by Jackie Bussjaeger ST. PAUL, MN. – Finding a suitable mate in the wild is no simple matter. It’s an extra complicated affair for one familiar resident of the woods and underbrush. With its chunky build, boldly striped head, and namesake white throat, the white-throated sparrow (Zonotrichia albicollis) is among[Read More…]
Columns
After Use, Plant Easter Lilies in Garden
by Deborah J. Benoit, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – It’s no surprise that the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum) is the most popular floral gift for Easter giving, but did you know that, contrary to its name, it isn’t a spring-blooming flower? When grown outdoors, they[Read More…]
It Sucks You in and Spits You Out
EAST MONTPELIER – This coming Saturday morning, a Boeing 737 Max 8 bound for Denver will be taking off (or at least is scheduled to be taking off) from Logan Airport at 7:19 a.m. This means that my intrepid traveling companion, Bea, and I need to be at the United[Read More…]
Cooler and Seasonable Weather Returns
HARDWICK – We will be in the middle of another pendulum-swing Wednesday morning as the skies clear out and temperatures look to reach 50. This comes after a period of highly variable weather, which commenced in the middle of last week, with warmer temperatures and precipitation in the form of[Read More…]
I Do Object to Ageism
EAST MONTPELIER – It’s likely the unavoidable fate of both teenagers and golden-agers that most news reporters and writers are aspiring twenty-somethings eager to make splashes. Thus, if a young person with a newly minted driver’s license loses control of their vehicle on a slippery night, the headline will include[Read More…]
Pruning Fruit Trees: Now is a Good Time
by Henry Homeyer CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – March, April and May are good months to prune your fruit trees. Traditionally farmers pruned their fruit trees in March. I think they did so because they had less other work they could do at this time of year: it was too early to[Read More…]
Maple Sugaring Adapts to a Changing Climate
READING – Boiling maple sap into syrup is a time honored tradition in the Northeast, to the olfactory delight of anyone who has spent time in a steamy sugarhouse while inhaling the sweet maple scent of the season. It used to be that trees were tapped in late March, and[Read More…]
Returning Bluebirds Need Homes
by Deborah J. Benoit, Extension Master Gardener NORTH ADAMS, Mass. – Spring is just around the corner. With its arrival, bluebirds will be returning north from their winter migration to the southeastern United States and Mexico. If you’re lucky, they’ll pay a visit to your yard. While bluebirds likely won’t[Read More…]
Warm Influence Sustained Through Week; Forecast Turns Murky by Sunday
by Tyler Molleur HARDWICK – Another record-shattering week in the books, as Tuesday of last week easily eliminated old records in several areas. It reached 55 degrees in Montpelier, breaking the former 52-degree record high from 2000. This week the warm air returned, and a record high of 57 was[Read More…]
I Needn‘t Have Worried so Much
EAST MONTPELIER – Owing to the recent development of a relationship with a much younger lady (of only 76), I’ve been traveling every so often to Nahant, Mass., a few miles north of Boston, for visits. Being a bit of a country rube, I’ve been quite aware of the increasing[Read More…]
Propagating Dogwoods and Willows
by Bonnie Kirn Donahue, Extension Master Gardener, University of Vermont Looking for versatile, native shrubs? Look no further than willows (Salix spp.) and dogwood (Cornus spp.). Both species are exceptional landscape plants. They have strong roots that can help secure steep banks and prevent erosion. They grow in tough conditions,[Read More…]