Vermont Garden Journal: Recent Episodes
Mary Engisch, Charlie Nardozzi
If you spend time and care growing fruits, knowing a few harvesting tips can help ensure the best-tasting results.
Sometimes, plants grown in containers on back decks and porches outperform expectations. We'll meet one named "Big Beef."
Mullein grows tall with soft leaves and does best in well-drained soil and lots of sun.
Along with the cheery orange daylilies, look for different colorways and petal patterns for your yard and gardens.
Home gardeners still have time to plant sweet potatoes, and there's still time to get a crop by fall!
Home gardeners looking for slow-spreading ground covers that keep weeds out and support pollinators should consider perennial geraniums.
Charlie Nardozzi answers listeners' questions about cutworms, Cornelian cherries, overwintered pepper plants, honeyberry bushes and more.
Learn to plant the right types of bulbs at the right time for a long-lasting bloom fest of irises in your yard.
Some home gardeners have invasive worms in their soil while others have flowers that just aren't blooming.
Cucumbers are a fast-growing, easy-care and prolific vegetable to plant in home gardens. This season, diversify your cuke variety with these different selections.
Learn the best types of strawberries to grow for a fruitful strawberry harvest this season!
Pick perennial weeds after a rain and remove annual ones when the weather is sunny and dry.
Fresh herbs like basil come in a multitude of flavor profiles, like cinnamon, lemon and lime. Use basil to enhance your food and cocktails.
Blueberry bushes don't require much pruning until they're older than five years. If yours are older, aim to prune them so there is a mix of younger, middle-aged and older canes on the bushes. This will encourage more berry growth.
Wood, metal or masonry are great materials to build a raised bed. Here's what you should know about each option.
Growing flowers and veggies vertically saves space, and the vines can act like a screen for your deck or patio.
Fruiting and flowering trees and shrubs, as well as certain types of hydrangeas, benefit from pruning this time of year.
By now most gardeners have planted their bush and pole snap beans. These beans come in green, yellow or purple colors and are probably some of the easiest veggies to grow. With the hot weather returning, there are other beans that will not only enjoy the heat, but need it. Let's talk about sowing edamame, yard long beans and lima beans now to take advantage of the heat and long days. I'll talk about varieties, planting techniques and where to grow them.
Late spring's warmer temperatures, frequent sun and soaking rains provide the perfect growing conditions for home gardens. Charlie Nardozzi answers lots of gardeners' questions about their plants, trees, weeds and no-dig methods.
Home gardeners have been placing certain flowers and vegetable plants together for decades. (I see you, marigolds near tomatoes!) Now, scientific research shows companion planting can be beneficial.
"Glads" are tall, showy perennials and are part of the iris family. Their tall stems flower with multiple blooms along the stalk and come in many colors and heights.
Wetter weather suits some garden critters, like slugs and snails. Slugs, especially, will eat your basil, lettuce, marigolds and more. Certain pesticide-free techniques can save your garden from becoming a slugfest this summer.
Some garden plants grow quite large and take up lots of space, like cucumbers and pumpkins. But summer squash — like zucchini and yellow crookneck — can be grown vertically if you have limited real estate in your garden.
Their heady fragrance can transport you; plant tall or smaller flowering shrubs for color and scent all season.
The trend of "No Mow May" follows the logic that leaving your whole lawn unmowed for the month can help pollinators. The birds, bugs and bees will use the overgrown weeds and flowers as food and shelter. Instead of doing this for a month then mowing it all down, consider dedicating a small portion of your yard to pollinators for the whole season.
This Earth Day, embrace some more Earth friendly gardening practices, like reusing plastic pots, forgoing pesticides and planting pollinator friendly lawns.
With bigger and more frequent rain events brought on by human-caused climate change, you can either raise up your garden or try planting things that thrive in wetter conditions.
Spring greens can add brightness and flavor to your meals. Forage for some wintercress or dandelions or cultivate new types, like rapini and upland cress.
Instead of traditional tilling, or turning of the soil to prepare it for spring planting, the "no-dig" method is just that. No digging keeps the billions of helpful microbes intact in the soil. It could lead to fewer weeds and healthier soil and plants.
Planting a pollinator garden is a great addition to a yard, but if you're low on space, consider replacing grass with these ground covers that are just as attractive and beneficial to pollinators.
