Why We Love the Organic Herb Bronze Fennel

Organically Grown Bronze Fennel 

Bronze Fennel is an understated herb that does so much hard work for the garden. Here are some of our favorite qualities of this precious herb:

1. It supports the black Eastern Swallowtail, it is a larval food source for the caterpillar

2. Tossed in salad, it adds a slight anise flavor that also aids in digestion

3. It comes back every year in Connecticut

4. It's bronze color and feathery texture offer an amazing touch of something different even in perennial beds

5. It turns a gorgeous rustic yellow color in the Fall that looks amazing in the Sun

Try bronze fennel for a reliable, useful, delicious and beautiful addition to any of your gardens. 

Lovely Peonies and Sturdy Peony Hoops

The earlier you prepare for supporting your peonies, the better off they will be. This year, we have sturdy, perfectly-sized hoops to support your precious peonies.

If you wait too long to put in your hoops, the peonies will grow before your eyes and flop to the ground at full-size. The weight of the blooms makes it difficult to support themselves.

In the early years of your plant, you may see some of the hoop, but as they grow into full-size, the hoop will become completely invisible and your plant will stand upright.

We can't get enough of these hoops! We remove them at the end of the season (they snap into a flat shape), store them inside over the winter, and use them again the following Spring.

Last Chance to Plant Seeds Indoors!

Some vegetable and flower seeds are best started indoors. We wouldn't be able to put tomato seeds directly in the ground and watch them grow. Instead, we bring them indoors with a seed starting kit.

The essential ingredients for successful seed starting are:
1. Heat from the bottom to warm the seeds (use a clear dome to lock in warmth and moisture)

2. Quality seed starting soil that holds in moisture (Organic Mechanics has micronutrients that support your little seed's early life)

3. Evenly distributed light once your seeds emerge.

It's April 14th and the days are getting warmer. Many of the vegetables listed below need a good head start before planting and the window of opportunity is getting smaller. Starting from seed is one of the best ways to get the most variety in your garden (for the lowest price!).

Vegetables that prefer to be started indoors:
-Tomatoes     -Broccoli         -Kohlrabi
-Eggplant      -Cauliflower    -Celeriac
-Peppers        -Cabbage         -Brussel Sprouts

Grow Day: An all-day affair on March 25th!

Yes, you're absolutely right.  2017 is going to be the best year for growing organic vegetables--EVER.

To make sure you're ready for the season, we've created an entire day of workshops (9am- 3:15pm with a lunch break) Get the nitty gritty of how to maximize your growing capacity for small spaces. Walk out with your head held high, you'll be feeling confident about growing food from seed. We'll even help you assemble your very own veggie garden plan (not to mention, a few other fun workshops).
                                  

At the end of Winter, it's so fun to dream up your veggie gardens because we are all SO ready to get growing!

Walk-ins are welcome, or call us to register.

Our retail shop will be open, so after attending the sessions, you can take a scenic five-minute drive to pick-up all your seed starting supplies and other early garden prep equipment. We'll see you there!

Find more info here: http://naturework.com/grow-day/
Join the event on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/246818302436146/

Our Incredible Edibles

This year, Natureworks is doing something new and exciting.

We're not making anyone pre-order their veggies! We've still created an Incredible Edible's list that is full of new varieties (hint: there's some dwarf tomatoes we just can't stop talking about). We decided to include the stories of a lot of the types we're providing.

We chose such a wide selection of heirloom varieties partially because the flavor is beyond compare, partially because they have a rich history that makes us feel part of a homegrown food tradition.

Check it out, print at home and put stars and hearts next to varieties you're excited to try. Barring any crop failures, which do happen sometimes, we've made sure each type of veggie will be well-stocked so you get the best selection.

Not detailed on our list is a great organic herb section. We'll always have types you can't find anywhere else. Stay tuned for what selection is in store. In the meantime, peruse our 2017 Incredible Edible list! 

The Tie Die Dwarf Tomato!

                                   

Cover Cropped- Keep Your Soil Active this Winter

At Natureworks, we have a mission to provide cover crops for every Connecticut home gardener. Why? Many customers come in early Spring and find that their formerly lovely beds are filled with weeds, or they look like they’ve been eroded by the harsh winter winds. Maybe they grew tons of vegetables in their beds and never gave them a boost afterward.

