Vermont Garden Journal

Those pretty red poinsettias adorning your holiday table actually grow as shrubs in their native Central America. These posies have become the symbol of the holidays in many countries all over the world. In this episode, we’ll learn about poinsettia varieties, how to care for them and the ever-important question: are poinsettias really poisonous?

With 'stick season' upon us, we won’t be seeing green leaves on trees for another six months. Why not plant some trees and shrubs in your lawn and landscape that boast beautiful-looking bark?

Should you cut back your hydrangeas? If you want to protect them for winter, now is a great time to not only cut them back and dead-head the flowers, but also do some other winter care prep methods. You just need to know which variety you've got before you begin.

Now that we're all nestled in our homes staying warm, we might have noticed a few things about our houseplants. For instance, why isn't the cactus blooming? That all comes down to the cactus variety you have. Some are budding or blooming now, while other varieties are just green and doing nothing special. We'll learn about the different varieties of cactus, why and when they bloom and how to encourage yours to bloom this winter!

With the sudden freeze that happened recently, it's time to dig up and protect precious sub-tropical bulbs such as canna lilies, dahlias and gladiolus.

Reuse the pumpkins on your porch step by turning them into planters for small succulents!

The tropical-looking persimmon is hardy in Vermont, has avocado-like leaves and tasty orange fruits that are ready to harvest ... now!

Leaves are falling, so it's time to do something (or nothing!) with them.

Folks with perennial flower gardens might already have a go-to method for readying their beds for fall and winter, but there are new ways to clean up your plot that are more in tune with nature.

With daisy-like flowers growing on thin, leggy stems, Japanese anemones are also known by the poetic moniker, "wind flower." This perennial not only looks beautiful in your landscape, it's also hardy and easy to maintain.

Frugal folks will enjoy the fact that, come fall, any trees and shrubs that you plan to plant are probably on sale at most garden stores and nurseries! And fall is the practical time to plant them, too, as the air is cool and the soil will stay warm enough for roots to start getting established.

Fall is a great time of year to plant cover crops to protect the soil over the winter. Come spring, you will have done your garden a favor and given it a head start, as the cover crops can add organic matter and help control weeds.

Late summer's yellow-blossomed favorites like goldenrod, asters and rudbeckia are certainly lovely, but if you're looking for golden petals plus drama, pick a posie that can grow as tall as some adults! The cup plant is a native species and grows up to 6 feet tall, with scads of daisy-like bright yellow flower.

Sharing what you've grown in your garden feels good. And late summer means your garden abounds with actual, real live vegetables that you have grown! There are some great options for sharing the fruit (and veggies) of your labor beyond just dropping off your extra cucumbers onto a neighbor's porch.

Gaze out on your garden and take in all the beauty that you've planted! The annual flowers are really showing their colors now and perhaps you want to grow them again next year.Depending on the flower, you can either save its seeds or root them.