Spring Thoughts!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

April Fool's Day but here on the mountain we are not pranksters and we just sit and watch others in their small glories. We always seem to be too busy this time of year to get into that kind of spirited fun and this year we're more busy than ever. Gail is getting ready to take a load of clothes and durable medical goods to the Salvation Army and I have some construction work that has to get started. We're only a couple weeks away from transplanting time and we have to make good use of our time between now and then.

I just finished a phone conversation with the building supplier who wanted to schedule a tractor trailer with a 52 foot box trailer to make a delivery here. I cautioned him with an explanation of deep snow and thick mud and we mutually agreed three weeks from now would be more safe for the driver and us. Mountain life has different challenges than living along Lake Champlain where lake temperatures present a different weather set than here.

My last post about hellebores was more to encourage me to get through until real spring than to suggest we have them blooming here now. It won't be long but they are under lots of snow in the lower hosta garden. My thoughts are on what plants we have started so far and what is planned. Yesterday an order arrived with 50 astilboides tabularis. The order came a month early and I'm still thinking about what to do with them. If I had space in the fridge they'd be there but they really need to be planted. They are a great plant with 3 foot wide leaves over time like a plant from the Jurassic Age. The roots are dry now and the buds are thick so I don't have much time to reach a conclusion.

As I think about summer, I always think about how many new gardeners we saw last year and how many more we expect this year. Daylilies are a great flower to start a garden with because they are easy to grow and dependable. As I move on to other chores today, here are some more pictures of daylilies that you'll find at Vermont Flower Farm. Our website has a fresh new look so give it a try at http://vermontflowerfarm.com If you are one of the 18% of the US population who has a computer but must still use dial-up for a connection, remember that we have lots of pictures. Up top is Patio Parade, followed next down here by Jeune Tom.

Island Sand Dollar

Janice Brown

Jungle Beauty

Late Pink


Lady Fingers

If you have any gardening questions, need more info after looking at our site, or have any good recipes for hungry springtime gardeners, mail us at lilies@hughes.net. Gardeners make good friends and are always happy to share!

From the mountain above Peacham Pond where 46 degrees and a 21 mph wind take away thoughts of spring.

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
http://thevermontgardener.blogspot.com
Vermont Flower Farm newly updated and better than most catalogs!

Daylilies Continue To Bloom

Alice In Wonderland

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

58 degrees here on the hill with a heavy fog hanging down towards the pond. It would be a great morning to tour the various kettle ponds around here and take pictures of the fog over the water and the moose and deer drinking at the edge. The nursery calls me to set up for Gail for the day before I head out to the real job. Sadly for me, there's no time for taking pictures or enjoying the wild critters. Today it's just a thought, but maybe I can squeeze out one early morning this weekend.

The summer has been a summer with no summer with heavy, constant rains which have made the daylily fields a muddy mess. Just the same the daylilies are blooming and blooming and some like the Chicago series are now putting forth more scapes. Double Dream and Classy Lassie are two basic daylilies but if you don't have them in your garden, you should stop by and take a look or call Gail and order some. They bloom on and on, not with a couple blooms here or there but with a profusion we haven't seen before. I expect them to bloom for a couple more weeks like this but the weather will be the influencing factor I am sure.

Patio Parade

Around the garden there are some daylilies that catch my eye. These are not fancy, new-to-the market, collectors favorite type plants but daylilies that are backbones of a garden, daylilies that bloom dependably and fill the palette. Patio Parade is blooming strong and 32" tall right now. The petals are thick and high winds don't waste it away. I planted two dozen this spring by the lower nursery border next to some tall white veronica and close to some Eupatorium maculatum 'Gateway'. Next year this spot will be an attention-getter as the contrast in foliage, height and color are dynamic. Folks who want a couple noticeable daylilies by the back garden or entrance are noticing Patio Parade for this use.

Grape Velvet

This is not a good picture of the beauty of Grape Velvet. I can't seem to get the color right. The name says it all but the picture doesn't show what I want. This is an older daylily which is difficult to find. We grow on all we can and never have enough. For three years now Gail has tried to order in a quantity from our supplier and they never are correct. The color is really darker and the velvet part of the name is very true. We have about three dozen left for sale this year so if this tickles your interest, call Gail soon.

