All Entries in the "Henry Homeyer’s Notes from the Garden" Category
Henry Homeyer: tips for making winter arrangements
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Finding things to place in vases, now, in winter, is not easy. It takes some imagination, but there really are some nice stems available. Before the snow flew I went outside and picked stems of pachysandra, a green vine that is mostly used in shade, though also grows […]
Henry Homeyer: Time to nestle in with a good book
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC It’s cold outside, and nothing is happening in my garden. Well, I guess deep beneath the soil surface there are microbes and worms and moles alive and doing whatever they do in winter. But I am doing nothing in the garden, so this is a time to read […]
Henry Homeyer: Looking back at 2019
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC This past year was, overall, a good one in the garden. It started off cold and wet in early summer, but then turned hot and dry. Most vegetables and perennial flowers did fine for me. I finally splurged and got an Itoh hybrid peony, one called ‘Garden Treasure’ […]
Henry Homeyer: Reflections on a gardener’s life
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC During the holidays I try to take time from the humdrum of festivities to sit quietly and reflect on how happy and grateful I am for my life here in rural New England. Much of what I appreciate is linked to a life that allows me to spend […]
Henry Homeyer: It’s time to plant acorns
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC You may think that the planting season is over. Not for me. I recently planted 8 giant red oaks. Or, I should say, potentially giant oaks. I planted eight acorns. I’m hoping that at least one will begin growing next spring, and that it will eventually provide shade, […]
Henry Homeyer: Are living Christmas trees a good idea?
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC I know people who say we shouldn’t be cutting down trees just to brighten our homes for the holidays. Trees are, after all, sequestering carbon and making our environment cleaner, greener, and all that. I disagree and will cut a fresh tree from my neighborhood tree farmer. I […]
Henry Homeyer: Holiday gifts for the gardener
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Bad news: I hear you can’t depend on Santa to deliver presents to your favorite gardener this year as he is vastly overworked – and pretty cranky. Last I heard, he is planning on give coal to almost everyone over the age of 8. But here are some […]
Henry Homeyer: tips for extending the life of your tools
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC By now most of us have put our gardens to bed – or done as much as we will this season. The morning of the first snow storm I finished cutting back the perennials in my last two flower beds. Whew, just in time. The vegetable garden has […]
Henry Homeyer: Pruning, a late fall garden chore
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Fall is here, and winter is not far behind. I’ve seen some snow and scraped frost from my windshield. The sun is slow to get above the hills in the morning and quick to disappear in the afternoon. The sky is often gray and gloomy. These things take […]
Henry Homeyer: tips for forcing bulbs for indoor blooms
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC It might be nice to take a week in February or March and travel to the Caribbean. By then most of us are tired of snow and cold. But if that is not in your budget, perhaps you need to plant some bulbs in pots for spring forcing. […]
Henry Homeyer: 15 October floral blooms
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Despite frost and short days, my garden produced plenty of flowers in October. I look for plants that will perform in the shoulder seasons – March, April, October and even November. Here are some I love that are blooming still, or that bloomed earlier in October. My ‘Knockout’ […]
Henry Homeyer: Time to plant your garlic
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC The easiest crop I grow every year is garlic. I plant it in October, mulch it well, and harvest it in early August. That’s it. If it’s well mulched, I don’t even have weed the bed more than once or twice. Not only that, I use this year’s […]
Henry Homeyer: Time to plant bulbs for spring blossoms
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC This is the season for planting bulbs – from mid-October until the snow flies. Actually, I’ve shoveled snow off a bed to plant bulbs in November, and they did fine. Bulbs have everything inside them needed to succeed their first year. If you want them to keep on […]
Henry Homeyer: Putting the garden to bed
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Pardon me for saying so, but it’s time to get ready for winter. That’s right. A few days ago (or was it weeks?) we were swimming in the ocean and lounging in the sun. But we’ve had frost, and I’ve seen serious snow as early as October 15. […]
Henry Homeyer: Juice your fruit and store it too
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC For me, this has been a banner year for grapes. I have just a couple of plants, but they are large and vigorous. They are the Concord type with big seeds. I know one is a ‘Purple Valiant’, but the other name is long forgotten. They are quite […]
Henry Homeyer: Don’t fall behind on fall lawn care
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC I have to admit that I don’t pay much attention to my lawn. I mow it as needed, but don’t fuss about dandelions, which I consider cheerful. But I realize many gardeners do care about their lawns, so I will share with you a few tips for the […]
Henry Homeyer: 6 trees ready to find roots in your garden
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC I recently spent an afternoon walking around the UMass Amherst campus with Mike Dirr, my favorite tree authority and author. I already had several of his books, which I depend on before buying a tree. I purchased his terrific new book entitled, The Tree Book: Superior Selections for […]
Henry Homeyer: getting the most out of your veggie harvest
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Want to maximize the output of your garden? Now is the time to act. Here are a few things you can do that will help. Brussels sprouts: Have you had trouble getting full-sized sprouts? These plants need to be topped in the fall to get the tiny sprouts […]
Henry Homeyer: fall color in the flower garden
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Big yellow buses are growling as they lumber down country roads, delivering their children to school. Soft serve stands are warning of imminent closure. Favorite flowers are finishing their blooms; fall is here. But don’t despair as there are plenty of colorful plants to fill vases and warm […]
Henry Homeyer: Roots can be the root of the problem
By Henry Homeyer ©2019 Telegraph Publishing LLC Folks who only have shade often give up on gardening because they cannot grow things like poppies and peonies, and only know “boring” shade plants planted for their foliage rather than their blossoms: hostas, pachysandra and myrtle. But even those plants don’t necessarily grow vigorously in shade. More […]