Cover crops solve all these problems and more, they’re especially useful for someone who is looking to remediate their soil completely.

Compaction and clay? Break it up with cover crops.

Low fertility rates and a complete lack of nutrients? Nurture the soil with cover crops.

Can’t get ahead of the weeds before prepping a bed? Suppress them with cover crops

Want to try a living mulch?

For an extremely low investment that covers a ton of area, cover crops are the solution to many problems in the garden. Sow them in the Fall after clearing beds, let them fill your garden with green color (and often a delicate flower) and chop them back before they go to seed. This will become what is called “green manure” on your soil. Cover crops will be your first healthy dose of mulch, and your beds will be weed free, not as compacted and full of good nutrients to get your beds off to a healthy start.

See this in-depth view of different kinds of multi-use cover crops written by our longtime friend, Bill Duesing. Available for sale at Natureworks- your next best soil therapy

http://ctnofa1982.blogspot.com/2016/09/multiple-purpose-cover-crops.html

October Isn’t Just for Mums Anymore

The New England garden is so full of opportunity in the Fall. There’s this expectation that it’s time for the Winter blues to set in, maybe everyone is out trying to soak in every last ounce of sun they can get before their skin is doomed to be covered for the next 4 months.

While it’s great for you to be out in the garden doing Fall chores, we have to ask- is there still color out to delight you during your hard work? And if there is- do you only see the likes of mums and daisies around? Hey! There’s nothing wrong with mums and daisies, but maybe you’re looking for something a little different... Something that you don’t see when you walk up to the grocery store or pumpkin patch.

Maybe that’s just what you need before the cold sets in, a bit of SURPRISE.

So we simply must ask- are these five plants part of your landscape? Do you have a great team of delightful, surprising garden dwellers who come to bloom or berry just when you thought your garden was growing brown?

Helianthus-‘First Light’ These lovely late perennial sunflowers form dense clumps and get covered in flowers. They’re best grown in full sun and have a very unique pointy foliage that covers their whole stem!

3-4’ tall x 3-4’ wide Full sun

Rabdosia longituba- Nancy came running in with this plant and said “Can you see why one variety is called ‘Tube Socks?!’” and when you look closely, you can see this gorgeous bell-like arrangement of tubular flowers that grow on tall, leafy stems in the shade garden. Wispy, playful and unexpected, this plant is an underused game changer that should be in every perennial shade garden.

36” tall x 36” wide Sun/ part-shade

Callicarpa – When this compact, arching shrub starts to fill out, we always seem to hear people shouting “What!? PURPLE BERRIES?!”  It matches the magical nature of this time of year, giving a showy display beyond compare.

2-4’ tall x 3-5’ wide Sun/ Part-shade

Liatris scariosa- with a species name that sounds like “scary-osa”, it’s a perfect October bloomer. It also loves those rocky, sandy soils and makes an excellent cut flower for your late-season bouquets. When you see the flower, you’ll understand why it’s commonly called ‘Blazing Star’.

2-4’ tall x 1-2’ wide Full sun

Colchicum and Fall Crocus- Fall blooming bulbs are the forgotten children of the garden. Usually when we think of bulbs we’re thinking of popping in things like bulbs like Tulips and Daffodils in Fall for Spring blooms. But what about bulbs you plant in late Summer/Early Fall for FALL blooms? Colchicum are completely pest proof. Although they're large bulbs, they can be nestled between perennials to fill your drab areas with color. Same with Fall-blooming crocus, consider growing saffron crocus with a delightful orange stamen that is harvested for the spice saffron.

Colchicum Double Waterlily planted in Black Mondo Grass

Winter Berry- A native plant that serves a purpose every time of year. The foliage gets brighter and better as the months grow colder until it eventually drops its leaves and shows off its brilliant red berries on slick dark stems. We use these berry-covered stems for stunning Christmas arrangements, and the birds use them for a much needed late season snack. One male plant is sufficient to pollinate 6-10 female plants, so get one of each to ensure cross pollination.

3-12’ tall x 3-12’ wide Sun/ Part-shade

 P.s.- Don’t forget some of the late season soldier, here are some of the late season classics : Sedums, Asters and Anemones provide pollen for our late pollinators and make for amazing photos when filled with sleeping bumble bees on the cold mornings. Keep on planting!