Pollinator Friends

The next few posts will be articles I wrote for the North Star Monthly, a Danville, Vermont journal first published starting in 1807 and reestablished in 1989. I love the paper and you will too. info@northstarmonthly.com.

POLLINATOR  FRIENDS

A beautiful July morning here on the mountain above Peacham Pond. The sky is cloudless, the wind is calm and the crows have found something to harass just inside the tree line and they won’t give up. It’s likely an owl or a hawk. Besides the birds flying around I noticed how early bumblebees get to work in the morning. Like me, they are up early and limited sunlight doesn’t seem to slow them down. The bumblebees serve as an instant reminder of the importance of pollinators.

I have been trying to mention pollinators to visitors at the flower farm where we have put together a nice collection of plants that hummingbirds, butterflies, moths and other insects are attracted to and feed on. We have been growing flowers for 13 years at our 2263 US Route 2 farm in Marshfield and as a result we see new pollinators every year. It is really exciting to see new butterflies and moths every year as well as a growing collection of hummingbirds. Some years we see a new addition for only that season but over time most seem to return. Two years ago as we sat for lunch, a Giant Swallowtail flew by and circled us for 20 minutes before heading down the Winooski River. This is the largest butterfly in North America. They had been spotted for several years as far north as Rutland, Middlebury, and Charlotte but I had never seen one before. A day to remember.

Moths prevail in numbers nine times greater than butterflies. Since many of them feed at night, we don’t often have a sense of their numbers as we do with butterflies. Three weeks ago I spotted an unusual caterpillar over by the river. It was feeding on a native milkweed but I could see signs that it had eaten part of some lilac leaves too. With the help of some Facebook friends, I found that it was an Arctia caja, the Garden Hawk Moth. At age 71, I marvel at any butterfly or moth that I have never seen before. This 2.5” caterpillar had a cape of grey hairs that it ruffled when I tried to get close. As I read about it, I became more fascinated by my find. The caterpillar eats a variety of plants and my guess is that it had found the Japanese Fantail Willows I grow as willows are a known food source. The fact that it likes milkweeds too confirmed its reputation as eating toxic plants and carrying the smell and taste as a reminder to other animals not to eat it. Same thinking as with Monarch butterflies. The fascinating thing about the Garden Hawk Moth is that when it hears bats sounding off, it lets out a noise of its own to remind bats not to eat it. Now there’s a friendship if ever I heard of one.

A week ago Gail was rearranging the extra large hostas and she was startled by a moth she did not know. I was excited to see that a Cecropia moth, the largest North American moth, had just eclosed and was stretching its wings back and forth. This is a colorful moth with big “eye spots” on its wings and a hairy striped body. I had not seen one in several years and to see one at the flower farm confirmed that we are trying to take care of the environment there. Cecropias prefer maples and cherry trees and the river streambed has both.

One of the plants we grow is chelone or turtlehead. It is a native in Vermont but we grow a hybrid known as Hot Lips. Although native plants are preferred by native insects, they will find the hybrids and this plant is no exception for an interesting butterfly known as the Baltimore Checkerspot. This small, spotted, colorful butterfly will become noticeable in the next few weeks. When they eclose they are very noticeable in big numbers on the walkways and parking lot using the warmth of the sunshine to spread their wings and prepare to fly away. That’s the best time to check them out and about the only easy time to get a photo as they are hyperactive little butterflies and they move when they see you coming.

If you are interested in pollinator plants, those plants which insects are drawn to and feed on, stop by the flower farm and we’ll point out some great plants. We have a list of plants we raise that will bring more butterflies, moths and hummingbirds to your gardens. Ask for a copy or email me at vermontflowerfarm@outlook.com and we’ll send one out. It’s easy to get started with pollinator plants and it is a rewarding experience to see unusual garden friends living on plants you grow. Plant on!

Vermont Flower Farm is located at 2263 US Route 2 Marshfield and is open 7 days weekly, 9-5 daily until late October. Come visit!

Summer Gardens

The next few posts will be articles I wrote for the North Star Monthly, a Danville, Vermont journal first published starting in 1807 and reestablished in 1989. I love the paper and you will too. info@northstarmonthly.com.

Summer Gardens

It’s a beautiful morning at the flower farm. The sun is already bright, the sky is cloudless and the birds are everywhere. The Winooski River parallels the south side of the flower farm fields and it serves as a direct flyway from Lake Champlain and everything in between. Each day we are gifted with birds of all types and sizes and our visitors are able to see birds they have never seen before. Guaranteed! The retail areas around our office building are decorated with hanging baskets and now that other summer flowers are in bloom, hummingbirds and all sorts of butterflies, moths and other pollinators are plentiful and fun to see.

