Finish transplanting and dividing work by the first week of the month Cut back peony and hosta, plants that don’t “die well” and may transmit fungal diseases Leave perennial seed heads if you enjoy bird activity during winter – otherwise cut back now Leave hydrangea, tree peony, foxglove, hellebore, ornamental grasses, tall sedums, roses, perennial…
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Here are three more native woody plants that attract overwintering birds in our area: Viburnum trilobum, Cranberry Bush Viburnum, sports a clear red berry resembling a cranberry that persists in the cold weather. It is low in lipids, so birds like Cedar Waxwings will choose it in late winter when they are desperate…
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Many of you have large blue Meserveae hollies (Ilex x meserveae) in your gardens, with many shrubs heavily loaded with red berries this year. The native American holly, Ilex opaca, is also fruiting now. Please plan to use holly branches in your holiday decorating! However, be aware that the cut branches will last only 7-10…
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Canada Goldenrod Ragweed has no brilliant fall color; it simply balloons out to the 4’ x 4’ size. It has fern-like foliage similar to mugwort. This is the plant that makes people sneeze, not the Goldenrods! Ragweed is shallowly rooted, so you can easily remove it from the landscape before it seeds around. You’ll find…
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We have been alarmed by recent news about the PFAS or “forever” chemicals that have contaminated drinking water at over 200 properties in the central Massachusetts town of Westminster. The culprit, in this case, is the local compost processing facility, Mass Natural, that has accepted biosolids for over 30 years. Biosolids is a marketing term…
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Varieties of purple coneflower thrive in a Littleton garden This prairie native is fairly drought tolerant because droughty conditions are typical to summer on the plains! Blooming from July to September, it packs a great punch of color whether you prefer pale pastel or bright saturated tones in your garden. Its raised, mahogany-colored centers are a butterfly…
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Now is the time when our standard practices of siting the right plant in the right place, topdressing with compost and soil amendments, applying compost tea, planting ground covers among taller perennials, shrubs, and trees, mulching, and use of drip line irrigation will pay off. But despite these measures, a Level 2 drought can be tricky…
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Patrol for scale on Magnolia, Holly, Rhododendron, and foundation plantings where air does not readily circulate and remove by hand where feasible Prune all spring flowering shrubs to create a natural shape, removing deadwood and crossing branches, creating air spaces, and lifting slightly off the ground Selected spring flowering trees can be pruned now Water…
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Get out and enjoy all the bloom in your garden Finish editing any spreading perennials Keep up with weeding, especially weeds with seedheads Finish mulching beds, or ideally plant spreading groundcover or short perennials to reduce quantity of mulch needed Finish planting by month’s end when the hot weather begins Deadhead peony, iris, roses, and…
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Small signs with the intriguing words “Pollinator Pathway” began appearing in our area in the past two years to mark home or municipal gardens that are pesticide-free and planted with native pollinator plants. This group began in Connecticut, and its message has spread up and down the Eastern seaboard! See their website, www.pollinator-pathway.org to find…
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A small native plant, Houstonia caerulea, also known as Bluets or Quaker Ladies, carpets the ground in many flat, open areas with lean, infertile soil. I snapped these photos in Pepperell in a mowed field at the edge of the woods. Note the moss which serves as a protective medium for bluet seeds. Standing only…
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Pumpkin Brook owns an air spade and recently used it for radial trenching around a tree growing in compacted soil at the Francis Parker Charter School in Devens. Enjoy this photo of our crew at work and let us know if we can help you with this specialized power tool in the future. See a video…
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Stevens-Coolidge House and Gardens, 153 Chickering Street, North Andover – Their bulb festival tickets have sold out, but grounds reopen to the public on May 16. Advance reservations are strongly suggested. There should still be plenty of bulbs to see! This Trustees of Reservations property has had a recent expansion including a new Visitor Center, parking lot, and…
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Do you feel that some of your plants or garden beds need a boost? Do you have shrubs undergoing rejuvenation pruning? Have you had recent construction and the resulting soil compaction? Or do you have a group of young plants still getting established? Your levels of soil biology, that microscopic life so critical to plant health, could be…
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Fertilize cutback shrubs (hydrangeas, butterfly bush, smoke tree, etc) with a slow-release organic fertilizer to jump-start growth and later bloom Stake peonies early Scratch in Pro Holly around broadleaf evergreens that are young or have off-color after winter Fertilize blueberries and raspberries to encourage fruit production Divide fall blooming perennials Transplant perennials before they get…
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Our Plant Pick this month is the Hawthorn tree, an ancient plant in the Rose family with all-season interest. Persistent fruit, colorful fall foliage, lightly exfoliating bark, and reddish winter twigs make it an appealing choice. In New England, Crataegus crus-galli, our native hawthorn has large thorns and is commonly called Cockspur. This plant is…
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Recently, we happened upon an almost-new electric mower/weed whacker combo and decided to purchase it. The mower will be powerful enough to “mow and shred” leaves on a flat lawn surface. These leaves can then be reused on your site as mulch for garden beds, thereby closing the loop right at home! We can also stockpile large piles…
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Recently, I met up with a colleague from my early days of attending garden lectures: John Forti. After spending years developing and tending gardens at Plimouth Patuxet Museums and Strawbery Banke, John has turned to writing. He was asked by Timber Press to create The Heirloom Gardener: Traditional Garden Skills for the Modern Age. The book is part essay, part…
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With Easter coming in late April, we’ll have plenty of time to herald the season. Container changeovers will happen as early as we can possibly plant. We know you’re tired of winter greens, but we just need to avoid those freezing nights in the low twenties and teens. Contact Laura Semple for ideas and to get on her…
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If so, check out this handy guide offered by the Xerces Society. There is a wonderful drawing showing how to create a habitat for stem-nesting native bees by cutting perennial stalks to various heights in spring. Find the handout here: https://xerces.org/publications/fact-sheets/nesting-overwintering-habitat
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Blue hollies, winterberries, inkberries, yews, cutback shrubs…the list goes on. Now is the time! And it’s still not too late for fruit trees. Avoid pruning maples, stewartias, and birches, as these species drip sap readily. Have you ever heard the expression “the sap is rising?” That means those three trees, in particular!
