at making it better. There are five different soil times on this piece of land and each requires a special strategy to improve. During the past years we have added as much organic material as we can afford and in many places have added gypsum to work against the clay content. Over the past two seasons we have added tons of maple leaves covered with wood chips, wood shavings and pine needles. This material has been placed between the rows of perennials to slow water loss and wind-related soil erosion. We have reduced rototilling and lawn mowing and have tried to clean the gardens each fall of all leftover organic material that might serve as reproduction sites for fungal or insect problems. 

We continue to add lime and commercial fertilizer but at lesser rates. We are planting all the display gardens more intensively and have a couple new water management sytems that allow us to put water on potted plants  in a more useful and more conservative manner. 

The Winooski River runs along the flower farm's eastern and southern borders and it is our water source which is legal, free and good. Rivers in Vermont are allowed to run free and no longer are any restructured or deepened to manage water flow. As such the river widens more each year and takes more and more of our land. It's clearly a conflict of resources if you think about it because millions of dollars are spent each year cleaning up Lake Champlain while all Vermont's rivers erode millions of tons of soil each year, strip good agricultural land and deposit the residue in the lake where fisheries and other plant and animal life are destroyed and algae blooms impact all manner of  lake users.  Farmers are regularly blamed for polluting the state's waters but a sizeable portion of the pollution could be regulated with better control of streambanks. 

The water level of the river as it passes the flower farm is regulated by Green Mountain Power which uses the watershed resource to make electricity. This is a year-round event with the production of electricity contingent upon the availability of water and actual electrical need based upon population and seasonal temperature. Two dams in the immediate area control the watershed and are regulated by Green Mountain Power. The 2011 water events showed how fragile and poorly planned the regulatory structures are and to date no changes have been planned. This means there is a strong likelihood that the event will repeat itself and more land including the site of our flower farm will be lost. A Water Resources engineer told me that Governor Shumlin directed the Agency of Natural Resouces to leave all the rivers alone.  He also said after the next significant disaster, meaning after the flower farm has been completely wiped out, we could reapply for the State to consider changes to the river. We hope we don't have to experience a repeat of 2011, but the reality of our weather suggests otherwise. It is certainly a strange feeling to have others act so God-like with something that is not theirs. 

This spring we are planning more riverside plantings of willows in hopes of stemming the erosion that is about ready to take out our fences in the southwest corner of the farm. Over ten feet of the river bank on each side of the river has eroded in the 9 years we have owned the property. Our only hope is that the willows can catch and grow before the next disaster arrives. Instead of prayer, we are planting a possible solution. It takes time, money and labor but it is the best possible insurance we have. We will continue to plant along the riparian way with a variety of trees and shrubs that will not only help to stabilize the bank but provide refuge for wildlife and help to cool the river water temperatures which have gotten so warm that the fish population is almost nonexistent. 

All land needs a caring attitude and some dirty hands to protect it. Our philosophies may not be your philosophies but there is probably some overlap here someplace. If you are interested and have some time, stop by the flower farm this summer and we will show you around. The fields of flowers are a project that needs more time. Come visit!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the temperature has risen to 31.1°,  the sky has cleared and the bird feeders still have not been filled. I need a glass of juice and then I can get going. Have a pleasant day!

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

Writing on Facebook at George Africa and also at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Images Help Me Remember

 Friday, February 12, 2016

A bright but very cold morning here on the mountain. The birds are feeding heavily, trying to warm up their bodies with fluffed up feathers as they pound away on the suet and peck at sunflower seed and cracked corn. It is pleasant this morning but the wind is quiet and the rising sun changes our surroundings, but with silent notice. The outside beckons Karl the Wonder Dog and me for a morning walk but the thermometer scolds us for the thought with a reading of -14.9° as we already head for 8 o'clock. Winter prevails!

So for the present at least, I will continue with reviewing images from this summer that need to come off Smart Cards and get filed away in the appropriate folders. It takes some time but it's a job fitted to an inside-the-house morning and its accompanying interruptions.

