Rid your property of invasive honeysuckles

Do you know that it is illegal to transport, buy or plant shrub honeysuckles in Vermont? This is because honeysuckles are labeled “Class B noxious” on Vermont’s Noxious Weed Quarantine list.The invasive species include the Amur honeysuckle (Lonicera maackii), the Morrow’s honeysuckle (Lonicera morrowii), the Tatarian honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) and the Bell honeysuckle (Lonicera x bella).Imported from Europe and Asia in the 19th century as ornamentals, and later used for erosion control, shrub honeysuck … (read more)

Community-organized sales of donated perennial plants are popular and profitable fundraisers for many garden clubs and organizations. Regrettably, they can become “super-spreader” events if care is not used to avoid spreading diseases, pests or invasive s … (read more)

With the lengthening daylight and the many seed catalogs arriving in your mailbox, it’s hard to ignore the promise of spring. Are you planning to grow your own vegetable and flower transplants this year? You may find that shopping for grow lights for indo … (read more)

Dominated by shades of gray, the landscape appears bleak in winter. Look closer and you may glimpse muted mauves in the distant mountains or the warm glow that envelopes the land at the golden hour. If that doesn’t satisfy your yearning for color, conside … (read more)

This holiday season Christmas trees laden with cherished ornaments and twinkly lights evoking a sense of wonder, peace and warmth will adorn our homes. When the festivities conclude, this cozy haven disappears as we relinquish our trees to the trash. For … (read more)

Amaryllis, a popular holiday plant, is cherished for its showy flowers in hues ranging from stark white to dazzling red.  This species was discovered in 1828 by a German botanist in Chile and classified as Hippeastrum, a genus of the Amaryllidacaea family … (read more)

There are two schools of thought when it comes to managing leaf litter at this time of year. Some people believe in leaving leaf litter as natural mulch on perennial beds and to provide habitat for beneficial insects. Others believe in removing dead leave … (read more)

VERMONT — This time of year I get impatient for the long-awaited harvest of my tomatoes and the taste of their sweet, homegrown flavor. But will I get to them before the arrival of the dreaded hornworms?  These sizable pests come like thieves in the night … (read more)