After spreading cocoa mulch, I like to water the area so the tiny hulls will knit together and are less likely to blow around. |
I used to disdain people who spread mulch on their flower beds and shrub borders. I thought, "Are they too lazy to weed?" My own flowerbeds were always mulch-free. I did have to spend a lot of time weeding though, especially during May and June.
However, after many years of landscaping for clients throughout northern Vermont, I've come to see the benefits of mulch. Yes, it does help prevent weeds, but it's not 100 percent effective. You still have to watch for weeds. To me, the main benefit of mulch—as long as it's not spread too thick—is to help the soil retain moisture during dry periods. This is especially clear when you tend gardens for clients who are infrequent weeders.
A couple years ago, I became a convert to cocoa mulch. Oh, it's expensive at about 10 bucks a bag, but I think it's worth the price. The mulch of choice around here is shredded hemlock bark. It's readily available, but getting expensive too: a cubic yard sells for $50 or more. So, even if you only use it in a small area, give cocoa a try. Here's why:
- After a year on the bed, it breaks down and improves the soil. You have to apply the cocoa each year, but the soil benefits make it worth the expense. (For even more soil improvement, sprinkle the beds with shredded leaves in the fall.) When that material gets turned into the soil in spring, the improvement is noticeable.
- Cocoa mulch is easy to spread—especially in jam-packed perennial gardens
- The fine texture is perfect for perennials and annuals, which are often smothered in coarse mulches, such as shredded bark—good for planters, too!
- Though it only lasts a week or so, the chocolatey smell is amazing
- It looks a lot like dirt, so it doesn't draw attention to itself; the plants are still stars of the border
This garden is filled with small, delicate treasures, such as this hepatica. Because of its fine texture, the cocoa mulch doesn't smother the delicate perennials. |
I still use shredded hemlock around trees and shrubs, which are fine with the more coarse material. However, I always look for a double-ground product, which is finer. And, if I'm lucky, I can find some of the partially composted stuff, which is even better. It breaks down more readily and doesn't form an impenetrable, water-shedding crust.
For more on mulching, read Mind Your Mulch; for related products, see our Mulch department.
-David Grist, Online Content Coordinator
Every year, I try to take on one big garden project. A few years ago, the project was a round patio, designed to accommodate a dining table we'd purchased. Our backyard was already set up as a series of outdoor rooms, but adding this new "floor" was transformative. The beautiful stone surface added a sense of permanence to the changing scene.
Last year, we got a set of Champlain Furniture, a kind of outdoor seating that has extra-deep, comfortable cushions—almost like a living room set. The furniture actually transforms the space into a living room, especially when the plants grow tall and enclose the space. But, with two chairs and a coffee table, there was no room for the dining table. Time for another patio, the "big project" for 2007.
I started the project in the fall. The goal was to create a 150-sq. ft. patio using natural stone that comes from the region. I was lucky enough to get some beautiful stone from across the lake in New York state. The site I chose is in a corner of the yard where I had to take out a diseased linden tree. The irregularly shaped patio is sort of oblong, perfect for a dining table.
Using all the available daylight hours on a series of weekends, I excavated the site, hauled away the soil, replaced it with gravel base, and set the final stones in a layer of rock dust. By the time I set the final stones, the ground was beginning to freeze; within days, the patio was covered in two inches of snow.
We're still waiting to have the first dinner on the new patio, but you can be sure we'll be out there on the first fine day of spring.
-David Grist, Online Content Coordinator
Just waiting for spring. |
Products with spinosad offer one more control option for lily leaf beetles. |
Flower gardeners are a peaceful lot—at least until someone comes between them and their favorite blooms. Then, they get mean. At least some of us do.
It was about three years ago that I first heard whisperings in the halls at Gardener's Supply of a new pest: "Something is destroying my Oriental lilies! What can I do?" The unspoken reply: "How far are you willing to go to save your lilies? Will you use chemicals?"
The culprit, the lily-destroyer, the evil insect is Lilioceris lilii, aka: The Lily Leaf Beetle. Oh, these scarlet beauties are striking in the garden. But then they breed and their disgusting offspring take over, devouring the lilies and covering themselves in their own poo.
The devastation brings out bloodlust in some gardeners—even the earth-friendly ones. At first, I tried neem, a relatively harmless spray that does wonders on aphids and controls blackspot on roses. It worked to control the larvae the first year, but I had to spray frequently (every 10 to 15 days). The second year, I couldn't keep the larvae under control. My lily crop was hit hard, and I got few blooms. Last year, I decided to resort to a systemic called imidacloprid. The results were instantaneous and effective. No more poo-covered larvae; no more devastation.