Peas aren't just green anymore! Pea plants come in three types: snap, snow and shelling. And some varieties grow in yellow and purple shades. Find a new, colorful favorite to plant in your gardens and raised beds.
Heuchera or coral bells are perennials in the evergreen family and come in many flower colors — but it's the pink, purple, and yellow foliage that packs the maximum color punch.
"Purple" is a new tomato from the Norfolk Plant Science group in England that has genes from a purple snapdragon flower. That modification gives the tomato its deep purple hue through and through, plus packs in more antioxidants.
All Things Gardening discusses a recent National Garden Bureau article that pairs Zodiac signs with the plants and flowers that complement them best. Plus, a potting soil solution for dryness.
Zinnias are annual flowers that bloom reliably from mid-summer to frost, are pollinator and butterfly magnets, make great cut flowers and are easy to grow.
Charlie Nardozzi is traveling in India and visiting a local garden center there. Nardozzi noticed several plants, flowers and veggies that grow well in Vermont, too.
Charlie Nardozzi is traveling in India and visiting a local garden center there. Nardozzi noticed several plants, flowers and veggies that grow well in Vermont, too.
Houseplants add color and act as sponges, soaking up carbon dioxide while adding oxygen. Still, there are a range of issues that can befall plant owners trying to keep certain houseplants thriving.
While getting your hands into the warm soil is months off, you can grow small crops of microgreens indoors! These small batches of tender veggie shoots are great additions to salads, soups and smoothies.
Common favorite houseplants like philodendrons and rubber trees come in varying colors, shapes and sizes.
While the winter chill draws you indoors and you're dreaming of spring and summer gardening, leaf through seed catalogs (virtually or in-hand). Many local and regional seed companies offer heirloom and hardy vegetable plants in hundreds of varieties.
A small patch of colorful, ornamental berry bushes could elevate your holiday decorating game next year.
If you have large outdoor planters or containers, try filling them with cut branches, berry twigs and needled evergreen boughs for rustic, natural holiday decorations this season.
A living tree can make a fun centerpiece for your holiday celebrations! Choose from lots of different needle-bearing live trees from your local nursery. Each year, you can decorate indoors, then replant outdoors.
Invasive jumping worms are in all parts of Vermont except for Essex and Orleans counties, according to Vermont Invasives. These earth worms can cause trouble because of their excessive consumption of organic matter that adversely affects biodiversity.
Choose an annual or perennial flowering vine to add color to your late summer and early fall gardens. Some will bloom right up until frost.
Common milkweed is great for attracting pollinators and especially monarch butterflies. The plants can take over a small space quickly so try some less-aggressive milkweed types that can grow in a variety of soils.
If, earlier this year, you took "no-mow May" to heart and left a portion of your lawn unmowed for bees, beetles and butterflies, you can take it a step further now! A University of Minneapolis "bee lab" studied the kinds of grasses and ground covers that grow a green lawn that benefits pollinators. And you can still mow it.
Late summer blooms like phlox and hydrangea can steal the show with their big blossoms and color. Still, it's a native perennial called helenium that really brings the bees and birds to the yard.
Many Vermont home gardeners might have experienced flooding. If they can, now is an optimal time for home gardeners to replant for a small harvest in September and even into October.
Lily varieties like Tiger, Martagon and Trumpet can add height and color to your gardens and borders. Some types grow to six feet tall and bring heady fragrance, too.
Hemerocallis or more commonly known as the daylily often comes in bright yellow and orange. The tall flowers sprout up easily and keep growing in all kinds of challenging conditions, like the recent Vermont floods.
After flood waters recede, home and market gardens can take stock of their gardens and crops and determine what can be saved and how to remediate the soil now for next spring.
Sure, poison ivy causes itchy, red welts on 90% of people who touch its leaves or stems. This native plant also serves as food for birds and insects and even helps in high winds.
Slugs chewing on your lettuces and flower leaves? When the plants grow bigger and the wetter weather moves out, they will, too. In the meantime, try a couple of natural methods to deter them.
Pruning certain flowering shrubs in early July is key to them blooming again next spring.
The good news: these fierce-looking insects do not climb in through your ear, burrow into your brain and lay eggs. They can, however, keep certain garden pests at bay.
