Hello fellow readers, “You can’t water their faces,” recalls brother Rick, one of Mom’s instructions on caring for African violets, as water on their leaves can cause spotting damage. Mom had quite a collection of violets when we were kids. As I write, we are v

Hello fellow readers, I’ve become a street walker – one of those folks seen waving to cars driving by. Which isn’t a bad thing; it’s polite to acknowledge each other and a smile and wave may help lift someone’s spirits. Often times yourself. It’s amazing how ev

Hello Fellow Readers, Thanksgiving is a time to gather and reflect on gifts we are grateful for. Versions of the holiday are celebrated at different times of the year by other countries too. While most folks consider it a secular holiday (not based on religion), most religions offer p

Hello Fellow Readers, Last week I mentioned that my neighbor Bill ate his volleyball – a Giant Puffball Mushroom, that is, Calvatia gigantean. I have a volleyball, too, that I’ve been monitoring in amazement, but it didn’t occur to me to eat it! I’ve always admired folks that kn

Hello fellow readers, Recently I met with Andrea of Morristown whose property is graced with grand old ash trees one of which has died. Dave Dubee, arborist of Greenwood Tree, shared that while the dreaded Emerald Ash Borer is getting close to home, Andrea’s ash was not a victim

Hello fellow readers,  When I was a girl, my sister dared me to rub a leaf all over me. Even then, I was a plant person and always up to the ‘I dare you’ challenge. The leaf was in a grouping of three, and I picked one and dutifully painted myself with it. I bet you know w

Hello fellow readers, Greetings from Cape May where I am enjoying a fall respite. Cape May is at the very end of New Jersey and has attracted vacationers since the mid-18th century designating it as the country’s oldest seaside resort. In 1878 a fire destroyed much of the town c

Hello fellow readers, It’s fun to grow herbs and enjoy them all summer long. But I’ll admit, I still dive into my stash of dry herbs even though there’s fresh ones out in the garden. Lazy Mary? Maybe. But a big part if it is, I’m used to cooking with dry herbs. Bill from Stone Church

Hello fellow readers, Last week we spoke about how fall is a great time for planting most trees and shrubs. What about perennials asked Dorothy of Bangor? By and large I prefer spring for planting most new perennials. But if you can’t resist a bargain, fall can work just fine. In fact

Hello fellow readers, Jill from Nazareth is confused. She heard that fall is a great time to plant but then found out that there is a list of Fall Dig Hazard trees. That does seem confusing! Paul of Gardens of the World in Andover has a simple way to explain it. The Fall Dig Hazard li