‘Tis the season to deck the halls and trim the tree. Tree sellers are popping up in local markets and parking lots, and many folks are picking out the perfect Christmas tree. Last year 26 million real Christmas trees found their way into American homes. There are many benefits to using a real tree as opposed to artificial trees. First, real Christmas trees are a … Continue reading Selecting a Live Christmas Tree
Now that we are in the season of giving, what do you give the person who has everything? Or how about someone you know little about? Or the host or hostess who has invited you to a celebration? I’m a person who likes to think about the gifts that I give people. I’m not a big fan of gift cards or those ready-made gift sets … Continue reading Think local and homemade food for holiday gifts
It is a holiday that is quintessentially American (or North American, since our Canadian friends also have their own Thanksgiving). A commemoration of not only the arrival and survival of the pilgrims in Plymouth in 1621, but of our thankfulness for what we have. It is a time for us to gather with family or friends and reflect upon our blessings. While, much to my … Continue reading The First Thanksgiving Feast
Many plants have a message. No, I’m not talking about plants actually speaking to deliver some sort of imagination. I’m talking about symbolism — a thought or emotion conveyed by certain members of the plant kingdom. If you think about it, it makes sense — we often have emotional responses to certain plants, especially flowers. We see their beauty, their subtle or not so subtle … Continue reading Requiem from the Garden
One of my favorite things to do is to visit the state fair. One of the great things about my job is that I get to do it for work. This past week I had the privilege of once again heading to Lewisburg for the State Fair of West Virginia. My usual job is representing WVU Extension at the WVU Building, where we interact with … Continue reading The state fair is a veritable smorgasbord of learning, thanks to Master Gardeners
Mother’s Day: The time when we focus on honoring the matriarchs of our lives — our mothers, grandmothers or those who we consider motherly to us (I include my Aunt Ruthie in the list). Whether or not the maternal influences in your life are still living, a common and traditional way of honoring them is with flowers. Flowers have been a part of the celebration … Continue reading Mother’s Day Garden Reflections
Social media have made it easy to share information the world around. It has made it easy for people to connect and interact more than humans ever have before. Gardening is a common theme on Facebook, Twitter and, especially, Pinterest. Ideas are easily shared through these sites. It’s great to see such interest in gardening. Sometimes, however, these ideas should be taken with a grain … Continue reading Gardening in the Age of Pinterest: Dubious Online Garden Tips
Originally posted on The Liber Ero Blog: Reports from the front lines of conservation biology:
A native bumble bee (photo Sheila Colla). By Sheila Colla I’ve been researching pollinator declines over the past decade. It has been encouraging and inspiring to see my chosen subject matter go from completely off the general public’s radar to one of the most important environmental issues of our time.… Continue reading The Problem with ‘Saving the Bees’
Sometimes it takes me a while to come up with an idea for my weekly article. Sometimes inspiration strikes at the weirdest of times and the column just writes itself. This week, the latter is the case after a weekend visit to a big-box home-improvement store. While strolling through the garden section of the store, my eyes were immediately fixed upon one of the most … Continue reading Don’t fall for garden store gimmicks
Happy St. Patrick’s Day! If you are out and about looking for a four leaf clover on this auspicious day, keep in mind that the thing that makes them lucky is that they are hard to find. A true four leaflet (a clover technically only has a simple leaf with multiple leaflets) clover is a four-leaved variation of the usually 3-leaflet white clover (Trifolum repens). Why … Continue reading What makes a four-leaf clover a lucky legume?
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