by Willem Lange “Super Suds, Super Suds! Lots more suds with Super Suds. Richer, longer lastin’, too! They’re the suds with super-doo-oo-oo.” EAST MONTPELIER – I have no idea why that jingle has remained quiescent, but vital, in my brain all these years (probably eighty), like a desert seed waiting[Read More…]
Columns
A Perfect Ending
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – This one kind of fell into our laps. And we made the most of it. On the last day of June I was scheduled to give a talk to the Montgomery Historical Society. Story-telling gigs pretty much petered out during the COVID pandemic and[Read More…]
Cedar Apple Rust Fungal Disease Requires Two Hosts
by Ann Hazelrigg, Extension Plant PathologistBURLINGTON – With our recent rainy weather, you may have noticed bright orange orbs with gelatinous tendrils on our native eastern red cedar and ornamental cedars (Juniperus spp.). These are the galls of the cedar apple rust disease pathogen, Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae Schwein. This unique fungus disease[Read More…]
Spittlebugs Hide in Plain Sight
by Liz Dengate MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. — Spittlebugs are the color of a new spring leaf, their bodies both tiny and so fat that you hardly notice their six miniature legs underneath. This plumpness makes them an appetizing snack for various insect predators – or would, anyway, if spittlebugs didn’t have[Read More…]
Tips for Picking and Arranging Flowers
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – I’ve been keeping track this year of what blooms for me, and when. So far I’ve recorded over 100 species of flowers (plus many more named varieties of the same genus) and 40 species of flowering trees and shrubs. Blooming starts with snowdrops[Read More…]
July Chores for the Gardener
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – For me, July has started off wet: rains, heavy at times, three days a week and going on for weeks. Although I like not having to water my new plantings in the vegetable garden and flower beds, some plants are having a tough[Read More…]
Yep, it’s coming
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – It doesn’t take a genius to spot the irresistible threat headed our way from the southwestern United States. Serious changes (along with smoke from forest fires) are in the air. I’m predicting a second wave of immigration and real estate inflation, now that the[Read More…]
The Northern Mockingbird is a Master of Mimicry
by Laurie D. Morrissey HOPKINTON, N.H. – When I worked on a college campus, a northern mockingbird often accompanied me on the walk between my car and my office. This slender gray bird darted from the hedges, flashing white wing patches and outer tail feathers before landing on a crabapple[Read More…]
My Six Falls this Year Have Taken a Toll
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – I discovered the links among strength, body weight, and balance during the winter of 1959-60. Working at the Lake Placid bobsled run introduced me to a whole new gang of men, most of them from “the other side of the mountain.” They ranged in[Read More…]
Beware the Uglynest Caterpillar
by Ann Hazelrigg, Extension Plant Pathologist, University of Vermont BURLINGTON – If you spot any trees or shrubs that appear to be covered in fake spider webs, those aren’t early Halloween decorations, but rather the work of the uglynest caterpillar (Archips cerasivorana), which can be found throughout Vermont. This pest[Read More…]
Flying Tigers Feed on Lilac Nectar
by Susan Shea RANDOLPH – When our lilacs bloom in late May, pale yellow butterflies with black stripes arrive to feed on their nectar. These are tiger swallowtails. These exquisite butterflies have a broad black band along the edge of their forewings bordered with yellow dots. They also have small[Read More…]
The Gardener’s Bane: Slugs, Bugs and Ticks, Oh My!
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – All gardeners have to contend with a variety of insects and other small pests in the garden – those that attack our plants and those that bite us. Mosquitoes? I can live with them. But ticks? That is another story. I’ve tried every[Read More…]
