Monthly Archives: March 2012

The Angel’s Trumpet Returns

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An angel's trumpet in flower in July. In spring, the plant doesn't look promising.Despite recent cold and snow, I just finished one of my early spring gardening projects: bringing the angel's trumpet out from its winter dormancy. For high drama in the garden, there's nothing like an angel's trumpet, also known as brugmansia. This show-stopper has 6" to 10" blooms that dangle from sturdy branches, filling the air with exotic fragrance. In one season, these shrubby, subtropical plants can easily reach Read more [...]
magnolia

The Fickle Season

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Those late-winter/early spring snowfalls can be hard on a gardener. But spring is that way. It comes; it retreats. This year's early warmth wakened our magnolia three weeks ahead of schedule. And over the weekend, it burst into bloom, providing a scented backdrop for weekend garden chores. But we woke this morning to snow, and lows of 21 degrees F. are predicted for tonight. I know the blooms will be browned and blackened by frost. If I were ambitious, I'd have been out there last night with Read more [...]

Project Budburst

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An ornamental cherry, Prunus virginiana, breaking bud in early April in Wisconsin. Gardeners tend to be keen observers. We watch for the first emerging bulbs in spring, check daily on our ripening tomatoes so we can harvest them at their peak, keep a close eye on the weather so we can protect plants if a late frost threatens. If you enjoy observing the natural world, you might enjoy contributing to Project BudBurst, a network of people across the country who monitor plants as the seasons change Read more [...]

A Visit to Longwood

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Photos taken by Debbie Page and Susan Romanoff during their visits to Longwood Gardens. Last fall, I got the chance to visit Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square, PA, which also happens to be a mushroom capital of the U.S. Founded by Pierre DuPont in 1906 in an attempt to save century-old trees, the gardens feature an arboretum and grand conservatory. About the writer: Debbie Page works in the perennial department of our garden center in Williston, VT. She lives in a solar-electrified home, Read more [...]

New Season-Extending Tools

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Eager to get back to the garden? Here are several new products to help you get started earlier. See everything we have in the Season-Extending department. Compact Patio Grow House Help indoor-grown seedlings and houseplants acclimate to outdoor conditions. With more than 8 square feet of growing space, this grow house provides plenty of room for plants yet has a compact footprint of just 3.25 square feet. Hinged roof and doors provide ventilation. Shelf area matches our Compact SunLite® Garden Read more [...]

Eat More; Grow More

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Did you hear the story about the guy who designed a T-shirt that says Eat More Kale? The slogan "went viral before people knew what viral was," says Bo Muller-Moore, designer of the slogan. Bo Muller-Moore, top, from eatmorekale.com, and the cows from Chick-fil-A. Did you hear the story about the guy who designed a T-shirt that says Eat More Kale? The slogan "went viral before people knew what viral was," says Bo Muller-Moore, designer of the T-shirt. That was back in 2000. Now the Read more [...]