Perennial Tired Gardener

Sunday, July 13, 2008

An interesting morning here on the hill as morning breaks through presenting a mackerel type sky with red hints and an accompanying wind. The temperature is 63 degrees and the morning ground is dry for a change making flower picking a bunch better. The weeds outside my office window are so tall they obstruct the view to what is left of the lower daylily nursery, much of which was moved to our new business location. It's a big assortment of weeds with the predominant bloom coming from Queen Anne's Lace.

Karl the wonder dog and I made a quick walk as I have to get going here. Gail is already banging pans in the kitchen as this time of year she has a super good blueberry coffee cake available for early morning customers. Yesterday she made two large pans but I noticed as the first one arrived at about 9:30 that the berries were absent, suggesting a tired mother, gardener and business woman trying her best to please all. The second cake, so hot that pot holders were in order, had the berries and had a quick following that dispensed it before I had much of a taste. The recipe has appeared on this blog before and probably should be reposted or have the link referenced. It's a very good cake and serves just as well after dinner with a scoop of vanilla ice cream.

This time of year is the crossover time for major sales moving from hostas to daylilies. The new nursery has been a challenge on a number of levels but if you forget the economic ones, learning the new climate and soil has probably been the biggest. There is a 700 foot difference in elevation and that means it's warmer in the valley. The adjacent Winooski River creates its own micro climate and the clay soil, once warmed, appears to hold the temperature longer. That means daylilies which were late bloomers here on the mountain are already in bloom or bud in the valley. An example is Chicago Apache which is a later bloomer here. Yesterday I noticed it had set buds and was about a week away from flowering. Alna's Pride on the other hand (pictured above), a Barth daylily I purchased on 9-11 at the farm in Alna, Maine, is about as close to on target as can be. Lots to figure out.

Gail bought a poster from the American Hemerocallis Society to hang on the shed and help people understand the difference between lilium and daylilies. We have come to be known as the "lily farm' because of all the bulbs we grew and sold so for some reason, many neophytes think all "lilies" are bulbs. This infuriates some hemerocallis growers but to us it is a responsibility to be better educators. Many are getting into gardening for the first time now and they need and want answers.



Already six here and I have to get going. I want to mention this book that I found at Borders the other day. C. Colston Burrell's Perennial Combinations:Stunning Combinations That Make Your Garden Look Fantastic Right From The Start. It's one of the few books I have located that has a section on growing in clay soil. It mentions some good combinations. When I get a minute, I'll explain some more. For now, it's off to work!

From the mountain above Peacham Pond where does with new fawns teach bad hosta eating habits to their young. Deer lettuce.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

Lilies

Tuesday, July 1, 2008

Climate change may be the cause here, if you are into that philosophy, but for the life of me I don't know why the lilium are coming on so strong when all it has done here for weeks is rain. Today, on a day when I wanted to garden in rain-free weather, I had to travel north for client visits. By the time I got to the garden, the air had warmed and big clouds had amassed. Customers were nowhere to be found until the evening commute began and even then most folks wanted to look and talk and not part with any money.

The lilies look quite nice, especially considering the fact that I refuse to spend time I don't have this year trying to spray for the ubiquitous lily leaf beetle. There aren't any lilies at our new location, just here on the hill where we have raised tens of thousands over the years. Although the leaves and stems are totally disfigured on some lilies, the bulk remain unscathed so I guess my use of dormant oil spray last year may have done the trick. If you haven't considered this, scroll back and find a blog I wrote about defending against the beetle.

This is the time of year when travel within about 30 miles of here confirms the number of people who visited Vermont Flower Farm over the years and purchased lilies for their gardens. I wish I had a list of those customers so I could send out an invitation to come to our new location on Route 2. When we were at the top of our game with lilies, the list would have been a long one. Now we have already begun to fade from the numbers and when we visit Harold and Leila up in Morrisville we don't know the fine lilies they display in their collection.

Asiatic lilies usually bloom around July 4th, starting with the pixies and moving to the regular size, then the longiflorum-asiatics. Right now there is a mix of everything in bloom. Factually, if you travel through Plainfield which is about 800 feet lower in elevation than here, even the shorter Orientals are showing color. Sure is an interesting year.

The peonies have had about all the driving rains they can take and although many still have buds, the majority have been driven to uselessness. From a distance, the colors look fine but as you approach the plants or rows, it becomes clear that the short season is shorter still. Today I hung up two bouquets that didn't sell on the back nursery wall. They will dry well there.


The daylilies are beginning to bloom and early varieties like Stella, Happy Returns, Lemon Lolypop, Golden Chimes, and Lady Scarlet are out. I have seen a few Nile Crane, an older Munson daylily that Gail and I like, Selma Rose, and then Rooten Tooten Red from Oaks. Many are budded up nicely and some look early to me but who knows--maybe there is a temperature change that is moving things along.

It's heading for 9 PM and the truck still needs to be unloaded and Karl the wonder dog needs a walk. Gail is preparing a lasagna for the crew tomorrow and Alex is asking for some assistance with a computer question. Guess I better get going.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where it's 61 degrees out, calm and clouding over. A barred owl hoots from across the street, perhaps commenting on the sign I placed in the drive today. "MOVED---the nursery has moved......."

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm A fine place to buy some very good plants

Grow An Extra Row

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

58 degrees here on the hill and water continues to drip from everything after last night's rain. I came home from the nursery about 7:30 and barely made it to the house before the thunder boomers began. It was a noisy affair with lots of lightning flashes but all the hits were 5 to 7 miles away. The rain fell hard and long and will be apparent later as I make my way down the mountain and off to work.

Gail and Michelle worked at the nursery all day trying to fill in the intended daylily display garden with more and more daylilies. We are trying to incorporate examples of every daylily we have in our collection and want to have large plants which will carry their example for a maximum amount of time. I have been digging extra holes in my spare time and Austin has too so it makes the planting a bit easier. The hard part is getting them out of the various planting areas here on Peacham Pond Road and then up into the truck. It's looking better every day and from Route 2, the color is beginning to become apparent.

