Hello fellow readers, I visited Kathleen and Andrew in Summit and witnessed first-hand the strength of their dilemma devastating their deck. The wrist-thick woody vine climbing from the ground to their second-story deck was strong and impressive. It wasn’t in bloom as yet, and t

Hello fellow readers, Mother’s Day ends the risk of frost which triggers our time to plant veggies and annuals plus it’s the time for spring babies. From mid-May through June fawn are born and they are so darn cute; though they grow into our biggest garden dilemma ever! Still, I have

Skunk cabbage's unusual chemistry creates heat, melting the snow around itself. It's one of the first things to sprout and serves a role long ago as well as today.

Hello fellow readers, To lime or not to lime lawns, that was the question from Craig of Andover, NJ. His brother, Chris of Blairstown, then asked if there was a moss killer he could use. True, there seems to be a routine among perfect lawn enthusiasts to lime every spring and fall wit

Hello fellow readers, Rebecca of Andover, NJ, received a dormant, bare-root apple tree via mail order and wondered the best way to take care of it until she plants it. What a wonderful gift! They are doing a backyard renovation and plan to include apple trees in the mix. Apple trees s

Hello Fellow Readers, I learned from Patti of Little Big Farm in Blairstown that she started seeds in early February, which piqued my curiosity; actually, it made me green with envy. Aren’t we all longing for green? The rule of thumb is eight weeks before the last frost date is

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, I had the privilege of digging in with the North Warren Garden Club who held their monthly meeting in the new park behind Agway in Blairstown next to where the seasonal Farmers’ Market is hosted. You may recall I met with the club almost two years ago to talk abo

Hello fellow readers, To prune or not to prune, that is the question from Mary of Blairstown (that would be me) and oodles of others who are perplexed and annoyed by the devastating damage from the harsh winter. Plants that normally would be well on their way to showing signs of promi

Hello fellow readers, I am learning so much from all of you! On Mother’s Day, Pastor Marcia shared that soil temperatures were still too chilly for farmers to plant their crops which related to her sermon on honoring all who nurture. While shopping for plants, I met Phil from Morristo