The period of time from when spring ephemerals fade and early summer blooms arrive is a colorful transition that gardeners love. The colors of daylilies, ironweeds, garden phlox, the asclepias and the various helianthus and heleniums are just a few perennials that welcome us each year. This timeframe has lots to see and it is always a perfect time to evaluate your gardens and decide if there are colors, heights, or leaf textures you are missing. A trip to a nursery or botanical garden is a way to see what others are growing and what might work well in your gardens.

At our flower farm we grow about 600 different hostas and 700 daylilies. June and early July are when hostas are in their glory and daylilies are beginning to bring smiles to all gardeners. We specialize in these perennials and are always happy to share our experience. Our hosta display garden has mature specimens of almost every hosta we sell and this offers you an opportunity to verify how much space you need to leave so your garden will look balanced as surrounding plants mature too. We point out the hosta display garden to all visitors but remember to feel comfortable asking us for a tour if you wish. We always explain how to plant hostas so they will grow well and we explain that although water is the best fertilizer for hostas (not a problem this year!!) we use Epsom salts/magnesium sulfate (2 cups to 4.5 gallons of water) liberally on all our perennials, hostas included!  This salt encourages root growth and for perennials such as hosta, more roots means more leaves in less time. Give it a try.

This morning as I write, primulas are like garden lights that have turned on here and there in the gardens. Some early varieties are going by but Japanese primroses are growing taller each day with 4 or 5 circular tiers of color that look so nice among the hosta leaves, the yellows of Ninebark ‘Nugget” and popping up in the middle of the 6” dwarf  Korean Solomon Seal, Polygonatum humile. The Siberian iris, in various stages from buds to “almost bloom” are short on bloom time but long on color and they surprise many gardeners in their adaptability to damp or dry conditions and little care. Baptisia is a plant that hybridizers have been very successful with in recent years and each year we offer 4 or 5 varieties we have not offered before. Unlike the older varieties that grew and grew and grew, the modern hybrids exhibit more self-control and their height seems to hold at 34”-36” and they do not spread “for miles” like the first blues we might remember. Although their spreading habits have come under control, the depth their roots grow to strongly suggests that as gardeners we should decide where we want to plant them so we are not forced into extreme labor to move them later on. Moving any baptisia is like moving a nine year old peony or a 5 year old Hosta Empress Wu. Stretching exercises and sometimes the recruitment of strong friends is a prerequisite!

Gardens are a welcome therapy to a world that offers daily challenges. There is a peace to viewing what we have accomplished and a sense of quiet that is nice too! If you have not tried flower gardening yet, stop by and ask for some advice, get some questions answered and see what perennials grow well in Vermont. Our flower farm is located at 2263 US 2, just half a mile west of Marshfield village. We are open 9-5 every day until mid-October. Bring a friend!

A Cold, White November

I was in Burlington today, late morning into early afternoon. The wind was biting hard at times and the parking was terrible because the snow hasn't been cleaned up yet. There was no shortage of traffic any place I went. Naturally, Lake Champlain is not even thinking about freezing so the humidity and occasional blasts of snow flurries were all lake induced....and it was really cold!!

I just read the latest USDA plant zone chart. One of those easy, plug-in your zip code charts. Obviously, I have to read up on these new charts as some of this makes no sense. I live in Marshfield Vermont and that finds us in a zone 4B in the 20-25 below zero range. This week we have already been below zero here (the season is still Fall!) and this past winter we were in the 30 below for days in a row and for several other days in the 26-29 below range. I remember one time when it was so cold the tractor finally started with the glow plug in advance but the hydraulic fluid wouldn't move enough to do anything. I covered the whole tractor with a tarp and let it run an hour and it still wouldn't budge. Not good as there were a couple feet of fresh snow on the ground and "no tractor" meant not going anywhere. 

Plug in your zip code and see what this means for plant hardiness. Do the plants you like to grow make sense for what zone you live in?

https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where it will still be a while before ice covers the pond.

Be well!

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Writing on Facebook as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and also as George Africa.

New Video Tour

VERMONT FLOWER FARM

VIDEO TOUR

Here is a really special video tour of Vermont Flower Farm that was prepared by Trevor Audet from the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets. Vermont has a diversity of agricultural endeavors and the Agency is doing a special job producing media coverage so Vermonters and others know what we do here.

We are proud of our work and enjoy sharing this latest look for your review. Share it with friends and come visit with friends, neighbors, garden club members and an out of state visitors who might want to learn more about the most beautiful state in New England. And remember: "We're always here to help you grow your green thumb!"

Vermont Flower Farm

Click on the link and then enlarge for best viewing!

Have questions? Call us at 802-426-3506 or write at vermontflowerfarm@outlook.com

Come Visit!

COME VISIT!