Gail has been selling cut peonies and sales have been exceptional with everything selling each day. I am amazed at the reaction from some folks when they see we are selling half a dozen fresh stems for $9.50. Yesterday a customer doubted the accuracy of my price calculation but when I got to the root of the problem, I found she was used to paying $7 a stem in Boston. She favors peonies and had quite a smile when she left. Last week we received a call from Florida and a florist wanted a "ton" of peonies for a special wedding. We turned down the request as we are just too busy right now to spend the extra time. It is apparent that those that love peonies will spend a bundle to advance their enjoyment.

Emma dropped by about 6 en route to some local kayacking. She works with the Lake Champlain Basin Project and we worked together last summer on a water flow monitoring project on the Winooski River here in Marshfield, Plainfield and Cabot. Emma conducts a rain garden project and has planted a number of gardens around central and northwest Vermont. This is a subject in itself but the foundation of water gardens is something you might consider exploring as they have great merit and help the environment a lot. As we stood by the miniature hostas and talked, a Coopers hawk came bursting out of the sky and grabbed a songbird, dragging it to earth and heading into an adjacent tree for dinner feasting. This all took seconds and was a National Geographic quality shot I can only relive in my memory. The speed of that accipiter is amazing.

I am including a poster that Anson Tebbetts sent us. He is the Deputy Secretary of Agriculture here in Vermont and he has lots of marketing experience from previous work with Channel 3 television in Burlington. He's a great person and he and his family have been Vermont Flower Farm customers for some time. Vermont's Grow An Xtra Row campaign is similar to the Garden Writer Association's Plant a Row For The Hungry campaign. Both convey the message that extra fruits and vegetables have a great need and benefit the hungry when donated to your local food shelf or community kitchen. The need has never been greater and a couple extra seeds means some extra food of excellent nutritional value to those in need. In the winter time I sometimes help unload the food truck at the Marshfield food shelf and you only have to do this once to see the line of those in need and the message comes home. I always think of children first and remember the hard times when I was a kid. This year will be especially difficult with the price of heating fuels so help others by growing a little extra and donating. Don't put it off, just do it!

Guess I better get going here. I have a few things to load up and drop off at the nursery for Gail. My work day includes Berlin, Waterbury and Morrisville so once I head out the door I won't be back until after 6. Hope your day goes well too!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the peonies are in tremendous bloom and the astilbes are beginning their summer display. If you don't have astilbes yet, stop by Route 2 and take a look at 70 varieties. The almost constant rains have made them grow better than ever.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Our website where we sell nice flowers and offer fine visual enjoyment. Take a look!

Sign of Progress

Friday, June 20, 2008

60 degrees outside and just after 7 PM. There is a constant dribble of rain from the great gray clouds and limited hope that tomorrow will be fair. Even the soil around here is green with constant, heavy rains leaching much nutrient from the land. Garden soil in Vermont is in a constant state of rebuild this year but unlike the mid west, most of the soil is staying where it should.

We've been home from the nursery for less than an hour and Gail has already visited her mother, checked the care givers for tonight and come home to rustle up omelets for supper. Karl, the wonder dog, has had a ride out back, a nice walk down the road and now he is running around here with one of his toys trying to find someone to play with. It won't be me for a while.

Last night Kim and Lenny showed up to get the new sign on the roof. There was a threat of rain but Kim knew this was important to me and he wanted to follow through on a promise. The sign had been here for a week and I wanted to see it in place on top of the building to see what influence it had on the customer base. (The sign, by the way, was prepared by Joe and Tina at
Sign Depot in Lyndonville. 802-626-0990 signdepot@charternet.com This is a great family of some of the nicest folks you'll ever meet.)

I had forgotten that Kim was supposed to be at school for the 8th grade graduation at 7 but once he started the sign, it was clear he'd leave when it was finished. Even when his wife and kids stopped by with a vocal coaxing, he said he wasn't finished and they left in a fury.

If it clears tomorrow long enough for the sign to dry on top, I'll climb up there and silicon on the protective border. The sign is 2 feet high and 16 feet long to comply with local zoning. It was prepared on two pieced of metal board with vinyl lettering. The signs are screwed to pressure treated 5/4 decking and the whole affair is screwed into the frames. If that sign leaves the building, Dorothy and Toto will have returned from Oz as it's all lagged into the rafters. It looks sharp and does the advertising trick we wanted. If you have a business or are contemplating one, think about road signage and visibility. Lots of issues there--enough for a winter's discussion when topics are more sparse and time is more free.

From the mountain above Peacham Pond where dinner is ready.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

Lookin' Under Leaves

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Almost 7 AM and 58 degrees outside. Still raining ever so lightly after an entire night of heavy rain. All the five gallon buckets around the potting stand are overflowing so I have no idea how much rain we received. I'm leaving shortly to open the nursery for the day and the little brook at the intersection of Routes 2 and 232 will be a good indicator of what happened.

I took Karl the wonder dog for a brief walk this morning. He should be kind on Father's Day but his sniffer was in overdrive as hungry wildlife had a late start to last night's dinner or this morning's breakfast. We really needed some rain and the sounds while walking suggest it was much more than an inch.

This is a good time to look around your hostas and see what previous year's seed production may have provided for you. At the entrance to the lower hosta garden here at the house, I planted a sieboldiana 'Elegans' next to a couple Abiqua Moonbeams, an Albopicta and an On Stage. Just above it are an August Moon and a Sunpower. They are all mature plants and five or more years old.

I suggest a little exploring this time of year because you will always find some of previous year's progeny but you may never know what the genetic mix is due to insect hybridization. The hosta to the left of the yellow On Stage pictured above is the result of some kind of mix. The thing about this hosta is that it's going to be a giant in time. Last year was it's second year and it really grew. It looks as if it will be the size or bigger than the On Stage this year but in a couple days I'll have a better idea because the heavy rain will bring everything along quickly. Many very popular hostas were "found" so look under the leaves of your favorites and you might be surprised!

