All Entries in the "Henry Homeyer’s Notes from the Garden" Category
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), […]
Henry Homeyer: It’s time to test your soil
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC This is a good time to beat the rush and get your soil tested so that you can improve your soil before you begin planting. Most New England states have soil testing labs available to gardeners. Finding one is as simple as searching for “Soil testing lab […]
Columnist Homeyer featured at Master Gardeners webinar
Lifelong organic gardener Henry Homeyer, whose weekly column appears in The Chester Telegraph, will share some of what he has learned in a free Zoom webinar from 9 to 10 a.m. on Saturday, April 16. The program is open to all interested gardeners and homeowners. While the event is free, donations will be accepted to […]
Henry Homeyer: March is the month for pruning
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Traditionally farmers pruned their fruit trees and put wood ashes around their lilacs in March. And although this is a good time for both, you can do either earlier or later. I believe that because farmers couldn’t plant or work the soil in March, they did other […]
Henry Homeyer: Early harbingers of spring
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing LLC Here in Cornish Flat, New Hampshire, we recently had our first day that shouted “SPRING IS HERE!” After a night of cool rain, the sun came out and temperatures climbed into the 50s. Now all we need are spring flowers. Me? I solved that problem by potting […]
Henry Homeyer: Get your tools ready for spring
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing Everyone I know is thinking about spring – despite the fact that we could still see snow and sub-zero temperatures before we see tulips. This might be a good time to take an inventory of your tools to see if you have everything you need, and buy the […]
Henry Homeyer: kick off the season, start your seeds indoors
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing By now many gardeners are fed up with winter: icy sidewalks, misplaced mittens, and dogs that need to go out at 5 below zero. But it will soon be time to start planting seeds indoors, so you might want to start getting ready now. It’s true that greenhouses […]
Henry Homeyer: It’s time to order your seeds
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing When I was a young man my mailbox was often blessed with seed catalogs at this time of year. Now? Not so much. Back then I pored over them. I drooled over the listings. I wrote checks for small amounts and mailed them off to the companies offering […]
Henry Homeyer: Winter musings on having a great garden
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing T his is a good time for all of us to stop and reflect on how we garden. Are we creating lovely-looking spaces, but failing to support pollinators, birds and wildlife? What about the environment? Can we do more? If so, how can we improve? Here are a […]
Henry Homeyer: Everything to know about 2022 flower shows
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing Usually at this time of year I am planning my travel to the various flower shows around New England: Boston, Connecticut or Vermont. Perhaps Maine. Not this year. Most of the shows have been put off due to Covid, including the Boston Show, which cancelled recently. The Connecticut […]
Henry Homeyer: Fight back against Japanese knotweed
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing I am lucky guy: for one thing, I have no Japanese knotweed. Many is the gardener who has e-mailed me asking, “What can I do to get rid of Japanese knotweed?” My usual answer? Sell the house. Japanese knotweed, commonly called bamboo because of its hollow, segmented stems, […]
Henry Homeyer: Easing a long winter with a good book and ample learnings
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing Here in New England winter is long, especially for gardeners. We want to be outside in the garden but most days we can’t really do much. I compensate by learning about gardening from books. I recently finished a good one, Hummelo: A Journey Through a Plantsman’s Life by […]
Henry Homeyer: How to plan your winter veggies
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing I am probably not the only person who is determined to lose a little weight after all those delicious but fattening meals and desserts served up over the holidays. One way to feel satisfied and lose weight is to eat more salads and enjoy more vegetables. That’s my […]
Henry Homeyer: How to craft your winter wreath
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing Winter is upon us and it may seem there is little for a gardener to do. No weeding, nothing to plant, no flowers to pick. But last year’s garden may still have some remnants that, with a little imagination, can create something pleasing to the eye. I went […]
Henry Homeyer: Introducing children to the ‘World of Wonders’
By Henry Homeyer © 2022 Telegraph Publishing One recent morning I decided it was time to finish reading a small book of essays I had started long before, and savored, but had (inexplicably) put off finishing. World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks and Other Astonishments is a delight, from start to finish. […]
Henry Homeyer: Guide to your winter mulching and composting
By Henry Homeyer © 2021 Telegraph Publishing Although we had a little snow on the ground for much of November and December, snow has been scarce as we move towards the New Year. If this continues, does this have any consequences for our gardens? Yes, it can. If we have bare ground and a very […]
Henry Homeyer: ’tis the season of paperwhites and amaryllis planting
By Henry Homeyer © 2021 Telegraph Publishing As winter drags along, I long for warm sun and green plants surrounding me outdoors. It’s much too early to start spring seeds (even indoors), but I can plant some flower bulbs. I love paperwhites and amaryllis, and both are readily available for planting now – and they […]
