Speculating on the history of greenhouses
Gardeners in cold climates have learned to extend the growing season by building greenhouses.
Gardening, sort of…
Here we are with a good foot plus of fresh snow and itching to do some gardening. Still too early for seed starting, except for a couple of varieties.
Lazy (smart and responsible) gardening
Vermont gardening guru Charlie Nardozzi recently published a book called No-Dig Gardening. In its October e-newsletter, the Vermont Center for Ecostudies recommends Leaf It Be, “a low-intensity yard maintenance practice
Differentiate weed seedlings from garden-worthy plants
Recently a friend mentioned how difficult it was, in spring, to differentiate weed seedlings from more valuable garden-worthy plants. True, as we excitedly look to see what returned or self-seeded, our puzzlement grows. So many plants look alike as babies.
How to prune tomato plants
If your tomato plants look overgrown and crowded, now may be a good time to consider pruning them. Although pruning tomato plants is not required, it is a good practice to adopt during the growing season.
Kale for autumn harvest
If your kale plants succumbed to cabbage worms, don’t fret. You can start a second planting in midsummer to…
Waterwise vegetable gardening
Conserving water is always a good idea, and if the dry weather of the last two summers is any indication, such practice should become habit.
The native garden and the ecosystem we are part of
It occurred to me as I’ve read about the dedicated volunteers working at Charlotte’s Park (formerly Demeter) and the Library’s rain garden that I’ve neglected the cause of “native plants.”
The beautiful peonies
Seems in Vermont it’s almost a requirement to have a display of peonies on the homestead. Most commonly the choice is the old-fashioned herbaceous variety. We anxiously await the bright red nubs that poke from the cold soil each spring. They are just about to bloom in our town.
Free vegetable gardening series offered this spring
University of Vermont (UVM) Extension Community Horticulture Program Master Gardener volunteers are hosting a free vegetable gardening education series on six consecutive Saturdays this spring.
Let’s get this garden started! Choosing grow lights
With the lengthening daylight and the many seed catalogs arriving in your mailbox, it’s hard to ignore the promise of spring. Are you planning to grow your own vegetable and flower transplants this year? You may find that shopping for grow lights for indoor gardening can be mind boggling.
Start pondering a pruning plan
As thoughts of the next gardening season are already coming to mind, I am reminded that we are approaching a good time for an important garden chore.
The Jerusalem artichoke: An unsung hero
In the fall of 1621, the colonists joined the Wampanoags to partake in a thanksgiving celebration of the harvest. Historians believe that they shared cabbage, carrots and parsnips from their home gardens and native plants such as walnuts, chestnuts, Concord grapes, cranberries, garlic and an unsung hero, the Jerusalem artichoke.
Renovating the strawberry patch
Now that the June-bearing strawberry season has passed, there are things that we can do now to get ready for next year’s crop. If your strawberry patch is two years old or more, after harvesting the last of your strawberries, it’s time to renovate the bed.
Maximize that lettuce
It feels like we wait all year for fresh lettuce, and the window seems to close quickly. How can we maximize lettuce season? While lettuce is easy to grow, factors like temperature impact how well it does. Understanding timing and varieties can help yield a continuous supply throughout the summer and beyond.
Are we done yet?
No. In fact, you are just beginning.
Yes. Looking at the vegetable garden sends the clear message that the end is near. Some late green beans, last of the tomatoes and the promise of Brussels sprouts. OK, OK, too much kale still hanging around.
Warriors in the garden create the best garden in years
The blessing of a rainy spring has brought great joy to me and my mature garden. I’ve been musing, with this “best garden in years,” about how long-lasting so many of its offerings are. We’ve been in this home for 23 years now, and some of my plot’s stalwarts have been here even before that. As we age and yet still want a beautiful landscape, we depend more and more on these tried and true warriors of the plant world.
Fall from A to Z, apples to NardoZZi!
As summer winds down, oodles of events and activities beckon us outdoors.If you are winsome about the waning garden season, consider a hands-on workshop at Red Wagon Plants in Hinesburg. Learn to make a mini-greenhouse cold frame on Sept. 14; it can add weeks to the growing season in both spring and fall. On Oct. 12, create a succulent pumpkin planter that can live outside in frost-free weather or be a centerpiece or indoor decoration. Information and registration at redwagonplants.com.
That’s disgusting
This wet and warm weather has been a boon for our gardens…well, most of them. There are some plants that just are not suited to this weather. One is the tall bearded iris. Cranky would be a kind word to describe its attitude.
This is why we garden
The ice is gone from the lake, the buds are swelling, and the days are longer. Go out into the garden and brush away some leaves or dirt and behold the emerging buds. These buds will turn into lush growth in just a few weeks.