Monday, August 5, 2019

This is the time to stop by Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and walk the fields and gardens with us. The daylilies are at peak right now but because of the spring rains, scape production was so bountiful that daylilies that might be halfway finished blooming have two or more weeks left. There are about one-quarter of all the daylilies we grow that have not started to bloom yet. That translates to a continuing show that will knock your socks off! The late bloomers that Gail has been working on is another story all by itself.

The hosta display garden still brings lots of compliments for the outstanding garden that it is but I am embarrassed I have not been able to care for it as I should. 2.5 worker bees (Gail, Alex and me) caring for +4 acres of gardens means some things lose priority as other--such as the daylilies--take over.  Come visit and make your own decision. If you take any pictures, share them on Facebook and other social media formats so others can see too. Many thanks!

George Africa
Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
2263 US Route 2
Marshfield, Vermont 05658

Dahlias

Dahlias

This is the time of summer when dahlias begin to show buds and and make us reach for shears or a garden knife to cut bunches of colorful stems for a vase.  The American Dahlia Society is a wonderful resource to use to learn more about growing dahlias. I am growing a few dozen dahlias for the first time in over twenty years.  I'll keep you posted on how I make out. The first blooms began today at the flower farm. Stop by and see how we are doing.

American Dahlia Society

https://dahlia.org

Hydrangeas

HYDRANGEAS

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

Vermont Flower Farm has the largest collection of hydrangeas in Vermont with 25 varieties for sale and many more on display in our fields and gardens. These are all New England hardy plants that will grow well in your gardens. They are coming into bloom now. 

Here are pictures of Incrediball, the very large flowered hydrangea some gardeners grow, Bobo (my favorite) just coming into bloom, Quickfire growing in our daylily display garden, and Incredibelle Spirit, a wonderful plant with a color that draws attention from afar. Stop by and see the rest. Have questions about how to plant and care for hydrangeas? We're happy to explain how easy they are to grow.

Visit us at 2263 US Route 2, Marshfield, Vermont. Open 9-5 seven days weekly through October. Call us at 802-426-3506. Visit us on Facebook at our Like page, Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens and learn about gardening in the north at my personal George Africa page. If you garden, I know you will find something of interest. Want to walk the fields with us? Call ahead and schedule a time.

Post Bloom Peony Care

Post Bloom Peony Care

Many, many thanks to the dozens and dozens of gardeners who stopped by to purchase peonies this spring. We grew +50 varieties and still have a good assortment which can be planted in your gardens any time between now and mid-October. Stop by and discuss availability with Gail. No blooms left of course but Gail has good pictures and descriptions for planning color and garden height. There are two Bartzella left for those who want a very nice yellow. Yellows are more expensive but are not always available at nurseries as a result.

Hollingsworth Peonies in Missouri has been in business for a long time. They most always have peonies you have been looking for. They just posted this piece about post-bloom care which is worth reading. Larger plants and bountiful blooms next year means good care now. Read on. #peonies; #bartzella; #vtflowerfarm;

"Summer Care of Peonies

Summer! We are now in the later part of the growing season for peonies. Maintaining healthy leaves not only provides for attractive “foliage plants” in your garden, they give structure and dimension to the flower bed and serve as a backdrop for other flowering perennials and annuals. Summer is a critical time during which peonies accumulate food reserves in form of complex sugars (starch) to be used in the fall and early spring to grow new roots, a larger crown and if successful more stems and flowers. Here are some tips to ensure your peony plants will grow and prosper for years to come.

Foliage - Maintain your foliage as long as possible and don't cut it off unless it is badly infected with mildew or has started to turn brown. Some peony varieties actually go dormant early especially the species hybrids. The Itoh hybrids and most lactiflora hybrids maintain their foliage until the end of the growing season. The longer you can maintain healthy foliage the more food the peony plants can store in their roots. The more food stored the better.

Water - During the first year and to some degree also in the second year after planting check your young peonies frequently. Peonies have coarse and thick foliage. The stems are stiff. For the untrained eye it is difficult to observe wilting. Use your fingers to test the soil. Moist soil is usually darker and clings to your skin. Dry soil is grayish in color, dusty and does not cling to the skin of your finger. Observe companion plants and if they wilt your peonies should also get water. When irrigating, water deep, provide an ample amount of moisture that penetrates deeply into the soil. Always irrigate in the morning so the foliage can dry off during the day. Moisture during the night is an invitation for fungal disease such as mildew.

Dead head - Spent flowers and seed pods should be cut off. Many peony varieties are quite fertile and will produce seed. This seed, if allowed to fall to the ground, may sprout. New seedlings will start growing and over time compete with your original peonies. It is not uncommon for open pollinated seedlings to be more vigorous and stronger growers then their parents. We sometimes get Email from people wondering why their pink double flower form peonies are all white (single flower form). That’s the reason why. Most peonies grown from seed are quite different from their parents - often not very attractive.