The eggs of the lily leaf beetle are usually found on the underside of the leaves, as shown on this fritillaria. They're smaller than poppy seeds, and usually bright red. If you see these, you've got a problem. |
Still, imidacloprid is not something I can feel good about. Systemic insecticides are harsh. Plus, studies have shown that imidacloprid can be harmful to bees, so I'm giving it up. I need a new approach.
I've been reading about something new, a substance called spinosad, which is made from a soil-dwelling bacterium, Saccharopolyspora spinosa. The sprays are said to control foliage-feeding caterpillars, beetles, borers and other pests. When used carefully (read the label!), it's not supposed to effect beneficial insects. Plus, spinosad has been classified as an organic substance by the USDA National Organics Standards Board. This year, I plan to try Monterey Garden Insect Spray, which is one of the formulations. I'll let you know how it goes. Have you seen lily beetles in your area? Let me know what works for you by posting a comment, below. Already I've had reports from two customers: one infestation on fritillaria and another on Asiatic lilies. Both sites were treated with spinosad.
In the meantime, keep your fingers crossed that researchers will find something that can be used to keep these pests in check. According to David Sims of the North American Lily Society, there is concern that the beetle will wipe out native lily populations. The group has been a sponsor of a study at the University of Rhode Island, where researchers are using predatory wasps to control the beetle. So far, the results have been encouraging.
-David Grist, Online Content Coordinator
A tunnel of laburnum outside the Palace at Kew Gardens in London. |
There are all sorts of good reasons to consider adding an arbor, pergola, tuteur or another type of freestanding trellis to your garden this spring. Here are just a few:
1. Create instant impact. Trees and shrubs serve an important role in a garden or landscape. They create focal points, add vertical interest, enclose a view and define spaces. When establishing a new garden or new area, there’s often a period of waiting while trees and shrubs are maturing. A garden structure can provide instant visual impact while those plants are growing in.
2. Define a space. An arbor will clearly signify the entrance to your garden or into a separate garden room. Well-defined spaces make small gardens feel bigger and bring a sense of order to large gardens.
These baby blue tuteurs add architectural interest to the border, while also supporting climbing roses. |
3. Grow climbing plants. Walking beneath a bower of flowers is an unforgettable pleasure! Trellises make it possible to grow lots of wonderful climbing plants including clematis, roses, honeysuckle, passion vine and kiwi. Put a trellis in a large pot and you can grow annual vines such as sweet peas and thunbergia.
4. Make your own shade. If your garden is short on trees, an arbor or pergola can provide welcome protection from hot sun. You’ll need a super-sturdy structure if you want to grow vigorous perennial vines such as wisteria, aristolochia and grapes.
5. Create a focal point. A tuteur is a freestanding trellis, usually with 3 or 4 sides that come together at the top. Tuteurs can be used to draw the eye to the end of a pathway. You can also use a number of them in sequence to create visual rhythm in the landscape.
6. Add privacy. Need to hide an unsightly view or screen yourself from the neighbors? A trellis can do the job nicely and won’t be perceived as a “fence”. If the gridwork on the trellis is relatively dense, you’ll get lots of privacy even before plants have time to climb their way up.
To learn more about trellises, read Smart Supports for Climbing Plants.
-Kathy LaLiberte, Director of Gardening
At left: the Andover Screen is one of many screens, trellises and arbors available on our website. This model is available in 5 different colors! At right: Climbing roses and clematis make happy companions on a tall, sturdy trellis. |
Community plant sales and swaps are a highlight of the gardening season at this time of year. These events are ideal places for new gardeners to hook up with seasoned veterans and for surplus plants to find new homes.
Perennials that spread readily and those that need frequent dividing make up the core offerings at these events. Vigorous creepers, such as like beebalm (Monarda), yarrow (Achillea), lily-of-the-valley (Convallaria), obedient plant (Physostegia), and common yellow sundrops (Oenothera fruticosa) can easily take over the garden if allowed to grow unchecked. Digging up the colony and replanting part of the population every couple of years keeps each in its allotted space.
Some perennials grow in dense or ever-expanding clumps that eventually stop blooming or simply die in the middle. These include tall phlox (Phlox paniculata), Shasta daisy (Leucanthemum), blanket flower (Gaillardia grandiflora), tickseed (Coreopsis), Siberian iris (Iris siberica) and lamb's ear (Stachys byzantina). Dividing the clump into smaller pieces rejuvenates the original plant and gives you lots of new plants to share with others or to put in other parts of your own garden.
 This clump of monarda is ready to be divided. |
Dividing and replanting perennials also gives you a good opportunity to replenish the soil. Whenever I move or replace a plant that I've divided, I add a shovelful of compost and a handful of slow-release, granular, organic fertilizer to the backfill.