The peonies look great this year. As if having an ability to read the calendar, the peony named 'Dad' is in blossom as of yesterday. Nearby is 'Paul Fay' and also 'Sea Shell'. The rain probably cancelled out the eight blossoms left on the fern leafed 'smouthii' which was special this year. If you get a chance, add this to your collection as it is the earliest here and very nice.

Better get going. It's Father's Day so good gardening wishes to all fathers in every garden anywhere.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Our outdated but very useful, still operational, home built commercial site which needs some sales ......but just the same has some neat pictures and good comments. Take a look! We're still biased.

Bad Weather

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Just about 7 PM here and at 80 degrees, it's the coolest part of the day. Today's high temps around Vermont ranged from 93 in this area to 97 in Burlington. Considerable destruction occurred in Franklin County on the northwest corner and power outages here and there. We got by with a couple flickers here at the house but didn't do as well at the nursery.

Buying used "anything" can be a good deal or a future headache. I should have learned my lesson by now but I haven't. With three feet of snow on the ground this spring, I purchased a used shade house from a place going out of business. I had seen it before but never really inspected it and when it was delivered for free I quickly noticed that many of the poles had been split open by winter's ice. Some poles also looked bent as if the thing had fallen over once but since there was a back up supply and one brand new piece of 20 X 80 shade cloth plus other odds and ends, the price seemed right. Look at the picture up top and scan to the back middle and you'll see the frame.

We had lined the whole frame with astilbes and other shade plants and were waiting for them to get set before putting on the shade cloth. That's what we did today. Austin helped before he left and I spent a while securing the cloth. As the storm approached, my worries grew and when the winds really kicked up the house headed east into a pile of bent debris. I cut the ties on the fabric and headed to the safety of home for the storm to pass.

Two hours later I returned for an assessment. Not much saving there but there's a chance that I can use the pipe cutter and get back to a 30 foot house without having to buy any more pieces. I'm not all that pleased but that's kind of what being a farmer or a small business person is all about. You have to make decisions and sometimes they aren't the smartest ones. Tomorrow Gail will rearrange the pots, fill a few that need more soil mix and then get as much as possible into the shade house by the miniature and small hostas. It won't all fit but she'll figure out something.
As for right now, I have to go out and unload the pieces from the truck and get it ready for Gail.


From the mountain above Peacham Pond where Karl the wonder dog is barking at one of the neighbor's kids getting their mail. It's real obvious when he is feeling well because he barks with great enthusiasm while his tail about wags itself off the dog.

Good gardening wishes,

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

New Nursery, New Hosta Garden

>

June 9, 2008

After almost seven years of building a shade garden at our Peacham Pond Road location, it was time to move the nursery and leave all that work behind. It will be impossible to forget that garden and even if we wanted to, customers wouldn't allow it. Gail and I have already been reminded of that about every day, so Sunday I got serious and began to build the new hosta extravaganza. Only time will tell how successful I am.

For a couple days, Austin, a UVM summer helper, toiled away at digging holes for me. He commented that it wasn't a great job but the day went by quickly. It wouldn't have for me but his preparatory work was much appreciated. When the holes were ready, we began digging hostas from more mature gardens and then loaded up the tools and amendments we'd need. I was hoping for a little help but he had a house to paint and Gail had other chores so I was on my own.

When hostas are 5 or 6 years old, any listed as large or extra large are heavy. There's no other way to get them out but to dig all around the plant as deep as you can go and then begin to slid the shovel under the root ball. I use a 6 foot pry bar and with a little luck and someone tugging on a corner we can usually free up the monsters. It has been raining hard here for many days so the ground was loose and the task was less than it would normally be.

You have to understand that the height of this new land is solid clay, the kind potters dream of. It is so heavy that when you finally get a hole dug and fill it with water, it forms a frog pond that takes forever to drain. That's where calcium sulphate comes in. At $6.79 a 40 pound bag from Wal Mart or a buck and a half more wholesale from farm supply outlets, it's become gold to me for what it does to clay soils. As soon as Austin dug the holes I had him dose them liberally, bottom and sides, with this miracle composition. From there I mix bagged manure, 4 year old rotted tree chips, handfuls of lime, one handful per hole of 10-10-10, about 5 pounds of peat moss and a bucket of rotted maple leaves. I fill the hole with water and turn and turn until it is well mixed. Then the hosta goes in and the sides get firmed and then covered with more wood chips.


Everyone has their method and their secret mixes. Mine aren't a secret although I have to say I'll never use Agway's products again as this manure of theirs was as much clay as Austin dug out of the hole in the first place. Vermont Compost from Montpelier, Intervale Compost if you can get it, or good old farm manure are the way to go. I used the last of the big pile a couple weeks back and elected not to bring in a truckload of fine smelling green manure while I was trying to lure customers to a new location.

This planting took a couple days and contains June, Parhelion, Aristocrat, Wolverine, Abiqua Moonbeam, Bressingham Beauty, Frances Williams, Shade Fanfare and a few others. Before I am done, there will be a trail leading down the hill parallel to the Winooski River and then on into the grove of box elders. The 450 hostas we have will in some part make the move and with luck some of the sad comments will dissipate. In time we'll have that answer. In the interim it's me and Austin and the shovel and the truck. If you stop by to visit us on Route 2, walk on down through the astilbe shade house to the river bank. You'll see what we have done.



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where it's 74 degrees out. A lone mosquito is attempting to peck at my shoulder and he's going to get a good one if he'll hold still. Not as big a project as at 3 this morning when a June bug practiced maneuvers in the bedroom until banging into a wall and falling victim to the phone book.

