Horsford Gardens and Nursery

Rooted in Vermont soil since 1893.

Garden Blog

Spring Shrub Pruning

by

Spring in the Northeast can be very demanding. The beautiful snow has probably covered a lot of debris in your flower gardens, from broken branches strewn about to misplaced driveway gravel. In general people know how to tidy up, but we do regularly get phone calls beginning in early April inquiring about shrub pruning. Shrub pruning can be simplified into two seasons; spring pruning and summer pruning.

Spring Pruning

Spirea (in the foreground) can be pruned in the spring

Any shrub that blooms in the summer or early autumn can be pruned in the spring. These plants bloom on new wood. The term ‘new wood’ refers to that season’s growth. In terms of actual shrub growing, the season in Vermont begins in late March or early April and ends around late July.

I will use the Hydrangea paniculata treeform for my spring pruning example. This plant puts out masses of large flowers starting in August. Each spring we severely prune the plants growing for sale at the nursery. For the entire spring they look like sticks with stunted branches. However, once the temperatures warm up they will start to put on new growth. In August, those stubby little branches will be three feet long with enormous flower heads that formed and matured during the growing season. The summer-blooming spirea, like ‘Little Princess, ‘Pink Parasols’ and ‘Anthony Waterer’ are some more shrubs that would benefit from a sharp spring pruning.

 

We severely prune Hydrangea paniculata in the spring
A season of growth makes a difference!

Pruning Tips

How far back you prune a shrub is really a matter of taste. Personally, I like a shrub to maintain its natural shape. In order to ensure this we always recommend that people prune the branches at least a foot or more back than the ultimately desired height. This will eliminate what we in the nursery business call ‘flat top’ or ‘bank jobs’ (have you ever noticed how the shrubs at a bank always look like boxes?!). I am convinced all those badly pruned shrubs are mortified at their appearance and wish they had a big evergreen they could hide behind. So, if a shrub in your yard is an attractive three feet tall and it grows a foot per season, prune the branches back by a foot at least. It will maintain its natural shape as it matures during the summer.

What NOT to Prune in Spring

Forsythia, quince, mockorange, lilacs, and all the other beautiful spring bloomers should not be pruned until after they bloom. These early flowers are borne on old wood. Last season the buds formed after the shrub put on all of its growth, and the shrub has held on to the buds all winter long. If you prune during the shrub’s spring dormancy, or, as in the case of my lovely quince, if the rabbits prune them all winter long, you will be cutting off this season’s flowers. Instead, wait until the flowers have passed and then take the pruners to them. Lilacs in particular should be pruned as soon as they are finished blooming.

Notice the forsythia buds on last season’s growth – prune after blooming
Likewise, quince blooms on last season’s wood and should be pruned after flowering

Onion Starts

by

Onions and leeks for sale

We sell Onion Starts at the Garden Center each spring. These are little bareroot plants that were started from seed and harvested after growing for 6-8 weeks. They come to us dormant with dried roots. However, once planted, they plump up and turn bright green. We’ll have the following varieties for this season:

Red Wing – red onion, stores 8-10 months

Red River Sweet – red onion, super sweet, best eaten fresh during growing season

Walla Walla – white onion, famous, big bulb, sweet, short keeper that stores for 1-2 months

Highlander – white onion, good for long keeping

Lancelot Leeks – big, beautiful leeks great for cooking and soups

Onions growing in field
Onions prefer full sun, and moist, well-drained soil

Some planting tips:

Onion starts can be planted 4-5 weeks before the last spring freeze. So, that means get them out there with your peas and early greens.

Choose an area that gets full sun all day and prep your site by loosening the soil. Onions prefer to grow in loose, fertile soil that drains well. If it is compact add some compost and fork it in. Onions do well in a raised bed of sorts (or a raised row). A bed or row 4 inches high by 20 inches wide is good. Plant the onions either 2 or 4 inches apart. When planting, fertilize onions with a 10-20-10 fertilizer spreading at half a cup of fertilizer per 10 linear feet. Do not put the fertilizer directly on top of the onions; instead work it in the soil about 4 inches away from the onion. If you planted your onions 2 inches apart, thin them to 4 inches apart after 45 days and eat them as spring onions. This allows the others to mature to a larger size.

