HARDWICK – Our extended phase of wall-to-wall sunshine and warming temperatures lasted a little longer than was originally expected and brought with it a six- to seven-day length of absent rainfall. Folks in the garden had to help their plants along with some extra water, as this round of warmth[Read More…]
Columns
So Off We Go
EAST MONTPELIER – If we start down the driveway in late afternoon, Kiki knows it’s either getting the mail or going to the park. If I pass by the mailbox, she knows her dream is coming true, and climbs partway over the barrier that’s supposed to keep her in the[Read More…]
The Many and Varied Ways Caterpillars Avoid Predation
VERMONT – In “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll, Alice stumbles upon a large mushroom. She peeps over the edge and encounters a caterpillar “smoking a long hookah, and taking not the slightest notice of her or anything else.” If Alice had touched the creature, she might have been[Read More…]
Hydrangea Leaftier Makes Odd Leaf Constructions
BURLINGTON – If you have hydrangeas in your yard, you may have noticed odd structures in the plant in mid-May. These bladder-like pouches at the ends of branches are made up of cupped leaves tied together with silk and are formed by the hydrangea leaftier caterpillar (Olethreutes ferriferana). The hydrangea[Read More…]
Temperatures Give Way to Sunny, Warm Weekend
HARDWICK – Most of the prior forecast period evolved without any significant precipitation; it was primarily dry until Memorial Day, when heavy showers moved in toward the evening and dropped over an inch of rain overnight. High temperatures reached their peak last Wednesday, with maximum temperatures in the mid-80s. This[Read More…]
Even the Fax Machine was Still in the Future
EAST MONTPELIER – Twenty-four hours of daylight starts tomorrow! That notice popped up on my Facebook page this morning. It was posted by my dear friend Larry Whittaker in the Inuit village of Kugluktuk at 67.8º N, 115.1º W, on the shore beside the Northwest Passage at the mouth of the[Read More…]
Flowers are Practical in Vegetable Garden
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – There’s no denying they’re pretty, but there are practical reasons to plant flowers among the vegetables in your garden. Pollination is a vital component in a successful vegetable garden. Planting flowers is like ringing the dinner bell for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. They’ll be attracted[Read More…]
The Wonders of Aerial Insectivore Flight
WASHINGTON, D.C. – When I worked at a barn one summer during college, I marveled at the swallows that nested in the structure’s eaves and corners. I watched the iridescent birds swoop, flutter, and dart with amazing dexterity between the small spaces above the stalls. These acrobatic birds are aerial[Read More…]
Spring is Fleeting for Butterfly, Wildflower Host
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION – It’s not a gaudy butterfly. It isn’t the biggest or the smallest. In fact, it’s mostly just white. But this butterfly is unusual: It only flies in forests. To see this butterfly, you must visit a rich, mature hardwood forest carpeted with spring wildflowers. West Virginia[Read More…]
Screening Garden Soils for Lead
BURLINGTON – Whether new to gardening, or growing vegetables for years, gardeners should understand the importance of getting soil tested for nutrient levels, soil pH and having garden soil screened for lead. Although lead, a bluish-gray metal, occurs naturally in soil in small amounts, typically less than 41 parts per[Read More…]
The Blueberries and the Bees
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION – Blueberry season in Vermont is a sweet one! With an abundance of pick-your-own farms and several wild species, it’s a time of year you surely won’t want to miss. But why are we mentioning blueberry season in our Field Guide to May when the first berries[Read More…]
Blackpolls Return from South American Wintering Grounds
WHITE RIVER JUNCTION – Hold two nickels and a dime in your hand: that’s the summer weight of a Blackpoll Warbler. This black-capped songbird returns in early May from its wintering grounds in northern South America to its breeding grounds that range from New England’s mountain forests to Alaska’s boreal[Read More…]