Good gardening wishes,

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener Another good blog
Vermont Flower Farm A place to buy great flowers online

Playing Garden Catch Up

Saturday, June 7, 2008

56 degrees here on the hill this morning. 100% humidity after two days of drenching rains. This morning's foggy haze and quietness are harbingers to the 85-90 degrees and stifling air that is en route by later today. Just the same, this is Vermont and we long for summer, the short season, when gardens grow and gardeners find a peace that is not easy to describe.

I have not written in a couple weeks. It's not because there weren't things to say and invitations to be made to our new location on Route 2, Marshfield. Time is short and most people would say we are crazy to try to do what we do in a day. There's a full time job for me, Alex and his interesting autism challenges for Gail and me, Gail's 91 year old blind mother and her accompanying entourage of care givers to coordinate. Karl, the wonder dog, with his as yet undiagnosed stomach problems........the list goes on. We keep the car full of gas and pads of paper scattered about to make sure that when thoughts come to mind, they are written down so they cannot escape. If we have not answered your email yet, do not fear. We are playing catch-up and we are making progress!Today from 10-2 I will be working on a new hosta garden. I had Gail change the sign by the road to let folks know they can stop by and watch the process if they want. You are invited too. I work and talk at the same time but show the steps from digging into potter-quality clay, scattering the holes with calcium sulphate, working in a variety of amendments, planting and mulching. For me it's a dirty, slippery, tiring process but the reward at the end is what I enjoy and that's what I want people to see. Stop if you get a chance. I'll probably be working tomorrow too, same hours. I stop projects like this at about 2 because that's when customers begin to stack up and I like a clean hand and a dry shirt when I make greetings. Come visit us at our new location on Route 2 just one half mile before Marshfield Village coming from Montpelier, E. Montpelier, Plainfield.



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where I have to fire up the tractor, load the trailer with compost and stack on another dozen hostas for planting. If you are coming this way, throw the canoe or kayak on the car as the day will be perfect for all sorts of events.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Our commercial website, a bit behind, but still a great place to order some hardy perennials. Call or write if you have questions.

Lily Beetles

Good evening from the mountain above Peacham Pond. Not much strength left in me after 12 hours of lugging pots to the truck, from the truck, as we move to our new nursery. About half way done but it seems like a forever thing. Michelle and Mike from down the road volunteered to help today so with their hands and a pickup with a trailer, things went faster. All but a few hundred daylilies have been moved and that's a welcome sight.

I continue to be bothered by the presence of the lily leaf beetle. I wrote about it in the past and much of that has been recreated at the University of Vermont Hort Farm site. I just released a series of pictures on The Vermont Gardener so take a look at the pictures. Once the eggs hatch, this is what you will be looking at:


I am interested in how many of you who enjoy lilies have noticed this beetle in your gardens this year. Please let me know.

From the land of great tiredness,

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener

First Shade House

Saturday Morn'

May 24, 2008

A quick good morning wish as I head out to the nursery with a truckload of astilbes. Time is limited and I haven't been able to keep the correspondence going. Wednesday we started this 20 X 60 foot shade house and Thursday it was finished off. Austin helped me on this one and although he had never done this before, it all went well. Yesterday we put the top on the 20 X 30 foot house we moved from Peacham Pond Road and today we will try to get the 15 X by 70 foot used house up that I bought last month. That one will hold most of our astilbes.

If you are out and about this holiday weekend, stop by our new property on Route 2 just west of the village heading towards Plainfield. Gail has some nice hanging baskets for sale although they may be a little wet this morning after a heavy rain last night. All visitors are welcomed!

New Roof, New Lessons

Monday, May 18, 2008

Cold, raw morning here at Vermont Flower Farm. The wind is blowing and last night's rain has made it feel a lot colder. Aching muscles will not get working as fast this morning.

The roof is now on both sides and the only part to finish is the roof vent. Buildings must have a means for allowing internal air circulation but some builders forget the importance of this. Houses with multiple levels and sections need to be vented externally and internally for good flow. For a building the size of ours, the important part is circulation over the 2/3's that will be the office but we are venting the entire roof.

Roof vents come in plastic material which nails to the roof peak. They come in 20 foot rolls or separate pieces 4 to 10 feet long. The builder needs to remember to leave space on the top course of plywood and also be sure that if using GRACE for waterproofing or just traditional felt paper that the roof peak remains open so air can flow. I had a house once where the contractor put the vent right on top of the water proofer and it took forever for me to figure out the problem. t wasn't too handy a thing to fix after the fact.

We continue to work on the daylily display garden. Richard Ducharme from Hillcrest Nursery in Cabot is closing his nursery and doing stone work and Adirondack furniture full time so he is selling all his stock. Gail and I bought a truck load of trees the other night including some weeping crabs, a couple Korean Lilacs, four ninebarks and some weeping pussy willows. If you look closely at the preceding picture you can see the pots layed out with a bench in the middle. This is the center of what will eventually become an American Hemerocallis Society certified display garden.

Right now I have to load up the truck and get going. Austin, a UVM student on summer break, will help put up the 20 by 60 foot shade house this morning. We'll see how good his math skills are figuring the third dimension of triangles. Shade houses are a series of 2" pipes in 10 X 20 foot sections. To keep them square and tight, you have to understand a little geometry. Guess we'll see.

From the mountain above Peacham Pond where two wild turkeys are pecking at something in the lower daylily garden. If you stop by to see Gail, walk down that way and catch a glimpse of the Trillium grandiflorum and the Trillium erectum. Special this year as are the hellebores.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm Check out the astilbes and hostas on our site. More available at the nursery.

Motionless morning

Saturday, May 17, 2008

A dark and quiet, almost motionless morning here on the mountain. The birds are quiet but the tom turkeys off in the field are calling in their hens and strutting with full displays of plumage and colorful mating season head colors. Karl,the wonder dog and I had a quick walk this morning because there's much to do today and little time. He was obviously bothered by an abbreviated walk when there were so many good smells from last night's animal traffic.