Mildew - If you have mildew problems get rid of the dead foliage and burn it. If your area does not allow burning put it into the trash. Don't put sick material into the compost since the spores will survive there until next year. All infested material (including any nearby plants) should be removed off-site or burned. It doesn't take a lot of dead leaves for spores to find a winter refuge. If you have a lot of problems contact your Extension Service, they can point out fungicides approved for your state. The Master Gardeners in your area can be a great resource as well. "

Thursday, July 11, 2019

Back around 2007 when the Coastal Maine Botanical Garden was finishing up construction, I paid special attention to how they planted masses of the same flower near the parking lot lights and carried the use of mass plantings through the entire garden. At the time I was trying to figure out the piece of swampy land that would become our hosta display garden/shade plant garden. After I drained the area and removed the cattails and alders, I added lindens, yellow locusts and half a dozen hybrid maples. That's when it became obvious that planting 6 different daylilies in masses between each tree along the edge of the garden would give a great look from Route 2. I planted 25-30 daylilies between each set of trees as you can see from this picture of Daylily Lemon Lollypop. Over time we sold out popular daylilies such as Wayside King Royale but the timing was consistent with the growth of the trees and the extra shade they provided which was more than the daylilies preferred. Today the shade opportunities are more conducive to hostas and since the +600 hostas has maxed out the initial planting area, the new space is working well. If you stop by you'll see how the mass of daylilies works and also see the new hostas we are adding to the understory. If you are contemplating a new or restored garden, keep these thoughts in mind. If you need help with a garden design, Gail does excellent design. Don't expect to come away with a CAD presentation, expect a garden design with plants that are low maintenance and Vermont hardy. Give Gail a call at 802-426-3506 or email at vermontflowerfarm@outlook.com and she'll set up a time for you. #hostadisplaygarden; #shadegardens; #massplantings; #vtflowerfarm;

George Africa
Vermont Flower Farm
2263 US 2
Marshfield Vermont 05658

http://vermontflowerfarm.com
On Facebook as George Africa and also as Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

LILY OF THE VALLEY

Lily of the Valley

Another soggy morning here at the flower farm after another 2.4" of rain over the past 30 hours. This time the Winooski River did not come over the banks but the ground is wet just the same. I just dug 50 holes for sunflowers which I have postponed planting for as long as I dare wait. I am hoping that the wet soil and a couple 80 degree days coming this Sunday and Monday might push them along. I plant hills of the giant flower types just as attention getters but plant the Pro-Cut series in different colors for cut flowers. I always buy my seed from Johnnys in Maine but the way spring has been in the East this Spring, it might still take more than great seed to get nice flowers.

I am writing a quick note this morning after having the fourth person stop here in three days asking for Lily of the Valley. When I was a kid I remember my Dad picking bouquets for my mother as soon as they bloomed. She loved the fragrance and loved to have little vases here and there around the house. When we moved to Vermont in the early 50s I remember my Dad shoveled clumps into cardboard boxes and brought them along. They are probably still doing well up on Church Hill Road in Woodstock where we lived.

My point in writing about them today is to remind everyone that Lily of the Valley (Muguet de Bois), is in the top 5 list of poisonous plants in the east. They have beautiful little white or pink bells and wonderful fragrance, but they are poisonous and will cause spontaneous trouble leading to death. On top of that, they are on the invasive list in many states and over a short time will take over your gardens. People use them as a ground cover but I ask that you consider the less favorable attributes before planting them. Please. If you have children, think again about growing them.

Writing from Vermont Flower Farm where summer is welcomed but a few days of warmer weather would be nice. Come visit us at 2263 US 2, Marshfield Vermont. We are here 7 days a week through October.

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Spring Arrives Differently

Saturday, April 20, 2019

Spring arrives differently depending upon where you live. I always read the latest home and garden notes from the University of Connecticut's newsletter because Connecticut is just far enough from Vermont that it often lends encouragement that spring really is coming soon. Here's the URL for that blog.

 https://uconnladybug.wordpress.com/2019/04/20/yellows-of-spring-and-a-few-other-colors

This has been a terrible winter in Vermont, unless I suppose, you like outdoor winter sports. The snow totals this winter were exceptional and even after fours days of warm weather and heavy rains, our highest mountain, Mt. Mansfield, still has over 100 inches of snow at the top. As I write, many places in Vermont are flooded as Lake Champlain surpassed it's 100 foot flood stage yesterday and the main rivers that flow into it including Otter Creek, the Winooski River, the Lamoille River and the Missisquoi have flooded roads, homes and businesses in many locations. Emergency management folks and insurance adjusters will be busy for some time. 

