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By Deborah J. Benoit The beautiful, long-lasting blooms of the cape primrose will help brighten winter days.

Garden inside this winter

December 11, 2024
By Deborah J. Benoit Cold weather has arrived, and you’ve put your garden to bed for the season. That doesn’t mean you can’t garden. Just shift your focus from outdoors to in. Adding foliage plants to your home satisfies your need to be surrounded by green. Easy-to-grow choices that are also tolerant of the low-light…

Caring for amaryllis during the holidays and beyond 

November 27, 2024
By Andrea Knepper, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont Amaryllis bulbs and blooms make popular and appreciated holiday gifts. Gifted in full bloom to brighten the winter months or lovingly tended to bloom after the new year, amaryllis add vibrant color and joy to the dreary season. Amaryllis are commonly available during the winter holidays…

December marks the start of bird-feeding season

November 27, 2024
Winter is the perfect time to observe and learn about Vermont’s bird species. “Winter bird feeding is a great way to observe and learn about our year-round bird residents and winter visitors,” said Jillian Kilborn, Vermont Fish and Wildlife’s bird project leader. Bird feeding tips: The right mix: Black oil sunflower seeds are popular, but…

Thinking spring this fall

October 30, 2024
By Deborah J. Benoit, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont Fall foliage color has peaked, and leaves are falling. Temperatures are dropping, and it’s time to put the garden to bed. It is also a perfect opportunity to prepare for spring. What you do this fall can provide significant benefits when the garden wakes up…

Fall Insect Pests

October 23, 2024
By Ann Hazelrigg, Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Vermont     When the weather turns cold, four common insect invaders may appear uninvited in your home. None of them breed in the house or cause any damage to humans, pets, food items, or structures. These nuisance pests are looking for a warm, protected place to overwinter…

Discover More from This Category: Home and Garden

New Vermont fluorescent lightbulb restrictions begin in 2024

November 22, 2023
  Starting Jan. 1, 2024, a new state law will prohibit the sale of specific mercury-containing fluorescent lightbulbs in Vermont. Restrictions include the sale of general purpose, indoor/outdoor, residential, and business mercury-containing four-foot linear, compact fluorescent, and twist-based fluorescent lightbulbs. Twist-based (GU-24) Compact Fluorescent Lightbulbs (CFLs) are also restricted from sale, according to a Nov. 14 news…

Creating a biodiverse vegetable garden with flowers and herbs

May 3, 2023
By Nadie VanZandt When planning this year’s vegetable garden, consider companion planting with flowers and herbs. It’s a rewarding way to attract pollinators, manage pests and promote biodiversity in your garden. The practice will improve your soil’s health and the quality of your harvest. As an added benefit, you might enjoy gathering bouquets of fresh-cut…

Designing a bird-friendly garden

May 3, 2023
By Bonnie Kirn Donahue Bonnie Kirn Donahue is a UVM extension master gardener and landscape architect from central Vermont.  One of the great joys and challenges of gardening is seeing creatures inhabit and eat from our gardens. However, in some cases, animals and insects are unwelcome visitors.  Woodchucks, deer and cabbage worms can be relentless…

Blueberries: a backyard favorite

April 26, 2023
By Vern Grubinger Blueberries are a popular backyard fruit. Once established, they will provide lots of delicious, healthy berries for many decades with proper care. To succeed with blueberries, plant winter-hardy varieties and maintain soil pH between 4.5 and 5.5. Mulch every few years with several inches of wood chips or sawdust. Apply a non-nitrate…

State health officials warn Vermonters about mistaken wild leeks, ramps 

April 26, 2023
False hellebore is a poisonous lookalike If you are outdoors foraging for wild leeks, also known as ramps (Allium tricoccum), health officials want you to be sure you don’t mistake the ramps for a poisonous lookalike plant called false hellebore, pronounced faals heh-luh-bor. The young leaves of American false hellebore (Veratrum viride) can resemble the edible…

Building a bug hotel

April 19, 2023
By Andrea Knepper Editor’s note: Andrea Knepper is a UVM Extension master gardener from Bolton.   Many gardeners find ways to invite beneficial insects into their spaces by planting native pollinator plants, mulching and avoiding pesticide use. Another way to support a healthy beneficial insect community is a bug hotel.  Bug hotels provide a variety of…

Raising backyard chicks this spring? Know the health risks

April 19, 2023
  There are simple steps you can take to minimize the spread of disease  As more people start raising their own backyard chickens — whether to enjoy the ultimate in local eggs, or just for fun — it’s important to know the health risks associated with poultry so you can take basic steps to protect…

Sharing the magic of gardening with children

March 9, 2023
By Deborah J. Benoit Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM extension master gardener from North Adams, Massachusetts, who is part of the Bennington County Chapter. Spring is in the air, and what better way to celebrate a return to gardening than to share its magic with children? It’s not too early to start planning now.…

Creating a garden in a terrarium 

January 11, 2023
By Deborah J. Benoit Editor’s note: Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM Extension master gardener from North Adams, Massachusetts, who is part of the Bennington County Chapter.  Terrariums are miniature gardens in lidded, clear-glass containers. Their closed environment requires little care and only occasional maintenance.  The container can be a jar, a glass globe or…

How to grow African violets

January 4, 2023
By Deborah J. Benoit Editor’s note: Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM Extension master gardener from North Adams, Massachusetts, who is part of Vermont’s Bennington County Chapter. You’ve probably seen African violets (Saintpaulia) with their neat rosettes of fuzzy leaves and clusters of purple flowers. Native to Africa, the species were discovered in 1892 by…

The perennial poinsettia

December 28, 2022
By Deborah J. Benoit Editor’s note: Deborah Benoit is a University of Vermont extension master gardener.  During the holidays, poinsettias (Euphorbia pulcherrima) show off in shades of red, pink, and cream. They’ve been hybridized to decorate our homes during a season when the garden outdoors is fast asleep. Most people treat them as a holiday…

How to grow orchids that bloom over and over

December 7, 2022
By Deborah Benoiti Editor’s note: Benoiti is a UVM Extension master gar- dener. Do you admire orchids from afar but haven’t considered growing them or giving them to a plant lover you know? Sure, they’re a pretty plant, but orchids have a reputation as being difficult to grow. When you think of orchids, do you…

Give thanks with local foods

November 23, 2022
By Vern Grubinger Editor’s note: Vern Grubinger, who is based in the University of Vermont Extension office in Brattleboro, is the extension vegetable and berry specialist. Thanksgiving is a time for families to get together…and eat! Much of the food traditionally consumed on this holiday originated in the Americas. And today, a lot of it…

Digging into the no-dig method

November 16, 2022
By Nadie VanZandt Editor’s note: Nadie VanZandt is a UVM Extension master gardener from Panton. During the early months of the pandemic, gardening and other domestic hobbies saw an unprecedented revival. Trends come and go, but in gardening, one that seems here to stay is the no-dig, also called the no-till method. Touted by gardening…

Seeking color? Try Thanksgiving/Christmas cacti

November 9, 2022
By Andrea Knepper, UVM extension master gardener My grandmother had a green thumb. A self-taught gardener, she cultivated a bountiful garden every summer, tended a large variety of indoor plants and was always ready to experiment with and learn about new varieties. One of my favorite memories of her as a gardener relates to a…