Gail and Alex leave for Jericho just after 7 and the potting crew will be here by 9 so I have to get clicking. Michelle will lead the crew today and I'll try to clean up some of the loose ends around here. Time is very short and Memorial Day is fast approaching. We still have one shade house to be disassembled and three to be rebuilt at the new location. Not difficult work but not something that goes quickly. Holes to auger into hard clay soil and lots of ratchet work with bolts and arm braces.

The new construction is really advancing with the encouragement Gail and I need. It seems as if not a day goes by but what there is something I have to run to the store for and just keeping ahead of Lenny and Kim is not easy. They are no-nonsense workers and when they quit their regular granite worker jobs for the day and turn into carpenters, it's best not to get in their way.

Last Sunday the rafters were all up and by Tuesday we began installing the roofing. Plywood should come with some built in levitation process because after the first sheet, each new 4 X 8 foot sheet gets heavier and heavier to lift and push upward to someone standing at the wrong angle pulling upward at a disadvantage. That's construction.


Even though we designed this building to sit on 6 X 6 pressure treated timbers, it is being built so it won't go anyplace. The roof will hold big snow loads and the walls will stand straight. I placed the windows so building occupants can get light and air and not have to deal with customers looking in to see what's going on. The interior ceiling will be high to allow for good air flow and it will all be insulated.

Probably one of the more difficult parts so far has been installing GRACE on the roof. This is the name for a rolled asphalt product originally designed for roof valleys where Vermont winters might cause ice build up and penetration of water under the flashing and shingles. In older days tar paper which was really asphalt impregnated felt paper was used but it dehydrated over time and leaked. This new product is exceptional. The nature of it's components allows every nail hole to immediately close in and the entire roof is waterproof. That's the good news.

GRACE is the name of a giant conglomerate that in the old days controlled all the vermiculite mines in America. Vermiculite was used for years as pour-in insulation which you dumped by the bag on top of the rafters above your ceiling. It was light weight and just sat there preventing heat loss. Trouble was that vermiculite was mined in the same location as asbestos and that's the story that needs no explanation. This new roof coating is the company's money maker and it's probably doing a good job helping pay off the law suits from the asbestos problems. We can't hold the absence of medical research against a company as for long years no one knew what asbestos could do to humans. But that's the past, not the current installation problem.

GRACE comes on 200 square foot rolls and sells for about $90 a roll. The product comes on a peel off waxed paper just like those strange tasting fruit roll ups you buy in the store. You unroll about 6" of the product and stick it over the side of the roof with the plan of keeping the roll parallel to the bottom of the drip edge and then moving upward, one roll width at a time. But rolling the product across the rood if not easy. One person has to roll what starts out as a very heaving, awkward roll while the other person pulls the paper covering from underneath the roll. You have to keep everything centered and once the stuff sticks, sorry folks, it's there forever. The product must be kept cool before you start and a hot day is not the type day to learn to install it because it gets even stickier in heat. Installation sites should be absent of children and women who claim not to have ever heard profanity. The flow of expletives, although not included in the warning on the box, is colorful.



As of this morning, the GRACE is on, the face sure boards have been primed, painted two coats, and have been installed along with the drip edge. Everything is ready for the shingles and roof vent. I have half the ship lap siding (above) stained with Cabot's cedar stain and we've already installed it on the end where the electrical and data/telephone entrance will be. Tuesday night we framed in the peaks and the window framing materials are all cut. Progress is good.

We are down to about 3000 plants which need to be potted. Today I hope to see us get about a third of those out of the way. We'll miss Gail's speed at the potting bench but I'm positive we'll do well if the rain holds off. Gail has hired an additional person for the summer and that should help us along. If anyone has seen our friends Harold and Leila from Cross View Daylilies in Morrisville, kindly remind them how to get to our house. They are good planters and often leave their own business to come help us.



Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where two turkeys are looking curious in front of the office window. I noticed a large moose had walked through a neighbor's newly seeded lawn last night. Footprints are nature's message that creatures like to know what we do.

If you have some time on your hands today, report to the Marshfield Inn and volunteer to work with the Friends of the Winooski River as they complete some riparian plantings along the Onion River in an attempt to solidify the river banks and stem erosion problems. This is a very worthwhile project and I hear that Tracy will be in the kitchen helping with treats of encouragement.

Have a nice day outside!


George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

Physical Construction

Sunday, May 4, 2008

A damp, raw day here on the hill with a gusty wind and heaviness in the air suggesting that last night's rains have no intention of vacating the area for some time. It's 38 degrees this morning, two degrees colder than yesterday and 10 degrees worse than when I wrote here last.

Karl the wonder dog and I walked out into the back field this morning. His sniffer was in full operational mode as spring time encourages wild life to travel lots and Karl finds one scent trail after another. We heard a male partridge drumming across the road when we left the house and then in the back field saw a large tom turkey identifying his presence and telling other turkeys to leave his hens alone. His beard is about 10 inches long so my estimate is that he weighs about 20-24 pounds. Turkey season is under way here but he's safe from me as my "things-that-must-be done" list does not include turkey hunting.....only turkey watching.

I'm lame today because yesterday started at 5:30 am when the morning light allowed me to load tools in the truck and head to the new nursery. Kim and Lenny were scheduled to begin construction on our new building and it's a good thing they are outdoor guys as the wind, rain and temperature were not pleasant.

We were at the property by 6:30 and unloaded fifteen minutes later. As soon as thing were clear on who was dong what I returned here to get things prepared for Gail's planting crew that were arriving at nine. It was a mostly "work for barter" type crew of folks who appear annually at a phone call from Gail and work diligently despite some bad weather to help us get things potted. Vermonters still do a lot of bartering and frankly it establishes an interesting relationship that goes beyond getting plants and labels in pots.

