Mother Nature may be taking a snooze this time of year, but that doesn’t mean you can. February brings its share of challenging chores for gardeners, many relating to the weather. If snow cover is light in your area, you may need to add extra mulch, such as a thick layer of straw or evergreen branches, to protect landscape plants. […]

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Janus, who lends his name to the month of January, was the dual-faced  Roman god of gates and doors.  He also was called the god of beginnings as it  was commonly believed that you needed to go through a door or gate in order  to enter a new place or beginning. The god was depicted as looking forward and backwards […]

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While tea roses and a few other types usually don’t survive in cold climates, many of the new series, as well as some of the older shrub rose cultivars (cultivated varieties), can survive cold winters with some protection.  While these methods don’t guarantee that your rose plants will survive, they’ll surely help those that are marginally hardy. Roses can be […]

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How to treat unplanted spring-flowering bulbs, amaryllis when through flowering, and houseplants dropping leaves, are some of the common indoor gardening questions this time of year.    Many also ask if there are food crops that you can grow indoors during winter. If you purchased spring-flowering bulbs this fall but didn’t get them all planted, what should you do with them?  Such […]

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December brings family and friends together to celebrate the holidays. Make sure you have a safe season by taking a few precautions before your guests arrive. For starters, take care with holiday decorations, especially if your guest list includes young children or pets. Although poinsettias have proven not to be poisonous, they may cause internal upset if ingested. Contact with […]

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  Are you a trivia buff? If so, perhaps you’d be interested in knowing a little bit more about the poinsettia plant you buy every Christmas. For example, did you know that the poinsettia’s main attraction is not its flowers, but its leaves? The flowers of the plant are the yellow clustered buds in the center. The colored leafy parts […]

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HARVESTING PUMPKINS AND OTHER OCTOBER GARDENING TIPS By October, frost has hit just about everywhere in Vermont, which means there’s not much growing in the garden any more. So, it’s time to harvest those pumpkins and root crops and put the garden to bed. For winter squash and pumpkins, use a sharp knife to clip the stem from the vine, […]

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African violets are one of the easiest and most adaptable flowering houseplants to grow, as they do well in the conditions found in most homes.  There are seven main cultural factors you should be aware of to ensure their success. African violets that you buy are almost certainly hybrids, generally of one main species (Saintpaulia ionantha).  The native habitat of […]

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Knowing when to harvest vegetables is just as important as knowing how to grow them.  Some have a long time over which you can harvest, others must be harvested at just the proper stage of ripening.  Harvest at the wrong time, and your vegetables may not ripen properly if too young, or be tough and bitter if too old. You […]

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Just because a frost is predicted that doesn’t mean you have to say good bye to your lettuce, peas, and other fall crops. You can extend the growing season with the use of cloches (individual plant coverings), cold frames, and other tools for retaining heat from the ground during a cold night. Season-extending tools are available commercially, or you can […]

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