Early spring is the best time to divide summer-blooming perennials—ideally when they are still dormant or just as they emerge from soil. I try to complete the job before the stems get more than a couple of inches tall. As plants leaf out, it gets trickier to divide them because their soft new growth is susceptible to drying out, wilting, and breaking. That said, there's always a long list of chores for early spring and it's often mid-May before I've divided and moved all the perennials that need it. As long as you make the moves on an overcast day and keep the plants well watered for a couple weeks, most of them will be fine.
Using forks, it's easy to get the clump out. Take a healthy piece for replanting and use the remaining divisions elsewhere—or share them with other gardeners. |
I usually start by digging out the entire clump with a garden fork or spade and putting the plant on a tarp to contain the soil and debris. Some plants are easy to pull apart by hand (beebalm), but others take some serious muscle (tall phlox) and the prying action of a couple of garden forks placed back to back. A few are so tough (Siberian iris), that it's tempting to resort to a machete or hand saw to get them apart. Regardless of the plant’s tenacity, I make sure that each division has plenty of roots and several vigorous shoots. A few of the largest divisions go back—into the garden with a thorough watering and the rest get potted up and labeled for the garden club’s plant sale in May.
For lists of perennials that need frequent dividing and more details on how to do it, visit these web sites:
-Ann Whitman, Horticulturist
“Petals are a romantic shade of warm pink with a creamy reverse. The perfume is a heady blend of traditional rose fragrance and the aroma of fruit” That’s how the catalog describes the new rose variety called Falling in Love. The dormant shrub—newly arrived on my doorstep—reveals none of this potential. It’s difficult to imagine that the bare roots and leafless canes in the plastic bag will ever deliver on the catalog’s promises.
Planting a dormant, bareroot rose requires a leap of faith from novice gardeners. Experienced gardeners know that the thick roots will anchor themselves firmly and leafy buds will burst from the waxy green canes within weeks. With proper planting and care, this shrub will bloom for many years.
How bareroot roses look before planting. This one is Maria Stern, an especially hardy variety. |
Site selection, soil preparation, and planting technique are the initial secrets to success. The ideal garden site gets at least 6 hours of direct sun a day and is open to allow summer breezes to pass through. The rich, fertile soil drains quickly, but holds moisture.
It’s critical to keep the rose plant hydrated until its roots can take up water on their own. Prompt planting hastens the process. I’ll get my Falling in Love rose into the soil within a day or two or spritz it with water and keep it cool and wrapped in its plastic bag. Before planting, I’ll soak the roots in a bucket of tepid water for a couple of hours. If the rose is dehydrated, experts recommend soaking the entire plant—canes and all—for up to eight hours. It’s best to trim broken roots back to healthy tissue and prune the canes so that each one has three to five buds. This step encourages strong growth and branching.
I expect this rose to live in my garden for years, so now’s the time to prepare the soil. My planting hole is two times wider than the root spread and 15” to 18” deep. To increase the fertility, I add 1 part compost or composted manure to every 3 or 4 parts of the removed soil plus a handful of bone meal and 5 cups each of alfalfa and soybean meals.
The roots and canes join at the knobby graft union. The planting depth depends on your growing zone. |
After mixing, I make a cone of soil in the hole using the enriched backfill and set the roots over it. I adjust the height of the cone so that the graft union (see illustration) is 2-3" below the surface to protect it from freezing. In Zones 6 and warmer, the graft can be placed just above the soil surface. Hold the rose at the proper height while backfilling the hole. Press the soil lightly around the roots, and then water thoroughly to settle the soil. Adding more backfill to level the soil.
To prevent the rose from drying out during the first few weeks after planting, I make a raised ring of soil around the outside of the planting hole to retain water. In addition, I’ll pile 6-8" of soil around the base of the plant covering the graft union and lower canes to keep the canes moist and encourage bud break. After three to four weeks, I’ll gently wash the mound away and level the soil ring as the buds begin to grow.
Nurturing new rose bushes for the first month or two is well worth the effort. By mid- to late-summer, I expect these leafless canes to be filled with ruffled petals, intoxicating fragrance, and dark green foliage that fulfill the catalog’s promise.
For more on growing roses, read Success With Roses. And, if you'd like to plant some bareroot roses of your own, check out the full lineup of roses from Dutch Gardens.
-Ann Whitman, Horticulturist
Most people—me included—find that the toughest part about growing peas is figuring out how to support them properly. In my garden I grow only one type of peas: edible pod peas (rather than shelling peas or snow peas). I eat most of my peas raw rather than cooked, and that’s not something you can do with the other types.