Over time, Gail's informal groups have become known as "potting parties" where people show to work for hours or days and in the end everything is ready for sale. The events include some kind of a treat at coffee break time in the morning and then a super good lunch usually long after traditional lunch time. Gail has this philosophy that well fed workers don't work as well so she gets the main work accomplished before she brings out the food. People laugh, seldom complain and in the end everyone comes back to do it all over again.

As soon as I returned to the nursery, I saw that Kim and Lenny had the 6" X 6" pressure treated timbers in place and bound together, and the 2 X 6 X14 pressure treated floor joists in place . Conceptually this building will be 28 feet long, 14 feet wide with the first 12 feet on the right side as you face the structure, open and lacking a floor. This will be the wrapping and sales area so there will be a packing bench and a dirt floor. The infamous "money Box" ("http://vermontgardens.blogspot.com/2007/12/money-box.html) will be located here until we can afford a cash register. Entrance to the 14' X 16' office will also be through this room. I say "dirt floor" but it will be compacted Stay Mat, that crushed rock, coarse sand mixture that packs and hardens well. It will absorb water from freshly washed plants and is a cheaper way to go.

Kim and Lenny work well together. They have known each other since they were little kids and now they both work full time in the granite industry in Barre. They both have exceptional skills and are in demand for their ability to do any production job with ease. It is a pleasure to watch people who know what they are doing. There is limited communication but each takes visual cues from the other and completes the next required step without conversation. They seem tireless in comparison to me but I know they feel the same way at the end of the day.

When we closed down for the night at 6 PM, the two long walls were framed and in place. The area on the right shows where a garage door will be installed. The window in the back wall will be a sliding window so we can help customers in the shade houses out back or pack web orders. Directly in front of that window will be the kids sand box where customers can leave their kids while they shop. The other two windows on the left will let us see who is entering the business if we happen to be in the office, on the phone or computer, sending a fax or working on an order.




Today if the rain is not too heavy, the end walls and the one internal wall will rise. The weatherman is less than positive and I fear we will get washed out at some point but time will tell. Here on the hill I have to get things set up for today's potting crew. Yes, it is Sunday but the nursery business is open seven days a week in Vermont's short season. Come join us if you wish.



Writing from the hill above Peacham Pond where trilliums abound in the woods, hellebores are in full blossom, bloodroot hold their petals closed tight this time of day, and sadly, hepaticas begin to go to seed. If you drive by our new location, check out how the building is coming. We have a long way to go before the sign maker installs Vermont Flower Farm on the roof but it's all very exciting to us.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm where web sales of astilbes are exceptional this year, probably because of mention in Better Homes and Gardens Magazine.

Electrification

how to install electricity

Thursday, April 24, 2008

48 degrees and overcast here on the hill this morning. The ground squooshes as you walk from all the rain that fell last night. It is uncommonly dark which is unusual for folks who have had 11 consecutive days of sun and temperatures at 65 or above. Karl the wonder dog enjoyed his morning walk and was not frightened by the smell of a fresh bear track which followed last night's rain.

A powerful thunderstorm arrived last night when I was finishing up my piece on big diggers. I had to close the computer down quickly. The light show lasted well over an hour so the part I was going to write on electrification waited in safety until now.

Most businesses need power to accomplish something. Electricity is one of those things like water in most of America. You turn on the switch and you expect water to flow or lights to pop on. Electricity can be expensive. When we arrived here in 1989 from Burlington, our monthly light bill was programed at $39 a month. Today it is at $115 and it gets reprogrammed quarterly. Yes, things have gotten more expensive. Just the same, we cannot run a business without electricity.

Last fall as people stopped at the new land to find out what we were doing, many suggested we go solar. I applaud that thinking but could not find one single person with the suggestion that had any experience, could tell me what they were talking about or could recommend an experienced user who could help. Solar power is interesting to me anyway because Vermont ranks third in the continental US for darkness. We have to look for the sun here so getting solar power without an elaborate system is a feat at times. The most experienced in the field put their panels/collectors on mechanized trackers that follow the sun and adjust the collectors to maximize aborption. Just thinking about the cost of that would deter most from looking further. In our case we need dependable energy for water pumps and sprayers and everything in between down to the telephone and computers. No solar for us yet! Plus I couldn't possibly live long enough to see a pay back.

Getting electric to a site is not difficult but it can be costly. In our case, the utilities were close by as they run along US Route 2. Except for one thing. They run on the opposite side of Route 2 so that required a new pole for $809 to get the power above and across the road to our land. Green Mountain Power is the vendor in this area and they are easy to work with as long as you have a couple bucks. They consented to place the meter on the pole which made it easier for us and the meter reader since this is a seasonal business right now.

I first met with the field rep, mapped out the pole location, and made like Robert Amundsen at the north and south poles and sunk a stake laying claim to the pole site. The only stipulation was the pole had to be planted by a truck that was stationed on US Route 2 itself. A stability/safety thing I think. Once the pole was planted were were ready to do our work. That's where the real cost began.


First I had Kevin trench from the pole to the new building site. That was a distance of 110 feet. The trench must be a minimum of 2 feet deep to meet electrical code but we went deeper because we are going to be running heavy equipment over the top. When digging any trenches, it's best to call Dig Safe first and have them come scan the area for underground wires or pipes. In this case I did not use this service because I knew the existing utilities were across Route 2. Just winging something like this and making a mistake is not prudent because if you dig up something that's not yours, you pay to have it fixed. Dig Safe is a free service paid for through the contractor consortium so there's no reason not to use it.

The other point to remember about trenching no matter where you are is that you just plain do not put a person in a deep trench without providing for his safety in case of cave ins. Many have said "I'll only be down there for a couple minutes.", and never lived to tell about it. Not many mind you, but one is too many.

We dug the trench and the electricians ( Rachel & Chris, B&B Electric from Plainfield) appeared ready to complete the underground installation. One of them started installing the meter socket on the pole while the other one laid out the PVC pipe, threaded a pull rope, got ready for the cable and built the ground fault protector. Basically you are installing plastic pipe in the ground to protect the electrical cable from water or intrusion and deterioration caused by frost heaving, rocks rubbing, etc. There's not much good to say about pulling electric entrance cable through PVC conduit. It's actual three big wires bound together, it's heavy and like a snake, it's never straight.

