Climate Zone

I've been doing a bit of research on the climate here in Burlington, Vermont. According to the 2012 USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, Burlington lies within a narrow band of light blue surrounding Lake Chaplain. The 1990 map had listed the area as zone 4b but now it appears we are officially zone 5a. While this warming trend may benefit the growers in our area, I can't help but wonder what devastating effects it may have on other parts of the world already prone to such things as drought or flooding.

As a gardener, I must admit that I like the sound of 'zone 5a' much better than 'zone 4b'. Whenever I look at a fruit tree catalog these days, I always get discouraged to see the number of varieties that are only suitable for zone 5 or higher, like most sweet cherries and Asian pears. (I particularly love Fedco's Tree catalog, which gives great advice on specific varieties that will grow best here in New England.) If we decide to remain here for the long haul, I would definitely try to grow some marginally suitable varieties.



When researching Burlington's average frost dates, I found this great chart put out by National Weather Service. I'm horrible at interpreting these things but if I'm reading this one correctly, it seems that May 7th is the median frost free date. We have a 25% chance of frost on May 13th and only a 10% chance on May 19th.



Fast forward to fall, our median first frost date is October 6th with a 25% change of frost on September 29th and a 10% on September 25th.

So how does this compare to what we've been accustomed to our zone 6a garden in northeastern Massacusetts? Well, it looks like we'll be losing about 2 weeks of frost-free days at each end of the growing season (one less month of growing). What's even more striking are the average maximum temperatures during the summer months here in Burlington (June - 75.8 F, July - 81.2 F, August - 77.9 F), which seems much milder than what we're used to.

I imagine my first year of growing here in Vermont should be an interesting one. I'll be curious to see how our tomatoes, peppers and melons fair this year. At the very least, it will be a learning experience for this veggie gardener.

AHHHH....Rain

The garden received some much needed water today. At times torrential, this particular storm represented the first significant rainfall we'd had in weeks. We also got a reprieve from the recent heat and humidity with temperatures reaching only into the high 70's today.


While most of the veggies will greatly benefit from this storm, I did brave the rain to pick a few tomatoes that looked close to being ripe. The last thing I want is for these tasty orbs to split due to the sudden change in moisture.

On a sad note, one of my Titan sunflowers started to bloom a few days ago, only to snap and fall to the ground during the storm today. I'll have to stake the remaining three to ensure this doesn't happen again.

The Mid-July Garden

I love the garden this time of year. The beds have filled up nicely; everything is looking lush and green yet still manageable. It will be another month or so before the tomato vines become overgrown and our early planted cucumbers succumb slowly to disease. Now is the time to stand back and appreciate the beauty of the garden.

On the other hand, it's also the time to clear out most of our spring planted veggies to make way for fall crops in the coming weeks. The pea plants have been pulled and the garlic will be harvested soon. This may sound strange but already I can feel the days getting shorter, which is why I definitely consider July to be a transitional month in the growing calendar.

In any case, here are some random pics of what's going on:


As I mentioned, the cleanup has begun. This past weekend, I weeded the entire garden (which took forever I might add) and built another raised carrot bed (lower left). We started harvesting some of our spring-sown carrots this week and all but one were perfect. Last summer the majority of our carrots were either forked or stubby. What a difference a few extra inches of fine topsoil makes.


The perfectly ripe wild strawberry - I popped this one in my mouth seconds after I took the picture.


Most of the Fava beans have now been harvested but I did leave a few plants untouched, setting them aside for seed saving. While I've marked these plants with string, I'm still fighting the urge to pick the pods.

My blogging buddy Mac gave me this English lavender plant last year. It has since grown into a fine specimen.

The other day I was about to harvest the lavender to dry but then noticed quite a few honey bees at work on it. I ultimately decided against it as I figured they needed the flowers more than I did.


The back garden is like a forest these days. Pretty soon it will become a great challenge to navigate.


Since taking this picture, the tomato vines have reach the top of their trellis, which stands close to 8 feet tall. I'm really loving this trellising method. The strings easily twist around the vines and the vines themselves feel well supported.


In addition to the weeding, I also got around to trimming off the bottom few rows of tomato leaves. Hopefully this will mitigate the spread of any blight.

I picked this artichoke earlier this week. Already the plant is producing two more.


I'm really impressed by how well the Hungarian Wax peppers are producing. The Poblanos on the other hand are still doing nothing.

Lastly, I've been hand-pollinating the corn. Hopefully this will work out for me as well as it did last year.

Random Scenes from the End of June Garden - Part I

The beds are getting lush with green.


The side garden at a different angle.