Double Firecracker

Doubles never intrigued me--kind of like streaked hostas but it's something that grows on you. I always loved Double River Wye, a light, lemon double that has started blooming in our garden again. This Double Firecracker and Double Dream, Double Yellow and Double Gold are all blooming off and on now and it's nice to see the stand-out colors as we are half way to September.

Guess I better get going here. I was interrupted once already by Karl the Wonder Dog. He heard a small buck entering the hosta garden and I don't know what possesses me to try to protect a garden that has been neglected and well eaten so far this year. Just the same, we ran out and non stop barks with mild ferocity got the buck down the road far enough that he knew Karl wasn't coming. The buck's challenge was really an insult to Karl's ability but Karl and other dogs seldom pick up on animal insults. A dog with a wagging tail clearly thinks he "did good".


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where good gardens soothe tired bones and sore muscles and make me feel proud about what we have accomplished this year at the new nursery. Come visit if you can!

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm

Bursts of Color

Tuesday, July 15, 2008

A fine morning here on the mountain. Karl and I have already been for a walk and he is sulking now because I cut our walk shorter than he would have preferred. In minutes he'll be back to snoring away on the bed and will forget being slighted. I have to head for the Northeast Kingdom today so there is little time for morning pleasures. The temperature is 54 degrees and as the sun rises above the tamaracks and balsams, it has the makings of a fine day.

Work at our nursery has left little time for any but the most critical responsibilities. The house here looks like the makings of a flea market with everything laying wherever it was last placed. The new washer and dryer get a daily test of several loads and at times it seems as if the floor could become a flower garden. Just the same we are happy and getting along and that's important.

During the past couple weeks we have reorganized the shade houses a couple times. Gail and Michelle work hard on all the displays and the daily sales show the merit in making things look different for customers. I have to pay high compliments to Michelle for the progress she has made on her own learning how to arrange attractive displays that are easy to pick from. She has become very good at this. She's a hard worker and the kind of employee and friend who you wish you could clone.

Brien Ducharme helped me get the long fence up a couple weeks back and that was a chore. It was in the high eighties when we did it and it took two tries for me to not run out of materials and not have to leave him to wait on customers. It's up, it's planted and with a little more grooming, some wood chip mulch and a few pieces of vertical eye catcher (green shiest stone from Waitsfield via John Cleary's stone park in Richmond) it will be complete. At +200 feet long, it separates the future parking area with the growing fields and it directs folks to what will become the large daylily display garden.

With the fairly consistent rains and sporadic but hot periods, the daylilies I planted last September and early October are throwing out great scapes and strong roots. We are selling these are field dug daylilies now and that means folks figure out what they want and then we go into the field and dig, label and bag the plants. Little red kids coaster wagons serve as delivery vehicles from garden to cars and customers seem happy with their prizes. Sometimes I just dig away because decisions on which one to dig become too involved. Some places that dig daylilies give no customer consideration and always start at the beginning of the row. We may get to that point but right now the customer is considered. 90 per cent of the daylilies are double fans and many are triple or better just since last fall.

As I was reminded yesterday by a man with southern experience, these are not southern sized or priced daylilies. And as I reminded him, this is Vermont and we work hard for what we get. He must have agreed as he purchased 4 daylilies to take to his house in the mountains by Berlin, NH.

Creepy Crawler, pictured above, has a nice toothed edge and thick scapes and lots of buds. It almost reminds me of the way Mary Todd blooms. It has good branching too which makes for an extended bloom period.

Chicago Gold Coast is a plant I recommend for distance planting around the house. To me it looks so bold, especially as the sun goes down. It has a strong scape and lots of large flowers. It grows very fast and can serve as a contrasting focal point if you're new to daylily gardening and trying to find good accents to go with a bank full of Vermont's famous "ditch lilies".

Bertie Ferris is not pictured well here. (just above) It's getting to the end of the line for this small daylily as sales have been very good and flowering time is growing close for her. This is an older, respected daylily which I have seen in northern markets for up to $28. Here at Vermont Flower Farm it's less than half that and the clumps are nice.

Ann Warner is one I picture a lot because it works so well with a variety of companion plants. It blooms for some time and the yellow throat always brings people back to it. Leslie, a customer from Peacham Pond who frequents our nursery, picked one yesterday, walked away for a minute and came back for one to contrast with Bela Lugosi, a couple reds and two astilbes. It will be a nice grouping.