This year we have three staff members who completed a four-day virtual training course in organic land care AND an independent design project incorporating native plants and natural systems. Laura Semple, Jeffrey Stevens, and new employee Douglas Field are the newly Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals. This NOFA program was first held in Winter 2002.…
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Per The Old Farmer’s Almanac, there are many names for the snow that comes unexpectedly, late in winter or early spring, and melts the next day. “Onion snow” was named by the Pennsylvania Dutch farmers. It often arrives just as onion sets are planted in the cool soil of early spring. The snow does not kill the onions, happily!…
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Cut back standing ornamental grasses, perennials, and clean up excess leaves in beds Leave perennials standing until three 50 degree days in a row have passed to allow overwintering pollinators to disperse (NOTE: we’ve had these three days already) Experiment with leaving hollow-stemmed perennial stalks 12”-15” to encourage use by native bees for nesting; a daub…
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You may enjoy a trip to Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston to view the new Orchid Show, Prismatic, that just opened. The Orangerie, Limonaia, and hallways are filled with 1,400 blooming orchids and colorful prismatic artworks that reflect light. Be sure to get there before the display closes on March 20. Advance tickets are…
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What will be the first plants out of the snow? The answer is a native plant generating so much heat that it melts the snow around it in order to emerge — Eastern skunk cabbage! In fact, a pollinating fly is attracted to the pollen in the emerging skunk cabbage “flower,” and from there, our…
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So, we’re ordering plants and seeds. What are we ordering? Bareroot stock is now available for early spring planting. This is the best way to find fragrant, antique rose varieties. These simply aren’t sold in nurseries anymore. Edibles like raspberries, asparagus, rhubarb, and young fruit trees are also available as bareroot stock. What does bareroot…
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On March 16, a series of three monthly talks on native plants begins on Zoom Webinar. Sign up for one or more Evenings with Experts, sponsored by the nonprofit Grow Native Massachusetts. As always, this series is free and open to all. Talks from past years are also available on the group’s website, www.grownativemass.org
You may have seen soil resembling coffee grounds and noticed large worms moving quickly just below the surface – these are the invasive jumping worms in action. UMass sponsored four workshops over two days on this topic. The takeaway message is that the worms are here, and scientists are studying and experimenting in order to…
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Return your Fine Garden Maintenance or Plant Health Care contract by March 1 Schedule a virtual meeting to ask questions and discuss details, phw@pumpkinbrookorganicgardening.com Place orders for seeds and bareroot stock (see article above) Start seeds of onions, leeks, and pansies indoors Sow some native seeds outdoors in containers — there’s still time (see article above)…
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I love to read and want to share what is on my table this winter: Winterland by Cathy Rees has lots of color photos to demonstrate how to flesh out your home landscape at this coldest season of the year. Her accompanying text is down-to-earth and practical. I particularly like her mention of some of…
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Winterberries and hollies bloom on new wood, so we will be shaping these mature shrubs in early spring to create pleasing natural templates for berries in fall and winter 2022-23. Crabapples and other small deciduous trees can be pruned this winter until April, during their dormant season. And, of course, we will be pruning the cutback shrubs…
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Per University of North Carolina Extension, woody plants may abort fruit that was set in dry soil. Remember back to last June! There was a two to three-week period of very high temperatures and no rain. The soil was definitely dried-out as we finished our spring planting season. In fact, we delayed finishing one planting…
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Take inventory of seed packets on hand and place orders for new varieties Clean, sharpen and repair garden tools Order replacement tools if needed Stock up on Safe Paw ice melt: non-corrosive, chloride-free, and safe for plants, animals, and humans Force some bulbs on water: hyacinth or paperwhites Water house plants only every 4-5 days and withhold…
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Jeff is a welcome addition to our staff, arriving in late September 2021. He worked for three years at Stonegate Gardens in Lincoln, as head of the perennial plant department and managed landscape installation and maintenance crews. Prior to that, he worked at Bransfield Tree on all aspects of tree care. He also has a…
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All About Asian Jumping Worms Jumping Worms and the soil they create Have you noticed that some of your garden bed soil looks like coffee grounds? Do large worms jump out of the soil when you’re simply digging a small hole or pulling a weed? If you can answer at least one of these questions,…
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White oak leaves Recently I was asked to identify an oak at the edge of a woodland where a new house had been built. This was a woods tree, with whitish bark somewhat resembling a hickory tree: clearly a white oak. Another clue was the rounded lobes on the leaves. The Latin name for white…
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Fall color of blueberry bush We’ll be doing some important work this month for those of you with blueberries (lowbush and highbush) in the landscape. These plants fruit best in a soil that is acidic, yet require Calcium to produce well! A bit of a conundrum that we often solve by testing the soil and…
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Deer Browse One item you may need to consider is winter deer protection. A few years ago we learned that in fall and winter, the enzymes in a deer’s stomach change so the animal can digest woody plants and evergreens in particular! With ever more deer per square mile in our region, deer fencing is…
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Priscilla’s Garden To-Do List for November into December Clean up debris in the vegetable garden promptly to reduce hiding places for insect pests and diseases Cut back perennials that have no wildlife value (i.e. hostas, daylilies, Shasta daisy, catmint, lady’s mantle, etc), remembering to leave basal rosettes of foxgloves, heucheras, and hollyhocks to generate new…
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Finish pruning spring-blooming shrubs by the first week of September Keep up with weeding in garden beds. and if you’re short on time, pull the tallest ones and those about to go to seed first, returning later for the finer detailed weeding Place an order for spring-blooming bulbs Evaluate the need to fill gaps…
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Over 15” of rain in July alone has meant an explosion in the tick and mosquito population! Please be sure to turn over empty buckets, wheelbarrows, and the like in your yard to cut down on areas for water to collect and create mosquito breeding grounds. Empty and clean birdbaths frequently, too, then refill for the birds. It’s…
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There are more deer per square mile than ever before in our area. This season, they have even sampled a few native plants at my back stoop! Garlic clips attached to a bamboo stake stopped this invasion, and the native Rubus odoratus (Flowering raspberry) and Porteranthus tridentata (Bowman’s root) have sprouted new growth, albeit shorter than usual. This reminds…
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As a Board member of the Massachusetts Chapter of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, Priscilla was active in early 2020 promoting the passage of the Healthy Soils bill at the State House. We recently received news about the funding of this bill, and concurrently, news about state funding for a study of the impacts of…
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Where soil is disturbed, weeds will grow! We utilize hand tools to remove, or in some cases, cut weeds to the ground. Curly dock, for instance, is best controlled through repeated cutting so that photosynthesis does not occur and seed heads do not form. It has a deep root system that is hard to dig out, so…
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Recently I read the Boston Sunday Globe article about a field of 3,000 sunflowers that artist Euka Holmes has planted in front of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. What a great idea to take advantage of the full sun and bring a smile to the faces of passersby! And another artist, Elizabeth James-Perry, has surrounded the…
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Many roses will have a repeat bloom period after the first flush in June. How to encourage this? Here are some tips: Deadhead spent flowers promptly above a leaf with a set of 5 leaflets Remove vegetative canes (long shoots with all leaves) as they appear this month – will not bloom Rake up fallen leaves and…
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Swiss Chard and Spinach – mottled young leaves that curl and wrinkle, then turn tan/yellow. Answer: Beet leaf miner damage Remedy: Remove damaged leaves quickly and do not compost. You can eat any undamaged leaves. Since larvae feed inside the leaves, sprays are not effective. Next year, rotate this crop and cover young seedlings with row covers to exclude the…
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Here are two of my favorite places to visit in summer: The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s Courtyard is a cooling vision in blue and white all month. Hydrangeas are especially impressive. If you can’t get enough of blue hydrangeas, be they mophead or lacecap, this is the spot for you. https://www.gardnermuseum.org/experience/courtyard/summer-blues Advanced ticketing required A historic garden…
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Most of us love the color blue and appreciate its cooling effects during the heat of July and August. Blue plants are most effective in dappled light shade, as their color may recede in full sun. The shade factor will also help to prolong bloom. …
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This article is reprinted from our July 2018 newsletter and is still timely today! Now is the time for summer pruning of all your spring blooming shrubs or your evergreens that were not pruned in early spring. Once the flowers fade, new growth can arch out in odd ways. If new needles and leaves have “hardened off”…
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The Concord Museum has planned its annual garden tour fundraiser as a virtual event again this year. Pumpkin Brook Organic Gardening is proud to be one of the Sponsors and to have another client property featured on the tour! Please see their website, www.concordmuseum.org for details of how to purchase your ticket and receive a link to the tour.
