by Bonnie Kirn Donahue, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont NORTHFIELD – Salt can be a great asset in the winter for deicing roads and walkways. Salt prevents ice from forming by lowering the freezing point of water, creating safer surfaces for people to walk and drive on. However, salt[Read More…]
Columns
The Unsung Music of Birds
by Kenrick Vezina LOWELL, Mass. — With spring creeping closer, our year-round avian residents such as cardinals and titmice are already raising their voices. But there’s more than one way to make music, and birds have evolved means for using everything at their disposal to fill our forests with whistles,[Read More…]
Pruning Apple and Other Fruit Trees
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – Ask a farmer, “When should I prune my apple trees?” and you will most likely hear, “March.” That’s an old tradition, but not because it is the only time to prune. You can prune any time. But March is a month on a[Read More…]
Surviving Cabin Fever
by Deborah J. Benoit, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – It’s that time of year when the groundhog has retreated back into its burrow, but the temperature tempts us with the possibility of spring. We all know there’s still plenty of snow and cold weather yet[Read More…]
Ups and Downs, Ins and Outs, Yin and Yangs
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – January 2023 was a month of Sundays, ending abruptly on the January 29, with a fourth and final Sunday fall on ice underfoot. My friend Bea and I left my house for church that morning, and that was the last time I saw the[Read More…]
Plan to Plant Plenty of Annual Flowers
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – Reclining in an easy chair on a recent cold and snowy day, I imagined myself a bumblebee. I meandered from flower to flower, taking in the colors and scents and textures of annual flowers, starting with A (alyssum) and ending with Z (zinnias).[Read More…]
Return of the Ospreys
by Meghan McCarthy McPhaul FRANCONIA, N.H. – On my commute to the Northern Woodlands offices in Lyme, N.H., I pass a long-established osprey nest, perched atop a very tall electric tower next to Route 302. This location offers the ospreys a view of their surroundings and provides me with a[Read More…]
Winter Survival Means Keeping the Heat
by Doug Facey BURLINGTON – To survive the cold of winter, some animals take advantage of protected habitats, such as wooded areas or under a blanket of insulating snow. Ruffed grouse, for example, fly into piles of loose snow and create roosting cavities to rest in when not foraging. Mice[Read More…]
Get Ready to Start Seedlings Indoors
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – Starting seeds indoors under lights is a good treatment for the winter blues. It connects me to my upcoming garden and all its benefits. Early March is when I start onions and peppers, though April is the month for most everything else. My[Read More…]
Propagating Plants and Intellectual Property
by Nadie VanZandt, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont PANTON – As you plan for the new growing season have you thought to check if the seeds and plants you plan to propagate are protected as intellectual property? For thousands of years, people have freely propagated plants to share with[Read More…]
Its Joys are Indescribable
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – The one crucial item for a stay in a nursing home is (and I’m sure this will surprise you) a back-scratcher. That may sound weird, but think about it. When you’re lying on your back for unaccustomed long periods of time, it itches. Seriously[Read More…]
