Ask a master gardener: How to survive cabin fever

It’s that time of year when, sure, it’s technically spring, but we all know there’s still plenty of cold and wet weather yet to come.

Ask a Master Gardener: Plant toxicity and pets

Philodendrons and other houseplants are toxic to puppies, so need to be placed out of reach with a gentle reminder not to touch. photo / Jodi Larison In their book, “How to be your Dog’s Best Friend,” the Monks of New Skete suggest that for many people, d … (read more)

Ask a master gardener: How to grow microgreens

What could be better than fresh greens during the dreary winter months? What if you grew and harvested them yourself?

Ask a Master Gardener: Invasive species awareness week

In Vermont three invasive forest pests of concern to watch for are the hemlock woolly adelgid, beech leaf disease and spotted lanternfly.

Ask a master gardener: Making sense of seed catalogues

Looking through seed catalogs, my mind leaps ahead to the growing season. I see lush green foliage and ripe, colorful fruits and vegetables.

Ask a Master Gardener: How to create a garden in a terrarium

Terrariums are miniature gardens in lidded, clear-glass containers. Their closed environment requires little care and only occasional maintenance.

Ask a Master Gardener: How to grow African violets

You’ve probably seen African violets (Saintpaulia) with their neat rosettes of fuzzy leaves and clusters of purple flowers.

Ask a Master Gardener: How to grow orchids

Do you admire orchids from afar but haven’t considered growing them or gifting them to a plant lover you know?

Ask a master gardener: Gifts for the gardener

If you have a gardener (or garden lover) on your holiday gift list, you may be wondering what might make them smile during a season when the garden is buried beneath the snow.

Ask a Master Gardener: Miniature bulbs to plant now

There’s an old saying, “Good things come in small packages.” That’s certainly true of the tiny flowers that bloom in the spring. And fall is the perfect time to plant these bulbs.

Ask a Master Gardener: What seeds to plant this fall

Before taking a rest from gardening for the season, have you thought of direct sowing seeds to grow a minimal-care garden next spring?

Ask a Master Gardener: All about decorative gourds

It’s the time of year when strangely-shaped, multi-colored, warty gourds begin to appear in gardens, markets, CSA boxes and on front porches.

Ask a master gardener: How to help bumblebee queens overwinter

Wild bees are important pollinators for our crops, gardens and wild plants. In Vermont there are over 350 types of wild bees, including 17 different species of bumblebees.

Ask a Master Gardener: Take cuttings now for new plants next spring

Summer ends and all those lovely annuals we’ve grown so fond of will soon come to an end, too. But it doesn’t have to be.

Ask a Master Gardener: How to tend an ecologically sensitive garden

It’s a good time to step back and think about the bigger picture. A question to consider is why do we clear out our gardens before the winter? What’s the purpose?

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