Known as a vegetable that grows well and very fast during Vermont summers, zucchini is a great addition to home gardens. This year, plant varieties that a bit different and can grow well in a garden or a container.
Flowering perennials like hardy baptisia and amsonia can bring color to your landscape for many different seasons.
Some parts of Vermont saw temps in the 20s during the overnight hours this month. While many apple orchards, vineyards and berry farms lost crops and income, home gardeners also had fruit trees and newly planted veggies get zapped by frost.
Sometimes when flowering bulbs like daffodils and tulips don't bloom, the answer is underground. By digging up the bulbs and noting their characteristics, you can solve the problem for next year.
From blue-green blades low to the ground and mounding like spiky hairdos to eight-foot-tall, feathery quills swaying in the breeze, find ornamental grasses to add to your gardens.
From blue-green blades low to the ground and mounding like spiky hairdos to eight-foot-tall, feathery quills swaying in the breeze, find ornamental grasses to add to your gardens.
Capture and conserve storm water from heavy rains in gardens planted with water-loving flowers or catch it in a rain barrel.
Dead trees, water features and tasty berries can make your address the one to stop at for local birds seeking food and shelter.
Brussels sprouts grow well in our region as they like cool weather and full sun. Best practice is to start them from seed under grow lights indoors now, as they take all season long to grow. Then replant them in early to mid-May in your garden.
Brussels sprouts grow well in our region as they like cool weather and full sun. Best practice is to start them from seed under grow lights indoors now, as they take all season long to grow. Then replant them in early to mid-May in your garden.
Looking to add height, color and fragrance to your flower gardens? Lily varieties pack a visual and fragrant punch. Though these flowers grow well in Vermont, they will need your help to keep the red lily leaf beetle at bay.
In the right conditions, you can grow some green moss to bring an idyllic look to your landscape. You can purchase all kinds of mosses to grow or encourage more growth with a "moss milkshake!"
Padrón or Herbón peppers hail from the Padrón region in northwestern Spain. These snack-sized peppers, along with Shishito peppers from Japan, can range from mild to spicy and are great when charred or grilled and eaten as an appetizer.
Many beloved veggies are inclined to climb vertically already - like beans, squashes, cukes and zukes. Those plants tend to grow very large and can take over garden spaces. If you have a small garden, try growing certain plant varieties in containers or grow vertically instead.
Try planting new and sturdier flowering shrubs that grow better in our region, like Blue Enchantress, this spring.
Gather up all the things you'll need - germinating soil, small containers, seeds and a grow light. Then, come late March or early April, get your tomato starts planted indoors.
Some plants eat meat! These carnivorous plants tend to grow in wet areas and bogs but certain types will grow well indoors, with proper watering and feeding techniques.
Local gardening expert Charlie Nardozzi has been talking about no-dig gardening techniques for awhile. He compares his practices to those of another gardening "Charlie," Charles Dowding from England, who has been no-dig gardening for decades.
Two fun Valentine's gift ideas will last well beyond the holiday and make gardeners swoon: The sweetheart hoya has heart-shaped leaves and the moth orchid is a beautiful houseplant.
Though it is fun to try to regrow plants from avocado pits and citrus seeds, chances are good they will never flower or fruit. Instead, take lettuces, ginger and lemongrass to regrow new plants.
Leeks and onions need about eight to 10 weeks to germinate before you can plant them in your raised beds and gardens outdoors. That means now is a great time to plant some indoors.
If you grow lots of tomatoes with canning plans in mind, this year, try Captain Lucky or Blue Beech.
When you're perusing gardening catalogs and websites for perennials to plant in spring, look for these that have unusual colors.
Philodendron and snake plants make great choices to grow indoors all year. And these steadfast classics come in fun varieties. Look for these and other houseplant variations to add to your indoor greenery.
While you're making other New Year's resolutions, resolve to make certain changes in your gardening game.
Vermicomposting is a great way to break down food scraps this winter and create rich compost for gardens and raised beds this spring.
Many factors play in to your holiday tree choices, like the cost of a traditional tree and how much space you have to display it. This year, try these different kinds of festive trees to decorate your home.
Using natural elements like pinecones and tree branches, you can make home-made bird feeders. Just add suet or peanut butter, then sprinkle on the bird seed and hang the feeder outdoors.
