Hello fellow readers, Talk about a shift! The chill, albeit wet and soggy, feels like back to school. For me too, as I registered for a fiction workshop at Warren County Community College. It felt nostalgic going back to school; familiar butterflies and all. There’s a process of

Hello fellow readers, It’s fair time! Farm animals, 4-H exhibits, rides, fun food, and, in the case of the NJ State Fair, garden displays and speakers of which I am one. This Saturday, August 4th at 1 PM, I’ve been asked to speak about Garden Dilemmas. It will be held in the bea

Hello Fellow Readers, (Excuse the late posting of this week’s column. I’ve been hobbling along without internet since last Tuesday’s Wizard of Oz storm. Humbling!) We have the green light for annuals based on the wisdom to wait until after the last frost date, typica

Hello Fellow Readers, Arbor Day occurs worldwide different times of the year based on the growing season. In the United States, its celebrated the last Friday in April, the origins of which dates to 1872 when J. Sterling Morton, President Cleveland’s Secretary of Agriculture, spearhea

Hello fellow readers, There’s an Old Farmer’s Almanac calendar which sits by my desk noting Friday, April 13th is Thomas Jefferson’s Birthday. The 275th anniversary of his birth as a matter of fact. Beyond being a founding father and the third president of the United States, Jefferson

Hello fellow readers, I remember Valentine’s Day as a kid having to bring cards to school. Essentially it was an assignment. An obligation. One for each classmate. The cards came in assortment packs and, while the sayings weren’t romantic per se, mostly about friendliness which isn’t

Hello fellow readers, We are inundated with requests for donations that come in varying forms and disguises and while we wish to give back and help others, evaluating good causes can be confusing. I recently received an official-looking envelope labeled 2018 New Jersey Tree Survey and

Hello fellow readers, A new year often brings resolutions like exercising, getting organized, or quitting habits like smoking or stacking up garden magazines (busted!). I spent an afternoon in the basement tending to a long overdue task of clearing things out. Basements are limbo plac

Hello fellow readers, So long 2017. It has been a wonderful year of learning. In revisiting our topics, we sure spoke about a bunch of critters. About the birds in a two-part bird fodder series. And about the bees – the story about relocating fifty thousand honeybees that took up resi

Hello Fellow Readers, Recently the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) hosted a tour of two private gardens in Northwestern NJ and I had the joy of attending. While I frequently have savored a stroll among my friend and design colleague’s garden, this visit of meandering grounds