Each year we plant a large vegetable garden
that is maintained throughout the growing
season. It is an on-going experiment and
one year's garden rarely looks like the
next. It is an 80 x 30 area enclosed with
rabbit fence. The fence just keeps the dogs
from running through, all other animals
can get in just fine!
The garden always includes tomatoes, lettuce,
spinach, snow peas, corn, carrots, peppers,
beans, pumpkins, potatoes, radishes, and
onions. Some years we have also grown beets,
kohlrabi, watermelons, cucumbers, broccoli
and cauliflower. There are permanent wide
rows of gold raspberries, strawberries,
rhubarb, and herbs. A 20+ year old asparagus
bed is outside the garden at the edge of
the orchard. There is a bed of gold
raspberries from a friend who salvaged them from
behind an apartment building in Madison.
They always produce fruit twice a season,
once with the rest of the raspberries in
the spring, and again in mid-August through
September. The fields are full of red and
black raspberries, so we don't bother to
maintain any formal plantings of them.
The vegetable garden is laid out in "wide
rows" approximately 2.5'x6'. The aisles
are permanently mulched with recycled carpet,
which we scavenge from carpet store dumpsters
(with permission), from trash piles at the
side of the road, and from a neighbor who
is a carpet installer. It easily cuts to
size with a utility knife, and most carpet
is the same tan burlap texture on the back,
so blends fine with the landscape. Most
carpet lasts several years before deteriorating,
at which point we haul it off to the "transfer
station" (i.e. dump).
Make planting and re-potting a pleasure with this easy-to-build
potting bench.
Home Vegetable Gardening -
A Complete and Practical Guide to the Planting and Care of Vegetables, Fruits and Berries
Best Bets for Rose of Sharon
Gardening correspondent Paul Epsom has always had difficulty with hibiscus but offers up some nice varieties of the rose of Sharon.
Best Bets for Eggplant
Jack Algiers from the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture shows us his best bets for growing eggplant in New England.
Best Bets for Shrubs
Gardening Correspondent Paul Epsom figures out how to make the best of an empty space in his yard, by filling it with flowering shrubs for a low maintenance solution to a not-so-attractive space in the garden.
Pond Maintenance
Ponds make a beautiful addition to any garden, but there is a certain amount of maintenance that must go with it. Gardening correspondent Paul Epsom walks us through what needs to be done before winter comes.
Best Bets for Berry Plants
Well if you live in a colder part of the U.S., winter can often be the longest season in your garden. So, if your landscape design doesn't include hardy plants for winter, it is going to be a long wait until spring. Gardening correspondent Paul Epsom introduces us to some winter berries that will add color to your garden.
Best Bets for Peppers
Jack Algiers from the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture shows us his best bets for growing peppers in New England.
Best Bets for Hydrangeas
There are not many of us who don't appreciate hydrangeas in the garden -- gardening correspondent Paul Epsom introduces us to some of his favorites.
Best Bets for Climbing Plants
Gardening correspondent Paul Epsom shows us his best bets for climbing plants that will cover an ugly eyesore.
Best Bets for Dark Foliage
Gardening correspondent Paul Epsom shows us his best bets for new varieties for dark foliage in your backyard.
Best Bets for Fall Flowers
When summer finally fades away and we are into fall, flowers are at a premium and gardening expert Paul Epsom has some new choices, above and beyond the usual fall flower -- the hardy mum.
Best Bets for Artichokes
Jack Algiers at the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture describes how to grow healthy and hearty artichokes.
Best Bets for Roses
Are you giving up on growing roses? Well, don't. Gardening correspondent Paul Epsom introduces us to some new varieties that are easy to grow and disease-resistant -- he is joined by horticulture expert Todd Forrest from the New York Botanical Garden.
Best Bets for Evergreens
Evergreens are one of those vital ingredients to any good landscape -- strong green color all year around. But gardening correspondent Paul Epsom tells us that is only part of the story. In his ideal garden, evergeens are joined by ever blues, ever yellows and even ever reds.
Best Bets for Golden Foliage
Looking to brighten up your garden in the fall? Consider the color yellow -- and add some golden foliage to your landscape. Gardening expert Paul Epsom gives us his best bets for golden foliage for your garden.
Front Entrance
Paul Epsom of PBS's The Victory Garden gives tips on beautifying your front entrance.
Succulents
The Victory Garden's Paul Epsom gives his favorite succulent specimens for Zone 6 cities.
Spider Mites
Paul Epsom of PBS's The Victory Garden gives tips on how to handle the dreaded spider mite.