The heat and dry period put a fast end to the bulb show in late May. Now what? Let your bulb foliage “ripen” or dry out in the summer heat, then remove it when it turns brown. This is how the bulbs photosynthesize and build up energy for next spring’s bloom. We have been scratching in bulb…
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When the Mercury rises, please don’t forget about your plants. This is especially true for any woody plant that was installed in the past three years and any perennial, annual, or vegetable planted this spring. Linked is my handy reference chart linking air temperature to watering frequency. In short, the higher the temperature, the more frequently we water.…
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This Asian dogwood comes into bloom in early June. It is resistant to many pests and diseases, including the anthracnose virus that has impacted our native white and pink dogwood trees. The bark of its trunk features exfoliated patches that provide year-round interest. Heart-shaped, dark green leaves are tough enough to withstand the summer heat. There are many…
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Did you know that when the soil or air reaches certain temperatures, this triggers egg hatch on many insect pest species? Damaging larvae emerge to feed on our plants. Cottony camellia scale is a soft white scale that sucks sap from the leaves of many common landscape plants. Although it is most often seen on hollies, it…
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Sometimes nature comes a little too close when there is disturbed ground. One of the common invaders is Japanese knotweed. This shrubby plant in the knotweed or buckwheat family was imported in the late 1800s as an ornamental curiosity and became a rampant escapee in our area. You may have seen it lining roadsides or stream banks. It spreads…
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We’ve made it – moved our complete operations to one site in Ayer! This six-week project is now wrapping up with the construction of our new nursery stock holding yard, bin system for bulk materials, compost tea brewing center, and brush chipping area. Thank you for bearing with us during a very hectic time. We…
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May 1 is an annual public holiday in France (Labour Day) and other countries around the world. A symbol of this event is the fragrant Lily of the Valley flower, blooming around that time. In 1560, Charles IX of France was presented with Lily of the Valley flowers as a good luck token. In appreciation, he decided…
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Arbor Day is right around the corner, always the last Friday of April in Massachusetts. Get in the swing of spring by planting a tree that will bloom and attract bees and other pollinators. Most of these species will also shelter pollinators in winter, such as oak trees with their ridged bark. Many other native trees are recommended…
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This year we made the decision to fold our nursery growing operations. I will be moving in late 2022 to Hager Homestead, a new senior cohousing community that will be built in Littleton. We’re left with odds and ends of 20 years in business: selected shrubs and many perennials. Please peruse the list on the Plant Order…
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Finish planting bareroot stock such as roses, raspberries, asparagus, and fruit trees Keep transplanting and dividing late summer and fall-blooming perennials Plant containers with frost-resistant varieties Plant trees, shrubs, and perennials Finish pruning and fertilizing roses Prune hydrangeas and scratch in an acid-loving fertilizer to promote bloom Topdress winter damaged broad-leaved evergreens with compost and…
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Turf lawns aren’t planet-friendly. Even in our temperate northeastern US climate, lawns require lots of water, and they often involve fossil fuel-guzzling lawn mowers, pesticides, herbicides, and fossil fuel-based fertilizers. Join us for this program presented by Mark Richardson, Director of Horticulture at the Tower Hill Botanic Garden in Boylston, MA, to learn why and…
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It seems high time that I wrote about a vine! With the lengthening days, native honeysuckle vines are beginning to show buds now. This is the time to prune them back hard, as they bloom on new wood that will be produced this spring and summer. The vines will climb to about 10’ a season…
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Usually, I’m writing about indoor bulb shows in March. This year, the big shows were canceled with the pandemic. So let’s all try something new this year and look for outdoor bulb displays! Check websites as advance timed tickets are often required for entry. A friend tipped me off that the snowdrops were blooming at…
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We’ll be opening up beds by raking and trimming back browned stalks of perennials. There are many plants that need pruning at this season: Butterfly Bush, Caryopteris, Smoke Tree, Honeysuckle Vines (see article below), Colored Twig Dogwoods, White Hydrangeas, and subshrubs such as Candytuft and Germander, plus woody herbs including Lavender, Winter Savory, and Sage.…
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Q: What will happen to my bulbs if a late snow comes after they’ve sent up new growth, or worse, if they’re already blooming? A: Bulbs are surprisingly resilient and can tolerate cold temperatures well. Emerging bulb tips or stems will simply stop growing and wait for better weather conditions. While snow may knock blooming bulbs over temporarily, they…
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That is, as soon as the snow and ice are about out of the way! Aim to finish before new buds emerge in March. Begin by cutting out all dead canes to the base of the plant. These are very visible during this dormant season and will have a different color and lighter feel than live canes.…
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Our first spot spraying of the year is right around the corner. We scout for leaf buds cracking on fragrant viburnum, V. carlesii, in early April. This is the moment to spray the new buds with horticultural oil and prevent unsightly damage from feeding larvae of the snowball aphid. Reese, our Plant Health Care Manager,…
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Remove winter greens from containers, once unfrozen Rake out beds, trim brown stalks, assess winter damage and prune out Prune shrubs such as inkberry, holly, yew that may be overgrown Prune butterfly bush, caryopteris, smoke tree, St. Johnswort, and other cutback shrubs Shear ornamental grasses Shape lavender, sage, germander, thyme and other woody herbs by…
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This native grass quite literally jumps out of the snow with bright green, hairlike foliage. It makes a great lawn substitute, gradually spreading and filling in from small potted plants. Or use it as an accent among other low native flowering plants such as American ginger, American pachysandra, or Meehan’s mint. In earliest spring, we quickly shear back…
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Popular author and scientist Doug Tallamy (Bringing Nature Home and Nature’s Best Hope) has a new grassroots initiative afoot this season: Homegrown National Park. The idea is that we can all plant a small section of native plants at home and enjoy the wildlife that comes to partake of food and shelter. This does not mean that we’re going…
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We began our compost tea program back in 2007. At that time, the study of soil microorganisms (or soil biology) was just becoming mainstream through the work of Dr. Elaine Ingham. She found that almost any soil can have its biology boosted through the addition of an actively aerated compost tea. Compromised soils, especially with compaction following construction,…
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Our skilled staff loves to garden at home. Organic vegetable gardens are familiar territory. We’re happy to help you design a raised bed structure, pick a site and build it, fill with nutrient-dense soil mix, and plan the plantings! Tricky topics that are familiar to us include: when to sow seeds vs. planting seedlings, designing a fencing system to…
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We’re putting the finishing touches on seasonal programs for plant health care and maintenance now. Our spring letter will be delivered by US mail this year, so watch your mailbox. We are available for virtual meetings to discuss details of your contract and maybe contacting you to arrange a time—contact us. Here are some changes this year: We…
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We have found larger facilities for our complete company in downtown Ayer. We’ll be 10 minutes from the highway, with a “shop” for tools, supplies, equipment, and materials plus our office—all under one roof. There is ample outdoor storage for plants, bulk materials, trucks, and trailers. The move-in date is March 1, giving us just enough time to…
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Watch for emerging color on witch hazel buds which can bloom in late winter, even with snow on the ground Maple sap will start to flow when days are above freezing and night temperatures dip below freezing Check yourself for ticks after time outdoors, as ticks are active whenever temperatures rise above 32 degrees Continue…
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Industry insiders say there’s going to be a big run on seeds this spring. If you like to sow a home vegetable garden, it’s a good idea to order seeds early. You may have some seeds left from last year. Our friends at Johnny’s Selected Seeds have compiled some tips for testing them. Included in this link is a…
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Small fruits are best pruned during the dormant season, and blueberries are no exception. This dormant period runs from November to early April, well before leaves appear. However, with the mild weather so far this winter season, we suggest getting down to blueberry pruning now. Here are a few tips: Prune only on a clear…
