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Edibles

Features for the Garden

by E. Schilling

For all the homeowners who complain about low wet areas in their yards, here is a shrub that will flourish along with willows. Cephalanthus occidentalis grows between 3-6 feet tall with a roundish shape. Creamy white flowers appear in late June and persist for a long period of time. Ideal for a naturalized setting, plant it along with elderberry, ilex, and willows. Buttonbush will also thrive in wet clay soils. You will find it growing along rivers and stream beds throughout Vermont.

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Sale excludes ‘Mini Mauvette’

These are the summer-blooming hydrangeas. The most well-known, and for years the only one available, is the variety ‘Annabelle’. It was discovered growing wild in Anna, Illinois in 1910. Its large snowball-like blooms really stood out, as they still do today. A hedge of these makes quite a summer show as their blooms spill and billow with abandon.

Recently, plant propagators have been on a quest to make something perfect even better and have hybridized pink-blooming varieties. These would be ‘Incrediball’, Invincibelle II’ and ‘Incrediball Blush’. All of these have airy, blush-pink flowers with a hint of white.

A note on growing, these all bloom on new wood. This means all the stems must be cut back either in late autumn or early spring or you will barely get a flower. This feature is what makes them so attractive in our growing zone since they may experience some winter dieback any way. Water well the first year upon installation. As years pass by they will become quite drought tolerant. All of these varieties prefer to grow in shade to part sun.

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We planted this native viburnum in our shrub row at the nursery in the early 1980s. While other shrubs have been culled, replaced or died out, this bush is still beautiful. Shiny green leaves, white flowers, and dark blue berries give it year-round interest.

It also has a dense, ground-up growing habit which is good if you hope to block a view as we were. Ours is planted in decent soil and is lightly fertilized every few years if we remember to do so. It never requires watering and we have chosen to allow it to grow naturally. By now it is probably 12-15 feet tall and many a bird has nested in it.

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Winterberry is one of our most favorite shrubs. We grow several varieties of both male and female plants in containers and field-grown, balled and burlapped sizes. The females have berries but you need to have a male planted somewhere on the property for pollination. Since the males ‘Jim Dandy’ and ‘Southern Gentleman’ do not get very big you can tuck them in amongst the females and they will all grow together.

Last fall we planted one of each of the varieties that we grow in a low wet area along our drive from Route 7. They are quite happy; growing nicely and flowering prolifically this spring. If you keep bees, Ilex flowers are addicting to honey bees. This fall and winter we anticipate an abundance of berries in shades of red. Winterberry prefers moist soils. At the nursery we have noticed that they will grow in full hot sun or a mix of sun and dappled shade.

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Aronia or ‘Chokeberry’ is another native plant that we think homeowners would love. It is non-invasive, tolerant of moist soils, and has a beautiful flower. It produces heavy crops of antioxidant-rich fruit in the summer and the leaves turn brilliant scarlet in autumn. Chokeberry is the new “hot” fruit in health-conscious circles. It is quite sour so you may want to have some local honey on hand to mix with it.

Many of the Aronia varieties have a spreading habit and are thus used in bank stabilization situations. You can install a beautiful naturalized planting with these, buttonbush, and winterberry. Do so and soon your yard will be full of berries and birds.

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People are more familiar with the red and yellow-stem dogwoods as their branches are very showy during the winter. The Grey-stem dogwood is a native that historically was planted at the edges of open fields as a wind and snow fence. There are a few fields in town where all the grey-stem dogwoods that bordered the road were cut down. Now those roads are a snowdrift nightmare in winter.

Grey-stem dogwood are fast-growing even in the most difficult of soil conditions. They are pest-free, have white flowers followed by very attractive white berries, and attractive purplish-red foliage in autumn. Mass planted for a quick-growing living fence, you will see that they are tough as nails. Like all dogwoods they can easily be pruned should they get taller than you want.

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This native shrub has a range from Nova Scotia to Minnesota, and Florida to Louisiana. Its natural habitat is swamps, marshes, and wet roadside ditches. At home you would use it wherever you would plant a willow shrub or an Ilex.

Swamp Rose will grow in full sun or part shade and attain a height and spread between 3-6 feet. Its arching branches are covered in very fragrant pink blossoms for 6-8 weeks in June and July. Seeds are propagated by birds eating the rose hips and dropping the seeds. What an attractive addition to the yard!

