Category: Outdoors

Kiddie Pool 23/06/15

Family fun for the weekend

Play ball

• Saturday, June 17, is Cats-Con Night as the theme for the Fisher Cats game at Northeast Delta Dental Stadium (1 Line Drive, Manchester) is Granite State Comicon. The night will celebrate comic pop culture with heroes and villains out on the concourse, and visitors will get a free comic book before the game. After the game there will be a firework show. First pitch is at 7:05 p.m. Tickets cost $10 to $17 and can be purchased at milb.com/new-hampshire.

Outside fun

• The YMCA of Downtown Manchester (30 Mechanic St.; graniteymca.org) will hold a Rock the Block party Saturday, June 17, from 10:15 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. on Mechanic Street. This free family event will feature games, a bounce house, live DJ and music, arts and crafts, food and more, according to a social media post about the event.

• Celebrate all things that make children amazing at the 41st annual Somersworth International Children’s Festival on Saturday, June 17, with a special pre-festival celebration at Somersworth High School (11 Memorial Dr.) on Friday, June 16, at 6 p.m. The pre-festival celebration will have live music, food and fireworks to enjoy. The festival day will be packed with food, craft and retail vendors, educational exhibits and talented street performers. There will also be free activities provided for children by local businesses. The fair runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit nhfestivals.org/festival-day.html.

• Head to the Aviation Museum of New Hampshire for the Annual Fly In Barbecue on Saturday, June 17, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The event will be at the hangar of Nashua Jet Aviation (83 Perimeter Road at the Nashua Airport). There will be all kinds of food to choose from, and access to watching the planes land and get ready to take off. Tickets for the barbecue cost $30 for adults, $25 for museum members, $10 for ages 6 to 12. Tickets for just access to the ramp cost $10. Kids under 5 years old are free in both cases. For more information visit nhahs.org.

• On Father’s Day, Sunday, June 18, Charmingfare Farm (774 High St., Candia) is giving free entrance to dads coming to the farm with kids 12 or younger. The farm will have all its usual exhibits open, including the hands-on petting area, tractor train rides, horse-drawn rides, visits with the farm animals, and the North American wildlife exhibits. Tickets for not-dad adults are $22 and can be purchased at visitthefarm.com.

• See Studio Two, a Beatles tribute band, at Greeley Park on Tuesday, June 20, at 7 p.m. The band will play the greatest hits at the outdoor band shell. The rain date for this event is Wednesday, June 21. For more information about this event visit nashuanh.gov/546/SummerFun.

Inside activities

• Have a Parents Night Out thanks to Snapology (826 Central Ave., Suite 1, Dover) on Friday, June 16. Kids ages 5 to 9 can participate in Mini-Figure Mania from 5:30 to 8 p.m. and kids ages 7 to 14 will create Prehistoric Robots from 6 to 8:30 p.m. In addition to doing fun STEAM activities, kids can enjoy a pizza dinner with drinks and desserts included. Spots cost $29; to reserve a spot, visit snapology.com/location/dover.

• The creepy and kooky Addams Family Musical is opening on Friday, June 16, at The Strand (20 Third St., Dover) by Break a Leg Legally. The show follows the eldest child of the Addams family, Wednesday, as she grows up and finds love with a normal boy, much to her parents’ concern. Showtime is at 8 p.m., with two more shows, on Saturday, June 17, at 8 p.m. and Sunday, June 18, at 2 p.m. Tickets to the show cost $20. More information is available at thestranddover.com

Science summer fun

SEE holds third annual Kick Off to Summer

It’s all about summer fun at SEE Science Center, and reminding kids and families that summer can be a time for learning.

“It’s a celebration of science going into the summer months,” said Pete Gustafson, the deputy director at SEE. “We’re encouraging families to get into science learning.”

The Kick Off to Summer event at SEE is a chance for kids of all ages to learn more about science, outside of the classroom.

The event will have all the museum’s normal interactive exhibits on display and will also have a special guest in the New England Mobile Insectarium. The insectarium will have all sorts of crawling critters to spark curiosity.

“Insectarium is open all day, as well as a special room where people can come in and meet the specialists and interact with their activities and their microscopes and their bugs, both live and preserved displays,” Gustafson said.

The whole purpose of Kick Off to Summer, he said, is to remind kids and parents that curiosity is what drives learning.

“During the summertime kids want a break from school, but summertime is a great time to learn about what you want to learn about,” Gustafson said.

