Author Archive for Henry Homeyer
Henry Homeyer is a lifetime organic gardener living in Cornish Flat, N.H. He is the author of four gardening books including The Vermont Gardener's Companion. You may reach him by e-mail at henry.homeyer@comcast.net or by snail mail at PO Box 364, Cornish Flat, N.H. 03746. Please include a SASE if you wish an answer to a question by mail.
Henry Homeyer: A few arborous musings
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC First, August is not the best time for planting trees. Most experts suggest spring or fall when it is cooler and rain more regular. But let’s face it, I’m a gardener, and if I see a nice tree for sale, especially one in bloom or one I’ve […]
Henry Homeyer: How to keep your houseplants happy
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Just like kids on school vacation, your houseplants may want to go outside to play. And like your kids, don’t put them out in full sun all day without sunscreen. Well… there is no SPF 30 for houseplants, so you will have to make other accommodations. If […]
Henry Homeyer: Your veggie garden to-do list
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Heat descended on us recently like opening the door to a roaring woodstove. The old adage about colonial India was, “Only mad dogs and Englishmen go out in the noon day sun.” I think that applies here, too. I, for one, have no desire to work in […]
Henry Homeyer: 5 plants to avoid
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC This is the time of year when wild parsnips are in full bloom. They stand anywhere from 2 to 6 feet tall, and are topped with clusters of tiny flowers facing upward and arranged in a flat cluster called an umbel. The blossoms are similar to those […]
Henry Homeyer: How to move a shrub
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC I remember talking to a gardener some years ago who, when I mentioned that her tall pines were interrupting the view, waved a hand and said, dismissively, “Oh, yes, I’ll have someone move them.” I nearly choked. Moving shrubs is not difficult, but big trees? Though theoretically […]
Henry Homeyer: The Mower vs. the Grower
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC In most households, one person is the gardener, and another takes care of the lawn. Or perhaps a hired service or teenager does the mowing and string trimming. But it is common that there is conflict between the two parties. There are ways to minimize the problems […]
Henry Homeyer: Harvesting your free lunch
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC My father, may he rest in peace, always told me that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Wrong, Dad. I grow at least three tasty vegetables that require no work to speak of: I just plant, mulch and harvest. If you are a lackadaisical […]
Henry Homeyer: Your early summer to-dos
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC With the advent of summer, it is time to buckle down and get a few jobs done in the garden. In the vegetable garden it’s time to thin out extra plants that are crowding each other. In addition to carrots and beets, others like rutabagas, kohlrabi and […]
Henry Homeyer: 10 native shrubs for your consideration
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Many of the “cast iron” shrubs that no one can kill are now deemed invasive: barberry, burning bush, multiflora rose and bush honeysuckle. And many others, while not invasive, have been overused – lilacs, rhododendrons and spirea, for example are nice but not too exciting. Today I’d […]
Henry Homeyer: It’s not too late to plant your uncommon favorites
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC It’s not too late to plant some more things in the vegetable garden. It’s only June, and there is still time. Here are some tips for some less commonly planted veggies – for growing and/or using. It’s way too late to start most things from seed, but […]
Henry Homeyer: Think green and be green
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Do you want to be a better steward of the environment? If so, the first step is to be a gardener: Grow some of your own vegetables, plant some native trees, shrubs and flowers while using no chemicals. But there is even more to think about than […]
Henry Homeyer: Some Like It Moist
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC I like to say that plants can be as fussy as a two-year old facing a plate of overcooked broccoli. Plants know what they want, and will not behave the way you want them to unless you accommodate their wishes. Today, let’s look at a few that […]
Henry Homeyer: Fighting against the invasives
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Well intentioned people of the past century imported many handsome plants. Unfortunately, some of them – absent the predators of their homeland – became pests here in America. These “invasives” generally spread quickly by seed and root, and can take over our gardens and adjoining wild places. […]
Henry Homeyer: Time to plant that vegetable garden
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Every gardener has an opinion about when to start planting the vegetable garden. Frost hardy plants like spinach, onions and peas should already be in the ground for most everyone, but tomatoes and peppers? I believe that waiting until June is right for my garden – even […]
Henry Homeyer: falling in love with spring flowers
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Spring has teased us this year: she comes, she goes; warm sunny days are followed by high winds, cold rain and even pellets of ice. But the spring flowers persist, starting with those dainty white snowdrops that appear reliably in early March for me. Let’s look at […]
Henry Homeyer: Time to give your lawn a spring makeover
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC It’s about the right time to do a little work on your lawn if it needs it. According to Paul Sachs, the owner of North Country Organics and the author of several books on lawn care, if you want to fill in bare spots, wait until the […]
Henry Homeyer: sharing your wealth of vegetables
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC I recently went to Brattleboro, Vermont, to meet with the organizers of Edible Brattleboro. It is an informal group of people who believe that “access to fresh healthy food is a right for all, regardless of means. This serves as the basis of the work we are […]
Henry Homeyer: Spring into these gardening activities
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC I finally had a few days of dry weather with temperature in the 50s, so have been able to start some spring cleanup. Some of my beds are still too wet, so I will wait on working there until my feet don’t sink in. Walking on wet […]
Henry Homeyer: Time to buy tubers and rhizomes for summer blooms
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC I like dahlias. They are bright and come in many colors with blossoms from the size of daisies to the size of dinner plates. My wife, Cindy, LOVES dahlias. Every year we have discussions about how many we should plant and where they might go. I believe […]
Henry Homeyer: Easy-to-grow nuts and berries
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Every year you probably plant tomatoes. Wouldn’t it be great if they would come back every year without the bother of preparing the soil, starting seedlings in April and setting them out? Well that’s what nut and fruit trees and berry bushes do: once planted (and mature), […]
