by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – On a cold and snowy day I paused to think back a few years to a conference I attended run by the Ecological Farming Association in Pacific Grove, Calif. There were several sessions by scientists presenting research confirming what organic gardeners have always[Read More…]
Columns
Winter Wonders: Icicles, Snow Doughnuts, and Hair Ice
by Susan Shea BROOKFIELD – A few winters ago, I snowshoed along a trail that led below a series of cliffs with rows of huge, hanging icicles. These icicles were up to 40 feet long, with colors ranging from blue-green to yellowish-brown. In some spots, the icicles extended from clifftop[Read More…]
With apologies to T.S. Eliot:
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – Here I am, an old man in a cold month, waiting for spring, dictating to a young lady. It’s hard to grasp the difference in perspective between what I was doing happily – living alone at home in the company of a small dog[Read More…]
Brighten the Winter with Microgreens
by Andrea Knepper, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont BOLTON – What could be better than fresh greens during the dreary winter months? What if you grew and harvested them yourself? Growing microgreens in your home is easy, cost-effective and satisfying. All you need is some soil, seeds and a[Read More…]
Building a Simple Plant Stand
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – As I write this, the wind chill factor is well below zero, and summer seems a lifetime away. But if you are thinking about starting seeds indoors this year, this would be a good time to build a simple wooden plant stand. You[Read More…]
Pigeons in Love
by Anna Morris QUECHEE — Humans often ascribe traits that we admire to other animals. We treasure a dog’s loyalty, revere an eagle’s power, and applaud a dolphin’s intellect. We hold these creatures in high esteem, whether they are spotted rarely in the wild or are daily lounging at our[Read More…]
Another New Experience
by Willem Lange BERLIN – This piece will be perforce much shorter than my usual exhalation. I’m writing it flat on my back in a hospital in Berlin, Vermont. My lovely daughter Martha is typing this as I attempt to pull together the events of the last four weeks. In[Read More…]
Some Houseplants are Toxic for Pets
by Jodi Larison, Extension Master Gardener Intern, University of Vermont WEST DOVER – In their book, “How to be your Dog’s Best Friend,” the Monks of New Skete suggest that for many people, dogs and houseplants are the only readily available touchstones with the natural world. They also say that owners[Read More…]
Saving Seeds from Heirloom Vegetables
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – As a boy in the 1950s I knew there were two kinds of tomatoes: deep red, plump and tasty ones my grandfather grew, and the kind that came four in a package wrapped in cellophane. The Cello-Wraps, as I think of them, had[Read More…]
Water Boatmen: Foraging Beneath the Ice
by Declan McCabe BURLINGTON – If you get a chance this winter, take a peek through the icy window of a pond surface. You may see water boatmen (order Hemiptera: Family Corixidae) clinging to the pond floor. Long oar-like hind legs propel these insects, inspiring their common name. Shorter, scoop-like[Read More…]
My First Experience
by Willem Lange EAST MONTPELIER – My first experience with surgery and general anesthesia occurred in 1949, at the so-called Children’s Hospital in Albany, N.Y. My grandfather, an old-fashioned Albany apothecary, probably had connections there; and my father, a clergyman, probably got a reduced rate. It was a simple, straightforward[Read More…]
How Deer Contribute to the Spread of Invasives
by Jen Weimer DURHAM, N.H. — A winter walk in the forest reveals a flurry of wildlife activity that often goes unnoticed during other times of the year. Often among the many tracks in the snow are the nearly heart-shaped prints of deer. The white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) is common[Read More…]
