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By HENRY HOMEYER

Although there are many old sayings like, “Plant your potatoes when the oak leaves are the size of a mouse’s ear.” I would rather depend on soil temperature and calendar dates. Besides, who really knows the size of a mouse’s ear?Mid-May is good for...

By HENRY HOMEYER

Even if you planted your peas and spinach in April, you will not be eating them anytime soon. Despite days of full sun and occasional days of high temperatures, spring in New England is often cold and rainy, too. Our vegetable gardens putter along,...

By HENRY HOMEYER

Most gardeners know that success in the garden depends on many factors: you can’t grow a sun-loving plant in a shady area, for example. And a shrub that loves wet places won’t do well in dry soil. But the key to success is really the quality of your...

By HENRY HOMEYER

I like to have blossoms in the garden and in vases everywhere in the house. I try to have something blooming all the time – or as often as possible. Right now, in late April, I count more than ten species of plants in bloom, along with seven species...

By HENRY HOMEYER

Are you in a rut? Spring is here, but most of us cannot plant anything outdoors due to cold nights or wet ground. Yes, you can plant seeds indoors and baby them until early summer, but that requires a place to grow them and lights to keep them happy....

By HENRY HOMEYER

Although I still have some snow around the house here in Cornish, NH, many of you may be looking at brown grass and mud. It will be some time before real spring weather is safely ensconced. We all want to get outside and enjoy warm, sunny days – and...

By HENRY HOMEYER

Early spring is a good time to look at the trees and shrubs on your property when you are not distracted by flowers and leaves. Study your “woodies” now to see if they need some care – and if some plants need to be removed for the health or beauty of...

By HENRY HOMEYER

Even though spring has arrived according to the calendar, I fear winter is not done with us yet. Mother Nature is full of tricks, so I am not packing away my snow shovel just yet – or taking off my snow tires. But to reassure me that she will provide...

By HENRY HOMEYER

Ask a farmer, “When should I prune my apple trees?” and you will most likely hear, “March.” That’s an old tradition – but not because it is the only time to prune. You can prune any time. But March is a month on a farm when not so much is happening...

By HENRY HOMEYER

Reclining in an easy chair on a recent cold and snowy day, I imagined myself a bumblebee. I meandered from flower to flower, taking in the colors and scents and textures of annual flowers, starting with A (alyssum) and ending with Z (zinnias).I wasn’t...

By HENRY HOMEYER

If you are thinking about starting seeds indoors this year, this would be a good time to build a simple wooden plant stand. You don’t have to be a carpenter to build this, or to have expensive power tools. Your local lumber yard will cut the pieces...

By HENRY HOMEYER

As a boy in the 1950s I knew there were two kinds of tomatoes: deep red, plump and tasty ones my grandfather grew, and the kind that came four in a package wrapped in cellophane. The Cello-Wraps, as I think of them, had no flavor whatsoever. They were...

By HENRY HOMEYER

The spring flower shows are always a contrast to the cold, icy days of winter. Bright flowers, garden paraphernalia and numerous workshops make these events fun – both for beginners and experts. Here are this year’s offerings, starting with the first...

By HENRY HOMEYER

We gardeners love our home grown vegetables. As John Denver sang long ago, “Only two things that money can’t buy and that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.” And why do they taste so good? We can grow tomatoes that don’t have to conform to commercial...

By HENRY HOMEYER

It’s gray and chilly outside, but I have a fire in the new woodstove that warms the house and pleases me as I look through its glass window. I’ve been in the same house since 1970, so I’ve had plenty of time to plan and execute projects. I’d like to...

By HENRY HOMEYER

At the end of the year I always like to take a little time to reflect on what worked well in the garden - and what didn’t. This year I also called some gardening friends – some experienced, some less so – to ask what they had learned so I could share...

By HENRY HOMEYER

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...