Finally, Along the Way (just above here) is a big daylily which grows tall and has a great bud count. The flowers are 6" across and stand out well. One visitor wanted to buy a display clump yesterday but my answer on that is always the same: "Display is for display, patience is a virtue."

Well there's some pot banging in the kitchen which means Gail has found her morning coffee and moved on to the sink full of dishes. I promised to make a potato salad for the crew today so I have to get going if I'm to be on time for my trip north. I wanted to stop at the nursery first and set up the display table but there's no time today. Gail and Michelle will have to pick fresh samples and get them set up for the day. The table full of samples never includes everything




we have blooming but usually we have about 30 samples for customers and visitors to look at. It seems to be worth the time it takes as it makes it easier for customers and makes for quicker and I think better sales. For us, it's a way to hear more oohs and aahhhs!

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where a Junco is perching outside my window on top of a white Queen Anne's Lace, a profound contrast in size and importance.

Best gardening wishes,

George Africa
The Vermont Gardener
Vermont Flower Farm-an older website that needs to make some sales to distant gardeners who cannot make the trip here

Curiosity Continues

Monday, September 24, 2007

Another beautiful day in Vermont with a high of 79 in Burlington and very close to that even here in Marshfield. I was in St Johnsbury for a forum on autism and the ride across Route 2 showed variation in color. My guess is that within a week this area will reach peak color but right now it's fun to round a bend and see wide contrast to what you just saw. Here are two shots from yesterday morning. The first (above) is a trout breaking on nearby Osmore Pond. The second is a broad view across the swamp in the vicinity of Ethan Allen corners and Lanesboro Road.



Work continues at the new property with me as chief planter and Gail back on the hill checking and rechecking inventory lists and preparing crates of daylilies. Tonight I reached Little Dandy and Little Grapette, two older daylilies, both shades of purple and smaller sized blooms compared to many of the more modern introductions. Gail tells me there are about 14 more in the "L's" and then I am quickly on to the "M's" and the second half of the alphabet. I figure I only have about two weeks before it will become too risky to continue to transplant here. The weather has been a surprise but it's important to get the transplants well settled and rooted before the ground temperature drops. Since it appears that I will run out of prepared space before reaching X-Y-Z, I guess there's no need to fret about completing the task this fall.

Visitors continue to stop by and it often gives me a chance to stand and stretch. Arthritis is not pleasant and this carpal tunnel thing in both hands is never a problem until about 2 AM. Age comes with reminders of what you have done in life. You don't need to have been bad to have aches and pain.

This is leaf peeper season in Vermont when tens of thousands of tourists pass through the state viewing our beautiful foliage. Some have stopped to talk with me and we have always had good conversations. Yesterday it was yet another person thinking we were starting an elk farm; the next visitor reaffirmed a vineyard. The elk and deer farm guessers have been stronger than those thinking we were going to raise grapes but I have to say that vineyards and wineries have become very popular in Vermont. Our friend in gardening, Paul Tukey, editor of People, Places & Plants: The Magazine for Northeast Gardeners agreed that wine has become big business in New England because in the Autumn 2007 issue of his magazine he features ample notice to how important this has become. Vermont has 10 vineyards, Maine 10, New Hampshire 6, Massachusetts 24, Rhode Island 6 and Connecticut 17. I'm trusting the magazine and my counting ability but the numbers shows how important an industry has caught on.

We aren't planning to grow grapes but a few years back Alex got interested in grapes and asked Rich Ducharme of Hillcrest Nursery in Cabot for recommendations on two varieties. From the time they were planted they were never cared for but annually this time of year the deer and birds frequent the long vines and make a regular feast of what has grown. If you get a chance, pick up a copy of this magazine and find out how to grow your own grapes or build an arbor. At very least, the various articles will push you in one direction or another. These are some of our grapes, variety unknown.

Today was busy and things are winding down for the night. I just heard the squeak of one of the outside faucets which means Gail has given up on watering for the night. It's been dark for a good 20 minutes but she will never quit until a row is finished. I do not share that trait and for me, it's a pleasant "Good Gardening, Good Evening." to each of you.

Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where the second hatch of mourning doves are almost under foot in the garden; they look for food but show no interest in testing their little wings.

