| Vermont Home Gardener Garden Choices: annuals or perennials? April is National Garden Month so now is a great time to think about starting a garden and all the planning choices that involves. Most basically, "What should I grow?" depends on what you want to eat or to see in your yard, and the kind of work you can do. Soil & climate conditions in Vermont place some limits on our choices but we do have a great selection of hardy fruits, vegetables, and flowers that do very well here. We are in Agricultural Zone 4 or 5, depending on location and altitude so we need to pay attention to the "Hardiness" of what we plant, especially perennials. Thinking long-term? Some of the perennials that do well here and that you should establish in the spring include Asparagus, Rhubarb, Strawberries, Blueberries, Raspberries, Elderberries, & Blackberries. Annuals make up most of our garden's production and the choices are unending so you need to decide what you like and how much you can handle. I provide a full selection specific choices for your garden this year and a simple way to give your potatoes a head start. We have a new invasive pest in New England called Jumping Worms and there are some things to know and do. These worms look similar to our common (non-native also) earthworms but can cause serious degradation of our soils and we need to try to limit their damage and spread. There is a very helpful website from Vermont Invasives where you can learn more. Read my full article for a list of tips every gardener should know about jumping worms. Read the complete article at VermontHomeGardener.com and start your Free subscription. | 