Just the same, better weather is coming and the spring ephemerals will make us feel happier. The Connecticut Home and Garden Newsletter mentions some flowers and shrubs that are flowering down there but it will be a month in some parts of Vermont before we see the same colors. Across the Winooski River at our flower farm, there are 4 feet of snow on the ground and the river itself is less than  1.5 feet from coming over the banks. Down the road from us only a half mile, the fields have been flooded for two days. The fields have become waterfowl habitat which represents the fun part of watching those floods. All sorts of ducks, Canada geese, and Great Blue Heron are common. Two days ago I spotted a mature Balf Eagle fly by as I drove across the flat entering Plainfield from the west. I have never been that close to an eagle in Vermont.

Bloodroots, both single and double flowered are a favorite of mine. They are often found along the banks of rivers where soil tends to be moist and alluvial with a seasonal replenishment of organic material thanks to the high waters. They are one of many spring flowers that will show color in coming weeks. If you get a chance when this rain passes, get out and about and witness the beauty of spring. If you pass Vermont Flower Farm and the gates are open, stop by and say hello. We don't open until Mothers Day but we're happy to discuss flowers and answer questions any day.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the fog is forming and the temperatures are decreasing. Be well and Happy Easter!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens
2263 US 2
Marshfield VT 05658

I write regularly on Facebook as George Africa and also on a Like Page, Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens. I write monthly on some aspect of gardening for The North Star Monthly and follow gardening media from around the world. If you have questions, write me at vermontflowerfarm@outlook.com or call at 1-802-426-3505.

Impatiens Downy Mildew

Friday, March 29, 2019

During the past year and especially last spring when gardeners were thinking about what annuals they usually grow or purchase for their gardens, I mentioned that progress was being made with Impatiens Downy Mildew which in previous years knocked out impatiens in much of the East Coast but also in many points worldwide. I mentioned how the plant industry was recommending many other plants as substitutes which like impatiens could tolerate some shade. New Guinea Impatiens were recommended as were various seed begonias and coleus.

I am offering this research update because I don't want to leave folks thinking that the problems are gone and impatiens purchases will be completely fine this year. Obviously, there is a wide chain of seed and there is always the possibility that seed that grew plants that were susceptible to IDM is still out there and might be used. 

This article from one of Ball Seed's publications says that things are looking better in the research arena but final research and testing, eventual seed production, growing and testing, are still required. I was interested to see mentioned that the disease was in the soil for a long time but only in very recent years did it begin to multiply. I will never be a scientist but I do know that half a degree in temperature change has taught me how quickly new insects make their way to Vermont and invasive plants or plants we never before saw as invasive are suddenly overtaking areas where we previously planted them intentionally after purchasing them from dependable nurseries and greenhouses we had used for years. 

Check out the news release and keep a good eye on all your plants!

https://www.growertalks.com/Article/?articleid=23505

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Bumblebee Watch

Friday, March, 29, 2019

It might be strange for me to be talking about bumblebees when there is still 4 feet of snow on the ground outside my office window but bumblebees are a bee I will be studying this summer. I have always been interested in bumblebees and for years at the flower farm, I have intentionally grown a few rows of Helianthus 'Lemon Queen' which appears to be a regional magnet for various pollinators including bumblebees. I joined up with the Xerces Society last month and just noticed a blog about a study being conducted by York University in Toronto, Canada. Part of the project is identifying Pacific Northwest bumblebee species in the states of Washington, Oregon and Idaho.  Long haul from Vermont and the east, right????

Take a look at  https://www.bumblebeewatch.org/ and click on the Bumblebee Species tab and when it opens, on the top right is a drop down for bee species. As you click through each one you'll notice a map of the Continental US at the bottom which is shaded for each bumblebee's geographic presence. Surprisingly, many of the bumblebees which live in the west also live in the east.

My experience so far is that from year to year there are more or fewer bumblebee species at the flower farm. This past summer it was exceptionally dry and the bee populations were very high in number. This was true of all insects including butterflies and moths. During springtimes when snowmelt has been slow and snow was deep, to begin with, bumblebee numbers have been down. I have always attributed this to rodents seeking out queens and eliminating the opportunity for a ground hive early in the summer season. I may be wrong on that but Spring 2019 will be a great year to test the theory after all the snow we have received. If you notice a queen flying around your gardens, check the species pictures and try to identify which one you have.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where +40 evening grosbeaks are cleaning up birdseed right now.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
vermontflowerfarm.com
On Facebook as George Africa and also as Vermont Flower Farm & Gardens
Just today wrote about migratory birds returning to western Vermont

Old Tires

Tuesday, February 19, 2019

When fall approaches farmers including flower farmers have a number of things which have to be covered for the winter. With beef and dairy farmers it's often bunker silos filled with corn silage or hay silage while with flower growers like me there are thousands of pots that need to be covered. Historically everyone used commercial plastic held down with old tires. At Vermont Flower Farm we always used tires too.

