Hello fellow readers, The Wonders of Witch Hazel brightens the dormant landscape, is a tool for Water-Witching, and has mysterious methods of pollinating and dispersing seeds. I came upon a sunny flowering Witch Hazel along the road, looking stunning, offset by the orangy house behind

Hello fellow readers, How fun to see Halloween enthusiasts decorating their homes like Christmas with purple and orange lights, cobwebs, and spiders. Even smoke machines, reminiscent of the disco days. Skeletons, goblins, and ghosts adorned a front yard we came upon; some were hanging

Hello fellow readers, Mysteriously, a photo of our dear Miss Ellie appeared while posting last week’s column. It was taken on a hot day while out weeding. Miss Ellie plopped herself in the garden to cool herself off. It brought a smile as recently I snagged a photo of Jolee doin

Hello fellow readers, These are nutty times—far nuttier than usual. Have you noticed the plentiful tree nuts as compared to last year? In my neck of the woods, the shagbark hickory nuts are overabundant and golf ball size. So much, so that walking amongst them is risky for ankle stabi

Hello fellow readers, Have you ever heard when the peepers are peeping, it’s time to plant peas? Or when dandelions bloom, it’s a cue to dig in potatoes? It’s called phenology –observing animal migrations and when certain insects, amphibians, and hibernating animals

Hello fellow readers, This morning, Curt recited the familiar folklore that March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. Then I reversed it as my mom always did.”In like a lamb out like a lion.” He had never heard it that way. In like a lion out like a lamb Upon researc

Hello fellow readers, As I write, the snow is falling and is likely to continue well into Groundhog Day. They say if the groundhog sees his shadow, they’ll be six more weeks of winter. If he doesn’t, it will be an early spring. With all this snow, it may be six weeks before we see the

Hello Fellow Readers, I recently shopped for annuals for Ron of Stillwater, NJ, who wished for bright hues. Previously he planted marigolds. I haven’t used them for years, likely due to a childhood memory of my first garden – primarily marigolds grown from seed. “Mary̵

Hello fellow readers, Did you notice the full moon lighting up our nighttime snow-scape last week? No flashlights are needed. It made me think of planting by the moon’s phases, a practice as old as agriculture. True, it’s primarily based on legend, but there are scientific concepts to

Hello fellow readers, Counting One Mississippi, Two Mississippi was the advice of the JCP&L operator who suggested not taking a shower during a thunderstorm – precisely where I was when a storm clambered through and kicked out the power, cable, internet, and telephone. ̶