My pictures serve as reminders to what I planned but never got around to doing. To the viewer they might seem like garden pictures but as I move pictures around, I add notes to a clipboard to help prepare me for Spring. The top picture is an example. As I look at it, I notice a shovel leaning against the  deer fence. The shovel is leaning in the office building now, stored for the winter, but I had left it there one time as a visible marker that I found a patch of poison ivy encroaching from the faraway bank of the Winooski River. The ivy is dormant now, but it still needs attention come spring. It's one plant that I am highly susceptible to and if I contract it, two months pass--sometimes more-- before it leaves me. It spreads fast and has to go because visitors have a habit of touching things and it is not a plant to touch.

The picture includes a patch of yellow trollius. We received these several years ago as Trollius superbum but they are actually a wonderful trollius that we absolutely can not find anyplace on the market. This comes after asking for help from a couple of the most knowledgeable plantsmen in the world and waiting for the true identification to come to us from Europe. This is Trollius stenopetalus. It's a single trollius, 3 feet tall in time, with a beautiful flower that comes later than other trollius and it blooms for some time. I have to dig and divide these come spring and it will be another couple years before I chance to sell any despite regular comments of "Can you help? I cannot find these in your pots section anyplace." They aren't in pots because I don't have enough to sell yet and cannot find another source. We both must be patient.  If you know of a source, please share with me and others as this really is one very nice plant!

The next image is of Gold  Standard. The originator was Pauline Banyai, 1976, and this plant is an original. It has become a giant and it's on my "must do soon" list because it needs to be dug and divided. People who know hosta recognize this as different that more recent Gold Standards in the trade. Perhaps it is the impact of repeated  tissue culture that has influenced how much nicer this one looks but regardless, come on George, divide the original and sell the best!

For me, looking at my pictures serves different purposes. As snow melts and the ground thaws, my list of chores will need to be reworked a few times because it will be too long to accomplish. I am hopeful this will change this summer as I have a good friend who will be working in the hosta garden. She loves hostas, she likes to barter, and she wants to help. I think it will work fine. Come and walk with us, and see for yourself!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where blue jays and mourning doves devour cracked corn and various small seeds and hope that I will make a trip to the store today for more sunflower seed. It's on the list!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as George Africa and also as a Like Page Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Carried on various other social media where gardening is special!

And..."Always here to help you grow your green thumb!"

Planning for Hostas

 Sunday, February 7, 2016

Now 9 AM and the temperature has risen to 29.3°. The wind is up to 3 mph, the birds are feeding heavily and the gray sky is offering up a few snowflakes that drift slowly to earth. Karl the Wonder Dog has been out for two walks and is now snoring in front of the wood stove. Life is good!

 2015 was our 8th growing season on Route 2. For Gail, Alex, some very special friends who help, and for me, it was a rewarding year too. I taught Alex how to use the rototiller and he helped me begin to get control of the weeds. Almost 5 acres of plants, lawn, and weeds is a challenge. I prefer not to rototill the large gardens for various environmental reasons but tilling is a way to eradicate some weeds before they get established. Our plan last year was to till and then in fall apply 6"-8" of maple leaves between the rows and then top as many rows as possible with wood chips left from last winter's logging operation at our home. We probably ended the fall-early winter with 60% of the gardens completed. 

My passion has always been hosta and the hosta display garden is beginning to reach the vintage that I have been waiting for. It has not been without major challenges. Hosta are not for all gardeners because they require patience which is often absent in modern day, "I want a mature flower garden today" gardeners. I can appreciate that as I get older. The gardens were just underway nicely, perhaps growing on into years 3-4 when a tropical storm flooded the area and covered the gardens with ten feet of water. Many hostas were lost and many were buried  under a couple feet of silt.  During the 2015 season, the survivors were looking great and some of those that were buried began to rise to the surface with shouts of "Guess my name" because of course the labels and my memory had been washed away.

Now the gardens deserve your visit if you already grow hosta or if you are considering a new hosta garden or incorporating some in existing gardens. Almost all the hosta on display are available for sale in gallon and 6-quart pots and some have been planted so they can be field dug. There is a peacefulness to the hosta display that we understand now. When visitors we have never seen before get out of the car and say "We'll be in the hosta garden for a while." we know word has gotten around and folks want to enjoy the peace that the various sized leaves in shades of green, blue, white and yellow now offer.