While the dates haven’t been determined, Gustafson said there will be visitors from University of New Hampshire and Advanced Regenerative Manufacturing Institute with interactive activities. SEE also plans on doing some programs on solar eclipse safety, as well as giving out glasses, ahead of the partial eclipse in October.

In addition to the displays, SEE is offering a $15 discount to the museum’s summer camps throughout the week of Kick Off to Summer. The camps have different themes, from a bioengineering program to building simple machines.

Gustafson said the wants to see students follow their passions and curiosities, and realize that’s all science is.

“Kids go to school and they have to learn the lessons they’re taught, but summertime is when you learn what you want to know,” said Gustafson. “That’s what SEE science center aims to do year-round and that’s our message for Kick Off to Summer: Learning happens year-round and in summertime you get to pick the topic.”

Kick Off to Summer
Where: SEE Science Center, 200 Bedford St., Manchester; 669-0400
When: Friday, June 16, through Thursday, June 22, during normal museum hours, Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: Kick Off is included with museum admission, $12 for visitors ages 3 and older, free for those younger.
Visit: see-sciencecenter.org

Kiddie Pool 23/06/08

Family fun for the weekend

Fun in the sun

• Help the Educational Farm at Joppa Hill (174 Joppa Hill Road, Bedford) feed feathered friends on Friday, June 9, at 10 a.m. Kids will create ornaments using black oil sunflower seeds and then have the chance to walk around the farm, feeding the seeds to the birds. This program is geared toward kids between 18 months and 8 years old. Tickets cost $25 per child and can be purchased at theeducationalfarm.org.

• Holman Stadium (848 W. Hollis St., Nashua) is doing a Fun in the Sun Color Run on Saturday, June 10, at 10 a.m. The one-mile or 5K course is open to children, adults, families and teams. The event is hosted by the Nashua Silver Knights and benefits the Lil’ Iguana’s Children’s Safety Foundation. Registration starts at $20. More information can be found at funinthesun.redpodium.com/fun-in-the-sun-color-run-2023.

• Join in the Zorvino Vineyard Kids Fishing Derby on Sunday, June 11, at 8 a.m. at the vineyard (226 Main St., Sandown). Kids ages 2 to 15 can win prizes for longest fish, most fish caught, and first to catch five fish. There is a list of rules for kids to follow available to look at when purchasing tickets. Tickets cost $5 per child and can be completed at zorvino.com.

• The Seacoast Science Center (570 Ocean Blvd., Rye) is hosting a World Ocean Day Celebration in honor of its 31st birthday on Sunday, June 11, at 10 a.m. There will be local scientists, divers, artists and conservationists at the event to help people learn about the oceans of the world. There will be educational activities and demonstrations, hands-on games, naturalist-led tide pooling sessions, and a beach cleanup. Tickets cost $20 for nonmember adults, $15 for nonmember children, $5 for Seacoast Science Center members, free for children younger than 2 years old. Visit seacoastsciencecenter.org for more information.

• Join the Amherst Public Library on Wednesday, June 14, for a concert and picnic to kick off its summer programs. Ben Rudnick & Friends, a band that plays different kinds of music from country to bluegrass and rock to second-line New Orleans, will perform. The picnic and concert will be on The Village Green (0 Main St.) at 6:30 p.m. For more information visit amherstlibrary.org.

Movie night

• Smitty’s Cinema (630 West Main St., Tilton) will have a sensory-friendly showing of The Little Mermaid (2023) on Sunday, June 11, at 11:30 a.m. The showing will have the lights of the theater turned on and the volume of the movie turned down to make it a calmer experience for smaller kids. The movie follows mermaid princess Ariel as she chases after true love in the human world. Tickets cost $11 and can be purchased at smittyscinema.com.

• See Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse at Chunky’s Cinema in Manchester (707 Huse Road, Manchester) as part of the theater’s sensory showing on Sunday, June 11, at 4 p.m. The movie theater will have the lights turned up and the movie’s sound turned down. The movie follows Miles Morales, one of the multiverse’s Spider-Men, on a new reality-twisting adventure to save the world. Tickets cost $6.49 and can be purchased at chunkys.com.

Indoor activities

• On Saturday, June 10, at 11 a.m., Gibson’s Bookstore (45 S. Main St., Concord) is hosting New Hampshire author and hiker Sarah Lamagna, who will be sharing her new guidebook, Hiking with Kids New England: 50 Great Hikes for Families. Lamagna welcomes kids to the book event, and she’ll give parents some tips and tricks for taking kids on hikes and outdoor adventures. For more information about this event, visit gibsonsbookstore.com.

