April showers bring May (and June) Flowers. Snow drops have been showing for a few weeks and daffodils are soon to blossom. This means we gardeners have lots to do to get the season started. Along with early pruning and planting there is the necessary clean-up and garden preparations. In this article we will cover details of these renewing tasks and offer a couple reminders about why we garden. Mostly we garden because we enjoy growing plants for flowers and…
My guess is that you garden because you enjoy growing plants for flowers and for some food. It is a great satisfaction to bring in food & flowers that you grew yourself. My hope is that you do this mostly using organic practices. Perhaps you also buy organic foods when you can. If you also feel that organic foods tend to be too expensive to buy all the time, you might like to watch this short (3 minute) video published…
Despite our recent wintery week April is National Garden Month so now is a great time to think about starting a garden and the planning and choices we can make. Most basically, “What should I grow?” depends on what you want to eat or to see in your yard, and the kind of work you can do. Soil & climate conditions in Vermont place some limits on our choices but we do have a great selection of hardy fruits, vegetables,…
Snow has been replaced by slippery mud, a sure sign that spring is almost here! We now get just over 12 hours of daylight per day and that stimulates new plant growth. It also makes our gardens irresistible on warmer days. Don’t be tempted to get too ambitious just yet, but there are several jobs that can be done before digging soil. Houseplants and indoor sheltered garden plants would benefit from a feeding now. I prefer to use a liquid…
The deep snow has been replaced by slippery mud, a sure sign that spring is here! The sun shines a bit brighter and longer every day now, making our gardens irresistible on warmer days. But beware, don’t be tempted to get too ambitious just yet. Hidden deep in all that messy leaf litter in your gardens are many overwintering beneficial insects that need a little more time to wake up and get to work. Let them have this time and…
Heat & humidity are great for our gardens but can also trigger the appearance of numerous pests and diseases. Along with the great growth we’re seeing and early harvests of greens, peas, & summer squashes it’s time to keep a keen eye to detect and control any problems before they become serious issues. Healthy, well-watered plants can tolerate most pests and diseases, but plants may need our help when conditions in mid-summer are ideal for unwelcome insects or plant disease…
Welcome to the first entry in my new blog about something positive that we can be doing during these very peculiar times. Despite COVID-19 and unstable weather, spring is officially here and many of us are thinking about the garden. In these articles I will address timely gardening topics as we go through the seasons in northern New England. If you have ideas to contribute or questions to ask about a local gardening topic please Contact me. First things first. …