• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Horsford Gardens and Nursery

Rooted in Vermont soil since 1893.

  • Home
  • Nursery
    • Welcome to Horsford’s
    • Our Team
    • History
    • Gardens & Tours
    • Sales & Features
    • Christmas at Horsford’s
    • Mulch & Delivery Pricing
    • Our Plant Guarantee
    • Garden Blog
    • Art in the Garden Workshops
  • Plant Catalog
    • Our Plant Guarantee
    • All Plants
    • Deciduous Trees
    • Evergreen Trees
    • Deciduous Shrubs
    • Evergreen Shrubs
    • Broadleaf Evergreens
    • Roses
    • Groundcovers & Vines
    • Fruit & Nut Plants
    • Perennials
    • Bulbs
    • Annuals
    • Vegetables
    • Herbs
  • Landscape Design | Build
  • Gift Shop
  • Contact
    • Careers
    • Community Support
    • Contact
  •  

Garden Blog

Autumn Arrangements

October 31, 2019 by E. Schilling

Tulips, lilacs, forsythia, and crabapples inspire the enthusiastic gardener to become an enthusiastic flower arranger. We then follow the summer blossoms for months on end with bunches of delphinium, daisy, lilium, cosmos and more. Come October, though, we tend to look to pumpkins, gourds, mums, bittersweet and hydrangeas for decoration. I love the oranges, burgundy, and rust of autumn. I wanted to extend my resources for autumn arrangements so I took a walk around the gardens and this is what I came up with.

Pure white blossoms of Anemone x hybrida ‘Honorine Jobert’ begin blooming in mid-September and continue into November. Here they are paired with the wine-red foliage of Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker’s Red’ and the seed pods of a bush clematis. All three plants have seed pods intact which adds texture. Seed heads from a vining clematis would also work and the twining nature would add some movement and interest.

 

I stumbled upon the material for this arrangement quite by accident. Along our fence, we have an Enkianthius campanulatus ‘Red Bells’ growing amongst spirea and Rose of Sharon. I never really noticed its brilliant leaf color or its delicate seed pods. After clipping a few branches I wandered to the annual display garden and saw the Cuphea ‘Vermillionaire’ in full bloom. The flowers were a perfect compliment to the Enkianthius leaves. A few sprigs of lavender add contrast.

 

 

Dahlias are the most anticipated blooms here at the nursery. We plant a long row of them in mid-May and wait and wait and wait until late August when the buds finally start to open. We choose varieties with the shortest planting to blossoming timespan and good, long stems for cutting. Here they are paired with branches from a Red Maple (Acer rubrum). This arrangement has lasted for 2 weeks. Something to know: cutting a dahlia stem halts its growth. Tightly budded flowers will not open any further as other flowers do.

 

 

Gladiolus have become a favorite of mine. I especially like to use them as short stems either alone in a bud vase or paired with one other type of flower or stem. Here I chose chocolate cosmos. The flowers are smaller than traditional cosmos and they sprawl rather than grow upright. Plus they have a faint hint of chocolate!

 

 

Classic with a twist. Hydrangeas are one of our go-to’s for fall arrangements. They come in varying shades of pink, white and bronze. We have a stunning Hydrangea paniculata ‘Vanilla Strawberry’ shrub growing on the side of our old carriage barn. Next to it is a Seven Son Flower (Heptacodium miconioides) which is a small, multi-branching tree. It has white blossoms in September followed by pinkish-red calyx. Their sort of floppy habit softens the stiffness of the hydrangea stems.

 

 

Here the Seven Son Flower branches are paired with a hardy chrysanthemum called ‘Vergennes Pink’ and yellow Profusion Zinnia which, because we faithfully deadheaded all summer, are still going strong. Simple, easy and understated.

 

 

This was the quickest arrangement done in my favorite McCoy vase. The green is a perfect foil for the brilliant yellow of the Sugar Maple leaves, bittersweet berries and Red Maple. I found many saplings in our woods and “trimmed” a couple of them. The bittersweet berries will last longer than the leaves.

 

 

This arrangement required some inventive scavenging. The deep blue flower is Aconitum ‘Barker’s Variety’ which does not begin blooming until late September to early October and continues into November. White Anemone ‘Honorine Jobert’ is a good contrast. The pincushion-like seed pods come from a Heliopsis ‘Summer Sun’ perennial that grows with great relish along the greenhouse. (We leave the stems standing all winter to feed the birds).

By October the leaves of Solomon Seal (Polygonatum multiflorum) have begun to turn a gentle shade of golden yellow. While I like their arching nature, they can be hard to corral. Using a tall, wide-mouth vase makes it easier to work with them. Please be aware that the sap from the Aconitum plant is poisonous. Wear gloves when handling cut branches and try not to touch the cut edge.

