The Vermont Gardener's Companion: An Insider's Guide to Gardening in the Green Mountain State

by Henry Homeyer

The Vermont Gardener's Companion tells how to get the most out of Vermont’s short gardening season and details how readers can use organic methods to improve soil, deal with diseases and pests, and get better results with their plants in a state where “winter temperatures plunge far below zero and rocks left by the glaciers pop out of the ground each spring like bread from hyperactive toasters.” With good humor and a natural teacher’s gift for explanations, Henry Homeyer makes gardening fun and readily accessible to all.

Genres: Gardening

248 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 2007

About the author

Henry Homeyer, “The Gardening Guy”, is a freelance writer, garden designer, and consultant. He lives in Cornish Flat, NH and writes a weekly gardening column for the Valley News and other newspapers in Vermont, Maine,New Hampshire and Rhode Island.

He is the author of Notes from the Garden (now out of print), The New Hampshire Gardener’s Companion, and The Vermont Gardener’s Companion (Globe Pequot Press). Henry writes a weekly column that appears in 12 newspapers throughout New England, and is a regular commentator on Vermont Public Radio.

“Winter is the time to get caught up on reading for me, now that the garden is pretty much put to bed. This is also the time for buying gifts for loved ones, so I’d like to share with you my idea of what needs to be in the New England gardener’s basic library – and why. The first section is for everyone, followed by a section that applies to gardeners with specific interests. And if a writer does one book you like, check out others by the same person.”

Books for every gardener: The Vermont Gardener’s Companion or The New Hampshire Gardener’s Companion, Notes from the Garden: Reflections and Observations of an Organic Gardener, Insect, Disease & Weed I.D. Guide: Find-It-Fast Organic Solutions for Your Garden, Making Things Grow: A Practical Guide for the Indoor Gardener, The Well-Tended Perennial Garden: Planting and Pruning Techniques, The Pruning Book, and The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible.

References and More Technical Books: Armitage’s Garden Perennials: A Garden Encyclopedia, Botanica: The Illustrated Encyclopedia of Over 10,000 Garden Plants and How to Cultivate Them, The New England Wild Flower Society Guide to Growing and Propagating Wildflowers, Dirr’s Hardy Trees and Shrubs: An Illustrated Encyclopedia, Manual of Woody Landscape Plants: Their Identification, Ornamental Characteristics, Culture, Propagation and Uses, he Gardener’s Palette: Creating Color in the Garden, Stone in the Garden: Inspiring Designs and Practical Projects, Fruits and Berries for the Home Garden, Annuals for Every Purpose: Choosing the Right Plants for Your Conditions, Your Garden, and Your Taste, The Inward Garden: Creating a Place of Beauty and Meaning, Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping, The Apple Grower: A Guide for the Organic Orchardist, Manual of Herbaceous Ornamental Plants, and The Organic Lawn Care Manual.

Reviews

[Courtney (BooksStringsandThings) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this book. I basically read it like a novel. I just moved to Vermont in mid-2021 and did not have the opportunity to garden until this year. So much of this book contains wonderful information not just for Vermont but for most cooler climate gardening.

I really loved seeing the local resources, like UVM and Gardener's being referenced. I tabbed just about every 3rd page for referring back to later. This is absolutely going to be a part of my permanent reference collection.

[Jsarno49 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Henry Homeyer is one of my favorite gardening experts, and in this book, he reminds me of all the reasons I follow his advice. In a clear and conversational voice, he shares his knowledge about soil, vegetables, annuals, perennials, shrubs, and lawns. Having once taught 5th grade, Homeyer explains things simply and directly. His admiration for classical as well as newer plants is evident. This is also a well researched book with quotes and references from a number of plant experts throughout VT. This book will be one of my gardening bibles for quick and understandable information.

[Steve · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad book-- but less specific to Vermont gardening than perhaps I'd been hoping for given the title. Most of the specificity is particular to local reference sources and resources. Most of the gardening recommendations are pretty common sense.

[Lori · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sigh, I just cannot get into gardening.