Onions ready to harvest
Fallen tops indicate onions are ready to harvest

Water thoroughly after planting, and as needed thereafter. Onions are shallow-rooted so they will dry out quickly. You never want the soil in your onion patch to be dry and cracked. Every 2-3 weeks fertilize the plants again with ammonium sulfate. Again, half a cup per 10 feet of row. Sprinkle it on top of the other fertilizer. No need to work it into the soil, but do be sure to water well after each application. Stop fertilizing when the onions start to bulb. You’ll know the bulb process is beginning when the soil starts to heave as the onions push it away from their base.

You can harvest your onions any time but if you want big flavorful bulbs wait until you see the green tops start to turn yellow or brown and fall over. This should happen roughly 3.5 months after planting. Now the fun starts. Go out early one sunny morning and pull the onions out of the ground. Leave them on the ground to dry in the sun for 2 days. They are dry enough for storing when the entire neck of the onion is dry all the way to the surface of the onion. You can then clip back the roots and cut the tops, leaving about one inch. They are now ready for eating or storing.

Onion braid
Onion braids are a beautiful garden gift

Another fun way to store onions is to cure them and then braid the dried tops instead of cutting them. A braid of onions is a lovely gift for a friend or neighbor! Here’s a video on how to make an onion braid.

It is important to research whether the onions you’re growing are best eaten fresh or if they are good for both fresh eating and storing. Not all onions are good keepers. And nothing smells worse than a bunch of rotten onions.

Bird Nests

by

Bird Nest in tree
Bird condos at Horsford’s

Spring has officially arrived as of March 20. Don’t let Stella’s snow deceive you – the new season is noticeable in recent longer days, warm sunny light, and cheerful bird songs. There are many birds in residence here on the nursery’s 50 acres, and on the adjoining acres of open fields and woodlands that reach all the way to the shores of Lake Champlain.

Empty nests abound and are clearly visible during the winter months when the trees are leafless. Some of our maples look like bird condominiums with as many as 5 nests in one tree. Rain, wind and snow can dislodge some of the nests and we will randomly find them looking rather forlorn on a foot path. It is interesting to examine the nests up close as the construction is so unique to each species.

Hanging nest in evergreen
Improvised building materials in an oriole’s nest

Some are slapped together (Mourning Dove) and I cannot figure out how the poor chicks manage not to fall to the ground. Others are elaborate pieces of art, intricately woven and plastered. Birds use all sorts of materials for nest building. Some birds seem to be very specific in their choices while others improvise using whatever is in sight.

Swifts, robins and swallows do often return to the same nesting sites. They may use the same nest or at least build a new one on top of the old. Eagles and herons spend their summers here and they usually reuse the same nest site, adding some new touches to last year’s nest. Most birds, however, build a whole new home for their eggs.

Bird Nest filled with Horse Chestnuts
A red squirrel’s cache of horse chestnuts in an abandoned robin nest

Other clever animals can repurpose the empty nests. A red squirrel used this sturdy Robin’s nest as a winter bin for food stores. Unfortunately it was dislodged during a recent building remodel.

The photo below was taken in Panama and shows nests woven by the Montezuma Oropendola, a bird native to the Caribbean coastal lowlands. The female weaves the nest which can hang 3 feet or more long. Often the nests are found at the very tips of branches near wasp nests. The delicate branches cannot support nest invaders and the sting of the wasp is a further deterrent. They prefer tall trees in the open, as monkeys are less likely to scale a single tree. Monkeys prefer the protection provided by multiple trees that they can travel across since they don’t like to cross open ground. The intricately woven nests are often found in groups, and can take about 10 days of work on the part of the female.

Montezuma Oropendola hanging nests
Exotic bird nests in Panama

Last year some of the Horsford Team here at the nursery decided to see how many different birds they could spot in one season. The only criteria was that the bird had to be identified by two individuals in order to make the list. Males and females were sited for at least half of the birds on the list. It is pretty impressive and I have included it at the end of this writing.

What nests have you spotted before? Learn more about identifying nests where you live with NestWatch.

Bird Sitings Recorded at Horsford’s – 2016

Killdeer, Eastern Bluebird, Mourning Dove, Baltimore Oriole, Purple Finch, American Crow, Red-winged Blackbird, Belted Kingfisher, Ruby-throated Hummingbird, American Goldfinch, Black-capped Chickadee, Gray Catbird, Cedar Waxwing, Scarlet Tanager, American Redstart, Osprey, Red-tailed Hawk, Northern Cardinal, Blue Jay, American Robin, Common Grackle, Rose-breasted Grosbeak, Hairy Woodpecker, Downy Woodpecker, Yellow-bellied Sapsucker, White-breasted Nuthatch, European Starling, Northern Flicker, Chimney Swift, Common Yellowthroat, Chipping Sparrow, Song Sparrow, Turkey Vulture, American Kestrel, Wild Turkey