George Africa
A Vermont gardener

http://thevermontgardener.blogspot.com
http://vermontflowerfarm.com

Planting Daylilies

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Another Sunday and another week of summer has slipped away. Vermont summers are too short anyway but this one seems to be escaping because we have so many projects going on. A week from today Alex will be 15 years old. It seems like just yesterday that he and Gail came home from the hospital. It seems like centuries ago that we learned he was on the autism spectrum. Our gardening experiences and life experiences have changed a great deal in recent years and moving the gardens to Route 2 is another important part.

As I work on the new property, I continue to meet more and more people who just can't avoid the curiosity anymore. They have to stop and ask what's going on. These are people from all walks of life and not just local people but even folks on vacation in the area visiting their friends or staying at inns or bed and breakfasts. It always seems a little time consuming when I'm in the middle of a project but I've never had less than an enjoyable conversation and a nice smile at departure.

Yesterday I was standing on the ladder pulling the fence tight on the village side of the land. I almost fell off the ladder in surprise when a woman said "Nice fence, tell me about it." Route 2 was busy but she had one of those hybrid cars I think--the kind that are soundless in electric mode. When it was all over I recalled reading an article about how blind and visually impaired residents of New York City were complaining because they were crossing right in front of these cars because they couldn't hear them. I know exactly what they are saying as a neighbor has one and more than once I have almost turned around at the mailbox with a handful of mail to be run over by my own neighbor sliding in to retrieve his mail. Anyway, the woman had been watching my work since spring and was at odds with deer eating her garden. She wanted to know about the fence as it appeared to match her need to enjoy her gardens, not feed the deer.

Work is going well on Route 2 if a one man show is what you want to see. I still have about 20 yards of manure to spread, more gardens to rototill and some more fence to tighten but all in all we are very pleased with our progress. I have learned more than I thought about estimating job completion time and Thursday was a good example. I had purchased two 14 foot farm gates to install at the entry way from Route 2. We have to be able to close off the business when we aren't there and also prevent people from using the front of the entrance as a turn around which wouldn't be safe or legal. I also bought a couple 6 X6 X 8 foot timbers and screwed on a pressure treated plank on the interior sides for more support.

I figured I could have the job finished by about 1 PM. That meant measuring out the distances, centering the proposed gates, digging the holes, leveling the timbers and then pouring 4 bags of cement in each hole. For a variety of reasons I never thought of, the job finished up about the time the last local folks drove by after leaving work in Barre Montpelier. It was a long day. Projects are often like that but if they are done correctly, the dividend is there for time to come.

Gail and I have had long discussions about how and what to plant. Daylilies has been a big topic. We have well over 400 varieties but last night we narrowed the list down to a little over 300 varieties that we will move. We have ruled out those that don't sell knowing that how we will display and sell them at the new property may sell more or less of certain varieties. Our plan is to display a large, mature clump and then line out the plants that are for sale behind the display plant. Here on the hill we have always sold daylilies in gallon pots but we're going to grow them in the field under 24 hour drip irrigation. That means the whole concept changes. The purpose is to grow a larger plant while saving the cost of pots, soilless mix and labor. Olallies in South Newfane Vermont and many other big daylily nurseries do it this way and we'll try too. At the same time, all the daylilies will be in bloom longer and the display plants in close proximity to those for sale will show what the person is likely to have in their garden in a couple-three years.

I have started to prepare a 10 foot wide garden around the entire perimeter of the land. This will be a big garden and is a lot of work. In the roadside, western corner of the land, a three foot culvert crosses Route 2 and drops lots of water on the adjacent property at different times of the year. Some of the water leaches underground to ours and that corner is often damp. It will be an excellent place for all the bee balms, Siberian and Japanese irises and the water loving plants such as the ligularias and rodgersias.

The monardas are not Gail's favorites and she'll tell you that. She has been persistent that if we don't sell it, it shouldn't be on display at our new location. In contrast, I like plants which people don't have an opportunity to see around here. I think plants that are grown well, look a lot better than a catalog picture so why not do a little to show folks what else is out there. After many discussions, Gail has agreed to large (and I mean large) swathes of monardas in the lower corner to bring attention to the project. I'm happy she changed her thinking because many gardeners are looking for a plant to cover an unsightly area and bring color, bees and butterflies at the same time. I think you'll enjoy it too so keep an eye on that corner.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where last night's low was 41 degrees and today's high will only be in the mid sixties. Just the same the colors prevail and warm summer days will return soon. Daylily Days continue at VFF so stop by and see some great color and save $2 on any daylily and $1 on any hosta. Gail has specials squirreled away here and there and if you don't stop by you'll never know what bargains she has.

