BURLINGTON – Cucumber and squash production is in full swing in the garden, but there is a key pest that can affect the yield and quality of the fruit. The striped cucumber beetle (Acalymma vittatumare) can be a destructive pest on all cucurbits (cucumbers, summer and winter squash, melons and pumpkins)[Read More…]
In the Garden
Growing Community in the Garden
GREENSBORO – Greensboro’s Community Garden, with just seven raised beds and three in-ground beds, has already produced enough for multiple donations to the Hardwick Area Food Pantry (HAFP). Last Saturday alone, 30 pounds of fresh, organic produce was delivered to the food pantry. The donated harvest included lettuce, kale, snap[Read More…]
August in the Garden and Kitchen
CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – It seems to me that summer has been zooming by. Of course, I did plant many vegetables two to three weeks earlier than usual and crossed my fingers that demon frost would not appear. It didn’t. We’ve had a very sunny summer and my garden is[Read More…]
Saving Seasonal Foods Without Canning
CABOT — It’s the heart of summer in Vermont, and vegetable gardens and orchards are overflowing. It’s wonderful (and healthful) to have a table full of local foods from your garden and neighboring farms. And all this great food doesn’t have to be a fleeting pleasure. With a little planning[Read More…]
Creating Better Environment for us, and Animal Friends
CORNISH FLAT, N.H. — There is much gloom and doom spread in the news and on social media. Many people believe that our ecosystem is irreparable: climate change is bringing death and destruction to many of the animals that we share the earth with. But some gardeners believe that although[Read More…]
Growing Roses and More
CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – June is, traditionally, the month for weddings and roses. A coincidence? Perhaps. But here, in mid-summer, I still have plenty of roses blooming. Many modern hybrids keep on blooming, just like the energizer bunny keeps running. My mom was an organic gardener who loved her roses.[Read More…]
In The Garden: Grow Your Own Potatoes
CABOT – A couple decades ago, I was a new gardener with a small plot at a community garden. One of the more experienced gardeners had tall, lush plants with white flowers. I was surprised to learn that these were potato plants. They were lovely, but I was puzzled why[Read More…]
Watch Out for These Two Pests
BURLINGTON – Many gardeners are reporting damage lately from two pests, the fourlined plant bug and slugs. The plant bug causes minor cosmetic damage, but slugs can be quite destructive if left unchecked. The fourlined plant bug (Poecilocapus lineatus) feeds on mint, basil, sage and Shasta daisies. This little insect[Read More…]
Beneficial Bugs Control Pests in Garden
BURLINGTON – Insect pests get a lot of attention because we see the damage they cause. Less obvious are beneficial insects that provide “biocontrol” of insect pests. These include predators that kill or disable their prey quickly and parasitoids that kill pests more slowly. Predators include lady beetles, ground beetles,[Read More…]
Hydrating Outdoor Plants Requires Responsibility
SOUTH BURLINGTON – Water is a precious resource, and we should do what we can to conserve it. It is possible to keep outdoor plants well hydrated while also being judicious about water usage. If adding plants to flowerbeds or landscape, choose the right plants for the location’s moisture conditions[Read More…]
Tips for Photographing a Garden
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – As much as we might wish that May lilacs or June peonies would last forever in our gardens, they’re fleeting pleasures. One of the best ways to preserve those wonderful moments and revisit them in the future is by photographing the garden. If not taking pictures[Read More…]
Peach Leaf Curl Common Disease
BURLINGTON – Peach leaf curl has been a common disease of peach trees this spring in Vermont. The disease often occurs in wet cool springs following mild winters. The fungus (Taphrina deformans) causes the foliage to become stunted, puckered and deformed with a reddish to purple tinge, often causing alarm[Read More…]
