NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – For those looking for a low-labor, chemical-free method to help eradicate weeds and soil-residing pests in the garden, the answer may be solarization and occultation, often referred to as tarping. Tarping covers the soil with plastic, clear or opaque, depending on the method used. Solarization utilizes[Read More…]
Columns
How Atkins Field Came to Be
HARDWICK – In June of 1888, the editor of the St. Johnsbury Caledonian wrote and published an article about the emerging granite industry in Hardwick which claimed that “granite has been mined in Hardwick as long ago as when the old stage coach used to run from Warner’s tavern on[Read More…]
Showers with Seasonal Temperatures
HARDWICK – Cooler and seasonal temperatures are becoming more frequent as we approach September, which is the beginning of meteorological fall. Our showers have become more scattered and we are frequently seeing temperatures drop into the upper 40s at night, with some scattered locations in the low-to-mid 40s. Rainfall amounts[Read More…]
I Begged to Differ
EAST MONTPELIER – I once had a friend (now long gone to his reward) who seemed to take offense at the tag line I used in my radio commentaries. When I started out in radio, I was searching for a consistent way to end my weekly few minutes. “Why don’t[Read More…]
Is it a Wildflower or a Weed?
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – When someone mentions wildflowers, what comes to mind? Daisies? Black-eyed Susans? They’re as familiar as the summer days of youth, so well-loved that wildflowers are often added to a garden. A weeds tend to be any plant claiming a place for itself uninvited and unwelcome. Goldenrod[Read More…]
Yard Erosion Impacts Water Quality
NORTHFIELD – Did you know that the condition of your yard can have an impact on regional water quality? Areas where soil is left open and unvegetated are spots that are susceptible to erosion. Erosion happens when unprotected earth is moved by water from one place to another. Sediment from[Read More…]
White Admirals Winging Through the Woods
BROOKFIELD – Walking on a woods road beside a stream in early July, I spotted several tight clusters of butterflies perched on scat piles and on wet sand near the brook. When one of the butterflies spread its wings, I saw that its topside was black with blue shading, and[Read More…]
The World According to Ferns
Ferns have grown on Earth for longer than trees and flowers, and existed well before Homo sapiens. In our region, the oldest lineage, emerging 200 million years ago, is the royal fern family (Osmundaceae), including royal, cinnamon and interrupted ferns. Named for the fertile, spore-producing pinnae that “interrupt” the rest[Read More…]
Dip in Temperature
HARDWICK – The traffic-jam pattern that resulted in very persistent weather patterns for days on end slowed down even a little more than first thought, leading to the bulk of the weekend’s showers not arriving until Monday. Even with that, some of the heavier rain showers managed to miss us,[Read More…]
It’s Silly, but Sadly Consequential
EAST HARDWICK – With only about 12 weeks left in the current presidential campaign, we’ve entered what I call the nyah-nyah phase: the fourth-grade-level taunting about personal characteristics, idiosyncrasies, and each candidate’s past missteps. Almost none of these attacks has any relevance to the great matters at hand, but they[Read More…]
Feeling Flooded by News, Climate, Transitions
I am feeling flooded by political news, oppressive heat and humidity and nonprofit transitions. My heart goes out to the true flood victims. Mine is only metaphorical. I constantly hear about how divided the country is, and by many measures, we are. But when I step back and look at[Read More…]
Manage Stubborn Weeds with Flame
NORTHFIELD – Weeding is often a reality of summer landscape maintenance. Some people don’t mind weeding, some highly dislike it, and other people fall somewhere in between.Weeds are not necessarily a certain group of species. They are plants that are unwanted in a particular area. Therefore, a weed to one[Read More…]
