Home and Garden
131
Stories
2
Writers
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…
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…
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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…
Many annuals, including calendula, will readily self-seed but also can be direct-sown in fall to bloom next spring
November 2, 2022
By Nadie VanZandt Editor’s note: Nadie VanZandt is a UVM Extension Master Gardener from Panton. Before taking a rest from gardening for the season, have you thought of direct sowing seeds to grow a minimal-care garden next spring? Like spring bulbs, many seeds require a natural freezing and thawing before awakening in the spring. Seeds…
Protecting plants from winter damage
November 2, 2022
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. With snow on its way, are you wondering what else you can do to prevent winter damage to your garden? The first thing is to be sure your…
Helping wild bumblebee queens overwinter
October 26, 2022
By Laura Johnson, extension pollinator support specialist, UVM Wild bees are important pollinators for our crops, gardens and wild plants. In Vermont there are over 350 types of wild bees, including 17 different species of bumblebees. Bumblebees are efficient pollinators that are especially important for spring crops, such as early blooming berries and tree fruits.…
