Monthly Archives: April 2009

Analyzing the Annuals

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How do you know which annuals will do well in your garden? Annuals are so tempting in the garden center, all lined up in neat rows. To help make good choices, check out the research that's been done in your area's test gardens.In my work as a landscaper, I'm responsible for choosing a fair number of annuals that are planted in clients' gardens. And when the plants fail to perform, they look to me. So, who do I look to? Choosing annuals is tricky because you can't rely on the catalog photos or the Read more [...]

Fruits for First-time Gardeners

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At our store, and I suspect across the nation, the demand for fruit plants is up sharply. Everbearing strawberries produce succulent berries all summer. The grow-your-own movement is stronger than it’s been in about 60 years, judging by the way vegetable seeds, onion sets, and seed potatoes are flying off the racks. Germinating mix and seed-starting supplies are in demand, too, as novice gardeners prepare to grow some of their own food for the first time. Their interest goes beyond Read more [...]

Daffodils for Every Garden

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It’s April and I’ve got daffodils on my mind, as I have every spring. W.F. Leenen breeds new varieties of daffodils in his greenhouse in Holland. For more about how new flowers are created, read about Dutch flower breeders. Daffodils bloom in drifts in my Vermont garden. It’s April and I’ve got daffodils on my mind, as I have every spring. From early April, through May, and even into early June, waves of daffodils bloom in succession throughout my yard. Their Read more [...]
earth-day-recycled-composter

A Recycled Compost Bin

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In honor of Earth Day, I'm turning an old compost bin into a new potato bin. I’ve had a three-bay, homemade compost bin for about 15 years. Here's how they're supposed to work: Once the first bin is full of yard and kitchen scraps, you move the material into the middle bin to cook. Then you gradually refill the first bin with fresh material. When the middle bin has decomposed, you move that material into the third bin to finish, and then transfer what’s now in the first bin to the middle one. Read more [...]

At the Garden’s Edge

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If you're trying to improve the look of your garden, start at the edge. Not a bloom in sight, but the edges are looking nice. The back yard looks pretty grim at this time of year. The lawn looks terrible. Everything seems to be either gray or brown. Still, I love looking down at it all from the second-floor window. Why? The fresh-cut edges on all the beds are so crisp. Some might say that I'm a little bit obsessive about bed edges. I enjoy cutting the thin strips of sod once the frost has Read more [...]

Creating More Cannas

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Making more plants always makes me happy. With cannas, it's easy. This is a nice clump with most of the dirt shaken off. The dried stalks from last year make nice "handles" for working with the clump. Before planting the new sections, I cut off the dried stalks. A clump of this size can probably be divided into three sections. Just when I can't bear another weekend indoors, it's time to pot up the cannas. Spring's first gardening chore! If you've saved a clump or two of cannas, try my technique. Read more [...]

Choosing Trees and Shrubs

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Make choices with the long term in mind. Flowering crabapple trees bloom in late spring, then offer ornamental fruit from summer to winter. Discover new trees and shrubs by visiting an arboretum, college campus, or display garden. Shown here: Trompenburg Arboretum in the Netherlands. Allow enough space for trees to reach full maturity. Blue spruces can spread 10-20 feet wide. Spring weather in Vermont has been relatively warm and dry this year. Read more [...]

What’s Best for Begonias?

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Staking tuberous begonias is tricky because the stems are so fragile. These white blooms really brighten the shady corner of our yard. A couple years ago, I inherited some begonia tubers from a woman who was moving away. Tuberous begonias are a little different from other begonias in that they have a big tuber that you can dig up. It's easy to save the tubers if you dig them before frost. The result: bigger plants in the following years. Although I saved the tubers successfully, Read more [...]

Budding Wisdom

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A look at phenology, the study of how plant and animal cycles are influenced by temperature, rainfall and day length. Citizen scientists are helping build a map that shows where the common lilac is leafing out. Phrenology was a 19th century theory that personality tendencies could be inferred by the bumps and depressions on a person’s skull. The word phenology sounds similar but is a very different and much more reliable science with great value for gardeners. Phenology is the Read more [...]