• The Colonel Shepard House (29 Mount Vernon St., Milford) is hosting a Summer Afternoon Tea on Sunday, June 11, at 1 p.m. The gathering will feature a summertime selection of snacks, sweets, and, of course, teas. Tickets cost $40 per person and can be purchased at thecozyteacart.com.

Granite State Pride

Celebrate Pride Month with local festivals, parades and more

By Maya Puma

listings@hippopress.com

June is Pride Month and Manchester, Concord, Nashua and Windham are among the several New Hampshire cities and towns planning events to show support for the LGBTQ community.

In its first year, the nonprofit Manchester True Collaborative is partnering with YWCA New Hampshire and Queerlective to plan a week-long celebration of Pride events, beginning on Saturday, June 10, and leading up to the festival on Saturday, June 17, at Veterans Memorial Park — the latter will also include a “Queer Art Extravaganza” with a photo booth, interactive art displays and live performances.

Founded in the summer of 2022, Queerlective is a New Hampshire-based organization that works to promote local LGBTQ communities through art, according to founder Randall Nielsen.

“We really believe that art is such a great tool to connect and engage people, so we always make sure there’s some aspect of art to any gathering we put together,” Nielsen said.

Manchester Pride Week

Kicking things off for Pride Week in the Queen City, on Saturday, June 10, at 8 p.m., will be “Layers of Identity: A Visual Exploration,” presented by Mosaic Art Collective at the Currier Museum of Art. According to James Dzindolet of Manchester True Collective, the show will feature several artists celebrating diversity and inclusion in a wide range of art and media forms.

Stark Brewing Co. will then host “Queen City’s a Drag” on Monday, June 12, at 8 p.m.; that will be followed by a free “Youth Pride Hop,” on Tuesday, June 13. Those 21 and under are invited to Boards & Brews at 3 p.m., where they will then migrate to a few other nearby participating businesses, some of which will offer food while others will showcase live performances. Maps of the scheduled Youth Pride Hop route will be given out to participants at Boards & Brews.

The festivities return to Stark Brewing Co. on Wednesday, June 14, with a Pride-themed Karaoke Night at 7:30 p.m. The main event on Thursday, June 15, is a “Femmes and Thems” Night, happening at Breezeway Pub on the North End of Elm Street. That event is 21+ and will feature comedy from Mona Forgione, Jai Demeule and Holly Smith, beginning at 8 p.m. Tickets are $15.

Manchester City Hall will hold a flag raising at noon on Friday, June 16, and Breezeway Pub will host a drag roulette at 10 p.m. that evening. Pride festivities will then culminate with the main event that Saturday, from 1 to 7 p.m. at Veterans Memorial Park, where you’ll find food trucks, local vendors and artist displays. An afterparty will follow at 8 p.m. at Jewel Nightclub.

“We’re hoping for, between the week of events and the day of, at least a couple thousand folks from the Manchester area and southern New Hampshire area,” Dzindolet said. “I love it when everyone comes together because there’s just so many talented people.”

More local Pride events

Beyond Manchester, events celebrating Pride Month are scheduled to take place in several other communities big and small.

Windham’s third annual Pride festival, for instance, is happening on Sunday, June 11, from noon to 3 p.m. at the town’s high school. The event will have more than 40 vendors, live bands, poets, face-painting, lawn games, children’s activities and more.

“It’s important for small communities to have Pride, just as much if not more important than large cities,” said Katrine Strickland, communications director of Windham Citizens for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion. “This is really important for folks to know their neighbors, [and that] the people they see at the grocery store and the soccer field support them.”

Windham DEI, according to chairperson Jackey Bennett, is 100 percent volunteer-run, regularly accepting donations to support local diversity and inclusion initiatives.

“[It’s] really important to highlight the family aspect, as Windham is full of families,” said Bennett, who added that the town high school’s Gay-Straight Alliance Club designs buttons to be given out during the festival.

Nashua’s annual Pride festival, returning to the Gate City on Saturday, June 24, includes a parade that starts at Elm Street Middle School at 2 p.m. The route, which makes its way up Main Street and ends at the Nashua Public Library, is free to walk in, although advance signups online are recommended.

From 2 to 6 p.m. the festival will take place in the library parking lot and feature more than 40 local vendors, a stage with live entertainment, food trucks and lawn games. New this year is a photo booth, while there will also be an indoor drag show at 3 p.m. inside the Court Street Theater and another at 8 p.m. at Martha’s Exchange Restaurant & Brewery, according to Kathleen Palmer, communications and special projects coordinator for the office of the mayor.