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Looking for something different to do outdoors while still getting in a walk? Tower Hill Botanic Garden has opened a new winter display featuring creative use of colorful knitted or crocheted artworks on woody plants and garden structures. This is called Yarnbombing or Yarnstorming. Timed tickets are required for entry, with admission to this outdoor show included…
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What could be better winter interest in the snowy landscape than a lovely evergreen? We’re all conscious that the deer population has been gradually increasing in our area. These two plant suggestions are not preferred by deer! And while not native to the Northeast, they are perfectly hardy in our region and harmonize well with other native plants…
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Annual Free Public Lecture – Groton Garden Club Saturday, February 13 at 2 pm This year’s topic is “Natural Control of Pesky Invasive Plants in the Home Landscape” featuring my colleague and friend, Mike Nadeau. We met in 1999 when I joined the NOFA Organic Land Care Committee and wrote the Standards for Organic Land…
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Reese makes a deep root application of compost tea. Photo by Lee Gadway. Did you know that Pumpkin Brook offers Plant Health Care using all-organic materials? Our department manager, Reese Crotteau, is working this month on new contracts for the coming season. In February, you can prepay, receive a small discount with our thanks, and…
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Take a winter walk for exercise and to broaden your perspective Check yourself for ticks after time outdoors if it’s above freezing, as ticks will be active in ALL seasons above 32 degrees Allow ice and snow to naturally melt from outdoor plants, as branches are brittle and will crack readily if handled now at…
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Get outside this winter whenever you can do so. If temperatures are above 20 degrees and the wind has subsided, it’s great to check out a natural area near you. Here are a few suggestions for December: Littleton’s Little Town Tree Hunt – search the town’s conservation trails for decorated trees created by community businesses and groups. Map…
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Now that the leaves have fallen, we notice any scrap of color outside our windows! Shrubby dogwoods offer stems of yellow, red or coral as a means of photosynthesizing during winter. By spring, these stems will magically turn dark again as the new leaf buds emerge. There are newer, more compact cultivars for smaller gardens that remain…
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Stumped about what to give the gardener on your list? Here are some ideas: A good pair of insulated, water-repellent gloves that will keep working hands warm when temperatures drop below freezing Sturdy chore boots, 100% waterproof Professional hand pruners or folding hand saw – Felco is a great brand Japanese weeding knife and sheath, useful to…
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Laura has been busy updating your containers and windowboxes for winter this past week. Please let Priscilla <phw@seedlingspecialist.com> know at once if you are interested in a natural outdoor arrangement of winter greens, berries and colored twigs for your home.
Dormant pruning will be ongoing this winter as weather permits with a select PBOG crew. We have several orchards on our list, along with Kousa dogwood trees, forsythia hedges, and other deciduous material. It is easiest to see a plant’s structure when its leaves have dropped. Also it’s the traditional time to prune fruit trees during cool temperatures…
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So far, we have cut back most perennials, installed shrub protectors against falling ice and snow from roofs, put up deer fencing, and are applying anti-desiccant and deer repellents to vulnerable shrubs. Once the ground freezes, we will be finishing up a few final garden chores: Protecting tender rose crowns with cones of compost Covering…
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I was all set to write an article about alternatives to the Burning Bush (Euonymus alatus), and to highlight why this is an important issue for your own yard. Instead, I found that someone else had already written this article! So, please read on. I was especially interested in Emily DeBolt’s comparison of foliage color on specific native…
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Mid-November on the calendar means it’s time for our PHC team to spray deer repellent and anti-desiccant to protect vulnerable plants from winter damage. If you’ve ever had browning of rhododendrons, boxwoods, hollies, leucothoes, or mountain laurels, you know what I mean by winter damage. This is caused by repeated cold winds or sudden temperature…
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We will plan on filling your empty urns and window-boxes with winter greens, red berries and colorful dogwood stems in late November. This is perfect timing for the holiday season. Our Decor Coordinator, Laura Semple, will have some fresh new ideas for you, no doubt! All evergreens are treated with an anti-desiccant that is biodegradable…
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Many questions have come in about pruning roses in fall. I’m not in favor of this action, since we don’t know what kind of winter lies ahead. Canes are often damaged in severe weather, and a cut made now won’t fully heal. There is the potential for further damage. Long, floppy vegetative canes won’t bloom…
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Reese has serviced our leaf shredder to make this annual chore go faster and to produce a small, evenly sized product. Shredded leaves are perfect for mulching garden beds that are planted closely, especially woodland gardens. Please contact us as we’ll be rolling this service out soon!
Please be extra careful and check yourself, children and pets after walking or playing outdoors this month! Leaves are dropping early and coating the ground. Ticks prefer to hide in this type of moist, enclosed environment. Our tick and mosquito spray program using essential oils can help, so now is the time to sign up…
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Adult Spotted Lanternfly Photo: Lawrence Barringer wickedlocal.com This invasive pest may have migrated north from Pennsylvania this year. Please be on the lookout for the (rather attractive) Spotted Lanternfly. Click here for more info.
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Looking around the garden, I notice that many native plants are vigorous despite the drought! Here are just a few: Solomon’s Seal – Polygonatum biflorum A staple of the shade garden, Solomon’s Seal blooms in May with dangling white bell-shaped flowers on an arched stem. In fall, leaves turn a lovely golden yellow. This plant…
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In October, we aim to finish all fall planting and transplanting by the end of the month. With warm soil temperatures, this is an ideal time to plant or transplant, as roots will readily establish given cooler nights and (hopefully) more frequent rain. We’ll wait until leaves are about to drop before transplanting shrubs and…
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Rick Burnett has joined the Plant Health Care Department as PHC Technician and resigned from his role as Field Manager. You may meet Rick doing a spray route. Kimberly Kuliesis has resumed full responsibility for scheduling and also develops estimates and proposals. Please contact her with your special requests at <kimberly@pumpkinbrookorganicgardening.com> Meanwhile, Priscilla will continue…
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In droughty times, many nutrients in the soil are rapidly depleted as plants attempt to adjust to adverse conditions. As we pull soil tests this fall, we find that Potassium is lower than desired on many test results. I want to repeat an article about the necessity for Potassium that I wrote in September 2013:…
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We are back in a Category 2 drought situation here in eastern Massachusetts. It’s interesting to study the US map to note where the other areas of drought exist at this website. Pumpkin Brook has an emergency watering service available. We bring the water to you! Our spray trucks have 200 gallon tanks and long hoses…
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As a Board Member of NOFA/Massachusetts, I will be participating in their Human Health and Climate Acton Challenge this month. This event combines personal commitment, public education and crowdfunding to raise awareness about how organic practices, especially agriculture, are linked to human health and the climate crisis. Many of our staff members will be participating…
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This wonderful national nonprofit is offering a fall Literary Series of webinars on selected Thursday afternoons with garden authors. You’ll enjoy color photos and virtual tours of fine gardens around the country, with a chance for questions and answers. Can’t attend on a Thursday afternoon? Registrants receive a link to a recording after the event…
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Identify and finish fall transplanting and dividing work Keep planting trees, shrubs and perennials until the end of the month Plant bulbs when soil cools, starting mid-month Test and amend soil in problem spots Begin cutback of frosted ferns and other perennials that mildew, blacken or drop leaves Let birds enjoy seedheads Pull spent annuals…
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The following alert was prepared by staff at the Nashua River Watershed Association (NRWA): Above normal temperatures in July and August, and months of below normal precipitation led Massachusetts Energy and Environmental Affairs Secretary Kathleen Theoharides to declare all of the state to be in a “Significant Drought- Level 2”. NRWA water monitoring staff and volunteers are…
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Last call for bulbs! We have started our orders, but you can still add your wishes for daffodils, tulips, grape hyacinths and the like until September 15. Please contact Priscilla, phw@seedlingspecialist.com, for these last-minute orders. We’ll be planting bulbs between Columbus Day and Veteran’s Day.