 

 

Finding tall, long-stemmed marigolds use to be quite difficult but with the surge in grow-your-own cut flowers, they are more readily available. We like ‘Golden Guardian, ‘Red Guardian’ and ‘Burning Embers’. The first two are a mass of flowers all summer until frost. ‘Red Embers’ is later to bloom and has more foliage. I think it works well in a vase because the green ferny foliage brightens the yellows, reds, and oranges of the marigolds without needing to add extra foliage. The cobalt blue vase is a good contrast.

 

 

This little tiny arrangement is my favorite. The Adams Ware pitcher is only about 3 or 4 inches tall. Into it, I placed some branches of Euomymous vegetus (Big leaf Wintercreeper) Those are the orange and pale pink berries. The pale pink in the berry picks up the pink in the painting on the vase. The flower is that same Cuphea that was used in another arrangement. The Cuphea flower and the inside of the berry are the same shade of orange. This arrangement is still beautiful a full 2 weeks later.

 

 

These arrangements are a sort of collection of all the flowers we were considering using. For the one on the left, the tall stems in the back are the flower from Heuchera v. ‘Autumn Bride’ which is a great plant. It is seriously drought tolerant, cold hardy, shade-loving, and late-blooming. In front of it are the leaves of a baptisia plant. They are a nice olive green and are very sturdy in an arrangement. Filling in is hot pink Cockscomb, another of our hardy chrysanthemums, a dahlia, some bittersweet berries, and one branch of Penstemon digitalis ‘Husker’s Red’. On the right is a simple blue bottle with baptisia leaves, the apricot-colored Dahlia and a sprig of Fuchsia ‘Gartenmeister’. In this little arrangement, the flowers are a similar shade but the shape is very different. Even the underside of the Fuchsia leaf has a splash of pinky-orange. I was surprised to discover that the ‘Gartenmeister flower has a very long vase life.

 

 

Years ago we cleared out some invasive honeysuckle to make room for our evergreen display area. Much to our surprise and delight, we unearthed a tree we had never seen before. Its common name is Devil’s Walking Stick due to its massive and very sharp thorns that run up the entire trunk. Toward the end of August it puts forth a huge spray of white flowers towards the top of each branch. These are followed by dark purple berries and pink calyx. While it was a challenge to cut it was worth the effort. (I recommend leather gloves). In this arrangement, it is cascading over the edge of an unusual antique watering can. Standing up behind it are Sugar Maple branches and Chrysanthemum ‘ Vergennes Pink’. This is has made an attractive addition to our front steps.

 

 

Last but not least, the ultimate Fall forage arrangement. Branches of crabapple, apple, ilex, hydrangea, bittersweet, coralberry, peony, grapes, ‘Dark American’ Arborvitae, and Aronia with cones, grasses and a bird’s nest (flung to the ground after a wild wind storm). I balled up some chicken wire and shoved it into an old sap bucket. Then I randomly pushed the branches into the bucket using the chicken wire to hold them in place and keep them upright. Ideally, the sap bucket would have holes in the bottom so water will not collect and become rank. The pumpkins tie it all together.

 

 

There are still more resources you could make use of in your Autumn garden. I have found parsley, mint, sage, and rue to be very useful fillers.  For foliage, the vast array of heuchera foliage is fun to play around with. Calendulas, snapdragons, and osteospermum put out lots of new flowers once the weather cools down. There are many more shrubs that have spectacular fall color including blueberries and viburnums. Foliage that has turned color may not last very long as a cut branch in a vase in a warm house since they are technically shut down for the season and are getting ready to drop. So if you are going to use the arrangement indoors for a specific event, keep them out of sunlight and if possible out of doors until the day you want to display them. Berries, when put in a vase filled with water, tend to last for a very long time without drying out.

So get out into your Autumn garden and think beyond the usual.

Filed Under: Fall Foliage, Gardening, Shrubs, Trees

Growing Garlic in Vermont

October 9, 2019 by Horsford Team

Garlic 101

Garlic is an excellent and fulfilling crop to grow in Vermont. 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.

Filed Under: Edibles, Gardening

Young Fruit Tree Care

March 21, 2019 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

February 28, 2019 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

How to Divide Peonies

October 18, 2018 by E. Schilling

Certain plants have specific seasons in their growing cycle that are best for digging and dividing, or transplanting. Peonies are best dug in the fall after it has gotten cold both day and night. Once the foliage has begun to turn burgundy, you know the plants are ready to be disturbed.

Digging established plants can be a real challenge. We find it easiest to use what we refer to as a digging fork. It gets around the roots while loosening it from the soil. Shovels or spades would also work but it is more work getting the roots free of the soil. Ultimately you want a bare root plant.