With August garden greetings, enjoy today!

George Africa
http://thevermontgardener.blogspot.com
http://vermontflowerfarm.com

Business Progress on Route 2

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Yesterday afternoon I was here at Vermont Flower Farm giving Gail a break from customer duties and shipping packages. She headed down to Marshfield Inn and Motel to see Tracy and Diana and see how last fall's planting of daylilies was maturing. She hadn't been gone long and a car drove in I wasn't familiar with. Two ladies got out and one looked at me and said "You must be George." It was more definitive than questioning and I almost wondered if I had gotten myself in trouble along the line and didn't remember.

"I'm glad to see that you are looking well.", one lady said. "I was worried about you." Now I have to say that it's nice to know that people care about you but for the life of me I couldn't figure out who this woman was. Then she explained. "We've never been here before, but we both read your two blogs and Vermont Gardens has been motionless for almost a month. The Vermont Gardener has been slow too and we wondered if you were ill or something happened."

I was immediately relieved to know that a blogless month had caused the concern and that I really hadn't done anything wrong save for forget to keep my readership posted on garden life in Marshfield. I apologized for the hiatus and emphasized there would be no promises for improvement as we were really entering a very busy time for us, not a gradual end to the summer business like most nurseries. The ladies laughed and said they figured as much but they do so enjoy reading what I write and miss it when I get out of sequence. We talked flowers for some time and then I gave them an orientation to the gardens. They finished their tour and shopping just before Gail returned, promising to return soon and volunteering that they would help with the move to Route 2 if it was not such a long way to the ground anymore. With that we all laughed and departed company, knowing for certain that we would meet again.


During the past month I have worked diligently here and at the new property. Michelle's friend Mark has been helping with the fence and as of yesterday all the 4X4X10 foot pressure treated posts were cemented in the ground, Alex's mandatory "Please give me a door to the river" gate has been framed and cemented in, and 1320 feet of fence has been hung, with 990 feet of it secured to the posts.


Hanging 7.5 foot fence the entire perimeter of a +4 acre parcel of land is no easy task, especially for one set of hands. I was really happy to have Mark say he could help and happier still that he didn't complain about lugging and mixing the two 80 pound bags of cement that went into every post hole. The posts are placed every 30 feet so this was no easy task and amounted to moving tons of material.

The Route 2 part of the job on the village side was the most difficult task because the holes had to be hand dug through stone laden road fill, thick grass and tree roots. To top it off this was on a hillside that at times would have made a billy goat replant its feet. Then there was the poison ivy along the Winooski River and the variety of weeds along the way which invited sneezes and itchy eyes. In one more day, this job will be finished, and I'm really thankful for that!!

The entry gate from Route 2 is left to install and I am still pondering the best approach. I have been watching travelers as they turn into the drive to reverse direction. There haven't been any accidents yet but just watching the antics makes me remind would-be business people to consider road access long before you decide to buy a piece of property for your new endeavor. In our case the Agency of Transportation was involved in picking the access road. This is mandatory in Vermont but would have been my choice anyway. The engineers choice and mine were the same. A speed limit sign that reads 50 mph doesn't necessarily mean people will slow down or use caution when they see vehicles turning. The ease with which cars can turn into your business and exit it has a lot to do with how successful you will be. I may ask the Transportation folks for a safety sign for traffic coming from the east so people understand traffic will be slowing at the crest of the hill for left hand turns.

Besides the fence I have been using the New Holland tractor to move large quantities of manure from a pile to the new flower beds. This is a giant pile of manure brought by large trucks from a popular and well known East Montpelier dairy farm. Since last fall the price went up 20% and I am really irritated by the gouging. Fuel certainly rose since last fall but 20% is a bit much by my book. They have the market cornered and they obviously know it too. I'll find a new supplier as soon as I can and I'll post the availability. Fall is a good time to obtain a pile of manure for next spring's planting.

Tomorrow I'll rototill everything a couple times, and then begin trucking compost I have at the flower farm. Within a couple weeks things should be ready to plant. We have some good planters lined up but how many thousand plants we can deal with before the soil temperature cools too much is yet another question. We'll keep you posted.


Writing from the mountain above Peacham Pond where August sunshine encourages kind thoughts and happy smiles.


George Africa
http://vermontflowerfarm.com
http://thevermontgardener.blogspot.com