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Not only are there invasive plants, we also have invasive animals. If you see a group of worms near the soil surface that move quickly and have milky-white bands, they are probably Snake Worms from Korea and Japan. An annual species, they emerge from cocoons and are fully mature by mid-summer. You may also notice…
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I was thrilled to learn recently that the native rose mallow, Hibiscus moscheutos, is returning to the shores of the Charles River! This plant is reclaiming space once taken by the invasive purple loosestrife. Now that the release of a beetle that eats the loosestrife has been successful in our area, native plants like this can return…
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Keep up with harvesting vegetables and herbs Pick yourself a bouquet Pull any spent summer crops and sow seeds of spinach, arugula, kale and lettuce for fall harvesting Sow cover crops this month on any bare ground in the vegetable garden Order seed garlic for planting in October Continue to weed and deadhead Keep watering…
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Diana Shomstein We’re thrilled to announce that Diana is joining our staff of full-time Crew Supervisors this month. Diana had farm training and work through The Farm School in Athol and the Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester. She came to us to learn ornamental plants. Diana has quickly shown her talent and skill with our daily…
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Jeff Berardi Jeff trained as a photographer at the Hallmark School of Photography and worked as a professional photographer for many years. At the same time, he developed his own gardens at home. His artistic eye has made him a natural pruner and editor of plants! I find that Jeff has a quick way of…
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This reprint from the National Gardening Association will strike a chord with anyone out there who planted a “Pandemic Edible Garden” this spring! See the August To-Do list below for other helpful hints. Read here.
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We’ve already assembled a list of gardens ready for fall planting or some renovation. But it’s not too late to schedule a consultation for your own garden. Now is the ideal time to assess the situation and design plans for improvement. Please contact us for your appointment. Fall Planting will run from late August through…
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One of my favorite times on the garden calendar is ordering bulbs for spring bloom. That time is now through Labor Day! In fact, we had a lull in plant buying activity a few weeks ago, so we’ve already placed preliminary bulb orders based on notes and conversations from last spring. Let’s add to these…
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What to do when your beautiful spring garden suddenly has a large empty space in August? Here are some perennial pairings that I’ve discovered over the years to hide declining foliage and gaps in the border. Lupinus perennis and Lobelia siphilitica Let the native lupine foliage “ripen” like bulb foliage in order to photosynthesize. The lupines will…
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Lift, divide and replant tall bearded iris New bearded iris can be planted now through early October Keep new plantings and containers well watered (see summer watering tips) and let PBOG know if you need our help due to town watering restrictions Weeds are gigantic now, so keep up with hand weeding and top off…
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Katie Metzger comes to us from Land’s Sake Farm in Weston, where she was recently Education Director. With the move to developing online learning, she decided to stay outdoors and came to our crew to keep her hands in the soil. Laura Semple is our new part-time Decor Coordinator, responsible for all containers and in-ground plantings of…
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Sedum sarmentosum Sedum ‘Autumn Joy’ with Lambs Ears There are clumping sedums (‘Autumn Joy’ and Matrona’) and there are spreading sedums (‘John Creech’, ‘Fuldagut’ and ‘Lime Zinger.’) Great in any garden with full sun to part shade, sedums are extremely drought tolerant due to their fleshy, succulent leaves. In fact, a dropped sedum stem will…
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If you’re reworking your spring containers of pansies, primroses and the like – think about some summertime drought tolerant alternatives: succulents and sedums (see article below), petunias, dahlias, lantana, herbs such as thyme or rue, and geraniums (including scented ones) come to mind. These plants will need watering probably only every other day. Summer Container…
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We will be carefully observing your landscapes and evaluating the timing of our pruning work that usually happens during summer. If a large amount of wilting is seen, we may choose to not prune this year if you lack in-ground irrigation. The spike waterer will be in use as we work, helping plants adjust to…
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We like the current trend of layering plants together to make an interesting, interconnected layer of vegetation. This avoids the need for so much mulch in beds, too! I notice when weeding in these beds that more moisture is retained because of the continuous groundcover. Here are some examples of layered plantings: For…
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You may enjoy registering for a new twist on a summer standby that goes online this month. The Northeast Organic Farming Association’s Summer Conference will be held July 20-August 9. NOFA is a group of consumers, farmers, and gardeners with an interest in sustainable living the organic way. Workshops have been the cornerstone of the…
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For any tree planted since spring 2019, a TreeGator of water at set at the root zone slowly drips needed moisture in the right place. Refill the TreeGator with your garden hose. Deep watering with your wand, filling the well around the tree, is also recommended at least twice weekly. 15-Gallon TreeGator TreeGator
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Has your town already banned outdoor water use, or limited it severely? We at PBOG can help. Our spray trucks, outfitted with 200 gallon sprayers, can bring the water directly to your thirsty garden. We often add a kelp-seaweed-micronutrient powder to the water called Stress X, proven to help revive drought-stressed plants. This is same…
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We recommend the use of drip irrigation for all planting beds. It can even be installed in containers, if there is a way to hide the line next to a building, for example. Drip irrigation directs the water efficiently to the root zones of the plants without wasting it. Systems should now be re-set from…
DetailsNothing beats a walk through your garden, noticing new buds and by-chance color combinations, and providing a chance for general oohing and ahhing over the beautiful scene. You can now also use this time to notice tell-tale signs of drought: drooping or twisting leaves on trees, shrubs or perennials, wilting annuals, and off-color foliage. Some…
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Diana Shomstein Diana Shomstein is a graduate of The Farm School in Athol and has experience working on organic farms. She comes to us to learn her ornamental plants, having already experienced weeds and planted a variety of material over the past several years. Cedric Smith Cedric Smith is a life-long gardener, growing…
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Pinus mugo I had the chance to work with three overgrown mugo pines of varying size recently. Late in the month of May is the perfect moment for their renovation, as new growth is just beginning and can be easily edited by “candling” or pinching off the new growth. I also had to saw some…
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This trend from recent years is actually nothing new – just another way to add more color, style and variety to your garden by choosing plants that are actually useful to insects, birds and butterflies! The goal is to keep these beings thriving and doing their jobs of enriching our environment by offering them “food”…
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This native of the coastal plain of the Northeast (Nova Scotia to Virginia) is resisitant to black knot in my experience! Blooming in mid May through June with a brilliant show of pinkish-white flowers, it is a small stature tree (4′-6′) or multi-stemmed shrub. Plant and enjoy in full sun. It is not fussy about…
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At this time of year with leaves off the trees, we often see black masses or galls attached to outer twigs of plum and cherry trees in the genus Prunus. Both ornamental and edible varieties are susceptible to this fungus, along with the native chokecherry. Sometimes apricot and peach trees are impacted. This disease produces rough,…
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We are pleased to announce that Martha Ludlum and Susan Shaine have been promoted to Crew Supervisors this season! They are both seasoned veterans of the PBOG Crew, avid gardeners, and stand ready to help you through the garden year. You will see them driving PBOG trucks and wrangling debris and tools. Please join us in welcoming them both…
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For many years I’ve had fun experimenting with minor bulbs, meaning those small bursts of color other than tulips and daffodils. Being smaller in stature, that means a smaller sized bulb to begin with, and that means digging a shallower hole! Fall planting goes much more quickly that way. In these photos, you’ll see a…