The shell peas are plumping up.


The first fava (broad) beans are ready to be picked.


The crimson flower broad beans are still producing lots of blooms.


The Florence fennel is almost ready.


Another crop of soybeans has emerged.


The first zucchini of the year.


My zucchini plants appear much healthier this year than they did last year.


The savoy cabbage is taking its sweet time.

The Late July Garden - An Update

It looks like the season for peppers is in full swing now. The poblanos are sizing up nicely. If anyone has a good recipe for them, please share!


The jalapenos are really coming in now, much more than we could possibly consume. And boy, they sure are hot! Much hotter than what you get at the supermarket.


The green bell peppers are pretty much ready for us to pick. Marc wants to wait until they turn red though. Any ideas how long that will take?


I have two purple tomatillo plants, which is quite enough if you ask me. They are ruiting so abundantly. A few have broken through their husks already but are still green.


Yes! I got my first imperial artichoke. It's tiny though. I made the mistake of planting my artichokes in the shadiest part of my garden. They have not worked out for me exactly as planned this year. If I can't overwinter them successfully, I think I'll start over again next spring and plant them in an area with full sun.


I checked the corn today. I peaked inside one husk and from what I can tell, it pollinated successfully. I think a few of them should be ready by the weekend. I can't wait!

Finally, my Rosa Bianca eggplants are flowering at the moment. Planted in the shadiest part of my garden, they are taking FOREVER. I really need to spend a bit more time on my garden plan next year. Maybe this space would be better suited for summer lettuce.

The Toasty July Garden

It's been hot hot hot. Some veggies are loving it; others are not. Here's a quick update on what's going on right now:

The peas are toast (and hung over). I can't complain. They've given it their all and then some. Thanks ol' friend. Now I must rip you from my life.


Isn't this flower pretty?! They are being pumped out by my Calabash gourd, an edible Asian variety. Unfortunately, half of the plant (the part hanging on my garden fence) is now in the belly of the grumpy groundhog that lives underneath our shed. Judging by the rather large size of its leaves and vines, I'm sure the plant will recover...


On a side note, its tendrils are as tough as nails...

I guess I only have myself to blame. The rather obese groundhog has up until this point largely ignored my fenced-in garden, that is until I let one of my long Asian cukes wander past the green zone. Not only did he consume this one but also managed to reach into the fence and devour another. Now we see him propped on his hind legs pulling at the fence like a crazed crack addict. I'm sorry but I have to cut you off now! Better a fence than a shotgun (which I'm not ruling out)!


You would think that with all of the hot weather we've been getting, these tomatoes would be a different color now. Not! I have started to give them regular foliar feedings of seaweed emulsion now - something I've been neglecting. Hopefully that will give them the kick in the backside that they need to reach for the moon. Not that they need too much help. They are already over 6 feet tall!


Ohhhhh, how you torment me so.

Finally, the peppers seem to be loving the heat. This guy is coming along nicely.

One of my pepperoncino plants is fruiting like crazy. It's nice to know that the aphids didn't hinder their growth too much.

As you can probably tell, I'm sort of on the warpath today. I must be ready for the weekend.

The Summer Garden and Fall Preparations

In gardening terms, when I think of April, I think "sparse". And when thinking of September, "overgrown" comes to mind. Which is partly why I enjoy this time of year so much. Everything looks perfectly lush and green yet manageable, except for maybe the weeds. Anyway, here are some gardening bits worth noting:


I found a ripe ground cherry the other day. After a month of doing absolutely nothing, the plants have exploded in growth during the past few weeks. I see quite a few green husks. Unfortunately, either the chipmunks or birds have been going to town on them...eating the green berries before they have chance to ripen. I will be covering the plants with bird netting tomorrow and hope that it will deter the chipmunks as well.


The Piracicaba broccoli is putting out tons of side shoots. I'm rather enjoying the texture and taste of this variety. Also, I realized the other day that one particular plant is responsible for producing all of the bitter shoots I've been tasting. Maybe it's the result of some sort of plant mutation.


My Imperial artichokes are growing rather slowly these days. I had inadvertently planted them in the shadiest spot in my garden...not good for a plant that requires full sun. I still haven't seen any signs that they will put forth flower stalks anytime soon. If I don't get any artichokes this year, I will try my best to overwinter them.


My melons are flowering at the moment. I haven't seen any female flowers yet though. Now that the weather is warming up, the plants are really starting to sprawl. Pretty soon, I won't be able to walk as freely in the back garden. Any tips on how to ensure that your melons pollinate properly?