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Rosa virginiana is another lovely North American native rose with fragrant pink flowers in June. This shrub can be found growing in full sun in well-drained sandy soil. Its dark green, glossy foliage is a beautiful backdrop for the blooms as well as the dark red rose hips that persist into winter (bird food). Very prickly branches act as a natural barrier. If it ever gets too big for your liking simply cut it to the ground and it will regrow with perfect form. Since it is salt tolerant it could be used along a street that routinely gets winter salt sprayed.

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We grow a few types of perennial Asclepias that go by different names. Butterfly Weed is an easy-to-grow perennial provided you give it basic garden soil in a sunny, well-drained site. The bright orange and yellow flowers really shine on hot sunny days. The few in our display gardens always have butterflies fluttering around them. Each year the clump gets a little bigger but it always stays tidy.

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In recent years many varieties of bee balm have cropped up on the plant market and this one is a favorite due to its short stature and compact growing habit. If you have limited space in your full-sun garden but really want to attract hummingbirds, this is the plant to grow. We suggest you cut out a few stalks on the plants once they achieve their height for the season to allow air to circulate. This will help during hot muggy summers.

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This native Joe Pye Weed was discovered growing in a clump of the species in Pennsylvania. Its stiffer branches and upright, compact growth habit distinguishes it from other species. Butterflies are attracted to its domes of magenta flowers in late summer. Plant in moist soils in wild/naturalized settings or rain gardens.

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This native soft-stemmed, shrubby perennial is the perfect solution for gardeners who want a shrub that dies to the ground in winter. The purple stems produce clusters of pale white flowers in July through August, followed by a spectacular display of fruit. This is our go-to plant when we need some heft in the shade garden. Aralia will grow 4-6 feet tall and prefers moist soils.

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Carex pensylvanica is a native sedge happy to grow in dry shade. It will grow in sun also as long as the soil is moist. The golden arching foliage makes a graceful mound in the garden. Use it at the front of a border where it will contrast nicely with dark green foliage.

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Bouteloua gracilis has fine-textured tufted grass with gray-green leaves and masses of delicate flowers with a hint of blue to them. It is the shorter growing of the two. ‘Blonde Ambition’ has taller, more upright stems and flowers that wave delicately in the breeze. We suggest using either in an open wildflower setting. Plant with Echinacea, Coreopsis, or Salvia. Both varieties require a sunny, well-drained situation.

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Packera obovata will easily naturalize in moist soils. Bright yellow daisy flowers welcome spring followed by lush oval foliage. Over time this will form a lovely groundcover in the shade.

Filed Under: Edibles, Gardening, Landscape, Pollinators, Shrubs, Wildlife

Growing Garlic in Vermont

by Horsford Team

Garlic 101

Garlic is an excellent and fulfilling crop to grow in Vermont. Since you can replant from future crops, starting with quality seed garlic makes all the difference. Each garlic clove in a bulb is planted individually, which then grows into a full bulb of garlic. Cloves are planted in October or November before the ground freezes. Green shoots emerge in early spring and the plant is harvested mid-summer, around July or August.

There are dozens of types of garlic, but the plant can be classified into two categories of hard-neck and soft-neck varieties. Soft-neck types are usually available at the grocery store because of their long storage qualities. Unlike soft-neck types, hard-neck varieties produce scapes, or curlicue flower stalks, in early summer that are edible. Home gardeners in Vermont can grow both types.

Plant this Fall

Plant garlic now – a few weeks before the ground freezes solid. Cloves will establish roots while minimizing top growth prior to winter. Break bulbs apart into individual cloves. Don’t peel the cloves.

Plant each clove root end down, 2″ deep. Space cloves 6″ apart with 9″ between rows. You can water them in once.

Garlic will tolerate many soil types, but it’s important to plant in full sun in a well-drained space. Mixing organic material in the soil is helpful like compost. One member of our team uses what’s at hand – seaweed from the lake! Cover the planting with straw, leaves or grass clippings. This will insulate the cloves if heaving occurs during the winter.

Spring Care

Green shoots will emerge in early spring, usually when tulips and daffodils start appearing. Remove the mulch and water as needed. Keep the area well-weeded and apply an organic fertilizer in spring. Around June hard-neck varieties will send up their flower stalks, also called scapes. Harvest the curling scapes to enjoy roasted or in pesto. If you don’t eat them, it’s recommended to cut them so the plant’s energy is directed toward bulb growth, versus going to seed.

Mid-Summer Harvest and Curing

Garlic can be harvested when lower leaves start to dry up and some top leaves remain green. Loosen the soil with a pitchfork, taking care not to puncture the bulbs. Gently pull the garlic up. Do a happy dance. You can brush some soil off but don’t wash the garlic.