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Priscilla’s Garden To-Do List for Late April/Early May: Continue to clean up garden beds by raking, cutting back perennials and ornamental grasses Finish dormant pruning by May 1 when leaf-out is expected Cut back butterfly bush, smoke tree, caryopteris, beautyberry and other cutback shrubs Prepare vegetable garden beds Sow seeds of peas, spinach, kale,…
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Important note: Do not collect wild moss, as this degrades natural habitats. Instead, we encourage you to try the easy propagation methods below for two common spreading moss varieties. Dicranum scoparium, Rock Cap Moss, is readily visible in the woods, quite literally capping the tops and sides of rocks or logs and stumps. You might also…
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When Forsythia gets overgrown, it’s really overgrown! We like to renovate Forsythia before it comes into bloom. It’s very easy to see parallel stems and pick the best ones to cut all the way to the ground. Crossing branches and deadwood are readily spotted, too. This thinning action helps keep your plant looking natural yet under control. Do this…
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Celebrate the lowly dandelion! Remember that its functional taproot pulls up minerals deep from the soil below. The leaves are collected as a spring tonic and lightly steamed or sauteed like other greens. Dandelions are rich in Vitamins A, B, C and D, just what we need after winter. Native Americans and herbalists use the…
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As always, after any time outdoors, check yourself, your children and your pets for ticks! These pests are active in the landscape whenever temperatures are above 32 degrees, especially at edges of woods and cultivated areas where leaves, sticks and debris tends to collect. We recommend a personal essential oil spray of cedar for a…
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This month we welcome Rick Burnett to our managerial staff. He joined our crew last fall and worked alongside us as we did fall plantings, transplantings, and finished the garden year. This winter he went out on the dormant pruning route with Kyle or Reese. Rick will be in charge of interacting with our field…
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I visited the Flat Rock Sanctuary of Massachusetts Audubon recently, located in a woodsy corner of Fitchburg. The trail led up a hill loaded with large granite boulders among scrambling masses of mountain laurel glistening in the sun. This inviting path eventually evened out and was lined with a carpet of pine needles as I…
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Here is an update from our friends at NOFA/Mass on the legislation to ban Glyphosate use that recently passed the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture at the State Level. There are informative links to the whys and the science behind this action in the attached article. We at Pumpkin Brook support this…
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Here’s the chronological list of places to see indoor plant displays, lots of color AND gain ideas for your own garden this season: Lyman Estate Greenhouses, Waltham, Camellia show begins February 18, historicnewengland.org Connecticut Flower and Garden Show, February 20-23, ctflowershow.com Smith College Bulb Show, March 7-22, garden.smith.edu Mt. Holyoke Bulb Show, March 7-22, mtholyoke.edu Boston Flower and Garden…
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I received my first cyclamen plant as a young teenager and fell in love with the heart-shaped, marbled leaves and bright, upswept flowers. They are a favorite gift at this time of year for friends and family of any age since they bloom in the Valentine colors: tones of red, pink and white. On a…
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The PBOG office staff is hard at work preparing your Spring Letter, Plant Health Care Contracts, and Garden Maintenance Contracts for 2020. Watch your US mailbox for your letter. We have a target mailing date of March 2. In the meantime, if you have questions or just want to get started, please feel free to…
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Speaking of native plants, our Plant Pick this month is Dicentra eximia, fringed bleeding heart. This early spring bloomer will pop out of the ground shortly after the snow melts with soft green basal leaves. Flower stems will quickly follow. Preferring dry shade with a soil rich in organic matter, this plant is an easy naturalizer.…
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The hot topic on the garden lecture circuit these days is native plants, along with the birds and insects that depend upon them for sustenance. These are the pollinators that everyone is talking about! And this is more than a foodweb – it is the underlying support for the world as we know it. Per…
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Plan design changes to the garden on paper Schedule a design meeting with Deanna now Fertilize houseplants with a weak solution of fish fertilizer every other week to support new growth Repot or divide overgrown houseplant specimens using fresh potting soil Monitor houseplants for signs of pests such as aphids, scale, spider mites and whiteflies…
DetailsI highly recommend a winter visit to the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston. The Courtyard is always a horticultural wonder, with forced seasonal tropical plants in bloom among ancient statuary and antiquities. Even a short moment lingering at the edge of the area transports you to another world. Plan your visit here: www.gardnermuseum.org The Isabella Stewart Gardner…
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Amaryllis bulbs are a popular holiday gift and are easy to care for. They should be in bloom around Valentine’s Day, just when we all need some cheer and color. I like to pot up each bulb in a 6″ round pot, with one third of its neck exposed, using regular organic potting soil. To help…
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In late fall after leaf drop, we test the garden soil of our compost tea clients to determine the level of active soil biology. That means the quantity of microscopic organisms that do so much good all season long. We are looking for a minimum level of 600 parts per million on the microorganism count. We’re…
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There are some wonderful garden lectures coming up in just a few weeks: Grow Native Massachusetts has a free lecture series in Cambridge that kicks off on Wednesday, February 5 with superstar speaker and scientist, Doug Tallamy. Doug’s new book will debut at this event. More info here! Groton Garden Club and Nashua River…
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Kim, Deanna, Erica and Rick attended the four-day Northeast Organic Farming Association’s Organic Land Care Course at Hampshire College this month. We are expecting their certificates of completion in the mail soon, indicating that they passed their exams and have become Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals. Congratulations! In addition, Kyle and Rick are studying for the International…
DetailsCover all tender roses (David Austin and hybrid tea types) with cones of compost as frozen bare ground emerges between snow storms Cover heaths, heathers, and lavender with evergreen boughs to prevent winter desiccation (the discarded Christmas tree is perfect) Dress exposed perennial beds with salt marsh hay once the ground is frozen to prevent…
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Thank you for a great year! In your honor, we are making donations to the following nonprofit organizations: Northeast Organic Farming Association – Massachusetts Chapter Native Plant Trust Toxics Action We wish you and your family all the best for the Holidays and New Year – All of us at Pumpkin Brook Organic Gardening…
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Picea omorika branch Evergreens star at this time of year, and nothing beats a tough, hardy Serbian spruce. Deer do not seem to browse them! You can choose from Picea omorika ‘Pendula’ with graceful swooping branches or the straight species. Both have a narrow framework, adaptable to a range of growing conditions, and max out at 30′…
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Dormant pruning can occur from November through April, so we will be completing some of these tasks on plants that have lost their leaves (deciduous) when weather conditions permit. This is the prime time to prune apple orchards or any fruit tree, dogwoods, Japanese maples, and viburnums with densely structured branches. Below 20 degrees, we do…
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Drain hoses and store indoors for winter to prolong life Store garden tools Service any power equipment Walk through the checklist above for putting the garden to bed Clean up any remaining spent vegetable crops completely Set out shrub protectors for vulnerable foundation plants to protect against falling snow and ice Create containers of…
DetailsIf you’ve noticed any tunneling or perhaps a missing plant or two this fall, voles may be the culprits. They enjoy tunneling in soft, moist soil and can eat plant roots that are in their way. Lawns and beds are favored habitat, particularly if surrounded by lush vegetation. Sometimes voles are a problem around drip…
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Deanna is ready and willing to meet with you in your garden to discuss spring 2020 planting. For most projects, that process begins with design. “Why now? Shouldn’t we wait until spring?” As our season ends, Deanna looks forward to some less hectic winter time to design and plan with you, without the pressures of…
