New England Gardener

This is my favorite rose, it’s Christian Dior Hybrid Tea.. No Kidding. I have had it for 4 years now.
This bud barley made it through the June Gloom. I peeled the brown spotted petals, and allowed the inner bud to blossom last weekend.

Now is time to prune the flowers gone by. Lord willing, our July [...]

Question: About 5-6 weeks ago we prepared four asparagus beds with compost and superphosphate while following Crockett’s Victory Garden book’s instructions. We purchased crowns (Mary Washington & Jersey King) from a reputable garden shop here on Cape Cod. We have been keeping vigil over the beds for weeks and there is no sign of growth. [...]

Here is the latest update to the Just Add Water project, I planted a second crop of lettuce, spinach, and a first of radishes and chard over the weekend. I was a bit disappointed by the pea germination. It’s a bit spotty. So I did some excavating. NO PEAS to be found in the [...]

Dad and Mom returned north from Florida Hibernation just in time for Mother’s Day. Dad’s garden has not been touched, other than the brush burning last month. Yet, he walks right out there and starts harvesting. The asparagus, once established, are unstoppable.. at least that is how it appears to me.

The sunny breaks will be bring our blossoms out very fast. This weeks fun flowers in my yard are tulips, phlox, peony, and lilacs. My only tips are these two..
1. Use a tomato cage to support the top heavy peony blooms. Enjoy the ants marching on the buds, they really seem to enjoy this peony nectar.
2. Cut a few lilac buds as soon as the little purple pods crack open. Lilacs in a vase in the house have great aroma. Too strong for some. Lilacs love to be pruned.