by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – A lot of us who live here have a love-hate relationship with leaf-peepers. On the one hand, their annual migration to look at our autumn leaves brings in millions of dollars, and our tourist bureaus, whose job is to encourage that sort of behavior,[Read More…]
Columns
Don’t be too Hard on Us
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – The calendar claims it’s the first of October. The thermometer claims it’s the first of August (and will, until next Saturday). The soft maple outside my kitchen window, always the first tree on the property to turn, already has turned so far that, like[Read More…]
Buttonbush Is a Boon for Wildlife
by Colby Galliher NEW ENGLAND – As autumn begins and insect populations dwindle, many waterfowl species rely increasingly on seeds as a food source. Common buttonbush (Cephalanthus occidentalis), with its spherical bouquets of seeds now ripening, provides food for an array of ducks, geese, and other wetland denizens. Buttonbush’s range[Read More…]
Fall Flowers Are Important for Pollinators and Birds
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – Despite my best efforts to support monarch butterflies, this year was discouraging: I only saw two monarchs visit my gardens. I have a small bed just for milkweeds, both the common one and swamp milkweed (Asclepias incarnata). But no monarchs laid eggs there[Read More…]
Goldenrod is a Useful Wildflower
by Deborah J. Benoit, Extension Master Gardener NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Of all the wildflowers—or weeds, if you prefer—goldenrod (Solidago) is one of the most recognizable. Its plumes of bright yellow flowers atop tall stems bob in the breeze, making its presence hard to miss. If you have allergies, every[Read More…]
Fall is a Good Time to Sharp Pruners
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – Fall is a good time to prune deciduous trees and shrubs. Once the leaves have dropped you can see the form and the clutter, and decide what to take out. But before you begin, think about sharpening up your pruning tools, replacing blades,[Read More…]
Why Do Some Mushrooms Glow in the Dark?
by Rachel Sargent Mirus DERRY, N.H. – I recently found myself sitting in the crawl space of my house holding a bioluminescent mushroom. I’d been on a quest to find one of these light-producing mushrooms and, on my birthday, had collected a jack o’lantern (Omphalotus illudens), so named for its[Read More…]
Many Vermonters are Seeing Early Defoliation of Trees
by Ann Hazelrigg, Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Vermont BURLINGTON – A lot of Vermonters are noticing that their crabapples and apples (Malus spp.), in addition to many other deciduous trees, have dropped many of their leaves well before the first autumn frost. This has been a common occurrence for[Read More…]
We Sophisticates Tend to Smile at Such Nonsense
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – Creatures commonly called brownies have been with us for centuries, and have operated under dozens of names. In pre-scientific times they were thought to cause inexplicable domestic phenomena, like the curdling of milk, the reappearance of items thought lost, or a fresh cow going[Read More…]
The Peculiar Acorn Pip Gall Wasp
by Jen Weimer Hillsborough, N.H. — In northern New England, acorns ripen in late summer and normally drop from oak trees from September through October. They may fall earlier, however, for a host of reasons, from eager squirrels getting a head start on gathering nuts for the winter to environmental[Read More…]
Tree Roots Need Protection
by Bonnie Kirn Donahue, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont NORTHFIELD — Trees are critically important to life on earth. They help clean the air, transform carbon dioxide into oxygen, provide shade, cool temperatures, retain stormwater, raise property values, provide food and habitat for wildlife, and improve mental health. Since[Read More…]
Invasives: What are they and what can you do about them?
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – I’m lucky. Unlike many houses built in the 1800s or early 1900s, mine had no invasive plants when I bought it in 1970, probably because it was built as a Creamery, or butter factory. Decorative plants were not needed. Most older houses are[Read More…]