We always ask "Do you grow hosta now?". Sometimes it's uncomfortable and embarrassing because there's no way I can remember all the customers, especially when Gail handles sales more often than I do. Just the same, my curiosity is rooted in my desire to be sure that people know how to grow the best-looking hosta as quickly as possible in a manner that will keep them looking nice for a long time. I share my methods with others freely and encourage questions.

Initial spacing is always a trick because no matter how experienced you are with your gardens, the variables of sunlight, annual water supply, temperature and growth of surrounding trees and shrubs impacts on how quickly the hosta mature. Personally, I like to see space between the mature plants but hosta don't stop growing. Six to eight foot on-center spacing at initial planting time looks silly for sure but as these pictures show, in time the space between more mature hosta fades away in 4-5-6 years. You can use annuals or smaller, quicker growing hostas to fill in during the interim but chances are that you'll need to get out the shovel and make some adjustments over time.

If you have some questions or just want to find out what hosta are all about in a garden setting, stop by this summer. By mid-June each spring the hosta are usually looking good and they are their best by mid July.  We traditionally open on Mother's Day but any time you see the gates open in Spring, stop by. We're always here to help you grow your green thumb!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as George Africa and also as Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
On a variety of other social media related to gardens and gardening!

Vermont Farm Show 2016

Thursday, January 28, 2016

I went to the Vermont Farm Show yesterday as I do most every year. If you haven't been, today is the last day for this year. Don't take the kids if you want they to see animals. There are 3 goats and a Morgan horse. Get going anyway! There was an exceptional crowd and I was surprised to see so many old farmers, a few still wearing dungaree frocks, using canes, walkers, wheelchairs, getting support from wives, sisters, children, but getting to the show to see automatic milkers and tractors and round balers that probably cost more than the first farm they ever owned.

I got there at about 11 and noted the number of government agencies that had displays. I stopped at the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education booth to see if they had resolved any of the issues I had with them several years ago. They hadn't. A young guy bumped into me and said "I have a couple questions for you." Before I could say I wasn't manning the booth he asked the questions and I told him I couldn't help him, didn't work there, didn't have the info. He said he had been there twice since 9 AM looking for someone and there was no one to speak with. I referred him to another USDA booth but that didn't work either as I watched him walk away.

My gripe with SARE has always been that they give lots of tax dollars for research projects but never require good follow up documentation of what people use the $$ for and what success/problems are discovered that could save other people some money by not recreating the wheel. My negative feelings were supported recently as Channel 3 covered a grant for growing a type of switchgrass that can be made into pellets and burned to make heat, etc. I saw a similar project granted in 2008 in Cabot that went nowhere. New ideas do come from experimentation but I don't think we need another ethanol program.

When I finished with the show I headed south on Route 7, then 22A to get to Addison 4 Corners and head for Dead Creek to see if I could spot any snowy owls on the vast fields of Addison County and the slangs that eventually enter Otter Creek. I hadn't been there in almost 2 years and it was a surprise. Agriculture in Vermont really is changing. From Shelburne south, the number of vineyards was interesting. As I got to 22A, the number of farms that have gone out of business was a different kind of surprise and it was sad to see old houses and barns abandoned and falling apart. Fields of solar arrays have interrupted the landscape, extremely large, expensive-for- Vermont houses dot the hilltops and there is a very minor number of wind turbines. The turbine thing is a surprise because the wind always blows down there.

When I see a farm that is a farm no more, I often wonder if there is anything we can do to help that type of agriculture retool itself for a different agricultural endeavor. Apparently no one has figured that out yet. I am a big advocate for crops related to the new start up artisan beer breweries or the distilleries, the specialty foods industry, the new vineyards that produce their own wine, the specialty cheese makers. What I don't have is the answer. Do you? #vtflowerfarm; #vermontagriculture; #specialtyfoods; #artisanbeer; #vermontdistilleries; #vineyards;

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the gray sky is offering up occasional snowflakes and looking like it might snow later.