I’ve tried several different varieties of edible pod peas and always come back to Sugar Snaps. In the fall I grow the bush variety Sugar Ann, but for my main midsummer crop I find Sugar Snap produces the most peas and has the longest harvest season. The downside is that these plants get very tall, usually topping out at well over 7 feet.
And that gets me back to pea fences. It’s critical that you decide how you’re going to support your peas BEFORE you plant them. Ideally, you’re ready to put up the trellis the same day you plant your peas. If the weather is right, the seeds will germinate in a matter of days, and baby peas will start searching immediately for something to grab onto. Two things happen if there’s nothing there to grab: their growth will be arrested and they’ll flop over.
Because pea stems are extremely brittle, they often break if you try to bend them up to reach a trellis. The best thing is to have your trellis in place, with the bottom “rung” no more than 2" above the soil surface.
Remember that peas climb, they don’t twine. At each node along their stems, they generate two or three 1" long tendrils. These tendrils need to grab and then wind themselves around something that’s less than about a quarter inch in diameter. I have used three different techniques for supporting peas: twine, netting and galvanized fencing.
Twine
Pea tendrils love to grab onto the rough texture of natural jute twine. It's the most versatile option because you can make your trellis as long and as tall as you wish. Start with three or four rows of twine and add more as the plants grow taller. Be sure to put in twice as many stakes or poles as you think will be necessary. I also find that natural jute twine stretches over time, so string it very tight and be prepared to reinforce as the season progresses.
 Fresh peas are usually one of the first harvests of spring. |
Netting
I’ve used this polypropylene netting many times and am a huge fan. It’s the perfect height right out of the package (6.5 feet) and is 30 feet long, so I get two years of trellis from one package. The mesh has big, 6" openings, which is ideal. Just like with twine, you should put in more vertical supports than you think. I have tried bamboo poles and hardwood stakes, but they’re never tall enough. My latest and greatest solution is 8’ tall green metal “T” posts.
Fencing
This year we’re introducing a new galvanized wire pea fence that’s 5'4" tall. It has eight, 12" wide, hinged panels that can be zig-zagged down your row of peas. This zig-zag design provides extra stability, but we still recommend staking the fence at each end and once in the middle. (A 7-foot wall of peas makes a very effective sail.) We’ve been selling a shorter version of this fence for many years and it works great for bush peas.
How do YOU support your peas? Leave a comment below!
-Kathy LaLiberte, Director of Gardening
Stopping weed seeds from growing makes lawn and garden care easier and less time-consuming. |
The snow has finally receded enough to reveal the flattened remnants of last year’s gardens. Brown daylily and hosta foliage lies pressed to the ground and phlox stems look like a tangle of pick-up-sticks. The lawn is still tawny brown, too, except for the green patch over the septic tank.
Signs of spring are emerging slowly from the still-frozen ground: blooming crocus, daffodils poking through the leaf litter, and dandelions unfurling their tender green rosettes. Even in this earliest stage of spring it seems that weeds have gotten a head start. I know from experience that chickweed and crabgrass seedlings won’t be far behind. Annual weeds have to make the most of their short lives by growing and reproducing quickly and prodigiously. They get a root-hold in the bare soil around the still-sleepy perennials in the garden and take over the bald spots in the lawn.
Eliminating these annual weeds with a pre-emergent herbicide early in the spring saves hours of tedious weeding in June and July. About 20 years ago, a researcher at Iowa State University discovered that corn gluten meal (CGM) prevented turf grass seed from germinating. Further research added crabgrass, barnyard grass, foxtails, dandelion, lambsquarter, pigweed, purslane, and smartweed to the list of seeds it could control. CGM is an all-natural product that prevents the weed seeds from growing after they sprout.
Unlike the chemicals used in most “weed and feed” lawn products, CGM is completely safe for people, pets, wildlife, and the soil. In fact, corn gluten meal is 9% nitrogen by weight, so it acts as a slow-release fertilizer while it’s snuffing out seedlings. Bradfield Organics makes a type of lawn fertilizer that features corn gluten. The granular CGM has been developed specifically for weed prevention and can be applied with a spreader or broadcast by hand. It sure beats weekly hoeing and hand-pulling!
For the best control, it's important to apply CGM before the seeds begin to sprout because it won't kill the weeds once they've started to grow. Crabgrass seeds begin germinating when soil temperatures reach 55 to 60 degrees for at least 7 to 10 days. The exact timing varies for every region, but generally the deadline is prior to lilac bloom.
I'm still going to have to pull up the mature dandelions and other perennial weeds that overwintered in my lawn and garden, but using corn gluten meal will reduce their numbers in future seasons. For this year, though, I'm looking forward to fewer hours spent behind the hoe and more time to sit on the garden bench admiring the view.