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Here are some things I’m thinking about that we are able to do in the near future for you. Let me know if you would like our help with any of the following: Gnawing creatures under the snow or “buck rub” from deer – protect tree trunks with mesh supports or pebbles and hardware cloth.…
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Cut down perennials in stages as foliage blackens or flops over Dormant pruning season begins when leaves are off the trees, with structure easily visible Refresh containers for fall with hardy material that can withstand the occasional cold night Remove spent annuals planted in the ground Dig and store tubers of dahlias and gladiolus after…
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New England is blessed with white, black and red oaks along with other occasional species such as chestnut oak. Their fall color is just now beginning to show up as russet, scarlet and gold. All oaks are extremely valuable plants for wildlife. Entomologist Doug Tallamy notes that the leaves of one oak tree will support…
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Everyone is on the alert for the deadly EEE virus (Eastern Equine Encephalitis), transmitted to humans by the bite of an infected mosquito and reported in some of our service area. Here is information on aerial spraying with pesticides, already performed at night in some of our communities: Read Mass Gov File Those who have been…
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Our Plant Health Care Manager, Reese Crotteau, is looking ahead to our November season of anti-desiccant and deer protection applications. We aim to prevent winter damage from scorching sun low in the sky in late winter plus potential harsh wind action on broadleafed evergreens like rhododendron, holly, and boxwood through our anti-desiccant spray program. This…
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I re-read this great book recently with my book group. The author decided to study botany as a young college student because she wanted to find out why asters and goldenrods like to grow together. They certainly are a perfect color combination in our fields, roadsides and gardens. And perfectly native to New England! Aster…
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The white powdery mildew sometimes seen on phlox, helianthus, lilacs, dogwoods, and the like at this time of year is rather unsightly. This fungus spreads, so be sure to avoid working with these plants during wet weather. Do not handle the leaves at all if you can help it! We have had success with soil…
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I was working in my garden over the weekend and noticed that the small shrubs I planted last year showed the first signs of wilting! Sure enough, dry soil lay under the leaf mulch. So I got out the watering can and made the rounds, filling up the well around each plant. Please keep an…
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Continue to deadhead and deadleaf perennials, making way for fall color Cut down any mildewed peony, helianthus or phlox and make plans to amend soil or transplant Stake tall aster, goldenrod, boltonia against wind and rain storms Freshen containers for fall, removing spent summer plants Continue to foliar feed annuals such as dahlias, lantana and…
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Our crews are busy daily with fall tasks, including lots of planting and transplanting. Now is the time, as plants root best while soil temperatures are warm. We cut off fall planting at the end of October, as it is a risk to plant so close in time to the cold temperatures and bitter winds…
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Speaking of soil testing time, one result that we often find in soil tests that come back from the lab is bound-up, high levels of Phosphorus. This mineral is very hard to unlock, so this work is undertaken over several seasons. The ideal level of Phosphorus is 75 ppm (parts per million). We often find…
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We’ve prepared quite a fall checklist and stand ready to help you work through it. What we do now sets the stage for spring 2020. August is a great time to analyze various sections of the garden and make plans for updating. Here’s what we’ll be tackling as we move ahead into September: Transplant, divide,…
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Start with the soil, as always. Phlox paniculata prefers a mineral rich, limy soil, with lots of organic matter. Moisture is preferred over droughty summers, and we certainly had a moist spring this year. Then be sure to site the phlox plants in full sun. My soil test showed low Potassium, as we find in many…
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Finish pruning spring blooming shrubs and trees Enjoy the color of dahlias, native hibiscus, Rose of Sharon and phlox Plan changes to your garden this fall Keep watering anything newly planted last fall or this season Patrol beds for deadheading and weeding through the coming month Deadleaf daylilies as you cut spent stalks, removing yellowed…
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Our compost tea program is now segueing into the summer season with applications of Summer Foods. This means we are quite literally providing food for the large colonies of microscopic life in your soil through the hot weather. These “good guys” are actively seeking sustenance so that they can fulfill their role as predators of…
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You’re not alone. Munching on daylily flowers, hosta leaves, phlox, sedum, new growth on hydrangea, weigela, viburnum, witch hazel and more has been reported as we make our rounds. The deer seem to seek moisture and tender new tips of plants at this hot time of year. Cut back damaged stems and leaves on perennials…
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Russell Stafford, part-time Crew Supervisor, left us in early July after working with PBOG since 2007. This spring he relocated to Providence, Rhode Island and found the commute not workable. We relied on Russell on Tuesdays (and Thursdays some years) to oversee work at many of our largest properties. He instilled in all of us…
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This beautiful native plant is blooming now! You may wonder why a rhododendron is blooming so late, and this is a positive ID for Rhododendron maximum, or the Rosebay rhododendron. Living up to its name, it is our tallest rhododendron growing 10′-25′ tall and wide. We often use it in designs where year-round screening is called for and…
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Tall bearded iris are the one plant that can be divided and transplanted at this warm time of the year! Blooming from late May into June, these plants enter dormancy in the hot summer. The spreading rhizomes are easily dug up with a spading fork, separated, roots trimmed, and replanted in a gritty soil mixture in full…
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What is the starry white tree that you see blooming everywhere these days? Most likely it’s the Kousa dogwood, native to Japan, China and Korea. This is the analog to our native dogwood, the Cornus florida. However, as dogwood anthractnose began to infect native stands, many people decided to plant the resistant Kousa dogwood instead. This tree is 20′-30′ tall…
DetailsOur Plant Health Care Department team, Reese and Roy, are busy this month with spot spraying. Using only organic products, we aim to catch the pest at the proper time for best control. We often use a Neem oil product for this purpose. It’s time for various sawflies to emerge. Larvae feed voraciously on leaves. The azalea sawfly…
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One cardinal rule is this: after it’s done blooming, pruning can happen. So we start in late June by pruning the early spring flowering plants such as quince, fothergilla, lilac and forsythia. Later we’ll turn to rhododendrons, azaleas, weigelas, and the like. Evergreens such as yew, holly and boxwood are pruned in the summer once…
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With the coming of May comes the bloom of a choice native plant: Trailing Arbutus, or Epigea repens. This 4″-6″ high groundcover was once harvested for its evergreen leaves and fragrant, waxy pink or white flowers and sold on city streets. A group of concerned citizens formed the New England Wild Flower Society in 1900 to protect…
DetailsWhat with January turning cold and nearly snowless, many so-called evergreens did not live up to their name! Here’s how to handle your Japanese holly, rhododendron and leucothoe. Sometimes it is best to adopt the “wait and see” attitude instead of pruning out all the burned pieces immediately. Often these plants will push new buds…
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It’s time to prune summer blooming plants! The roses, hydrangeas and clematis seem to top the list. I’d like to share a few tips: Roses: Prune only in dry weather as many diseases are spread through rose foliage Prune above an outward facing bud for best new growth Thin out weak, contorted, crossing or dead…
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Eastern Tent Caterpillar is often destructive to apples, crabapples and cotoneaster – all members of the Rose family. Reese, our Plant Health Care Manager, is on the lookout for telltale signs of this pest in the landscape and is prepared to spot spray with Bt, Bacillis thuringiensis, a selective insecticide approved for organic programs. You…