When the Zika virus first made the news I wrote a piece on this same blog about the mosquitoes involved. It infuriated me that government people with excellent credentials said that the Aedes mosquito, originally documented in the Ziika Forest of Uganda, would not live in Vermont. That theory lastest less than a season.

As soon as I heard this I changed over to using sand bags like those pictured above. They are readily available from companies such as Gemplers, Uline, Traffic Safety, from Amazon.com sources, and from places local to us such as EJ Prescott up by the Montpelier airport. 

Yes, there's tons of snow on the ground now but if you have a pile of old tires laying around, or if you use them commercially like I used to, consider replacing them with sand bags. Mosquitoes like the Aedes mosquito need only a tablespoonfull of water to breed and the consequences are not good. Think about others while you garden!

George Africa

The Vermont Gardener

Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

Marshfield, VT

Garden Rebirth

 Sunday, February 17, 2019

Gardens are like people, they experience changes as they age. And sadly, just like people,  catastrophic events can occur which rapidly change the life of the garden or the life of the person. Our hosta display garden is no different. One year while I was hiking in Maine, a quick mountain summer storm with wind shear followed the Winooski River up from Burlington on the western side of the state. It grew more powerful as it got to the flower farm and in minutes it ripped the top off a shade house, took down trees along the road and throughout the hostas display garden and then headed southeast, plowing down thousands of trees in its wake. To this day you can see that devastation if you head up Depot Street here in Marshfield and then onto the old railroad bed. Gail rallied some friends and the clean up was underway when I returned home but it took weeks to clean up the mess. The biggest impact on the hosta garden was the missing trees that had provided appropriate shade but suddenly were lost and could not be replaced. 

In 2011, a tropical storm followed the Connecticut River from the ocean and did a  number on New England. I barely made it to the flower farm that morning as I followed a log truck through a foot of water that became ten feet of water over the daylily fields and the hosta display garden. This was the third storm that summer which taken together left the hosta garden missing about 150 hostas and companion plants.The first two pictures here show where we have replanted over the past three years but from the two big willows, everything behind them had been flooded away.

I postponed rebuilding the garden for several years. It was a constant reminder of the loss of time and energy and plants that kept pushing me away from the job. The plants were my friends.  I finally convinced myself that a 100 year flood, let alone a 500 year flood  probably would not visit me again in my life. I knew it was a gamble but I wanted to continue with the vision I had for this garden before I got to the point I could no longer garden. The last picture here is a portion of the rebuild. 

This picture is adjacent to the two giant willows. In the background is a fence and our property line. A portion of an old service road crosses in front of the fence. The area served as a staging place for a gravel and sand stockpile back in the 50s when Route 2 was under construction. The land tapers sharply from the edge of the old road to what appears mid-picture here.  That bank is now planted with a variety of plants which will provide "verticle" to the backdrop. The tallest are Cimicifuga atropurpurea, Ligularia 'The Rocket', some native eupatorium, a couple locust trees, now 9 years old, two aralias for yellow contrast to similar hostas, and some 5 foot tall veronicastrum. I'll add Cimicifuga Pink Spike and Hillside Black Beauty this summer.

Working down the slope you will notice a row of Astilbides tabularis with their giant leaves which make you feel like you're in Jurrasic Park.  They were in their second year in this picture. To the left you can see their 5-6 foot tall, creamy white flower scapes. These plants temper the edge of the slope and will allow for hostas to fill in to their base.

Since I took these pictures I have added turtlehead, various tall astilbes, Japanese primroses, and cardinal flowers. The walkway has been coated with a new layer of crushed granite and the area was flagged last fall for some additions I'll make this spring--more hostas, more astilbes for color, and more prmroses and ferns.

To lose a garden is difficult but bringing it back seems to offer the garden---and me-- far more strength than before. If you're in the area this summer, stop by and we'll walk together. There is a peacefulness there that you will feel right away!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond!

George Africa
Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

Consider Raised Beds

Friday, February 15, 2019

A windy morning here on the  mountain above Peacham, Pond. Wednesday morning we had a foot of new snow, yesterday we had three inches more, last night the temperature dropped to 6 degrees and this morning as I write to you it has gone from 26 degrees to a current 19.2 degrees as the wind is rising to 12 mph and the little chickadees are flying sideways. The morning news showed California awash wih floods, 1000 lightning strikes and missing property and people. Climate change.

