Monthly Archives: July 2009

Go Long!

Leave a reply
When it comes to windowboxes, the more-is-better philosophy rings true. More is indeed better! One of Nate's extra-long windowboxes, which are 9'8" long, divided by three inserts of galvanized sheet metal. Nate and Stacy chose a harmonious blend of colors. These two boxes hold annual vines, which are growing the trellises that we created with Garden Grids.   My friend Nate, a landscaper, Read more [...]

Worst Pest Scenario

Leave a reply
I’m often asked, “What’s the worst pest in your garden?” After cultivating this plot of land for 20+ years and coping with potato, asparagus and Japanese beetles, deer, voles, chipmunks, slugs, snails, and every known borer, caterpillar, and curculio in the Northeast, I’ve concluded that none of these are the ultimate garden wrecker. The worst pest in my garden attacks the gardener, not the garden. Black flies, AKA gnats or buffalo gnats, ruin my gardening season. They breed in the Read more [...]

Volunteer Appreciation

Leave a reply
When unexpected seedlings appear in the garden, it's a sign that nature is trying to work in concert with the gardener. Volunteer seedlings add unexpected delight. Here a clump of foxgloves thrives while a morning glory vine begins its ascent. As gardeners, we are often reminded that we are not in charge. Despite our best efforts, nature conspires against us: bad weather, diseases, nasty bugs and furry vegetarians (a.k.a. woodchucks). What works perfectly in 2009 can fail in 2010. But Read more [...]

Hosta Habit

Leave a reply
With hundreds of varieties and an elegant range of hues, hostas are a plant collector’s dream. They demand little care and solve the “what grows in the shade” problem, too. Mass plantings of hosta create a flowing pattern of color on a shady slope. Use bold hosta with large foliage as specimens in colorful containers. Miniature hostas make perfect specimens for trough gardens and tiny landscapes. Our retail store in Williston, VT, currently Read more [...]

Rain, Rain Go Away

Leave a reply
Slug control products are flying off the shelves as gardeners desperately seek ways to protect their hostas, strawberries and lettuce from these slimy and voracious pests. Snails and slugs leave slimy trails and holes in foliage, flower buds, and fruit as they feed. It’s been a wet summer in the Northeast and nearly every day we seem to have rain in the forecast. The National Weather Service reports that Burlington, VT, has received 2 inches more rain than average since June 1. Campers Read more [...]

New Delphiniums, Year 2

Leave a reply
What's it like to have more than 50 delphiniums in bloom in your garden? Sweet. Follow the story of a new kind of delphinium, from seed to bloom in 15 months. Slide Show: New Millennium delphiniums, from seed to bloom. Click on the images to see captions or go to full-screen mode.   A little over a year ago, I wrote about my intentions to start some delphinium seeds that I'd ordered from Dowdeswell's Delphiniums in New Zealand. Terry Dowdeswell has bred a new and more vigorous strain Read more [...]

Where the Sidewalk Ends

Leave a reply
I love looking at people's front gardens. Unlike the back garden, the front yard is the "public" garden, and it says a lot about the gardener. Tres, one of my coworkers, has created a remarkable city garden that begins right where the sidewalk ends. She's built a whimsical fence that she made with hardwood poles from Vermont's Northeast Kingdom, a heavily forested part of the state. "My husband and I were looking at fences online and we really liked the old garden fences that are built out Read more [...]

Why Plants Die

Leave a reply
Our nursery manager explains why plants die — and how to avoid it. The first consideration is location. For plants to thrive, they must be planted in a site that meets their needs. Some trees and shrubs are more tolerant of a range of conditions while others are quite specific. Why did it die? This aralia is a zone 4 plant that got planted in a zone 3 garden — too cold. Nursery, please, nursery. DPR at customer service. That distressing call for a DPR (dead plant return) Read more [...]

Park-and-Ride Pepper

Leave a reply
Think you don't have space for a vegetable garden? Think again. Karen shows that you can grow what you eat, even if there's no space for a garden at home. If you drive around the employee parking lot at our Burlington, VT, offices, you'll notice a potted pepper, placed on the pavement, just behind a gold car. It's there Monday through Friday, basking in the sun, always behind the same car. Ask around and you'll find out that the plant belongs to Karen, who works in our customer contact center. Read more [...]