Wait to cut the tops and roots off as well. Hang in bundles to cure so bulb wrappers can form. A dry, well-ventilated area out of direct sun is ideal. A barn or open garden shed is great, a sunny greenhouse is not. Depending on the variety, curing can take 3-4 weeks.

Storing & Enjoying

Once bulbs are cured, they are ready for storage. Cut the tops and roots off. You can peel one layer or so off so they’re clean. A toothbrush is helpful to get dirt off too. Don’t wash bulbs with water.

Store in netted bags or ventilated crates. Ideal storage is 55-65 degrees and 45-60% humidity. Avoid refrigerating. We recommend enjoying garlic that has a shorter storage life sooner. Purple stripes store 4-6 months, Porcelain store 6 months. Artichoke and other soft-neck types store up to a year.

2020 Vermont-Grown Varieties – SOLD OUT

Filed Under: Edibles, Gardening

Young Fruit Tree Care

by Horsford Team

Fruit trees can be a particularly rewarding part of the landscape. With a little extra effort, you can maximize the health of your trees and the fruit grown at home. Here are some tips from our growers as we think about the coming season.

Water and Weed
They seem like no brainers but we all need a reminder. Water young fruit trees well through this coming season. Everyone’s watering recommendations are different since our soils and sites are different. Check the soil with your fingers to see how moist it is. Think about soil moisture deeper down at the roots. We like gator bags or watering tubs that slowly drip for deep watering that reaches roos. Depending on the weather, you may need to water around 5 gallons per week.

Keep grass and weeds from the base of the tree but put down the weed whacker! Be sure to do this with care and don’t damage the tree. Some mulch or compost is helpful too.

Pruning Tips
Pruning is helpful for fruit trees mainly for air flow, and fruit spacing and support. We also prune for the “three D’s” – dead, diseased and dumb (crossing branches). Prune no more than about 20% of the tree at a time. A bad pruning cut won’t hurt your tree. Prune to buds on the outside of the branch. If you prune to buds on the inside, the branch will tend to grow inwards and later cross.

Peaches – Prune in early spring while they are dormant. Peaches flower and fruit heavily and branches often break.  You want to reduce the canopy so the tree isn’t overloaded. Take out crossing, close and repetitive branches.

Apples – Prune in early spring to allow lateral branches that can support fruit. We like to aim for three branches spaced equally around the trunk. Move up, providing space and allowing for another whirl of branches.

If you prune diseased branches, sterilize your pruners between each cut and dispose of material (don’t compost).

Common Diseases and Pests
Fruit trees are not immune to plant diseases and pests. There are quite a few that can find their way to fruit trees, but the most common ones are are asked about include:

Photos courtesy of Wikipedia

Cedar apple rust -caused by a fungus that requires both cedar trees and apple trees. You first notice circular lesions on apple leaves that turn into brown threads or tubes with spores. Likewise, on cedars, brown calls form on twigs that produce funky, bright orange “horns” in wet spring weather.

Peach leaf curl – this disease caused by a fungus is specifically found on peach and nectarine trees and is common in our area. It causes a characteristic curl on leaves. If you are going to try to prevent this disease, you should do so in fall or early spring as buds are popping.

Both of these diseases won’t kill a tree immediately, but they can lead to defoliation which can reduce fruit productivity and overall growth over time. To prevent them, rake up and burn all leaf debris in the fall. There are also preventative, organic, fungicides that can deter them. With any home treatment method you use, always read labels and time application properly.

Borers – the Prunus family (plum, cherry, peach) can be subject to wood-boring insects. These are flying insects that lay eggs at the base of the tree. Larvae bore into the trunk and branches, causing damage to the tree. You can tell your tree has borers if you notice weeping sap mixed with frass (the bug’s poop) that looks like goopy saw dust. We recommend keeping the tree healthy and well-watered so it’s less vulnearable. Keep an eye on trees in early spring, especially at the tree base. Hand-remove or poke boring larva with something sharp (like a wire), taking care not to damage the tree.

Thinning Fruit
Would you rather have 12 small peaches that didn’t ripen fully, or 8 full, juicy peaches? Would you rather have a branch break from being overloaded, or sustain itself for seasons to come?

It’s helpful to thin fruit so that the fruits you harvest are large and well-developed. How much to thin depends on the species and the overall fruit load on the branch. Orchards recommend small stone fruits like apricots and plums be thinned to every 2 to 4″ apart on the branch. Peaches can be closer to 3 to 5″.