As soon as the meter socket was up, two ground rods were driven into the ground and connected six feet apart. Grounding is part of the electrical code. Copper prices make you scream but it has to happen and from a safety and system protection standpoint, there is no thought about the importance of grounding an electrical system. It has to happen.

On the opposite end of the run near where we will build the new sales area, I built a temporary structure to hold the breaker boxes while we build the building. I used two 4 x 4 posts 8 feet long and screwed on six pieces of 36" 5/4 pressure treated decking. That made a good area to mount the breaker box and the receptacles. When the building is built, all of the electrical components will be moved inside the building and the interior and exterior wiring will be wired into the breaker box.

When the wiring was completed we began to backfill the ditch a little, I installed my own PVC and wiring for our telephone system (no cell service in our area yet) and then we rolled out a banner of yellow plastic warning tape the length of the hole. This is so if anyone decides to start digging in that area, they will hit the tape first and be reminded to stop what they are doing before they fry themselves. Kevin came back in with his equipment and filled in the rest of the ditch. The following day Green Mountain Power stopped by and made the connection from the meter socket up the pole to their line and across to the transformer. Presto! Electricity, expensive installation, but done right forever!

Installing electricity to your business site is expensive. Doing it right the first time means you only pay once. I find contractors and power utilities helpful and know they want to do a good job too. In this case. we needed electricity. By doing an underground installation we have enhanced the value of our property while meeting a power need. Another exhausting job scratched off the list!


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the sun is trying to push between two big, dark clouds. Maybe, just maybe, we'll have some sunshine soon.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

Big Diggers, Big Holes

Wednesday, April 23, ,2008

It's been a week since I had a chance to hardly breathe but as spring broke and the snow began to melt, it was time to get moving on some important issues at the new nursery. When I started Vermont Gardens I was committed to using this blog as a means of sharing with interested gardeners what is involved in starting a nursery literally from the ground up. Although we were moving an existing business to a new site, much of the work would be no different than starting from scratch. I thought some folks might be interested and I was right.

As last fall approached, I encouraged readers to stick around and share some winter type thoughts until spring arrived. Along the way I lost a few who didn't want winter chit chat but here we are again. Now we are in full activity and I am prepared to offer some info that should be of interest. For those with a curious nature , skip back to the start of the blog and speed read through the articles. One good reference is where I suggest a favorite book, Tony Avent's So You Want To Start A Nursery? Tony discusses many of the same things I have said or will say. As I indicated before, I intended to write the same book but Tony did such a great job it's just not needed right now.

So here we were a week ago with good weather upon us, the land finally free of snow on the high point, and Kevin Hudson, a local contractor who has helped me for years, able to squeeze in a few days between other jobs. That combination was the catalyst to nail down an electrician and get on with the show.

As we left the project last fall, we had done a nice job on the entrance off Route 2. We had obtained permits from the Agency of Transportation, went through site inspection before and after the work, and ended up with a 44 foot wide entrance which was almost level to the three rod road. We buried a 2.5" underground quality PVC pipe the width of the entrance so we could snake wires or other lines through if we ever needed to. We did this work in compliance with local requirements and completed the entrance using sand, road fabric and Stay Mat.

Road fabric probably has a professional name someplace but to me it's a woven plastic cloth that comes on 12.5 foot wide rolls. Essentially you roll out the cloth flat on the land then place material on top to aid in road construction. It is used to stabilize various soil types and it permits water flow while encouraging compaction. The Stay Mat which was the final course we applied is again a common name which looks different depending upon where you live. In many places it might be crushed shale or stone. Up here the local supplier mixes sand and gravel with crushed rock which compacts to a surface as hard as asphalt at much less cost and with real ease of maintenance over time. Anyway that's kind of where we left off last year.

Our plans for spring included getting in electricity, and then preparing a large area about 80 feet X 70 feet X 6" thick for a new building and three shade houses. We also planned to expand the parking area by 45 X 70 feet and bring the new part up to grade with where we left off last fall. That's where Kevin came into the picture. In four days time we did the parking area, finished the area for the building and shade houses and added on an unplanned area of 12.5 feet X 80 feet for a used shade house we just bought. We also reconfigured the flat area to accommodate a drive through road for the truck and tractor.

The good thing about any of our projects is that we always have a plan that has a budget attached. We also try to build in the opportunity to upgrade a little if the time seems right. No matter how many diagrams you draw, sometimes things look different when you are standing in the middle of a project. In this case our changes meant we needed 18, not 8 truckloads of Stay Mat and another roll of road fabric at $600 and a third more hours labor but we had the money built in and the final project is all the better for it. This all occurred because we got a good deal on a used shade house--kind of like the time I wanted a new roof on the house and ended up with a new roof and an addition. Some guys will do anything to get a private office for themselves!

Kevin has a small dump truck but uses an assortment of other contractors to do quantity hauling like this. We began by rolling out the fabric and then the trucks dumped their loads on the fabric and Kevin used his equipment to spread out and compact the Stay Mat. It's best to spring for $35 for a box of ground cloth staples and staple the fabric down ahead of time and then no matter how hard the wind blows, the fabric remains in place and the job goes along faster.

I have to admit that I created a little hazard in the project kind of like a water hazard to a golfer. Last fall I dug a 200 foot by 10 foot wide display garden that was four feet deep and filled with compost, manure, peat, and dirt. I had forgotten that a road across it would have to be created. In this case we excavated all the loose soil and replaced it with crushed rock, added another PVC sleeve for outside lighting and topped off the 15 foot roadway with fabric and Stay Mat. That change cost about $750 extra. It would have been needed anyway but I messed up last fall and could have done a better job planning.