So even though there are now five feet of snow on the ground here at the house, I know gardeners are thinking about gardening. And those who have never gardened before are thinking about garden and flower shows and maybe are thinking they should give flowers and/or vegetables a try too.

Raised bed gardening is a great way to break into your first garden. Here's a good video that covers the basics to get started. If you live within a reasonable distance of Montpelier, Vermont, Fontaine Lumber in East Montpelier often mills hemlock and they will cut 6" X 6" timbers for  you. I like hemlock and worry about its demise because of the hemlock wooly adelgid, an insect that is slowly taking down hemlock forests. If you are not familiar with hemlock it's a wood that can handle moisture and has been used for making boats and bridges historically because it does not rot. What it is when it's freshly cut is very heavy so plan accordingly when you ask for it. The good news is it stays in place and lasts a long time. The following  video mentions other choices but hemlock is the one for me. Questions? Write me at vermontflowerfarm@outlook.com.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xxijbIcUeLY

Georeg Africa

Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens

I write regularly on Facebook at my George Africa personal page--with lots of pictures--and a great Like Page--Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens. Join me!

That New Garden

Here are some thoughts about fall planting that I wrote about recently for an area newspaper. I describe our current customer profile at the flower farm and some considerations as you plan for a new garden--either by your own design or with design assistance from someone with different experience. Give us a call if you have some ideas that need our confidence 802-426-3505. Leave a message if you miss us.

THAT

 NEW  GARDEN

November 2018 was an unusually different kind of month as rain and winds turned white and cold early, and record setting snow piled higher than we remembered. Gail and I received many phone calls and emails from gardeners who had ordered bulbs and perennial plants including peonies which never arrived until we were well into November. Some called with questions such as “There’s snow on the ground, can I plant bulbs? Can I still plant peonies that just arrived? Can I still dig my dahlias and glads (or are they dead)? Is it still ok to prune my hydrangeas? When can I prune my apple trees? We said “yes” many times along with words of encouragement to get going.

As I reflect on questions gardeners asked during the past summer, I keep returning to thoughts of the people with the gardening questions…the actual people themselves. At the flower farm I try to track where people come from, their age and their gardening experience.  When we first moved our flower farm down from Peacham Pond Road to Route 2, I was taken by visitors arriving in cars and trucks with Maine license plates. Over time I determined that more than 15% of our customers were from Maine and many had used Route 2 to travel to Burlington to visit the airport, the hospital, one of the educational institutions (kids in college) or to work at remote offices. The numbers were significant because they represented more people from far away Maine than from nearby Montpelier or Barre. In addition to my findings on source of customers, I confirmed what many in the horticultural field had already determined—that the average customer to a modern day nursery is a 55 year old woman. Finally, I tracked new homes, either newly built or newly purchased homes. Significant was that it was usually in year two or three after arrival that homeowners visited the nursery to seek landscape design advice and begin making purchases. To us this was important because of the number of new property owners we regularly met from the towns of Newbury, Barnet, Peacham and Danville, Vermont as well as Hanover, Orford, Haverhill, Monroe, Woodsville, Bath, Lisbon, Littleton and Lancaster, New Hampshire.

The customer profile might not seem important but the inherent message to you the gardener might be. It’s a message I try to tactfully work into garden design requests. In a world where age discrimination is well known to us, I ask realistic questions about the gardener, who will build  or renovate the gardens if we design them, and who will handle the maintenance to keep things looking nice after the initial planting. I also try to get a handle on how long people intend to stay at their property, is the home a permanent or seasonal home, and is the landscaping plan really intended to encourage resale at increased profit in the short term.

Attractive gardens which bring us nice compliments require an investment of time and other resources. As such it’s best to do things correctly from the start. If you are thinking about doing some landscape work at your home next year, do you want to do most or all of the work or do you prefer to hire the work done for you. Consider whether you will provide ongoing maintenance or whether this is something you also wish to hire out. Define what you would like to see in general terms and ask a designer to give you a ballpark cost estimate. This will narrow the opportunity for surprises.

Winter is a good time to work on design ideas you have in mind. If the snow isn’t too deep yet, take some pictures of the areas you want to change. Always include any adjacent buildings and trees in pictures so shadows and summer light conditions can be calculated. Make notes of any underground services such as water lines, electric, gas, sewer, telephone/television cable, electric generator, and solar array lines. If you have any experience with underground ledges or large boulders that you are aware of, make note of them before beginning to design. Be confident that you can collect much of this information yourself and that it’s all important to whoever you might work with to finalize a plan. If you have questions, give us a call at 802-426-3505 and we’ll help. We love to see great gardens—and smiling gardeners!!