Pride in July

In Concord, Capital City Pride will host four events over two separate weekends in July.

According to chief officer Journee LaFond, the decision to hold Concord’s Pride celebration in July was a calculated one, as that way it didn’t interfere with any events scheduled in June.

“I hope that people support Pride and come out with each other and really revel in the support and the love that our community has to offer,” LaFond said.

Capital City Pride will kick off with a community art event on Saturday, July 15, at Kimball Jenkins, where there will be a vendor marketplace, live music and food, as well as a collaborative art piece from Queerlective.

The following day, Kimball Jenkins will continue the festivities with a Pride family picnic at noon, featuring live music, a petting zoo, face-painting and even a roller derby demonstration.

On Friday, July 21, head to Teatotaller on Main Street for a “Spill the Tea” event.

“It starts out as an open-mic type of situation for folks to share their coming out stories, or just stories of resilience or stories of joy, especially this Pride Month.” LaFond said. “Then we follow it up with karaoke. People share their stories with us and we sing back to them.”

Wrapping things up is an after party on Saturday, July 22, at the Bank of New Hampshire Stage, featuring a drag show, dancing and a vendor marketplace.

Upcoming Pride festivals and celebrations

Sunday, June 11, noon to 3 p.m.: Windham High School (64 London Bridge Road; see windhamdei.org)

Saturday, June 17, 1 to 7 p.m.: Veterans Memorial Park (723 Elm St., Manchester; a full week’s worth of other Pride festivities is planned from Saturday, June 10, leading up to the day of the festival; see manchestertrue.org)

Saturday, June 24, 2 to 6 p.m.: Nashua Public Library (2 Court St.; see nashuanh.gov/1217/nashua-pride-festival)

Saturday, June 24, noon to 5 p.m.: Market Square (downtown Portsmouth; see seacoastoutright.org)

Saturday, July 15, and Sunday, July 16; and Friday, July 21, and Saturday, July 22: Multiple locations around Concord (see capitalcitypridenh.com for the full schedule)

Queen of the garden

All hail the tomato!

For me tomatoes are the best-tasting and most important vegetable I grow. I eat them raw in salads and sandwiches or cooked in soups and stews. I dehydrate some, I freeze many whole, and I make some sauce for quick dinners in winter. But they are not grown without difficulties — and sometimes heartbreak.

Heartbreak is rare. More than 10 years ago something called “late blight” came early and infected tomatoes all over New England. Plants blackened and died, and the fruits rotted quickly, becoming inedible.

Varieties of tomatoes have been bred to resist late blight since that fatal summer. The only one I have grown is called ‘Defiant,’ developed by Johnny’s Selected Seeds. It is a nice F-1 hybrid with 4- to 6-ounce fruits that appear early. It is a determinate tomato, which means that it produces a crop, then dies. Indeterminate varieties keep on producing until frost or blight kills them.

Of lesser portent is ‘early blight.’ Except for first-time gardeners, we all get it. It causes lower leaves to darken and dry up, but fruit is produced until all the leaves are gone. You can minimize this problem by mulching under your tomatoes with grass clippings or chopped fall leaves. You should do that now. Unlike late blight, early blight survives our winters in the soil, and splash from hard rains or watering gets it onto the leaves.

Other fungal diseases are common but can be minimized by spacing your plants well so they are not crowded. I use 24-inch spacing between plants and that seems adequate. It allows good sunshine on the leaves and breezes to keep the plants healthier.

To minimize diseases, don’t get the leaves of your tomatoes wet if you can avoid it. Avoid overhead watering devices, even though they are convenient. I use a watering wand to water my veggies as it allows me to direct the water just where my plants need it. It saves water, too, as I am not watering the walkways — and encouraging weeds there. The brand I like best is Dramm. Theirs allow good flow but are gentle on the plants.

By now most of you have planted your tomatoes. If you haven’t, and if you think this will be a hot, dry summer, plant them deep in the soil. You can bury the root ball 6 inches down or more, and the stem will grow roots in the cooler, moister soil down deep.

Tomato plants need support. Forty years ago or so, when I was less experienced than I am now, I tried just putting straw on the ground and letting my tomatoes flop over and lay on the ground. I had heard it would work just fine, but it didn’t. It was harder to weed, and the tomatoes were more prone to rot.

Now I use tomato cages. They are an investment but last for 20 years or more, especially if you store them in the barn for winter. Get the biggest ones you can find. Generally that means a wire cage that has four legs (not three) and is 54 inches tall. These cages need to be pushed into the ground at least 6 inches so they will not tip over. If you have rocky soil you may have to try several positions before you can install it deep enough.