Dry Shade
Paul Epsom of PBS's The Victory Garden gives tips on low maintenance ground covers for dry shade.
Asiatic Lilies
The Victory Garden's Paul Epsom gives tips on Asiatic lilies.
Willows
The Victory Garden's Paul Epsom answers a viewer question about watering willows.
Watering
The Victory Garden gives advice on how best to water your plants.
Lily of the Valley
Lily of the Valley has the tendency to spread. The Victory Garden gives you tips on how to contain them and what other plants they work with.
Caterpillars
Paul Epsom gives organic tips on how to deal with caterpillars in the vegetable garden.
Small Trees
The Victory Garden provides suggestions for small trees.
Slugs
Paul Epsom of The Victory Garden gives tips on how to deal with slugs.
Hemlock
The Victory Garden offers tips on how to cure hemlock of an infestation.
Golden Privet
The Victory Garden's Paul Epsom gives his take on how to keep your golden privet healthy.
Dog Urine
How do you deal with dog urine on your lawn? Paul Epsom from The Victory Garden gives advice on how to have a beautiful lawn and a happy dog.
Deer
The Victory Garden's Paul Epsom gives us tips on how to deal with deer invading your garden space.
Clay
The Victory Garden's Paul Epsom gives advice on how to deal with clay soil.
Arborvitae
Paul Epsom of PBS's The Victory Garden teaches how to transplant arborvitae.
Apple Spray
Which apple sprays should you use on your trees? The Victory Garden's Paul Epsom gives you options that are earth friendly.
Apple Trees
The Victory Garden's Paul Epsom gives listeners the skinny on how to transplant an apple tree from start to finish.
Fire Pit Safety
Have you recently added a fire pit to your outdoor space? "Stone Guys" Derek Stearns and Dean Marsico share safety tips important for any homeowner.
Brugmansia, "Angel's Trumpet"
Host Jamie Durie answers a viewer's question on Brugmansia (common name: Angel's Trumpet) and toxicity.
Hypertufa Containers
Garden correspondent Paul Epsom answers a viewer's question about hypertufa (faux stone) containers.
Botanical Names
Host Jamie Durie answers a viewer's question about the use of botanical names in Latin.
Jamie's Garden
Host Jamie Durie answers a viewer's question about what his own garden looks like at home.
English Gardens
Garden correspondent Paul Epsom, an Englishman himself, discusses why he believes people are so keen on gardening in the UK.
Enhancing a Deck
Host Jamie Durie explains how an outdoor room can enhance life at home.
Hydrangeas and Color
Garden correspondent Paul Epsom gives terrific tips on keeping your hydrangeas a beautiful blue.
Gardening TV
Host Jamie Durie answers a viewer's question about gardening television.
Sweet Potato Vine
Viewer question answered! Paul Epsom on tubers and sweet potato vines.
Stone Walls
"Stone Guys" Dean Marsico and Derek Stearns give practical tips on building stone walls.
Shade Defined
Garden correspondent Paul Epsom answers a viewer's question about types of shade and the right plant for the right place.
Lessons from the Getty
The beautiful modern garden at the Getty Center in Los Angeles is an influential landmark in design. Host Jamie Durie and producer Hilary Finkel Buxton discuss shooting the show at the Getty, and what lessons it provides for the home gardener.
Indoor Color
Viewer question answered! It's still cold outside in many parts of the country. What's the best way to bring the outdoors in during cooler weather to get a jump on spring?
Victory Garden: Simply the Best Tomatoes
Gardener Kip Anderson and lifestyle co-host Sissy Biggers tour the Victory Garden's vegetable garden and dish on the most delicious tomato varieties and give tips on how to grow them:
Tomato 'Isis Candy Cherry'
Tomato 'Black Pearl'
Tomato 'Snowberry'
Tomato 'Sungold'
Tomato 'Favorita'
Victory Garden: Row Cover 101
Host Michael Weishan and gardener Kip Anderson give you a primer on using row cover effectively in the vegetable garden - preventing insect infestations and shielding sensitive plants.
Victory Garden: Double Digging
Host Michael Weishan and gardener Kip Anderson demonstrate the cultivation technique of "double digging" - a tried and true way of creating a healthy garden bed for plants and vegetables.
Victory Garden: Lichen
Viewer question answered! What exactly is lichen, and will it harm the trees and plants it grows on?
Victory Garden: Plants for scent
There's nothing like fragrance in the garden! Host Michael Weishan and Mike Mahoney of Mahoney's Garden Centers in Winchester, MA, discuss their best bets for selecting plants with scent.
Make planting and re-potting a pleasure with this easy-to-build