The Garden at 485 Elm
People growing together:
a collaborative community garden in Montpelier, Vermont

Planting Week

Many weeks involve planting here at the Garden at 485 Elm. But here in Vermont, when we can get a hard frost as late as Memorial Day, the big planting push means waiting until frost warnings are really over, then urgently planting as many heat-loving crops as we can get into the ground.

In this video, a glimpse of prepping the final bed we’ll be planting. Bed 4 will have hot peppers, Amish paste tomatoes, and several rows of summer squash. In the background, turning the compost in Compostville.

Delicata squash seeds germinating under reemay row cover, keeping vulnerable young plants safe from decimation by cucumber beetles.

Watering six just-planted Sweet Chocolate Peppers seedlings from Ananda Gardens.

We planted some of our bush bean and pole bean seeds in upright toilet paper roles to ward off cutworms.

Pole beans are planted, facilitated by Warrior 2 and Reverse Warrior (not pictured here). Behind our warrior, Red Kuri Squash seeds garment under reemay.

No rush to plant: We grow a few perennial and self-seeding crops, including lemon balm, Jerusalem artichokes, tomatillos, thyme, oregano, chamomile, mint, anise hyssop, and edible pansies & violets. Lettuces and spinach plants overwinter with no assistance from us, providing us with early tender, delicious green leaves.