Amaryllis bulbs are native to southern hemispheres but you can pot them to grow this winter with very little care. Also, try a more recent variety of waxed amaryllis bulb that will grow and flower with no soil or water!
Gather up natural materials from your lawn and garden to create one-of-a-kind holiday decorations.
Your garden may be put to bed for winter but you can tackle a few tasks and get a jumpstart on next year.
Temperatures have been on the warm side right into November in our region. Learn how to protect plants, bulbs and trees that may have begun to sprout in the warm weather.
A vacuum can safely remove ladybugs from inside your house. Ladybugs can crawl through tiny spaces and use your home as their winter hibernation location.
You may need to fight off every urge to rake right now. Instead, try taking a deep breath and embracing numerous ways those fallen leaves can benefit your lawn, flowers, compost pile and more.
In order to enjoy spring blooms like crocus, daffodils and hyacinth, you should plant those bulbs now. And if your lawn, border or gardens are short on space, try a layering technique that'll bring whimsy and surprise to your garden!
By planting now, your new trees and shrubs will have about six to eight weeks to get comfortable in the soil before overwintering.
You can slice and enjoy uncooked like water chestnut or bake, mash or boil it and enjoy like a potato. The Jerusalem artichoke is neither an artichoke nor from the Middle East but grows prolifically in our region and produces lovely yellow flowers.
In early fall, you might see bright spots of colorful lobelia or boltonia in wetter areas on stream banks and near ponds. You can grow cultivated versions of these fall wildflowers in your garden, too.
Not ready to let go of growing fresh salad greens even though the summer season is waning? Fret not and grab the nearest garden container or cozy up to a cold frame.
Technically, those hardy mums you use as fall decorations are perennials. They can be a bit finicky, but find the right place to plant it in your lawn or garden and be treated to fall color every year.
Traditional lawns are greenswards - places to play and gather. And they help avoid erosion. If you plan to keep your green grass lawn, now is the time to repair it or consider some other green lawn covers.
Black-eyed Susans and clematis are late summer stars in the garden, with their showy blooms and hardy foliage. They can also get really out of hand and grow too large! We'll learn new varieties to try and how to keep them in bounds.
If you grow lettuce, radishes, fennel and even some flowers like calendula, you can let them bolt and self-sow. Then, next spring, after they germinate and sprout, thin out and leave the strongest seedlings. You'll grow a new, free crop with very little effort.
This year in Vermont, many hydrangea bushes are flowering abundantly, possibly due to many days of high humidity. Find out how and when to prune and care for different hydrangea types so they'll successfully overwinter and bloom again next year.
Wild parsnip or poison parsnip can spread quickly and it can take over a meadow or field. This reduces the biodiversity in that field of the plants and the insect and other wildlife. The sap can also give you a really nasty burn or rash, especially if you get it on your skin on a sunny day.
The glorious hanging-basket full of colorful flower and plant varieties you purchased or planted around Memorial Day might be looking bedraggled by mid-July. That's because plants grow! And they may have outgrown their container. Learn how to successfully trim them or separate them into new containers and baskets.
The adult beetle that emerges from the soil has the common name Japanese beetle, named for its country of origin. The beetle arrived on cargo ships in the early 1900s and is prevalent east of the Mississippi.
Even if they are green and healthy, you can prune the leaves from your tomato plants. Knowing how and when to prune and pinch the suckers will help the plant divert all its energy and nutrients into growing stronger. You'll be rewarded with more tomatoes, too.
This pest feasts on members of the allium family, like onions, garlic and leeks. The leek moth larvae feed on the plants' foliage and that can affect the plants' growth. They can also get into your garlic bulbs and compromise the storage life of your allium.
This pest feasts on members of the allium family, like onions, garlic and leeks. The leek moth larvae feed on the plants' foliage and that can affect the plants' growth. They can also get into your garlic bulbs and compromise the storage life of your allium.
These wildflowers can be naturalized and grown in your garden and are great are attracting bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.
The practice of using rotting logs and wood and plant debris to create a raised garden bed is ancient. You can grow plants, veggies and trees using hügelkultur.
They're baaaaack and more voracious than ever, it seems! Lymantria dispar dispar, known as spongy moth larvae, have hatched and are very hungry caterpillars, indeed. Learn ways to lessen their impact on your trees.
