Down a winding gravel path in Stanford, Mary Pat and Alan Budd tend a six-acre property that has been in the family since the 1940s.
Over the decades, the land has been an apple orchard, a dairy farm, and a raspberry patch. Since moving there in 1988, the Budds have added a fenced vegetable and flower garden, a high-tunnel greenhouse, and a half-acre of blueberry bushes.
Strawflowers, sunflowers, and dahlias fill one corner of the garden, arranged in orderly rows. Another section is planted with winter rye, a cover crop that helps protect the soil from erosion.
Inside the greenhouse, peas and cucumbers climb twine and netting. The Budds control the branching stems by carefully pinching off new growth.
At the far end of the greenhouse, 15 varieties of tomato plants climb toward the roof. The fruit was still green in early July, but within weeks, the plants would be studded with red, orange, yellow, purple, and striped tomatoes.
“It’s so nice for dinner,” Alan said. “Having a plate with four or five different colors on it.”
Although the blueberry bushes far outnumber the tomato plants, the Budds grow just two blueberry varieties: North Blue and Blue Crop. Both are hardy and disease-tolerant, and reach peak production in mid-July. Blue Crop produces larger berries, while North Blue produces smaller ones.
“We call them pancake berries,” Alan said.
In addition to choosing disease-tolerant varieties, the Budds use several methods to protect their crops from insects and disease. The arched canopy of the high tunnel helps trap flying insects. Bugs that rise above the plants can become caught in netting near the roof or in the greenhouse’s rolled-up plastic walls.
The Budds also receive help from the local bird population. Nesting boxes stand between the blueberry patch and the main garden, encouraging birds to settle near the crops and feed on insects.
“I work down here in the evenings – I never put on insect repellant,” Alan said.
The birds, however, can create problems of their own. Birdbaths placed around the flower garden are intended to discourage them from pecking at the tomatoes.
Asked how he keeps birds from eating the blueberries, Alan laughed.
“I don’t.”
The Budds offer pick-your-own blueberries and sell the rest of their produce at Big Rock Market. Managing a garden of this size can be difficult for two people.
“It’s hard when you’re the little guy because you have to do a little bit of everything,” Alan said. “I’m not good at everything.”
Still, the Budds continue to find resourceful ways to enrich the soil and improve their harvest. They collect used coffee grounds from All That Java, a local coffee shop, and spread them around the bases of their blueberry bushes.
They also use old logs as mulch. As the wood decays, it covers the ground, suppresses weeds, and eventually becomes part of the soil.
For the Budds, tending the garden remains a source of purpose and joy.
“It’s satisfying, that’s got to be worth something,” Alan said. “It makes me get out of bed.”
The Budd’s Top 3 Gardening Tips
- Plant squash a few weeks later than usual to help avoid squash vine borers, insects that can destroy the plants.
- Reuse coffee grounds in the yard rather than throwing them away.
- When beginning to sell produce, identify a small niche and concentrate on it.
This article is part of the Herald’s ongoing series, “A Walk Through the Garden,” which highlights the private gardens of residents across Pine Plains, Ancram, Gallatin, Milan, and Stanford. To share your garden or recommend a neighbor’s, email editor@newpineplainsherald.org.