Columns Archives - The Hardwick Gazette

The soft rains of early May come and go, pass and move on, like mild surf on a quiet beach. I look up now and then from my desk, toward the edge of the roof at the foot of a valley, to gauge their intensity, rejoicing that my roof doesn’t leak and the systems of the house are, at least for now, working.

Bloodroot

Columns Passion for Plants, etc.

The Importance of Native Plants and Pollinators

May 5, 2021May 4, 20212 weeks ago Lynette Courtney 31 Views 3 min read

It’s been a long winter, but it made time for me to take an in-depth look into our regional native plants and how important they are for holding together what we think of as our Vermont landscape.

Catalpa blossoms are showy and insect-pollinated, but still can cause hay fever courtesy photo

Columns In the Garden

Pollen, Allergies and Plants

April 28, 2021April 28, 20213 weeks ago Henry Homeyer 39 Views 4 min read

If you suffer from spring allergies, this would be a good time to know what plants are affecting your comfort. Right now, many trees are dumping their pollen. Most trees are wind-pollinated and produce lots of pollen.

A Yankee Notebook

You Can Go Back as Far as You Want

April 28, 2021April 28, 20213 weeks ago Willem Lange 25 Views 3 min read

On a nearly perfect mid-April morning, a group of us gathered at a freshly created parking lot near the western foot of two small mountains near West Newbury. Tucker Mountain, dominated by its less spectacular, but taller (by 52 feet) neighbor, Woodchuck Mountain, was our goal for the day.

The rucksack’s contents (clockwise from the lower left): mess kit/fry pan, aluminum canteen and cup, mirror, stainless steel salt shaker, collapsible cup, shoe brush, cup lid, soap container, sewing kit, and coin purse. photo by Jim Flint

Columns Rural Ramblings

Spring Cleaning Reveals a Rucksack Mystery

April 21, 2021April 20, 20214 weeks ago Jim Flint 51 Views 4 min read

For many Vermonters, the pandemic spurred a wave of home cleanup and improvement projects. Last spring, I took on the garage of our house in Craftsbury Village, cleaning my way from front to back.