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm

On Facebook as George Africa and also as a Like Page Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

On Twitter as vtflowerfarm

On various social media platforms related to gardening

And always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Plant Sources, Plant Societies

 January 27, 2016

The temperature is hanging at 31° this morning but I expect more change in the weather soon as the wind has increased to 5 mph in just an hour. I am pulling a few things together here at the house before heading to Essex to the Vermont Farm Show that continues today and tomorrow. I have been going to this show  "forever" and although farmers and farming have changed in Vermont in recent years, the show always introduces me to something new I should consider at the flower farm.

Before I head out I want to mention plant societies because during winter months, and starting in mid-January, we receive almost daily inquiries that begin with "Where'd you get that?" Gardeners see plants we add to this blog or our other social media formats or they notice things in the abundant seed and plant catalogs that have been arriving. We always try to answer all the questions but if you are serious about a plant, the associated plant society membership is the way to go.

There was a time when we belonged to about 15 plant societies. Each membership comes with  journals  and often with regional associations and annual meetings and then some sort of national event. The most useful part of the membership is the resource info which includes lists of growers.

Here are three examples.

We grow several hundred hosta, have a wonderful display garden and have thousands of potted hosta ready for sale and displayed in 2500 square feet of shade houses. If you are interested in hosta, we don't believe there  is a better society than the American Hosta Society. The Hosta Library is a special compliment to the society. It's a public pictorial library of about every hosta in the world and it includes registration information. Take a look.

The American Primrose Society is not as large as the hosta society but if you enjoy primroses, a membership is a must. Currently they are sponsoring their annual seed exchange. Obviously members have first choice with members who contributed seeds having the priority but if you want to try growing primroses from seed or just want to find places that sell plants, you will be pleased with a membership. Vermont has some talented primrose collectors and growers and just ten miles from our flower farm is one of the most incredible primrose gardens on the east coast. 

The American Hemerocallis Society represents the 75,000 registered daylilies and offers good connections to the half million unregistered daylilies on the market or growing in gardens around the world. Daylilies have always been the number two most popular perennial flower (second to hosta) but the numbers and the plants sure are impressive. It's a great society with instant connections to growers. (Some of our daylilies pictured up top here).

During those rainy or snowy days that remain between now and your planting time, give plant societies a try. I know you will ask yourself why you waited so long.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where an irruption of Evening Grosbeaks just arrived at the feeders. About 30 birds cover the ground with a dozen or so more in nearby crab apples pecking out seeds. Nice!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as George Africa and as a Like Page Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
On Twitter as vtflowerfarm
Writing on various other garden related social media

And always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Lists, Just Lists

Sunday, January 24, 2016

A beautiful morning here on the mountain. 3 mph breezes provide a wind chill of -7° but the sun is so bright, only the thick hoar frost reminds us to dress well before heading out. I have been out twice with Karl the Wonder Dog and each time he made a hasty retreat for the house and curled in front of the wood stove even before I could get my boots off. The birds were tardy getting to the feeders this morning but they are there in great abundance now. One mature blue jay sits on a fence post outside my office window calling nasties to me about "where's the seed, where's the seed?" 

January means different things to different gardeners. At our house, Gail prepares the income taxes and I try to do web work and review the summer's photos and sort them into the appropriate folders. I am a terrible photographer but with the digital world, I take a lot of pictures and seem to get by. The pictures help with our website, blog, Facebook, Pinterest, Linkedin, and all the other social media formats we use. 

Reviewing pictures reminds me of things I accomplished and things I never got to. This picture includes more things I didn't accomplish than those that I did in the hosta display garden. The orange handled shovel marks the spot where I got far enough to dig an oversized hole for a couple Quick Fire hydrangeas. The soil there is really gravel except for the top 8"-10" because the area was originally a staging area for sand and gravel for the nearby road system. I amended the soil and got it ready to plant but something big must have interrupted me because I never even brought down the hydrangea from the display area.  

The box elders should have been trimmed last year but that didn't happen either. Box elders belong to the maple family. They have a lifespan of maybe 30 years and their wood grows quickly with a few twists and turns that make it susceptible to winter and summer storms. The tree is also a magnet for the box elder bugs which reproduce in large numbers and seem to enjoy trying to get into nearby buildings. If I had my way the elders would be gone but I have to be patient as the sugar maples, lindens, yellow locust and North Pole Thuja I have planted mature.