For more information, check out the following articles:
-Ann Whitman, Staff Horticulturist
Nelumbo nucifera 'Alba Striata' bloomed the first season. |
The lotus is definitely one of the most dramatic blooms in my garden. The distinctive bloom—held high on its stem—is one of those things you really can call "startlingly beautiful." Its form is striking, yes. But look inside, and you'll be amazed by the bright-yellow seed capsule, surrounded by golden filaments that support the anthers. Another one of its startlingly qualities is the fragrance. To my nose, neither good nor bad, but like no other.
The bud, about a week before blooming. |
The lotus is easily grown in a tub or barrel. You don't need to have a pond. (What's more, overwintering lotuses is simple, too.) I order my lotuses by mail at this time of year. There's a short window of time (only in the spring) when the rhizomes can be dug and shipped as bareroot plants. This year, I'm going to try two new varieties: Baby Doll, a miniature from Perry's Water Gardens and Daintiest, another small variety from Lilypons Water Gardens.
When the rhizomes arrive, you plant them in a plastic bucket of heavy garden soil that can be amended with well-aged manure. I use a 8"-deep (12" dia.), plastic buckets that I get at a home goods store. Once the rhizome is seated in the mud, I lower the bucket into my water garden, which is a glazed ceramic pot. The key is to get the soil surface 4-6" below the water surface. If the planting pot is too low, raise it with some flat stones or bricks.
Alba Striata at the end of the summer, showing its distinctive foliage. |
Give the plant as much sun as possible. The first leaves to emerge are the floaters, which sit on the surface of the water—just like waterlilies. After that, you'll get some of the dramatic parasol leaves, which rise above the surface of the water. If you're lucky, you'll get a bloom or two. But even if it doesn't bloom, the leaves are gorgeous and tropical. Water beads on the surface of the leaves in a magical way.
Lotuses don't come cheap. You can expect to pay about $30-40 for a mail-order plant. To me, it's worth it because the plants are simple and spectacular. If it doesn't bloom the first year, hold the tuber over the winter, bring it out in spring. And get ready. You won't be disappointed.
-David Grist, Online Content Coordinator
Potatoes give me more garden satisfaction per square foot and time invested than any other vegetable I grow. A few years ago I planted six different potato varieties and kept records on how many pounds I harvested from each. The project made a good County Fair exhibit and won a blue ribbon, which paid for my much of my investment in seed potatoes. The crop also kept my family in potatoes for most of the winter. Every pound of seed potatoes I planted yielded about 12 pounds of harvest. In other words, we dug up nearly four bushels or 200 pounds of spuds from just 18 pounds of “seed”.
The term “seed potato” is a bit of a misnomer. Although you can grow potatoes from actual seeds, that’s best left to the plant breeders. All commercial and home garden potato crops are grown from eyes or sprouts on the edible tubers. I plant either whole, small tubers or cut up larger potatoes into two-eye pieces.
Compared to the limited selection in the grocery store, the variety of gourmet, heirloom, and specialty potatoes available to home gardeners is huge. Some are best for boiled new potatoes in summer; others are good keepers for winter storage. Skins and flesh colors include red, yellow, white, pink and blue. Those with moist or waxy flesh hold together in soups and salads. Dry-fleshed russet potatoes are suited to baking, mashing and frying.
Our all-around favorite varieties were Carola and Rose Gold. Carola has yellow skin and flesh with a smooth, creamy texture for potato salads and stews. Rose Gold is a beautiful pink-skinned variety with drier gold flesh for home fries, creamy soups and fluffy mashed and baked spuds. Both stored well into winter.
My kids were intrigued with the size and shapes of the fingerling potatoes. Instead of big round or oblong potatoes, Russian Banana, Rose Finn, and Ruby Crescent fingerlings grow long, narrow and even curved. Digging these heirloom “small potatoes” was the highlight of our gardening season.
Although I grew my prize-winning potatoes in rows in a traditional garden, I’ve since learned how to grow them in less space and with less work. Raised beds and Potato Bags are now the way to grow! Potato plants are actually attractive in the landscape, especially when they’re blooming, so I put the planted bags where we can appreciate them.
For more information, read this PDF on growing and planting potatoes. For a list of links to seed potato catalogs and other information sources, visit visit this page at Washington State University.
-Ann Whitman, Staff Horticulturist
Send a Photo
See how other gardeners are supporting their tomatoes and share a photo of your own. Visit our Photo Center. |
What's your favorite tomato support? Take our poll and let us know. (You can find the poll at the top of the right-hand column.) Do you prefer Tomato Cages, Tomato Ladders, Rainbow Spiral Supports, wooden stakes or something of your own invention? If you have more to say about your choice, please make a comment (click on Comments at the bottom of this post).
