There’s so MUCH to tell you!!!

Color in all of its magnificent variety has arrived – and gone out – and come back in again!  We’re all starved for color after the long winter (and this past week’s very gloomy, foggy, rainy pattern).  Our Plant Side-Yard is filling up with shipment after shipment of all kinds of plants and there is color everywhere from the lilacs and rhododendrons to the columbines and ground phlox, from the pansies and petunias to the geraniums and coleus.  

And then there are all of the veggies – cold tolerant ones outside and the warmer weather ones that like soil temperatures well over 55 degrees (like tomatoes, beans and peppers) inside the greenhouse.  Even they make for a green tapestry that’s pretty neat to look at.  There’s something for everyone to look at.

Asparagus roots are in as are the strawberries – and more strawberries are expected.  There are still some potatoes and onion sets left and still plenty of time to get them in to the ground.  We have rhubarb “nobs” (roots).  

One thing we’re really proud of is our edible tree and shrub collection.  It includes peaches, apples, plums, cherries, grapes, honeyberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, elderberries, and more.  Homegrown fruit takes some work, but we’re more than happy to walk you through the basics and trouble shoot with you if needed. We’re thinking of starting a homegrown fruit support group – let us know if you might be interested.

And, of course, there are the native perennials and shrubs…gorgeous colors to enchant the gardener and critical habitat support to help out the pollinators and other beneficial insects.  The hummingbirds are back, as are the bluebirds (who never really left since so many people are feeding them meal worms through the winter – and they need meal worms to feed their babies too!).  The hummingbirds love the early columbines and the bumble bees are all over the honeyberries.  Remember to plant a couple of “drifts” (a drift is 5-7 plants of the same kind planted together to create a visual mass) of key plants to attract the good birds and bugs to your yard.  Find a plant that you like to look at and that works for the local ecology and you have a true win/win situation!  

Now on to some other new developments…

We’ve come up with a “Raised Bed Menu”!

Raised beds are the theme of the year and people are trying all kinds of ways to fill those beds – and to get them/keep them functioning.  We’ve run a couple of raised bed workshops, but it’s become clear that we needed to create a way to manage the whole process.  So, we’ve come up with a menu that includes a custom structural soil mix (that we’re making at the store) along with the amendments that can really bring the soil system to life.  You get to choose how dynamic you want your bed to be (that’s the menu part!).  The structural mix is a one-to-one blend of loam and an aged wood chip that we found in upper Ashburnham. That mix held up to last week’s rain very well.  We loaded 3 yards (into a heavy trailer!) on Saturday (when the pile was still very WET!!) and the structure held.  

Physical structure is the first step in getting the bed started right, but it takes getting the microbes going and adding the right minerals that makes for long term success – and that’s where the other parts of the menu come in.  You tell us what kind of resources you have at home to work into the bed, and we help you figure out what’s missing – and add them in to your purchase so that you have everything worked into the bed from the very beginning.  Come in and see what could work for you…

Raised beds from wood pallets

And, along with the raised bed menu, we’ve found out that one of our warehouse crew can build raised beds out of pallets!  Turns out that there are lots of ideas on-line and Joe’s been experimenting!!!  They have a rustic look, but can easily be adapted to specific needs.  If that’s something that could work for you then come in, and we’ll see if Joe can make what you need.  We have a couple of his creations as part of our plant displays so it’s easy to see how they look and work.

An anti-stress drench for plants

We’ve had all kinds of questions come in about stressed trees and shrubs coming out of winter dormancy badly.  This physical reality is because of the LONG, INTENSE drought stress leading in to the winter (not enough water for classic water storage in stem tissue), bitterly dry winds (we had one day in January with a dewpoint of 4 below zero with strong winds – super dehydrating!!) and a dry spring (we were still in drought until mid-week this past week. You can see the huge surge of recovery in the trees and shrubs everywhere – AHHHHHH!).  Having said all that, a plant stabilizing drench that’s good to know about is a useful tool to have on hand.  Take a 5-gallon bucket, add 2 cups of molasses, ¼ cup of liquid humates and a good squirt of soap.  Stir until well mixed and pour SLOWLY directly around the crown of the plant.  The idea is to have the drench seep from inside the plant’s root system to the outside (not vice versa).  You can add a cup of straight liquid fish to this mix now that the growing season is well underway.  Repeat at 2 weeks if necessary and then stop and let the plant catch up with itself.  The bigger the plant being managed the more 5-gallon pails will be needed for a complete drench.  I’ve worked with this mix from as small as a quart to as large as a 32-gallon trash can times three, it all depends on the size and scope of the problem!  Adjust the materials as needed for water volume.

And, finally, a non-plant suggestion

Do you have horses?  Or know someone who does?  I ask, because you need to know about Poulin Grain’s Fibremax.  I have a 31 year old Morgan mare that has Cushings (Pituitary Pars Intermedia Dysfunction (PPID).  That means that I have to be very aware of the “grains” I’m feeding her.  She’s been on Fibremax for years and has come through winter after winter in really good condition.  Not too heavy and NOT thin.  We’ve also found that quite a few local people are using Fibremax to put condition back on their horses after the long winter.  

Here’s the description from Poulin:  Fibremax is a high fat, high fiber super feed for hard keepers, performance horses and seniors who might require high calorie intake. Fibremax is free from cereal grains and low in starch and sugar. This palatable, beet pulp-based feed is suitable for every life stage from weanlings to seniors. It contains a therapeutic dose of marine calcite which helps buffer the stomach and hind gut as well as increases bone density which is ideal for growing and performance horses. Chromium propionate has also been added to help horses utilize glucose more efficiently which is helpful for both metabolic horses and performance horses. Fibremax and all of the feeds in the E-Tec line contain 100% natural vitamin E, organic selenium, chelated minerals and a probiotic package. That’s the reason why it works so well.  We have a fresh delivery  ready to help anyone put a shine back on their horse’s coat.  

And – a quick reminder of the next two workshops

We’re taking a short break from workshops until we’re outside of the main planting season – everyone has just too much to do until then!!

June 28: Managing Gardens for Health and Production-Working with Foliar Sprays, 10:00-11:30 am Here’s where the rubber really hits the road – or should I say leaf??  Foliar sprays can kill insects and diseases directly, but they can also be used to prevent problems from developing and can directly increase the base line health of your plants.  If you’re planning on eating anything from your plants then you’ll also see an improvement in flavor.  limit 10 – and includes enough foliar support for you to spray a gallon when you get home. ($30/person includes leaf inoculants) 

July 19: Troubleshooting the Garden, 1:00-2:30pm You’re back from July 4th vacation and problems have arrived (or are about to!).  This is the time when the expected energy drop in the garden occurs and problems of all kinds becomes amazingly clear. Now’s the time to get on top of whatever is going wrong.  Bring your questions (and any leaves or insects – well contained!) and we’ll see what we can do.  $15.00/person – limit 10