In the case of gardens and raised beds, fencing does create good neighbors and keeps wildlife away from your freshly-grown vegetable plants.
Traditional tulips are gorgeous and colorful but might not grow well or come back year after year in Vermont's climate. Instead, try planting low-to-the-ground, hardy species tulip bulbs for a pop of color and incredible variety year after year.
Much adored and written about in Japanese haiku, the peony blooms beautifully in our region, too. Learn the different hybrids to plant and then enjoy the breathtaking peony all season long.
With a bit of planning and know-how, you could be mastering a small garden plot with season-long harvests of all sorts of vegetables!
Though a certain critter can bug your lily plants, they are easy to eradicate. So replant the trumpet lily you may have received for Easter holiday or try these other lily varieties that do well in our region. These lilies will add color, fragrance and pizazz to your lawns and gardens.
Though it takes a couple of years to mature and begin to produce stalks, planting asparagus this spring could set you up for plenty of this quintessential early season veggie for decades.
Fuzzy, gray catkins provide protection for the early spring flowers that bloom on pussy willows. Planting them in your garden and landscape can provide a food resource for not just pollinators but birds as well.
Many apple trees can grow to 40 feet tall. If you're looking for a more diminutive tree that bears fruit and is easier to prune and care for in your smaller yard, try these varieties.
Bright oranges and yellows, plus a sunflower with multiple blooms on each stock are just a few of the new annuals to try out this spring in your gardens and landscape.
Greenery like oxalis and green-hued hardy annuals, like Bells of Ireland can add beauty to your gardens.
If you plant them in containers and over-winter them indoors, you can grow figs in Vermont this summer.
Malabar spinach and cucamelon are just two unique vegetable that grow well in our region in small spaces in bright, full sun. These vining veggies are easy to plan for and plant this spring and summer.
Even in frigid temps, layer up, grab your pruning shears and head to your apple and pear trees to begin shaping them now...
If you prune this time of year, you create an invigorating process. This means anything you prune will send out more shoots and more branches.
A bright room and a slightly forgetful personality (hint: you don't need to remember to water it a lot!) is all you need to be a successful cactus plant-owner.
Succulents are hearty and easy-to-grow in the right conditions. Choose your brightest room and keep the soil well-drained. Some indoor succulent varieties can grow to tree-sized plants.
Some tips on how to comb through seed catalogs and find new varieties of vegetables to grow this year.
Some holiday flowering plants can last through the winter and even be replanted outside next spring. Others just aren't hardy enough to survive outdoors here but you can enjoy their blooms indoors for a bit this winter.
Snow-covered pine boughs and bright red berries can make beautiful, natural holiday decorations for your home. And you can harvest many items from your own lawn and garden to create wreaths, swags and centerpieces.
Lots of folks have welcomed new dogs and cats into their homes in the past year or two. Learn how to keep your new additions to the family safe from potentially toxic holiday house plants and decorations.
From burlap wraps to A-frames, we'll learn how to protect new fruit trees and shrubs from winter winds and snow.
Learning some techniques to protect crocus and daffodils can keep them safe from critters and you'll get to enjoy their blooms next spring.
It's simple: when the soil in your raised beds and gardens is healthy, your flowers, veggies and herbs will grow better. Learn five techniques to keep the 'soul of your garden' in good shape.
You can carve pumpkins and then treat the outside and inside to prolong its spooky life.
These flowers are easy to grow and critters tend to leave them alone. Plus, they are late-bloomers and can last after the first light frost.
As you take stock of your lawn and gardens in the first days of fall, look around, take notes and plan out what you like to add next year. This is the perfect time to head to your favorite garden center for stock up on plants, shrubs and climbing vines.
It will soon be time to plant garlic but you can also put in some unusual onion varieties now and enjoy their mild flavors soon!
While fall produces garden color from hardy mums, tree and shrub foliage and asters, nothing beats the knock-out colors from zinnias. Now is a good time to take stock of your zinnia flowers, explore other varieties and plan on seed-saving and purchasing for next spring.
It's apple season! In grade school, you may have heard of a character called Johnny Appleseed. Most of what you learned is true, as he was a real person who did travel the Appalachians and Midwest states, planting apple orchards from seed. We'll separate some facts from fiction.
Certain plants can be rehoused indoors over the winter. We'll learn which ones make good candidates for the move!