Apples are different from stone fruit in that they produce a cluster of flowers and fruit from each bud. Thin to no more than on to two fruit per cluster.

Remember, fruit trees can be biennial, where they have larger masts of fruit one year, and much less the next.

Protecting from Critters
You’ve waited all winter, spring and summer. The whole cherry tree is finally loaded with fruit. You’ve been eyeing it for weeks, waiting for the perfect timing to pick. You’re not alone. The birds and chipmunks can’t wait either and they’ve been patiently waiting too. We try to use netting as minimally as possible, but it can help protect fruit from critters.

Some people build a frame for the net, and others drape the net and tie it at the trunk. Be sure to net after the tree flowers so pollinators can still visit. Net while fruit is green and remove the net after harvesting. Eventually, it’s hard to net large, mature trees so you may have to share some homegrown fruit with the critters.

As for tree protection during the winter, we always recommend tree collars. They prevent rodents from chewing bark and causing girdling.

Fertilizing
Fruit trees really don’t need a lot of fertilizer, especially in the first and second year. It’s more important for the tree to be well-watered. Fertilizers may encourage more top growth an branch production versus fruit.

Browse fruit trees and shrubs for sale

Filed Under: Edibles, Trees

Garden Planning with the Family

by Horsford Team

The days are becoming longer and we are daydreaming about gardening more and more. Now’s a fun time to plan your gardens and landscape with the family. Having a voice helps make everyone feel a part of the project and responsible for its health. Bring the family together, sit around the kitchen table, and brainstorm everyone’s ideas of beautiful plants, fabulous flowers, delicious edibles, and other priorities. A rough map of your garden space is a great surface to gather around. Consider placing post-it notes with everyone’s ideas to narrow down.

ORNAMENTALS – Perhaps flowers are a must for your family. Picking your own bouquets throughout the season will provide years of enjoyment. Plant low-maintenance perennials like peonies, echinacea, and Black-eyed Susan that bloom across seasons to extend color.

Black-eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) is a wonderful low-maintenance perennial that returns year after year
Colorful and fragrant peonies

Early-blooming trees like crabapples and serviceberry add color to the landscape and fruit for birds. Maples and oaks are lovely for their fall foliage and shade. Flowering shrubs like clethra, winterberry, and hydrangea can add privacy, blooms and wildlife value all in one.

Wildlife love winterberry
Red oak is a quick-growing, versatile tree

Be sure to remember bulbs in fall! If you missed planting them last season, don’t worry, we’ll have some potted up this spring. Some can go right in the yard, others in shrub and perennial beds. Plant dozens and don’t forget allium! Their balloon-like spikes bloom in purple, blue and white globes in spring. For very little work and money, your spring will come early and beautiful when you plant bulbs.

Allium is a cheerful harbinger of spring

EDIBLES – If growing food, think about if your family prefers to grow the staples you use a lot of, or if you want to learn how a variety of plants grow. Also remember you can have two gardens in one season. A second planting of carrots, beets and greens will last well into October and November. If some family members want kale and others want lettuce in a space that only allows one option, consider one in the spring and another in the fall. Here are a few of our favorite edibles to grow, especially with children:

Peas – An easy-to-plant, early season veggie that gets kids pumped for gardening. Witness a flower turn into a pea pod, plus sweet shelling peas are a discovery to open and tasty to eat. Be sure to wait for the soil to warm up a tad before planting, to at least 50-60 degrees.

Potatoes – They’re fun to plant and are like buried treasure to harvest. Worried about space? Potatoes can easily be grown in deep containers or raised beds.

Herbs like thyme and lemon balm are delightful for adults and children alike

Herbs – Not only are these valuable in the kitchen, but they open another sensory world. Introduce kids to fragrant rosemary, basil, chamomile, mint, and more.

Fruits – Berry bushes like honeyberries, blueberries, rapsberries and blackberries are enjoyable for years to come. There are varieties available for small spaces too, even patio planters.

MAINTENANCE – Ultimately the garden is the most fun when it’s low-maintenance and not a burden. Sustainable groundcovers reduce weeds and mulching. Creeping sedums, bearberry, low-growing junipers, even fruiting cranberry (yes like the kind at Thanksgiving) are all things that can be used to protect your soil, add to the landscape, and make time in the garden more enjoyable for all!

