The Webster Viridarium
Planting Garlic
With the warmer weather we’ve been having there’s still time to plant garlic for next year.
For our northern climate, hardneck garlic is preferable. Plant in an area that receives full sun and has well drained rich loamy soil. Separate the cloves just prior to planting. Make sure not to peel them as the skins can help prevent rot. Plant each clove approximately 2 to 3 inches deep, root side down and pointed tip up. Space each clove about 6 inches apart. We add several handfuls of compost to the bottom of each hole. That’s it until spring!
Butterfly Conservation
Some exciting news out of Missouri.
Mosquito Control
One of the more surprising realities of life in Webster is the growing popularity of mosquito control services. Thanks to heavy advertising by unscrupulous companies and little mention of the dangers of spraying to pollinators and other insects, serious damage is being done to our environment everyday.
A swallowtail in our garden here at Shortmeadow this past July.
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Vegetable Gardener’s Handbook
Contains step-by-step advice for successfully growing 32 vegetables; scores of time saving tips and proven veggie-growing techniques; more than 150 stunning, full-color photos; insightful and entertaining anecdotes from experienced gardeners; recommended varieties; essential reference tables and charts; dedicated pages for recording ongoing observations; and much more!
The Old Farmer’s Almanac Flower Gardener’s Handbook
The Old Farmer’s Almanac, America’s longtime trusted gardening resource, shares with you how to grow more than 30 stunning flowers throughout the year. Gorgeous photos accompany expert guidance and inspirational ideas, providing gardeners of all experience levels with the tools for success and creative enjoyment.
The Complete Gardener: A Practical, Imaginative Guide to Every Aspect of Gardening
The most comprehensive, practical, and highly illustrated book Monty has ever written, it covers what he believes are the most important aspects of gardening. Organic techniques have always been at the core of his practice, but this new edition picks up on another key principle: the need to provide habitats in your garden for local wildlife.
Floret Farm’s Cut Flower Garden: Grow, Harvest, and Arrange Stunning Seasonal Blooms
Celebrated flower farmer Erin Benzakein presents a beautiful gardening book and guide to growing, harvesting, and arranging gorgeous blooms year-round. First volume in the beloved Floret Farm books and gifts series!
Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners: Everything You Need to Know to Start and Sustain a Thriving Garden
Are you interested in creating a bountiful garden but worried that you don’t have enough space? Raised-Bed Gardening for Beginners shows you how simple it can be to plan, build, and grow your own raised-bed garden in whatever space is available. Learn to build your bed, select the right plants, grow your own vegetables, and much more. This book makes it easy for even inexperienced gardeners to serve up freshly picked vegetables and herbs in no time.
Mini Farming: Self-Sufficiency on 1/4 Acre
Mini Farming describes a holistic approach to small-area farming that will show you how to produce 85 percent of an average family’s food on just a quarter acre—and earn $10,000 in cash annually while spending less than half the time that an ordinary job would require.
The Complete Gardener’s Guide: The One-Stop Guide to Plan, Sow, Plant, and Grow Your Garden
Dreaming of having the perfect garden? Does it have a vegetable patch? Classic borders or flowers to attract wildlife? A picturesque garden for all to marvel at is achievable with this gardening guide, which gives you vital tools to achieve whatever you desire for your dream garden.
The 2026 Old Farmer’s Almanac
The Old Farmer’s Almanac has been making every day “useful, with a pleasant degree of humor” since 1792, and, with the 2026 edition, it continues this tradition in its inimitable fashion. Trusted by generations from all walks of life for its honesty and accuracy, the Almanac delivers fun facts, predictions, feature articles, and advice across many interest areas to readers who live—or aspire to live—close to the earth, with the intent of helping them to make informed decisions based on time-honored wisdom. As a calendar of the heavens, it provides detailed daily astronomical data (Sun/Moon rise/set times, length of day), tide times, and planet/star sightings for every sky watcher, from novice to expert. As a calendar of the year, it presents annual and seasonal events, holidays, anniversaries, and timely trivia, as well as astrological “Best Days” and cycles. As a time capsule of the year, it contains cultural trends; weather forecasts and conditions; articles on interesting topics such as gardening, home arts and remedies, amusements and contests, history, husbandry, nature, cooking and recipes, folklore, pets, and sports; and much more for the curious and the clever.