DetailsThree of our client properties will be featured on three upcoming garden tours: Cooler Concord Sustainable Landscape Fair, May 18 From 1-4 pm, the Cooler Concord group will feature several gardens in town that use sustainable and organic practices. Inspiration abounds! Pick up a map at the landscape fair happening at Concord-Carlisle High School from 10…
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Priscilla’s To-Do List for May Edit: Divide or transplant overgrown perennials, especially running types like bee balm and rudbeckia that tend to merge with neighboring plants Pinch back tall sprawlers such as Anise hyssop and Aster to control height Put stakes and string or hoops in place early for peonies Prune roses, clematis and hydrangeas Prune…
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It’s easy to cut a few branches from your flowering trees and shrubs at this time of year and to bring them indoors for forcing. They’ve already had the requisite six weeks of freezing temperatures and are raring to go. Here are some of my favorites: Forsythia…
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The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources is warning consumers to check houseplants purchased this winter for a new pest called Spotted Lanternfly. Evidently, a single dead pest was found in a home near Boston and reported to officials. Experts believe the pest may have arrived on a shipment of poinsettia plants that arrived from Pennsylvania. Spotted…
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The Korean Spice Viburnum shrub sports some of the most fragrant flowers of spring. Typically its pinkish-white blooms appear just before the leaves, perfuming the air with the most wonderful aroma! From a distance, the blossoms look like snowballs, hence its nickname of “snowball viburnum.” This shrub is very easy care, but unfortunately, it is…
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It will soon be time for the first Spot Spraying of the year. In an organic program, proper timing is everything! We will be spraying horticultural oil on Korean Spice Viburnum, Viburnum carlesii, as soon as the leaves begin to unfurl. This prevents snowball aphids from damaging the leaves. See the photo below for an…
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The answer to this question changes from year to year. In general, we wait until the threat of snow is over. Levels of snow differ widely in our service area and depend greatly on the amount of shade and the altitude. We like to see the snow mostly gone from your yard and a good…
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Shear ornamental grasses and root prune or divide if they have grown too big for their space Continue dormant pruning of fruit trees, deciduous shrubs, inkberry, holly, and any overgrown shrub you want to contain Prune honeysuckle vines hard as they bloom on new wood Reduce girth of yew, privet and arborvitae now as a…
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Al just announced that he will be leaving us at the end of March after nine years with Pumpkin Brook. Starting as a crew member in 2010, he was a fast learner who became Plant Health Care Technician in 2013 and then Manager of the department in 2017. He has taken another position in the green…
DetailsWe are available this winter to help you with your garden design and renovation needs. No need to wait until April. We like to plan ahead and get the design and planning stages finished before the snow melts. Then you can be among the first on our list for a spring project installation. Contact us…
DetailsFollowing up on last month’s article about creating a winter garden for birds, a friend forwarded me an article about the link between the northward spread of red birds (namely, robins and cardinals) who dine on red berries. Evidently, the red berries help keep the red pigment in feathers for these birds. When growing up,…
DetailsOne of my favorite winter rituals is a visit to an indoor plant show. In our area, we are blessed with plentiful attractions that make perfect day trips. The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum’s courtyard in Boston’s Fenway is a welcome haven on a winter day. Greenhouses provide tender orchids, ferns, blooming jade plants, and the first…
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Stuck indoors a lot in winter? Let’s plant something interesting to view from your windows! Most broadleaf evergreens like rhododendrons curl their leaves tightly in the cold for self-preservation. This isn’t that attractive over time. Why not try something different? Textured bark might be one solution. One of my favorite native woodland plants…
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Snow is a great insulator, and for the short term will provide the needed protection of David Austin and hybrid tea roses. We plan to get out to make cones of compost around the root zones of these plants as usual, once we can determine that the ground is frozen, even if there is a…
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My friends Brent and Becky Heath, owners of Brent and Becky’s Bulbs in Virginia, shared this technique with me during a bulb seminar I attended at their headquarters back in March 2012. It will work for the bulbs that you didn’t get to plant in the ground this fall. Gather a bunch of 2-gallon pots.…
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Any broadleaf evergreen planted in 2017 or 2018 needs special help to get through the coming winter. That means boxwood, holly, rhododendron and pieris. These plants are beautiful in the winter landscape! But if they are not yet well rooted, they are vulnerable to winter burn. That’s the awful browned out look you’ll see when…
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Leaf Cleanup Season is Here – How Can We Help? Here at Pumpkin Brook we have a different approach to fallen leaves than most landscape companies. We advocate leaving a thin layer over garden beds as winter protection. This can easily be removed in spring. But what about the 18″ deep drop from maple trees? …
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It probably makes sense that trees and shrubs go dormant about now, especially the ones that shed their leaves. This makes the period starting November 1 ideal for pruning. We can clearly see the structure of the plant, especially any crossing branches or water sprout type growth that may have emerged this season. Densely twiggy…
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Priscilla’s Guide for September To-Do’s in Your Garden! Begin to divide and transplant perennials that are not fall bloomers Add new plants and carefully mulch to prevent winter heaving Complete order for fall planted bulbs Clean up summer annuals like petunias as they fade and use an organic liquid foliar feed weekly to encourage strong…
DetailsEvergreens are popular this month, so I thought I would feature our native white pine, Pinus strobus, and its relatives. This is my favorite evergreen for winter containers as it lends a graceful note, draping over the edges. Needles on this pine appear in bundles Eastern White Pine of 5 and are soft to the…
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We are proud to announce that three more employees—Annalise, Martin, and Sarah—have successfully earned their NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professional (AOLCP) Credentials in March 2026. This achievement reflects our ongoing commitment to providing the highest standards of professional organic garden maintenance. Congratulations to them！
All of our employees are expert pumpkin carvers！ Each Fall, the Pumpkin Brook Organic Gardening team comes together for our annual pumpkin carving tradition. A chance to celebrate the season, showcase our creativity, and enjoy some friendly competition. Congratulations to our 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners! Thank you to everyone who helped make it…
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The Pawpaw (Asimina triloba) is an understory tree with broad geographic hardiness, including our region. It is easily identified by large, elongated leaves that turn a buttery gold in fall. At least two varieties are needed for good pollination and fruit set. Pawpaws will tolerate high shade and a slightly acidic soil. They will set…
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Much is being written and spoken about “leaving the leaves” to provide critical overwintering sites for pollinators in garden beds. We’re in favor of this, but with some caveats. Leaves blanketing driveways, walkways, and lawns DO need to be cleaned up, and the sooner the better. Plan to make use of these leaves elsewhere on site…
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As trees drop their leaves and nights grow cooler, what we call “dormant pruning season” begins. It’s so much easier to see the structure of a woody plant without leaves. As long as temperatures are above 20 degrees, we can prune fruit trees and any ornamental species now through April. Below that temperature point, branches are brittle and may…
DetailsTick & Mosquito Control and PHC Technician works closely with Plant Health Care Manager on daily routine, routes, special assignments for Tick & Mosquito spraying, spot spraying, soil tests and soil amending. Applicant has the skills and experience to work quickly and neatly, paying attention to details. Scouts for problems in client landscapes and assists…
DetailsDo you have a few years of professional gardening experience under your belt? Come join our team of fine gardeners! Take sole responsibility for small sites or be part of a crew at larger sites. Full and part-time positions available. Employment at Pumpkin Brook Organic Gardening, Inc. We operate under the NOFA standards of Organic…
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