Iberis is a spring-blooming, perennial groundcover
Ajuga – another useful groundcover that can reduce weeding

Filed Under: Bulbs, Edibles, Gardening, Landscape, Shrubs, Trees, Wildlife

Why You Should Grow Saffron

by Horsford Team

First off, who doesn’t love a fall-flowering plant? Saffron’s beauty and landscape opportunity should sell itself, but there are far more reasons why saffron should end up in your garden and on your dinner plate.

Culinary Use

Saffron stigmas are the sticky orange-red threads pictured above. They are used globally for culinary cuisines. Saffron contains carotenoids which are powerful antioxidants and nutritionally, saffron is very high in iron, manganese, copper, potassium, calcium, selenium, zinc, and magnesium. It also contains high mineral sources, such as vitamin A, folic acid, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin-C.

Saffon in Your Garden

Saffron can grow in a variety of conditions but would do best in a garden bed. This crocus variety is a corm and should be grown like any other bulb such as tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths. They are a hot and dry loving plant and growing saffron can be an easy addition for any gardener, and offers not only landscape beauty but a healthy investment with a delicious return.

Harvested saffron flowers

Zone Hardiness

Saffron is hardy to zone 4, and has potential in some zone 3 areas.

Corm Information

Each year more saffron corms will multiple from the original corm, producing more flowers each year. After 4-5 years of harvesting, the corms should be relocated, or soils should be amended to replenish fertility. Your saffron corms are rated at 10+/centimeter grade, which is considered flower production size.

Soil Conditions

Saffron can tolerate a variety of soil pH (6-8), and prefer a dry, well-drained, full sun location. Saffron seems to enjoy fertilizer so don’t forget to add some compost to your planting to help improve daughter corm and flower development.

Planting Instructions

Plant your saffron corms as soon as you receive them in late summer/early fall. Plant 4-6 inches deep, and 4-6 inches apart. Mulch and plant corms deep enough into the soil to prevent frost exposure. Thoroughly water in your corms, and wait until you see growth above ground before you start watering them regularly. They should be watered during extreme drought or prolonged dry periods. They will flower first, during late October/early November, and remain vegetative through the entire winter. They will keep their foliage until July, when they will dry back and remain dormant until the fall. During dormancy they should not be watered. Natural rain or snow events shouldn’t be a problem.

Harvest Instructions

Saffron stigmas should be collected once the flower reaches full maturity, then dried and cured for the best culinary appeal and health benefits. Drying should take place for several days in a cool, wind-free area, and jarred, and cured over the course of a few weeks.

Warning: Rodents

Because this plant grows when no other plants are growing, it is a very welcoming food source for moles and voles during March and April especially. Please be cautious of rabbits and rodents when siting your plants. If planting in raised beds, install hardware cloth to help ensure your saffron remains yours and not your garden pests’.

Saffron corms

Supplies are limited, so if you plan to plant some saffron in your landscape, please pre-order online soon!

-Saffron Production Team aka Steve

Filed Under: Edibles, Gardening, Greenhouse

Saffron in October

by Horsford Team

horsford-saffron-foliage

For those of you who joined us in growing saffron this year, you should be seeing some movement in your corms above ground, and in some cases flowers beginning to bloom! This is a very exciting time considering all of our landscape has started to transition into winter.

Saffron can handle frost, and will persist even as snow begins to cover the ground. As the flowers begin to bloom, you should start to harvest them. Pluck the saffron stigmas, and if you’re interested, the stamens as well, and leave them out in an area to dry for 48 hours. This should be a place with little breeze as these stigmas are easily blown around. Once the stigmas are dry, store your saffron in an air tight container and begin using in in your future saffron recipes. The stamens can be used as dye, and have traditionally been the source of the color yellow in Nepalese cultures.

To harvest your flowers, pick the flower below its purple petals every two days, and place in a container to bring to an area where you can process the flower. Pulling back the petals to reveal the stigmas and stamens, use whatever tool you find comfortable to separate with. You should see 3-5 flowers per corm planted, so if you only pick one, don’t worry there’s more to come.

After the flower has been harvested the corm will remain vegetative and continue to develop daughter corms well into winter. Eventually the corm’s filaments will die back and the corm will go dormant until the following fall.

Our corms are 100% above ground here at Horsford’s and have begun to show flower development! Have fun and please share your saffron gardens and dishes with us, as we close out the harvest season!

-Saffron Production Team aka Steve

Filed Under: Edibles, Gardening, Greenhouse

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2111 Greenbush Road | Charlotte, Vermont 05445
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