Alternatively, you can buy 5- or 6-foot hardwood stakes. These are one-inch-square stakes that come with a pointed end that you can drive into the soil with a hammer — small rocks or not. But you have to tie your tomatoes to the stakes as they grow up. You can use old rags to tie them on, or sisal twine. Don’t use plastic twine as the vines may get damaged when they are loaded with heavy tomatoes. You may need to tie your tomatoes onto cages, too.

Throughout the summer you should prune out excess “suckers” that grow between the main stalk and a branch. These are just little shoots that develop into branches that clutter up the interior of your plant. They can shade out leaves and encourage diseases. If your plants get too tall in late summer, cut off the tops. This will keep the plants in their cages and putting their energy into producing fruits, not growing taller.

I grow at least a dozen Sun Gold cherry tomato plants each year. Each plant produces more tomatoes than I can count (even if I take off my socks to use both my fingers and toes). They are supremely tasty fresh, and are great dried and saved for soups and stews. I cut each tomato in half and use a food dehydrator to get it ready for storage. Later, I add them to soups, stews — and even scrambled eggs.

Big tomatoes can be frozen whole and stored in zipper bags, or chopped and stored in quart jars in the freezer. They aren’t suitable for sandwiches, but they are organic and tasty in cooked dishes.

If you freeze tomatoes whole, all you need to do is make sure they are clean. When you take them out of the freezer, you can remove the skins easily if you want by running them under hot tap water and rubbing gently.

No matter what I do with tomatoes, they always add flavor to any dish. I can’t wait for this season’s crop to be ready.

Henry is a UNH Master Gardener and the author of four gardening books. Reach him at henry.homeyer@comcast.net. He lives in Cornish Flat, NH.

Featured photo: Primula vialii is not commonly sold, but is wonderful. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 23/06/01

Family fun for the weekend

Maker Fest

• More than 30 local makers will bring their tie-dyed fashions, worm bins, Star Wars costumes, trebuchets and more to the New Hampshire Makers Festival presented by the New Hampshire Children’s Museum (6 Washington St. in Dover; childrens-museum.org) on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The festival will take place inside and outside the museum; admission is a suggested donation of $5 (you can donate onsite or via the website in advance). The line up of makers, displays and activities at this family-friendly event include a Rube Goldberg machine expert, a children’s business fair, a kid-friendly exhibit to explore by the Woodman Museum, a STEM van by the Girl Scouts of the White Mountains, kid conservationist Jack Dalton, a former American Idol contestant and more, according to a press release.

Fun in the sun

• Give field research a shot with the Harris Center for Conservation Education (83 Kings Highway, Hancock) and its program Kids Count for Wildlife: Red-backed salamander survey on Friday, June 2, from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Kids ages 9 to 18 will get a chance to do some searching in the woods for the woodland species. Kids younger than 12 must be accompanied by a guardian. Registration is required and can be completed at harriscenter.org.

• Head to West Running Brook Middle School (1 W. Running Brook Lane, Derry) for touch a truck on Saturday, June 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Derry police department will have emergency response vehicles, heavy machinery and other equipment for kids to climb and explore. There will also be a BMX stunt show, free helmet giveaway, food, music and dancing. Visit derrynh.org/police-department for more information.

• Cuddle up to some farm animals at farm baby snuggles at Under-N-Acre Farm (24 Canaan Road, Strafford) on Saturday, June 3, and Sunday, June 4. Each day has two time slots, June 3 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. and June 4 from 10 a.m. to noon and 1 to 3 p.m. Sessions start at $7 and can be purchased at tinyurl.com/farmbabysnuggles.

Indoor activities

• Visit Pumpkin Blossom Farm (393 Pumpkin Hill Road, Warner) for a special after-school sensory class on Wednesday, June 7, from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Kids between the ages of 5 and 11 will make lavender-scented bubbles after learning a little bit about lavender and the five senses and after they explore the farm. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. The class costs $15 and spaces can be reserved at pumpkinblossomfarm.com.

• Let’s Make Music & Make Art (136 Lowell Road, Hudson) is having an open house on Wednesday, June 7, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Kids and families can learn more about music and get started with how to play an instrument. Registration is required and can be done at letsplaymusic.com.

Museum madness

• The American Independence Museum (1 Governors Lane, Exeter) is offering active military and their families free admission until Sept. 4. Admission to the museum includes access to more than 3,000 artifacts and guided or self-guided tours throughout the building. For more information, visit independencemuseum.org.

