by Lynette Courtney This is the first of a series of articles I will be sharing with you, about local plants that are native to our area, in Northeastern Vermont. I have been learning so much about the very important role these plants and their essential partnership with local, native[Read More…]
Columns
Hardly to be Believed
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – I spent a couple of weeks in Costa Rica a few years ago. Lovely place. But by the time we were due to return home, I found I could hardly wait to get there. The weather had been lovely, and the bird-watching spectacular. Each[Read More…]
Jumping Worms Invade Local Gardens
by Deborah J. Benoit, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – You may have heard of jumping worms, sometimes referred to as “snake worms.” Worm castings that resemble coffee grounds on the soil’s surface are likely the first thing you’ll notice. Jumping worms (Amynthas agrestis, Amynthas tokioensis[Read More…]
Queen Season: Bumble Bees in Spring
by Kenrick Vezina LOWELL, Mass. — Hear ye, hear ye! The queens have emerged! We’re talking about bumble bees (genus Bombus). For several weeks each spring, any bumble bee you see is a queen – and very hard at work. She must construct her kingdom. Her mother (the previous queen),[Read More…]
How is Your Soil and How Can You Improve It?
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – Most gardeners know that success in the garden depends on many factors: you can’t grow a sun-loving plant in a shady area, for example. And a shrub that loves wet places won’t do well in dry soil. But the key to success is[Read More…]
Traveling Slow to New Orleans
by Karen Klotz HARDWICK – April is my favorite time to travel. It’s a great time to escape mud season in Vermont and I don’t have to travel very far to find spring. This year we had the added incentive of visiting our baby granddaughter in New Orleans. After reading[Read More…]
What in Hell is Going on Here?
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – It’s often characterized as a British officers’ drinking song, but it’s hardly that. “The Anacreontic Song” was the official song of an 18th-century club of London “wealthy men of social rank” that met monthly for banquets, musical performances, and group singing. Their patron saint,[Read More…]
Designing a Bird-friendly Garden
by Bonnie Kirn Donahue, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont NORTHFIELD – One of the great joys and challenges of gardening is seeing creatures inhabit and eat from our gardens. However, in some cases, animals and insects are unwelcome visitors. Woodchucks, deer and cabbage worms can be relentless and frustrating[Read More…]
No Mow May
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – In 2019 a British non-profit called Plantlife coined the phrase “No Mow May.” They proposed that gardeners leave their mowers in storage for the month of May in order to let wildflowers and weeds bloom and provide pollen and nectar for pollinators. And[Read More…]
The Carpenters Arrive in Spring
by Jen Weimer HILLSBOROUGH, N.H. — Why do ants suddenly appear every time Spring is near? Just like bees, they long to be close to you – especially if your home is made of wood. Carpenter ants (genus Camponotus) and the eastern carpenter bee (Xylocopa virginica) both nest in wood[Read More…]
Off We Went for Coffee
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – The other day – a bluebird day if ever there was one: temperature in the seventies; bright blue sky, robins on the lawn, coltsfoot rioting along the driveway – I shuffled tentatively across the newly mud-free yard to the barnlike garage where the cars[Read More…]
Invite Beneficial Insects with a Bug Hotel
by Andrea Knepper, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont BOLTON – Many gardeners find ways to invite beneficial insects into their spaces by planting native pollinator plants, mulching and avoiding pesticide use. Another way to support a healthy beneficial insect community is a bug hotel. Bug hotels provide a variety[Read More…]