Cindy and Kathy at the photo shoot. |
Like many good ideas, it all began with a casual hallway conversation. Back in the office after a sunny May weekend, Cindy and I were talking about which gardening chores we'd managed to cross off our lists. We had both planted our tomatoes that weekend, but she had put up tomato ladders and I had put up cages. We started laughing about how she would never even consider using cages for supports and how I would never consider using ladders.
Others within earshot chimed in with their own opinions about the merits of each support system. It seemed clear: Either you were a cage-person or a ladder-person.
Our art director, Susan, overheard us talking and a light bulb went on. “Let’s set up a face off and photograph it for the catalog,” she said. “We could do it in one of the beds in our display garden!”
We enlisted our extraordinary staff gardener, Sarah, to set up and maintain the bed throughout the summer months. She made sure the tomato plants were well fertilized and had plenty of water. By early September, the plants were heavy with fruit and the photo shoot was scheduled for one day after work. Susan, the photographer, our photo stylist Martha, and Cindy and I met in the display gardens just outside our offices.
Cindy and I figured we’d been asked to be there as “expert advisors” about the merits of the two different systems. What we didn’t realize was that Susan's plan was to feature the two of us just as prominently as the tomato supports.
There was no time for special outfits and no one around to style our hair. The two of us got planted right in the bed with the tomatoes and it was all over but the crying in about 10 minutes. (Strange to see how you can look your age on the outside and still feel like 35 on the inside…).
Read Ladders or Cages to learn more.
-Kathy LaLiberte, Director of Gardening
The seed catalogs start piling up in January. |
We speak with tens of thousands of gardeners over the course of a year, and one of the questions we’re often asked—especially by new gardeners and people who have relocated—is "Where should I purchase my flower and vegetable seeds?"
If it’s a gardener from New England, the task is easy. We tend to recommend regional companies such as Johnny’s Selected Seeds (in Maine) or Select Seeds (in Connecticut). These regional seed providers select varieties that are well-suited to our unique growing conditions.
For other regions of the country, we don’t have the advantage of personal experience, so we’re asking for your advice! Please leave a comment below and let us know which seed companies you turn to—especially for region-specific crops such as tomatoes and peppers. We’ll compile a list of regional sources, and with that in hand, will feel confident about making good recommendations to anyone who asks.
Freshly dug parsnips |
By the middle of March, the only food I’m still eating from last year’s garden are onions, shallots and garlic. I feel pretty good about that until I think about the fact that some lucky gardeners out there are digging parsnips right around now.
I love parsnips (roasted or roasted and then pureed), but have never been able to produce more than a handful of misshapen little stumps. Considering the fact that the ideal soil for growing parsnips is deep, sandy loam, I guess it makes sense that I can’t grow them. The native soil in my garden is about 12" of clay and stones on top of an impenetrable layer of hardpan.
Years ago I saw a Victory Garden TV segment in which Roger Swain demonstrated how he grew state fair-winning parsnips. His secret was to create a special growing chamber for each parsnip. After digging out a 20” deep by 6” wide hole, he backfilled it with a special mix of sandy soil. Then he planted a seed on top, right in the center of the hole. In typical Roger Swain style, he just happened to have a few parsnips lying around that he’d produced using this method and we could see with our own eyes that they were more than 16” long and as big around as your wrist. Wow.
If you'd like to try growing parsnips, remember that unlike most vegetable seeds, which remain viable for several years, you need to purchase fresh parsnip seed each year. Sow the seeds directly into the garden spacing them at least 4” apart in every direction. Germination is SLOW. It can take 20 days or more. The top several inches of soil need to stay consistently moist during this entire time. Cover the bed with a row cover if you aren’t confident the seeds will get watered (or rained on).
Parsnips take about 100 days to mature, so get yours planted early in the spring to ensure they finish growing before the days start getting short in the fall. You can harvest your parsnips in late fall and store them in a cool, moist location, as you would carrots (in a plastic bag in your refrigerator crisper or packed in moist sand inside a black trash bag in a cool basement or garage). Don’t start eating them until they’ve spent several months in cold storage, which is what turns their starches to sugars.
In cool climates, you can also leave your parsnips right in the ground over the winter. Just cover them in the fall with 6-12" of straw to insulate them and retain moisture. Make sure you dig and eat your parsnips before the ground starts to warm up (which would be right now). Once the tops begin to sprout, the roots become soft and spongy. Yuk.
