by Dr. Vern Grubinger, Extension Vegetable and Berry Specialist, University of Vermont BRATTLBORO – Looking through seed catalogs, my mind leaps ahead to the growing season. I see lush green foliage and ripe, colorful fruits and vegetables. It’s a great way to cope with a long winter. Of course, seed[Read More…]
Columns
Greening up Office Space Helps Alleviate Stress
by Deborah J. Benoit, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Whether your office is in a traditional workspace or tucked away in a spare room at home, practicality rules and, above and beyond all else, your office is a place for productivity. That often means a[Read More…]
Hibernation: Winter Survival by Chilling Out
by Douglas Facey BURLINGTON – Mammals and birds are endotherms, which means they generate their own body heat through relatively high metabolic rates. That high metabolism requires energy, which these animals garner from food. We typically think of endotherms as warm-blooded; however, some of them are not warm all of[Read More…]
The Spring Flower Shows Are Back
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – The spring flower shows are always a contrast to the cold, icy days of winter. Bright flowers, garden paraphernalia and numerous workshops make these events fun, both for beginner and expert. Here is this year’s offerings, starting with the first ones in February[Read More…]
I’ve Added a New Experience to my List
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – For many decades now I’ve harbored the conviction that to live a vital, interesting life, I should try something new each week. This has led to many fascinating experiences, lots of new acquaintances, and now and then some distress, especially if the experience is[Read More…]
There’s More to Fur Than Meets the Eye
by Susie Spikol HANCOCK, N.H. – A flash of orange streaks across the meadow – a red fox, like a starburst in the snow. Its fur shimmers in the early morning light, and I, bundled in my winter layers and still shivering cold, envy the fox’s luxurious coat. At its[Read More…]
Growing Food for Taste and Flavor
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – We gardeners love our home grown vegetables. As John Denver sang long ago, “Only two things that money can’t buy and that’s true love and homegrown tomatoes.” And why do they taste so good? We can grow tomatoes that don’t have to conform[Read More…]
Looking Back on Gardening Projects and Thinking About the Future
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – It’s gray and chilly outside, but I have a fire in the new wood stove that warms the house and pleases me as I look through its glass window. I’ve been in the same house since 1970, so I’ve had plenty of time[Read More…]
Creating a Garden in a Terrarium
by Deborah J. Benoit, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Terrariums are miniature gardens in lidded, clear-glass containers. Their closed environment requires little care and only occasional maintenance. The container can be a jar, a glass globe or an unused aquarium. Whatever size container you choose,[Read More…]
Long a Scoffer of Hyperventilation
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – Christmas week 2022 in the United States was, depending upon your circumstances and point of view, exciting, challenging, profitable, calamitous, frustrating, expensive, or ruinous. The winter storm, as if programmed by an enemy, caught us at our most vulnerable, and even strained the best-prepared[Read More…]
A Robin’s Winter Habits
by Anna Morris QUECHEE — One January day, my husband and I set off on a walk around our neighborhood. The temperature was a bone-chilling negative 19 degrees, and although we worked to get our blood pumping, our fingers and toes eventually revolted. As we turned back toward the warmth[Read More…]
When We Lose Sight of Reasons to Hope, We’re Licked
EAST MONTPELIER – My son reminded me recently of the encouragement I sometimes offered when we were climbing through woods toward a summit or a ridge.