• The Little Learners series is starting at the McAuliffe-Shepard Discovery Center (2 Institute Drive, Concord) on Friday, June 2, from 12:30 to 1 p.m. The month of June will be devoted to teaching kids ages 4 and younger about comets. The program runs the first and third Friday of the month, as well as the second and fourth Wednesday of the month. June will have an additional day on Friday, June 3. Participation is included with general admission. General admission costs $12 for adults, $9 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children younger than 3 years old. Visit starhop.com.

Writers network

NH Writers’ Project conference connects authors

Publishing the great American novel, or a memoir, or a biography, or any other written text, is a monumental challenge. The New Hampshire Writers’ Project is looking to help aspiring authors with that endeavor.

NHWP is now in its third decade of hosting the 603 Writers’ Conference, which has helped get local authors information and connections through a number of events and classes. The event takes place at Southern New Hampshire University, a partner of NHWP.

The highlight of the day is a pitch party, a competition where authors have to give a one-sentence pitch of their story, and judges determine whether it’s an accurate representation in comparison to the longer description of the book.

“The first winner in 2019 won and her pitch for her book, The East Indian, went on because she said she was able to revise her query letter and went on to not only secure a top literary agency but now has a two-book deal with Scribner, and the book is being published in the States as well as in the United Kingdom,” said Masheri Chappelle, the project’s chairwoman. “This is just a glorious example of what the conference will be doing to help people.”

This year, Chappelle said, the conference will have 10 classes for attendees to choose from. The classes will range from creative writing to building high-quality author websites. The classes are kept small, to maintain the ability for one-on-one interaction with the teachers.

Before the classes start, Mark Dagostino will give the keynote speech. Dagostino is known for assisting in many celebrity biographies, including his New York Times bestseller The Magnolia Story with Chip and Joanna Gaines. Chappelle said he will be discussing memoirs and biography writing.

In addition to Dagostino’s keynote talk, there will be a panel discussion at the luncheon about what to do when an author’s book is chosen to be adapted for television or movies.

“It will be exciting to hear what it takes to have your book go from the library to the screen,” Chappelle said. “On the panel we’ll have authors and entertainment attorneys discussing the process of pitching, [and] finding a literary agent and entertainment attorney.”

Chapelle said hosting an event like this is only part of what makes the New Hampshire Writers’ Project important. She wants to give these authors a shot at publication, but she also wants the literary world to take note of everything happening in the New Hampshire arts scene.

“We have a lot of talent that is not recognized that needs it,” Chappelle said. “I would like [New Hampshire] to become a writers’ colony. Our topography is stunning. We have the mountains, the lakes, beautiful trails, and great cities with a lot of cultural development.”

603 Writers’ Conference
Where: SHNU Banquet Dining Facility, 2500 N. River Road, Manchester
When: Saturday, June 3, from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Price: $125 for SNHU teachers and students, $165 for members, $185 for nonmembers
Visit: nhwritersproject.org

A few tips for growing great flowers

Make a plan before you go shopping

I’m a sucker for a good-looking flower. Back when I was first developing my flower beds I would go to a plant nursery and grab everything and anything that was in bloom and looking great. And I believe in buying multiples: not one plant, but three or five! Needless to say, I was in trouble when I got home and looked for a place to plant them. I needed to create new beds for each truckload of perennials I brought home. Even so, I couldn’t help myself.

Now I am more judicious when I go shopping for plants: I decide ahead of time what I need, and how many. I decide where they will go before I leave home. Still, a few plants seduce me with their beauty every time I arrive at a good greenhouse.

By the way, I’ve heard from many gardeners that some of their perennials, trees and shrubs were damaged by a hard frost in May. Leaves that turned brown will not recover — but will be replaced. I am cutting damaged stems of perennials back to the ground and they should re-sprout. Trees and shrubs that have gone through the winter and leafed out are hardy here and should send out new leaves on their stems, even if they don’t bloom this year. They have dormant buds that will wake up, and plenty of energy in their roots. I won’t bother taking off the dead leaves. So stop worrying if yours got frost-damaged.

Peonies, primroses and barrenwort (which is usually referred to by its scientific name, Epimedium) are blooming in my gardens. I recommend that you buy these now, while in bloom, so you know what you are getting — and if you like them as much as I do.

Some peonies are highly fragrant, others not at all. Some have blossoms with many petals (called doubles) while others have just one or two rings of petals (called singles). Doubles are magnificent but often flop when it rains, sometimes breaking their stems. So you need to tie them to stakes or support them in wire cages made for the task. If you see both kinds in bloom, you can decide what you want to buy.