Once the plant has been extracted from the ground, do your best to knock off all the soil. You can be rough here. We often stand the fork in the ground and pound the base of the roots on the handle. Some roots may break off, that is not a problem. The goal is to have a clear view of the roots so you can see where to pull them apart. You can cut the foliage off any any time.

The soil is mostly off now and you can see the new buds emerging at the crown of the plant. The crown is the term used for the juncture of roots and stem growth. These buds are often referred to as eyes. Peony roots and the crown are tough and woody as opposed to being soft and fleshy.

Now you have your clump of roots. They seem to be all entangled and connected. Think of this as an unraveling challenge. If you wiggle the whole mess you will feel some of the spaces between roots opening up. Keep working those until you can break some free. Breaking the crown is perfectly OK. Be sure each root section has at least 3 eyes. Those eyes will grow into stems next year.

Once you have enough clumps to work with start planting. The roots may be long and unmanageable. Go ahead and cut them back to about 6 inches in length. Dig a hole in a sunny site that has good drainage. No need to add fertilizer now, do that in the spring. Bury the roots with the eyes 2 inches below the soil surface. Lightly mulch the first year if you want and water them in.

Paeonia ‘Heidi Cap’

If you need to move your peony only temporarily due to construction or refiguring the landscape, you do not need to bareroot the plant if you don’t want to. Instead just dig the whole plant out and heel it in a spot in your vegetable garden. If it cannot be planted immediately in the spring then you will need to either leave it there until the fall or dig it first thing in the spring and put it in a pot. Do not divide it in the spring.

Filed Under: Gardening, Landscape

Why You Should Grow Saffron

August 6, 2018 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.

Health Benefits

Its real health benefits lie in the saffron stigmas (Pictured above). These sticky orange-red stigmas are the part of the plant used globally for culinary cuisines. The saffron stigmas contain carotenoids which are powerful antioxidants that help regulate stress, cancer, infections, and that help boost immune function. Considering 80% of your immune health comes from your gut, we could all use a little more saffron in our diet. 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

Saffron Available at Horsford’s

This fall we will be offering saffron corms at:

10 corms – $15
25 corms – $35
50 corms – $60

Saffron corms

There will be a limit of 50 corms per customer. Supplies are limited, so if you plan to plant some saffron in your landscape, please contact us and pre-order today! Call the nursery at (802) 425-2811, or email info@horsfordnursery.com.

We will also be joining you and planting some saffron here at Horsford’s, in an effort to develop a sustainable, nutrient rich, growing medium for Vermont saffron growers! Stay tuned, as the projects begin this fall.

-Saffron Production Team aka Steve

Filed Under: Edibles, Gardening, Greenhouse

Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Garden Blog

  • Autumn Arrangements
  • Growing Garlic in Vermont
  • Young Fruit Tree Care
  • Garden Planning with the Family
  • How to Divide Peonies

Nursery News Archives

Categories

  • Bulbs
  • Christmas
  • Distinctive Landscaping
  • Edibles
  • Evergreens
  • Fall Foliage
  • Gardening
  • Greenhouse
  • Job Openings
  • Landscape
  • News
  • Pollinators
  • Shrubs
  • Staff
  • Trees
  • Wildlife
  • Winter

Before Footer

  • Feast and festivity season is approaching🥂 🎉 Pair a handmade arrangement with your celebrations!
.
We are open through Sunday, December 22 for order pickups
  • What would you put in these pendant bud vases? We chose winterberry, cedar, and boxwood sprigs. Available in the shop!
.
#budvase #livingart #natureindoors #winterflowers #freshflowers #giftsunder30
  • We are still shipping wreaths and centerpieces this week and next! We recommend placing your gift orders soon so there’s plenty of time for them to arrive before the holidays.
  • Don’t let a stranger in the house, meet the tree you’re bringing home!
.
We stand our Christmas trees up so you know what you’re getting. And so you can visualize where all those ornaments will hang!
.
Vermont-grown trees start at $32🌲 .
.
#vermontchristmas #christmastree #vermontgrown #rootedinvermont #locallygrown
  • ☀️ ❄️ .
#catchthesun #winterlight #gifts #giftsforgardeners #handmade

Footer

Site Pages

Home
Nursery
Plant Catalog
Art in the Garden Workshops
Landscape Design | Build
Gift Shop
Contact

Be Social!

NEWSLETTER

Be the first to know of sales!

Copyright © 2019 · Horsford Gardens & Nursery
2111 Greenbush Road | Charlotte, Vermont 05445
(802) 425-2811 | info@horsfordnursery.com
WE DO NOT SHIP PLANTS