-Kathy LaLiberte, Director of Gardening
After pulling the begonia tubers in late October, I let them dry for several weeks. Then, I nestled them in moist vermiculite in a plastic bucket. When I checked in on the tubers in February, they'd already sprouted—even though the bucket had a lid on it! |
Mrs. B. called me late in October. The frost was coming and it would be the end of her begonias for sure. She was recovering from a fall and couldn't get to the garden, so I drove to her cottage during lunch and quickly uprooted the tubers—as big as potatoes. I'd never seen such big begonia tubers.
Last summer, Mrs. B. hired me to care for her garden because her husband could no longer garden. She was celebrating 90 years, so she needed a little help around the yard. For years, her husband had tended the magnificent garden that surrounded their cottage. The place overflowed with color from clusters of fiery salvias, rows of wax begonias and a row of three mature clematis vines that covered the gable end of the cottage.
The star of the show was a row of tuberous begonias, so big and healthy that they formed a low hedge beside the front door. Mrs. B's husband saved these every fall and started them anew in the spring. The huge, petal-packed blooms grew 4-6" across and were always enjoyed by everyone in the neighborhood.
The tubers were huge when they came out of the ground. At planting time, they'd hardly shriveled at all. |
Mrs. B. called me in November to check on the tubers. Had I gotten them out? She was glad to know I'd pulled them up in time. She also wanted to tell me that she would be moving out of her cottage and into an assisted living facility. And, she wanted me to have the tubers. I was honored.
When I packed the tubers in December, I worried that I would lose them to rot or decay. I worried that the legacy would end with me. But I checked them the other day, and one of the tubers had already sprouted—a cluster of stocky, 4" stems with tiny leaves. So, I drove to the garden center in a near-whiteout snowstorm to get some potting soil.
The tubers were as big as potatoes, but more flat. I recycled some 8" mum pots, which accommodated the tubers nicely. With some sunshine, they're sure to take off. By June, I should have some beautiful plants. And the legacy will continue, from one garden to another.
Thank you, Mrs. B.
-David Grist, Online Content Coordinator
P.S.: You can start a begonia tradition, too. Just check out this season's new offerings at Dutch Gardens.
Autumn owes its bright colors to red, gold, and apricot maple leaves.
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The big old maple tree in my yard finally came down last summer after years of dropping twigs and branches. I loved its dappled shade and fiery autumn foliage, but not its huge size. I’m planning to replace it this year with a smaller maple variety that has good fall color and a finer texture. There are two new maples being introduced for 2008 that are both contenders for the empty spot in my side yard.
The foliage and shape of the native Big Tooth or Rocky Mountain Maple resemble those of its eastern Sugar Maple cousin, but at half the size. The new variety called Rocky Mountain Glow® Maple (Acer grandidentatum 'Schmidt') from J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. has intense red to apricot autumn leaves and grows only about 25’ tall and 15’ wide.
Another Schmidt introduction, Rugged Charm™ Maple (Acer tataricum ‘JFS-KW2’), is about the same size and has the added bonus of yellow flower clusters followed by bright red seed wings and yellow-orange to scarlet fall foliage. This one is hardy down to USDA Zone 3. Hot Wings™ Maple (Acer tataricum 'GarAnn' #PP 15,023) from Bailey Nurseries is similar.
If you'd like to add a maple tree to your yard, but don't have quite enough room for a 40 foot giant, take a look at these new varieties when you're at your local nursery this spring.
-Ann Whitman, Horticulturist
Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.
When I read those words last year, written by Michael Pollan, all of my questions about what to eat were answered. Simple, clear and direct.
As we struggle to eat right—whether it's for personal health or global sustainability—we are presented with many labels: low-fat, organic, vegan, sustainable, local, whole-grain, grass-fed and more. Many choices-perhaps too many. And what do these terms really mean? A free-range chicken from California is organic, but is it sustainable to have it shipped across the country to me here in Vermont?
In Michael Pollan's writing, I find direction as an eater—and a gardener. I don't find rules and standards; I find guidance and points to consider. The choices are myriad, and nothing is black and white. It's all gray. The only "wrong" is not thinking about what you eat. For instance, I have a goal of eating more local foods. Not only local foods, but more. In the winter, it's hard to find fresh, local produce—especially in the north. But if you look carefully, it's there.
Michael Pollan is author of several books, including The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals and In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto. To learn more, visit www.michaelpollan.com. |
We have the locavore movement to thank for the raised profile of local foods. In my local grocery store, I see dozens of items on the shelves that are drawn from the region: produce, dried beans, meats and cheese. Each is highlighted with a shelf sticker. Still I'm not committing to a locavore pledge of eating products from the area from a 100-mile radius of my home. Coffee, orange juice and wine are pleasures I'm not willing to give up just because they're not harvested and produced here in Vermont. Plus, I believe there are ways to support sustainable communities in far-off places by making thoughtful choices.