Finally, the end of June means that it's now time to start planning for the fall and winter growing seasons. On Tuesday, I placed a seed order with Johnny's, which I'm glad to say arrived in the mail on Thursday. Here is a tentative list of my fall and winter veggies for this year.

Broccoli (Bonanza - produces a center head and the many side shoots) - F
Mini Napa Cabbage - F
Shanghai Bok Choy - F, W
Extra Dwarf Bok Choy - F, W
Mizuna - F, W
Tatsoi - F, W
Scallions - W
Swiss Chard (Fordhook) - W
Kale (Red Russian) - W
Mesclun Mix - F
Minutina - W
Mache (2 varieties) - W
Lettuce (Tango) - F
Lettuce (Korean) - F
Lettuce (Winter Density) - W
Wild Arugula - F
Claytonia - W
Radish (Daikon) - F
Radish (Altaglobe) - W
Radish (French Breakfast) - F
Radish (Watermelon) - F
Turnip (Tokyo Cross) - F
Turnip (Hakurei) - F
Carrots (Nantes Half Long) - F, W
Chinese Celery - F
Spinach (Space F1) - W
Snow Peas and Shoots - F

I'm sure I'll make some changes along the way based on the amount of space that becomes available. Also, I still need to finalize the garden plan, sowing and transplanting dates. Last year's winter garden had its share of successes and failures. I'm sure this year will be no different, but hopefully, things will be slightly more predictable.

Happy Winter Solstice!

More Seeds from Botanical Interests

It's finally here. Today is one day I've been looking forward to for a long time now. Having only been able to garden during the latter half of this year, I'm looking forward to being able to grow some crisp spring veggies and succulent summer crops. For many of us, the Winter Solstice represents a great milestone in the gardening calendar. For me, it feels like the time for preparations has officially begun. During the next few weeks, I will be putting pen to paper and planning next year's four season garden. In part, I'm hoping that the lessons I've learned during the past few months will allow me to grow more successful fall and winter gardens. The spring and summer gardens this year (being my first), will be more of an experiment.

Here are some of the projects I will be focusing on during the next couple of months:

1. By now, I've purchased or have ordered most of my spring and summer seeds for next year. Most of the seeds I have now are from Botanical Interests and I just placed orders with Johnny's Selected Seed and Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds a couple of nights ago. (I admit, I've gone a bit crazy in the seed department.)
   
2. I have to order some seed potatoes - 1 standard and 2 fingerling varieties. I'll probably purchase some organic potatoes from the supermarket to grow for fun as well. I'd also like to experiment with growing potatoes in large buckets. Here is a great piece on this very subject written by Cynthia from Grow Better Veggies.
3. I have to order some asparagus and rhubarb crowns for the garden. If anyone has a favorite variety they would like to recommend, please do! For asparagus, I'm leaning towards a purple variety.
4. I've ordered my 3/4-inch and 2-inch soil block makers from Johnny's. (My little Christmas present to myself.) My mission during the next few weeks will be to track down all of the materials necessary to make the soil block mix. Hopefully they won't be too difficult to source this time of year. I plan on making my own 4-inch soil block maker, which I haven't quite figure out how to do so yet.
5. I need to purchase all of the equipment necessary to build a mini seed starting operation, including shelves, fluorescent lights, trays, etc. My basement is heated so I'm not sure if heating mats are absolutely necessary (another expense I can surely live without). If anyone can offer an alternate to heating mats, please do!
6. I need to think about what kinds of fruit trees to grow next year. I'd like to purchase a couple of dwarf citrus trees (kumquat and mandarinquat), two fig trees and a persimmon tree (all fruits I can't source locally).
7. I have to come up with a seed-starting/transplanting/direct-sowing schedule for all of next year's crops, as well as a plot plan for my garden. Since I want all of next year's winter gardening beds to be relatively close to one another (like they are this year), I have to pick the right spring and summer crops to plant in these beds in order to ensure that they will be available when it comes time to sow my winter veggies.
8. Finally, there are a few crops that I will be paying special attention to this year, mainly because they can be quite difficult to grow successfully in our New England climate. These include tomatoes, peppers, melons, cauliflower and artichokes. I will be devoting a lot of reading time to them. Here is an enlightening tutorial on how to grow top-notch heirloom tomatoes, again, by Cynthia from Grow Better Veggies. (I've also posted a video link of Cythia's Love Apple Farm on my sidebar.)

I'm sure as the weeks go by, there will be many more projects on my plate and new things to learn, which is why gardening to me is such an amazing hobby.

Next Year's Meyer Lemons (I have about 10 new lemons on my tree and more blossoms to come.)