Most plants have a finite lifespan, but peonies seem to last forever. I have a division of one that was my grandmother’s — and she died in 1953. So plant them well: I dig a wide hole and add compost to it, along with some organic fertilizer — which is naturally slow release. Full sun is best, but they will do OK with 4 to 6 hours of sunshine.

Peonies can be fussy: don’t cover the little growing points beneath the soil with more than ¾ of an inch of soil, or they probably will not bloom. If yours don’t bloom, remove some soil from around them as they are probably too deeply planted.

Primroses, generally, do well in partial to full shade. Some do well in dry soil, but most like moist, rich soil. Read the plant tag carefully before planting. Sometimes I will try a plant in one place, and if after a year or two it is not performing well I move it. Sometimes I move a plant more than once to find the right place for it.

Arlene Perkins of Montpelier, Vermont, is an expert grower of primroses. She told me long ago that all primroses like to grow under old apple trees. The partial shade is right for most, and the soil is naturally enriched by dropping leaves and fruit over time. It is under a cluster of old wild apples that I have had my best luck with primroses, particularly the candelabra or Japanese primrose (Primula japonica). They have multiplied by seed and root from a few planted 20 years ago to over 500 plants, I estimate.

Last year I planted many Primula viallii (no common name) in the perfect growing conditions for them. They bloomed magnificently last summer but so far not one has shown up again. The blossoms are very different from any I know: like little red-topped elf caps over pink/purple bases. It said to self-sow, and it is early yet, so I might see some yet.

Lastly, I love barrenwort or Epimedium. I have about eight different species or varieties of Epimedium, and all are wonderful. Epimedium grow in light to deep shade and do fine under deciduous trees, despite the competition from tree roots for moisture and minerals. My resource books tell me they do best in moist soils, but I grow them routinely in fairly dry soils. I think rich soil is the key, not the amount of moisture.

The common red one (Epimedium rubrum) blooms early in spring but hides its flowers under its leaves, which I don’t like. But it forms such a dense shade cover with its handsome leaves that no weeds will grow under it — so I forgive it.

The colors I grow range from pure purple to red to pink to white, with others a variety of yellows. Again, I suggest buying them in bloom — now — so you can see if the blossoms are prominent above the leaves, or hidden below. The common red one (Epimedium rubrum) blooms early in spring but hides its flowers under its leaves, which I don’t like. But it forms such a dense shade cover with its handsome leaves that no weeds will grow under it — so I forgive it.

I like “collecting” different varieties of plants I like and seeing the differences between different kinds. If one kind does well, its cousins probably will, too. So go buy more of your favorites!

Henry is a UNH Master Gardener and the author of four gardening books. Reach him at henry.homeyer@comcast.net. He lives in Cornish Flat, NH.

Featured photo: Primula vialii is not commonly sold, but is wonderful. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

Kiddie Pool 23/05/25

Family fun for the weekend

Showtime!

•​ Manchester’s Dimensions in Dance will present Wonderland, its 28th annual production, at the Palace Theatre (80 Hanover St., Manchester) on Saturday, May 27, with two showtimes, at 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. The production is inspired by Lewis Carroll’s classic novels Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through The Looking Glass and is told through dance, featuring original choreography in ballet, jazz, modern, tap, hip-hop, acro, pointe and lyrical. Tickets are $25 per person for either orchestra or balcony seats and can be purchased online at palacetheatre.org.

•​ Join the Kids Coop Theatre as they present Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Derry Opera House (29 W. Broadway, Derry) from Friday, May 26, through Sunday, May 28 — showtimes are at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and at 1 p.m. on Sunday. The classic story follows Belle, a young woman in a provincial town, and the Beast, a young prince who is trapped under the spell of an enchantress but will be transformed into his former self if he can learn to love and be loved. Regular tickets to each show are $15 per person and can be purchased online at kids-coop-theatre.org.

• Chunky’s Cinema Pub will hold a special sensory-friendly showing of the new live-action version of Disney’s The Little Mermaid on Friday, May 26, at 4 p.m., at each of its three theater locations (707 Huse Road, Manchester; 151 Coliseum Drive, Nashua; 150 Bridge St., Pelham). Audience members are allowed to walk around, dance, shout or sing during these special monthly screenings, which feature the lights on and the sound of the film turned down. Matinee ticket rates apply to the showing, ranging from $5.99 to $6.49 per person depending on the theater location. See chunkys.com.