More Nests from Around the Nursery

Bird nest in tree

Bird nest

Bird nest

Bird nest between branches

Bird nest with snow on top

Bird nest with pine needles

Bird nest

Bird nest

All About Paperbark Maple

by

Paperbark Maple bark and foliage

People often walk up to a Paperbark Maple growing in our fields and ask “What kind of birch is this?” They are always surprised by the answer, “It’s a maple!” Why the confusion? The Paperbark Maple is so named for its beautiful cinnamon-colored exfoliating bark. Huge curls peel back to reveal a lighter, rosy-brown inner bark.

Paperbark Maple barkPaperbark Maple (Acer griseum) was first introduced in the United States in 1907 by Ernest Henry Wilson who collected seedlings of the tree during a plant finding expedition in China. Two of these seedlings were planted at the Arnold Arboretum in Massachusetts where they are still thriving today. Between 1927 and 1945, seedlings were distributed to nurseries throughout the United States. The tree has become a popular specimen in American landscapes.

So why should you grow it? It has many appealing attributes beyond its gorgeous bark. This is a small tree, growing between 20-30 feet tall, with an interesting branch structure that does not require pruning to maintain. The small cut-leaf leaves are not typical of what one thinks of as a maple leaf. Rather, each leaf is comprised of three leaflets that are an attractive, lush green until late autumn when they turn a brilliant orange-red (a lovely subject for watercolor).

Paperbark Maples are easy to grow. They prefer average, well-drained soils in full sun or part shade. While they will be slower to mature, they will tolerate clay soils. Even though a Paperbark Maple does not compare in height or width to the Sugar Maple, it can still be considered a shade tree and is especially useful in small yards or as a focal point in a garden where it can be underplanted with perennials, short-growing shrubs, and bulbs.

Paperbark Maple exfoliating bark
Cinnamon-colored exfoliating bark provides year-round interest
Full Paperbark Maple in summer
Paperbark Maple makes a great specimen or understory planting
Paperbark Maple red fall foliage
Plant this year to enjoy fiery fall foliage this autumn

Paperbark Maple sizes/prices available here

Horsford’s Has a New Look!

by

Take Horsford's SurveyWe’re excited to unveil Horsford Gardens and Nursery’s new and improved website! Be sure to browse our online plant catalog, complete with plant descriptions, photos, sizes and prices, all optimized for tablets, mobile devices, and desktop computers. We’re still updating the site with this year’s selections so be sure to check back frequently.

So what do you think? Take our short survey! Your feedback and suggestions are helpful.

 

Feeding Bluebirds

by

I have been hoping for a glimpse of a bluebird for years now. I put up a bluebird house years ago but some sort of swallow immediately nested in it. No bluebird ever even flew by to check it out. Once I thought I had a bluebird in my sights but it was a beautiful indigo bunting.

Last week as I walked towards my front door I noticed a flutter of activity by what I thought was a flock of robins. But their feathers were a beautiful royal blue. I got closer and they scattered. Later, looking from the inside out I saw that there were eight or nine birds on my front stoop. I have a sap bucket right next to the door filled with greens, red stem dogwood branches, berried ilex and juniper branches. There is also a large basket filled with extra ilex branches, loaded with bright red berries, that I never got around to using. And there they all sat; nine eastern bluebirds happily feasting on the ilex berries.

Can you spot the four bluebirds in the tree?

It turns out that a flock of these birds inhabited one of our western fields all summer. In warmer months bluebirds feed on insects, particularly caterpillars, beetles, grasshoppers, crickets and spiders all of which are plentiful in our growing fields. Come winter their diet turns to fruit including ilex berries, juniper berries, dogwood berries, hackberries and honeysuckle. They are not attracted to the seed typically put out in bird feeders.

They and other birds have eaten just about every last berry on the bushes in our fields. Somehow this small flock of bluebirds discovered the stems on my front stoop and I got my very up close and personal siting.

Some more fun facts I learned about bluebirds is that on cold winter nights groups of them will huddle together in hollow trees. We have plenty of them on the property. They will also huddle together in roosting boxes. I don’t have one of those.

The Michigan Bluebird Society has a good website. They offer suggestions and recipes for feeding bluebirds in winter. (Michiganbluebirds.org). While it would be fun to continue watching the bluebirds I am hesitant to put out food that would most certainly attract other residents like raccoons, skunks, and all those bushy-tailed squirrels.

-Eileen