The Vermont Flower Show

Every other year the Vermont Nursery and Landscape Association sponsors the Vermont Flower Show. For Vermont gardeners,  this is a big event. It comes at a time when Vermont is often snow covered. It strikes a fancy with attendees  through a collection of  equisite landscape architecture, the fragrances of flowers, trees and shrubs in bloom or coming into bloom, a trade show with all sorts of vendors, and two and a half days of seminars and workshops.

Gail and I have gone every year since the show's inception and now we find ourselves going for a couple days to be able to attend the seminars and workshops that interest us. You're not likely to see  us there together as we each have individual interests. I like clivias, bee keeping, pollinator gardening,  and berries while Gail goes for container gardening, garden design, underused perennials, and wildflowers.

Plan on attending, March 1-3, 2019 at the Champlain Valley Exposition in Essex Junction, Vermont. The excitement is overwhelming! Say hello if you see us.

Other Thoughts

Wednesday, January 9, 2019

A blustery day here on the mountain. I just came in from cleaing off the car and trucks and getting the tractor plugged in so I can move more snow in half an hour. It rained from 6 PM last night until  4:30 this morning when it changed to snow and it offers no sign of stopping yet. Estimates range but over the next 24 hours we may receive a foot of snow.

I do writing for social media and for an area newspaper. I have copied some of those pieces before and will add a few here. They may seem out of date according to their titles but there are some great rescources between the lines. Here's one from November. Tell what you think. Questions are always welcomed. 

Holiday Gardening Thoughts

45.1° with 9.8 mph wind gusts and a cloudy morning as I prepare for what will probably be the last day without snowflakes on the ground or in the air as November takes over. By the time you read this, winter will be more certain and you might already have left home without a warm enough coat.

When you live and garden in the northeast, summers seem too short but if you garden, you take pride in what you grow and share with others. When the land turns white some folks turn to indoor plants or birdwatching to fill that gardening void and either pursuit has a large following. Years back I collected begonias and these got me through the winter. For a few years Alex collected pots and pots of cactus and I learned a great deal from his interest. As for birdwatching it’s a funny recollection that when my family moved to Vermont in the early fifties, even at age 5 I thought that feeding the wild birds was something you had to start doing every fall because everyone seemed to do it. That’s when I found out about suet and cracked corn and sunflower seed and chickadees, nuthatches, blue jays and woodpeckers.

With the holidays close by, thoughts of gifts for gardeners, either friends or family, rise in importance. We sell lots of gift certificates redeemable at our flower farm for any of the perennials we sell. We make the certificates ourselves and each one includes a picture of one of our display gardens. They always seem popular. When I am asked about other gifts I always start by recommending a pair of Felco pruners. If you garden you always have clean-up to perform and Felcos are the best pruner out there. They handle well, stay sharp and clean up well after use with conifers that produce sticky pitch. Buy a pair with a holster and really make a gardener smile!

Books bring mixed reviews about the creativity of the gift giver but they have always been part of the holidays and I love receiving them. There are tons of really special gardening books on the market now and you can find one specific to your plant interest. Give a book and include a note saying that a complimentary perennial plant will arrive in springtime too.

Every plant has a well-organized society and membership to such a plant society is an excellent gift. All the societies have newsletters during the course of the year and these are great because they describe upcoming tours or training events, gardens that are open to the public for viewing and growers and vendors who sell that specific plant. They might seem expensive at first but for the amount of information provided, they are excellent. We belong to plant societies for about everything we grow as it’s the best way to keep up on changes. Here are some web addresses of some of the societies we belong to.

American Daylily Society   https://daylilies.org/

American Bamboo Society   http://www.americanbamboo.org/

American Bonsai Society   http://absbonsai.org/

American Conifer Society   http://conifersociety.org/

American Hosta Society   https://www.americanhostasociety.org/

American Daffodil Society   https://daffodilusa.org/

American Dahlia Society https://dahlia.org/

American Hydrangea Society   http://americanhydrangeasociety.org/

American Peony Society http://www.americanpeonysociety.org/

American Primrose Society http://americanprimrosesociety.org/

International Lilac Society   http://www.internationallilacsociety.org/

North American Rock Garden Society  https://nargs.org/

A final gift idea is a membership to an actual garden club. Chances are there are clubs close by regardless of where you live. I always promote the Hardy Plant Club of Northern Vermont which I joined 25 years ago—maybe longer. It was originally gathered by a number of botanists and University of Vermont botany/plant and soil science professors and grew to include gardeners and growers like me and Gail. It is a great group which has quarterly newsletters, an annual plant sale, and a number of lectures and many visits to private gardens. It’s an incredible experience which puts you in touch with the most experienced growers and collectors out there so no question goes unanswered for very long. And for $10 annually, how can you miss?

That’s it for 2018. Best holiday wishes from your friends at Vermont Flower Farm and Gardens! Thanks for following us!