So this year, I encourage all gardeners to grow something. Or grow more. Or get to know someone who does. Make a connection with your food that will ensure greater health, happiness and sustainability. With humble apologies to Michael Pollan, I offer my own version of his succinct advice:
When you eat, eat. Not in the car. Taste your food.
-David Grist, Online Content Coordinator
Once you've cultivated a taste for arugula, you'll probably want to eat it as often as possible, dressed very simply as the Italians do. |
Arugula (Eruca sativa) is a non-heading, peppery green, also known as rocket or roquette. Popular in Italian cuisine, it’s been cultivated since Greek and Roman times. Usually eaten raw in salads, it can also be made into pesto, sprinkled on a just-cooked pizza or be tossed into hot pasta.
The smell of arugula leaves can be a bit “skunky” (my kids feel the same way about arugula as they do about cilantro) but as I’ve come to love the taste of it, I have come to love its smell as well. Hot weather makes the leaves get spicier. It also makes the plants go to seed pretty quickly. When arugula does start to flower, the plant stops producing new leaves and it’s time for the compost pile.
Arugula leaves are very perishable—they bruise easily and get limp fast – so they’re a perfect crop for the home gardener.
There are many different varieties of arugula and the look, texture and taste of the leaves varies a lot. In my experience, the “wilder” strains are the spiciest. They have longer, thinner, darker green leaves that are deeply cut with sharply pointed ends. The paler, domesticated arugula has thinner, more paddle-like leaves. Apollo is a good example of the latter type. Its leaves are relatively mild and great for arugula-only salads with goat cheese, toasted pine nuts and pears. Last year I bought Apollo from Seed Savers Exchange, but I see it’s also available from Gourmet Seed International. Another arugula I've grown is Runway, which is deeper green and has more jagged leaves, but is still quite mild in taste.
It’s rare to see arugula plants for sale in a nursery. That's because it’s best to grow it from seed yourself. In early spring I sow arugula right in a garden bed, but I have also had good luck growing it in 4x6” fiberpots. Once the seedlings have two to four leaves, I transplant little clumps of three to five plants into the garden. This works especially well in late summer when soil in the garden beds can be too hot and dry for good germination. Cover the bed with shade cloth and water frequently until the plants get established.
I must admit that I often have trouble growing arugula in the spring. Our weather usually goes from cold to hot in the span of about three weeks, and before I have time to make a salad, the plants go to seed. It helps to choose a relatively cool part of the garden where the plants will get a little shade. As a fall crop, it can’t be beat. Last year I covered my arugula with Garden Quilt in mid-October and was still picking it for salads a month later!
-Kathy LaLiberte, Director of Gardening
If you're going to be starting seeds indoors this spring—under lights, on a windowsill or in a greenhouse—you don’t want to be using regular potting soil. It's too heavy and dense for the delicate, hair-like roots of a newly-germinated seed.
The best soil mix for seed starting is not really soil at all. It's a growing medium comprised of sphagnum peat moss and small amounts of vermiculite and/or perlite. This blend helps ensure a consistently moist environment to encourage good germination. It is also light enough to provide lots of wiggle room for tiny roots. Just as importantly, it has been sterilized to eliminate bacteria and fungus which can cause problems such as "damping off".
Professional Germinating Mix is my #1 choice for starting seeds—especially very tiny flower seeds like those of petunias, snapdragons and flowering tobacco. It has an ultra-fine texture because the sphagnum peat moss has been milled to remove all clumps and lumps. This mix is also a must for the APS seedstarting system because it doesn't get waterlogged when it's used with capillary matting.
Transplant Mix contains essentially the same ingredients as the Germinating Mix, but it has a more coarse texture. It is the right mix for starting larger seeds such as cucumbers, zinnias and marigolds. It’s also the right choice when it comes time to transplant seedlings into larger pots.
(Hint #1: I sometimes fill the bottom half of a seed flat with Transplant Mix and the top half with Professional Germinating Mix. Seedlings get the benefit of the fine texture when they’re very young, and as they mature, they send their roots down into the Transplant Mix. It saves a little money and the seedlings don’t seem to mind.)
(Hint #2: When I'm transplanting seedlings into larger pots, I'll often mix in some worm castings or compost. This provides valuable nutrients and also helps prepare the plant for garden soil. Seedlings that are 6 or 8 weeks old have had time to develop a tolerance to the naturally-occurring bacteria and fungi in compost.
To learn more, check out our how-to articles: Seedstarting Made Easy and Seedstarting Tips.
-Kathy LaLiberte, Director of Gardening
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