Fun with animals

•​ Kids of all ages are welcome to an outdoor animal storytime at Griffin Park (101 Range Road, Windham) on Friday, May 26, at 10:30 a.m. presented by the Nesmith Library. Enjoy songs, dancing and stories centered around animals with the library’s youth services program. Admission is free and no pre-registration is necessary, but attendees must provide their own transportation to meet at the park. In the case of inclement weather, updated information on the status of the event will be posted to the website and social media. Visit nesmithlibrary.org.

•​ The Squam Lakes Natural Science Center (23 Science Center Road, Holderness) recently reopened its live animal exhibit trail and hiking trails — daily hours are from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the last trail admission at 3:30 p.m. According to the Center’s website, the live animal exhibit trail meanders through open meadows, mature forests and marsh boardwalks along a packed gravel path. Tickets are $24 for adults, $22 for seniors ages 65 and up, $18 for kids and teens ages 3 to 15 and free for kids ages 2 and under. Tickets grant attendees check-in access anytime between 9:30 a.m. and 3:30 p.m. Plan about two and a half hours to walk through the trail. See nhnature.org for more details.

Tips for planting the vegetable garden

Some veggies like a crowd, others want space

Although there are many old sayings like, “Plant your potatoes when the oak leaves are the size of a mouse’s ear,” I would rather depend on soil temperature and calendar dates. Besides, who really knows the size of a mouse’s ear?

Mid-May is good for cool-weather crops like spinach, peas, lettuce, onions, potatoes and broccoli-family plants. Heat-loving plants like tomatoes, cukes, zukes, corn and peppers? I have a soil thermometer and I don’t put them in the ground until it is at least 60 degrees. The date for this is usually around June 10 here in chilly Cornish Flat but may be sooner depending on where you are.

Before you think about putting plants in the ground, please harden them off. That means introducing them to full sun over the period of a week. Start with morning-only sun, then add an hour of afternoon sun and work up to a full day of sun. Cloudy days allow you to keep them out all day, but watch out for rain. If they are in a flat that holds water, they can get too wet or get beaten flat.

I also consult with a biodynamic calendar that recommends when to plant the different categories of plants: flower, fruit, leaf and root. The one I use, called “Stella Natura,” uses the position of the moon, stars and planets to determine what to plant — or more importantly, when to plant nothing.

Ask at the nursery where you buy your plants if they have been hardened off. Things like cabbage and lettuce probably are already hardened off and sitting outside the greenhouses on tables. If so, they are ready to plant anytime, but no harm in asking.

While keeping your plants happy in their little plastic six-packs, you might want to water with a dilute fish fertilizer solution. At the nursery they generally are given dilute chemical fertilizer, but I find fish fertilizer works well, and they grow strong and tall. I like Neptune’s Harvest brand.

Few of us have enough garden space for everything we want to grow, so we have to make decisions. Don’t crowd your plants. Tomatoes need 24 inches between plants. Potatoes need 18 inches, onions 4 or 5 inches in rows a foot apart. Crowd them? You get more onions but smaller ones. Peppers on the other hand only need 12-inch spacing as they like to actually touch their neighbors.

A good reference guide is The Vegetable Gardener’s Bible by Vermont author Ed Smith. Even I use it from time to time, and I’ve been growing veggies for decades. Ed and his wife Sylvia really know their stuff and buy very few vegetables in a year.

To maximize garden space I plant quick-growing plants like radishes and lettuce between or around slower-growing things like tomatoes. Plant a tomato, put it in its 54-inch support cage (never use small cages), then circle it with lettuce starts. The lettuce will be ready to eat before the tomato is big enough to shade it. I just planted my onions and planted lettuce in the spaces between rows of onions. Don’t plant things in your asparagus patch, as asparagus hates company.

To maximize production, think about growing up. No, not you. Your cucumbers, squashes, and pole beans. If you do this, be sure to put the trellis on the north side of your garden to avoid shading out other plants. You can buy a trellis or build your own using posts with attached chicken or welded wire with square openings.

If you want to grow hot peppers or eggplants, think about providing them some extra heat. No, not blankets. Choose dark rocks the size of a loaf of bread and place them near your plants. They will absorb heat from the sun and radiate it back during the night. You can also cover them with ReMay or row cover, a light synthetic fabric made for gardens that holds in heat and keeps bugs off.

Being a good gardener takes time, but don’t be discouraged.

Henry is a lifelong organic gardener and the author of four gardening books. His website is www.Gardening-Guy.com.

Featured photo: Black stones placed near heat-loving peppers help keep them warm at night. Photo by Henry Homeyer.

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