QuonQuont Farm in Whately – Fruit, Flowers and Fun

  • Post published:02/29/2020
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Last September I visited Quonquont Farm in Whately with other members of the Greenfield Garden Club. I had no idea what to expect. The apple orchard and blueberry fields were unexpected delights, but I learned there was a lot more to Quonquont than apples and blueberries. Quonquont Farm has been in  business, one way or another since 1759 when a roadside tavern was built. Later a tannery was set up. By 1860 it was a farm we would…

A is for An Alphabet for Pollinators – A List of Plants Attracting Creatures

  • Post published:02/19/2020
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I begin my Alphabet  for Pollinatores with A is for Aquilegia canadensis, or columbine as it is commonly known. Hummingbirds are attracted to Aquilegia . They can hover while they sip nectar from the flowers. This columbine was in my Heath garden, but it is the native red columbine that really attracts hummingbirds and other birds including American Goldfinch Indigo Bunting Insectivorous Birds Purple Finch Of course there are other A plants that attract pollinators: Alyssum is a…

Early Spring Bloomers Bring Promise of the Flowering Season

  • Post published:02/14/2020
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When do spring bloomers begin? Punxitawny Phil did not see his shadow this morning. Hooray! An early spring is on its way, and I am looking forward to more bright sun and the beginnings of spring blooming perennials. I’ve enjoyed brilliant sunlight shining on my yellow twig dogwood, but I know there will be more snow, more cold and more days before I can think about getting down on my knees in the garden. Because I am always…

Best and New Plants for the Garden in 2020

  • Post published:02/11/2020
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The New Year is well begun. New plants will be available at every nursery this spring.  The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) chooses and honors one plant every year. This year they chose the ‘Sun King’ Aralia as its Plant of the Year. Another name for Aralia is spikenard, or nard suggesting a long and ancient history. When ground up its roots can produce a fragrant and beneficial oil. Centuries ago the Egyptians stored the fragrant oil, the Hebrews…

Applause for Annuals

  • Post published:02/08/2020
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Every year new flowers show up in the catalogs and garden centers. These new plants may get us thinking about ways we can design our plantings, help us find flowers that will thrive in challenging situations, or help support pollinators. I will list a few of these new annual flower varieties that I found particularly appealing. The first place I check to see what is new is the All America Plant Selections website. Many of us have noticed…

Review of the First Month of the Year – January 2020

  • Post published:02/03/2020
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My New Year's Resolution is to keep a better record of the weather, and the changes in the garden over 2020. We enter the year with a snow covered garden. By January 12, 2020 the back and front gardens are melting, melting, melting. Of course, snow will melt, but we did not expect so much melting this quickly by January 17, 2020 Note the flooding on the north side of the garden. Although there had been more snow,…