Perhaps two dozen of the hostas on display are ready for dividing. Few of those are potted and ready for sale so although their presence on display is great, it's poor customer relations to say "next year" instead of "let me help you with a pot or two." This spring before our new plant orders arrive, my plan is to begin with the small sized hostas that need division and get them divided out for Gail to pot up. As many gardeners downsize their homes and gardens, smaller hosta seem more popular now than the larger types. In fact, many of our hostas that are registered as medium have grown so wide in the display garden that I fear they scare people with their width. 

I always have good intentions but 2-3 people--me, Gail and Alex-- caring for almost 5 acres of garden is a challenge at times. Just changing the oil in three tillers, the zero turn mower, the golf cart and the tractor takes an entire day if I'm not interrupted...or find an additional mechanical problem that I didn't know about. Just the same we are reminded every day how nice things look and with some luck, those very fine compliments will continue. Come visit in 2016!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where interruptions have brought me up to 11 o'clock and the temperature to 16.2°. Lookin' nice outside.


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as a personal page, George Africa, and as a Like Page, Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens.
Also writing on a variety of gardening related social media.

And always here to help you grow your green thumb!

Some Self Seed

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

I just returned to the house after a chilly morning moving some gravel around a new culvert I installed in one of our woods roads yesterday. From yesterday to until today the ground froze solid and cleaning up the crushed rock from the bottom of the pile was a treat. I still have a few more things to clean up in the same area but need a couple more loads of gravel and those won't come until spring. This fall I have been outside every day working on one project and then the next. Blogging has taken a backseat to outside chores but the weather has been great and I am feeling good about what I accomplished.

During the past week Alex and I rebuilt two platform feeders and since we have not seen a bear here in a couple  weeks we decided to go for it and put the feeders up. The mourning dove count is at 15 right now and the first evening grosbeak of the season just arrived.

As we brought truckloads of spent flowers and old weeds from the flower farm, I was reminded how much seed was available on certain annuals and perennials. As we clean up every fall, Alex and I rub the seed pods on several plants just to spread the seed around and get some free crops growing early-on in the spring. Consider these.

Foxglove, pictured up top and again right here in pink, has been known for years as a biennial. In recent years some hybrids have been brought onto the market that flower the first year. These flowers are poisonous but oh so beautiful. If you have some already growing or have a friend who has some, a little seed goes a long way. Just sprinkle it on the soil. Nature does the rest.

Cleome is another favorite. It comes in heights from 8" to 6 feet and again, it self seeds nicely. For the amount of seed that is produced annually, only a small per centage germinate but it's always enough to remind you "I really like these!" The shorter varieties work well in containers too!

Verbena bonariensis makes me smile. It is an annual that self seeds here in this portion of Vermont but does not germinate in great numbers. Perhaps this is because I have always planted it close to the river where our soil is not that good. It is known as being invasive in many states even to the point of being prohibited and being placed on invasive/prohibited-to-plant lists. It is a pollinator magnet and butterflies of all sorts spend their winged days on it. It's great in flower arrangements and has a color that catches attention from the distance.

All forms of rudbeckia exist. Goldsturm shown here, is regularly seen in gardens, big and small. After several hard frosts you'll notice many small birds seeking out the seeds and in the process they disperse the ripened seed so some may grow next year. The birds never know what great farmers they are. There is a 6-7-8 foot tall perennial rudbeckia named Herbstsonne that is very nice and also a helianthus named Lemon Queen. Both self seed. 

As you clean up your gardens, spread some seed around and see what germinates in next spring's gardens. You may be surprised. I have been!



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where open water will continue into mid December according to the long range weather predictions. Kind of a surprise because on December 11, 2014 we had a foot of heavy wet snow that took out the power and made a mess around here for a week.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm
On Facebook as George Africa and also as a Like Page, Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens
Visit Twitter at vtflowerfarm
Contributing on various other garden related social media sites

Always here to help you grow your green thumb!