Busy and Blooming

Ideally, at least once a week I would submit something horticulturally interesting and educating to this blog. I am grateful to be incredibly busy right now, but the people waiting for their pots to be planted (not to mention seeds I MUST get in the ground) come first.

Saturday morning was the first day at farmers' market in St. Johnsbury. After setting up with Rose I returned home and was then picked up by Ed Smith to participate in a one hour radio call-in show about gardening. I was surprised by the number of questions that came in - and the fact that I could answer most of them.

Despite the late spring, everything in the greenhouse has been blooming right on schedule. Here are two of the new introductions.

Calibrachoa Minifamous Double Amethyst

Double Wave Red Petunia

The double wave is quite spectacular and surprising. I'm not so crazy abut the fact that once the bloom has gone by it really needs to be removed, unlike other petunias grown from cuttings. Those blooms just kind of shrivel up and disappear. These are so full I don't think that's going to happen.

Business is booming here, which is a fortunate thing, as the fuel bill averaged $500 a WEEK in March and April. It will take a lot of six-packs to cover that expense!

I have had some of the same customers for 20 years, so there has been much hugging going on in Cabot. Gardeners are good people.

The Greenhouses are Open!

It is way past time to get new photos up on this blog. The plants in the greenhouses are doing great and if anything, are a bit ahead of schedule. But outside we are 2 - 3 weeks behind when it comes to digging perennials and getting plants potted and laid out.

Last year the ice out at Joe’s Pond was April 5; this year it was April 27, a good indication of the difference between the two seasons.

We officially opened Sunday and the weather was lovely. Next weekend is Mother’s Day and I hope there are a lot of appreciative children out there in a flower-buying mood, as we have lots of blooms ready.





I have a huge soft spot for violas and pansies.



Some of the perennials that we over wintered in pots, like the above columbine, are blooming already.



'Dark Eyes' has always been the most popular fuchsia and it is the hardest for me to size up, but this year the fuchsias are huge and walking down that aisle is like being in a blooming tropical forest.

At the moment some of our perennial gardens are swamp-like and I am hoping those plants will survive until we can get in there with our shovels.

Meanwhile, I am giving an illustrated talk (and plants as door prizes) Tuesday, May 10, at 6:30 in the Cabot Public Library about "new" perennials and annuals for the northern Vermont gardener.