As soon as we were done with that I had Kevin dig the trench for the underground electricty, scuff out an area for a porta potty and then spread out four extra loads of useless clay that came from somewhere???? To bad we were short of potters that day or anyone who needed clay to line a fresh pond site. Right now we are finished with moving earth and the place looks like the Ponderosa Ranch in size. Within the next two weeks things will close in quickly as our 14 X 28 foot building goes up, then the shade houses, split rail fence and the plants. Should be interesting.

Not everyone knows how to hire contractors, price projects and serve as straw boss and quality control agent. Prices can get scary and you have to make yourself think twice before you change a firm plan. Doing that even once can be costly. I've always had a good vision for what a project should look like in the end and I am never afraid to ask questions. If you know a trustworthy contractor, that's great. If not, do some competitive biddings, meet some people and check some references. In today's economy, it has to be that way unless you have a pocket full of money.



From the mountain above Peacham Pond where today I saw three turkey vultures, one spruce grouse and three deer. It's 9:30 PM now, 52.8 degrees and a couple moths are dancing by the office window. If it rains tomorrow night the Eastern Yellow Spotted Salamanders should be migrating and my night monitoring project will begin. Spring is here!

Good spring wishes!

George Africa
Vermont Flower Farm
The Vermont Gardener

Johnnys Seeds

Sunday, April 13, 2008

31 degrees this morning with a snow squall occurring at the top of Hooker Mountain but not a flake floating to earth here. There's light frost on the truck and the wooden walkway is a challenge for Karl and me and he has four feet to my two. Too early to get a handle on the weather, especially after yesterday which defied everything two different forecasters predicted.

Yesterday morning Karl and I stopped at our new place for the first time. The snow had melted off the entrance and parking area enough that we could get off the highway. The sun was warm even yesterday morning and Karl was eager for a walk and to have an opportunity to determine who had intruded on "his" domain since last fall.

As we looked west towards Plainfield, the large rocks we had placed last fall were finally out of the snow cover. They will be the bones for a 120' X 75' display garden for hemerocallis but will also be a place to sit and get out of the sun. No telling what trees we will plant there but Gail is working on that right now with a couple suppliers. These will be native trees and shrubs from Vermont nurserymen no matter what we arrive at.

The fence didn't do as poorly as I had expected. Several fence people told me to expect a lot of movement of the 4 X 4 X 10 pressure treated posts because the area parallel to Route 2 is quite wet. The far right corner post heaved the most and that was one I didn't put in myself but should have. It moved about 18" so the entire line of fence slackened enough to begin to sag. That stretch alone will be about two hours work to bring back together.

Up at the top, things look quite sound and the parking area we started last fall compacted nicely and remained firm. Since the ground is heavy clay underneath, I put down some sand first, then highway fabric, then crushed stone and gravel. It seems good except for the leftover potholes from so many trucks bringing in topsoil and manure. The picture just above here faces the Winooski River. In the middle of the picture is kind of a line of dirt which is really the end of a soon-to-be 10 X 200 foot display garden. Towards the top of the picture is where the building and shade houses will be built. There's another $5000 in preparatory ground work to do first and that will start in a couple weeks when the rest of the snow is melted and things settle a little more. Any year but this one, we would already be building but 7 feet of snow slows the best of plans a bit.

The land to the east facing Marshfield Village is as yet unspoken for in our plan. There is a little less than two acres there that rolls down the hill from where the building will be. It continues to a flat plain bordered by some trees and a wet area. Long term, the wet area will become an extended wildflower and hosta garden with an assortment of plants that like wet or damp feet. The perimeter will work into flowers that can take some moisture. The main field is still up for grabs and we've had suggestions for grapes and pick your own berries on the hill and propagation fields below. We're always happy to hear ideas but right now we are intent on getting the other areas established and the buildings up.

When I returned yesterday morning, Gail and I sat down and ordered a bunch of flower seeds. Johnny's Seeds in Winslow and Albion, Maine is a great company that's been around for a long time. (http://www.johnnyseeds.com 1-877-564-6697. It's employee owned and in fact the originator just retired (sort of) after a long and successful career building one of the finest seed companies in America. After going through the on-line commercial catalog three times we agreed "that's all folks" and we transmitted the order.

Not only was the order a success but we found that they carried the tomatoes I was looking for as a gift for Winnie, our Director of Hydrological Services. The good thing about these seeds is they are tried and tested in New England and there's no guessing, no disappointment. Gail and I were on a mission for asters, zinnias, calendula, ....a whole raft of cut flower varieties and then sunflowers, also for cuts. Johnnys has about 50 varieties of sunflowers and we were looking for an assortment of early to late 4-6" flower sized sunflowers which would make good cuts, by themselves or mixed in with other flowers. Sunbright Supreme, Autumn Beauty, Sonja, Velvet Queen, Pro Cut Lemon, Chocolate.......the list went on. Some places do cut your own but our plan is that we will do the cutting. They will be planted along the Winooski River so they will serve as a backdrop to the gardens and will hopefully produce a little revenue while brightening up Route 2. Sunflowers have become a popular cut flower as they hold up about a week in a vase, a little longer if you recut them when you get home and add some lemon juice to the water.


As I head out in a minute for the Sunday paper and a carton of milk, I want to remind you to consider trying some alliums this year. Like most all bulbs they are typically planted in the fall but alliums, a member of the onion family, are readily available in the spring too. They come in heights from 3" dwarf varieties up to 4 foot giants and different ones bloom from early spring on through into late July here. I wish they would self seed better than they do but it could be the acidity of the soil here that slows them down. Just the same they aren't really that expensive and they are very interesting flowers. Spring for a few bucks and try a few. I guarantee the comments from your friends will be pay back enough.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the snow shoes just got hung in the cellar until next year even though there's still over 4 feet of snow in the woods. Plenty to do here at Vermont Flower Farm even though I really wanted to get out back to the swamps around Peacham Pond to see how the deer made out. Next year????

Spring gardening wishes,

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm