Destructive worms threaten local gardens, forests

As warmer weather beckons Addison County residents outdoors this spring, there’s an uninvited guest they should keep watch for in their gardens, lawns and fields: jumping worms.

As warmer weather approaches, it is a great time to consider how you use the outdoor spaces in your life. Whether you rent or own, use public land or private, there are things that you can think about to help make these outdoor spaces work better for you.

There’s more to consider than fresh eggs when raising chickens at home. For gardeners, that includes keeping both chickens and plants safe and productive.

Over the winter, I heard about an intriguing vegetable-growing technique called “lazy gardening.” As far as I knew, that was the kind of gardening I’d been doing for two decades.

Communities around the world are cultivating seed libraries. A surge in new gardeners and struggling supply chains during the pandemic caused the rise of seed libraries.

This time of year, when plants are normally in their dormant stage, usually finds gardeners conducting late-winter pruning of apple and other fruit trees.

Cold frames allow for the early planting of spring vegetables such as lettuce, radishes, carrots and cabbage by protecting them from frost and cold temperatures at the beginning of the season.

Many gardeners start vegetables, annual flowers and herbs from seeds, either indoors or directly in the garden. However, have you ever considered growing your own perennials from seed? 

The holidays are over, and we find ourselves in the cold, dark days of mid-winter. As a gardener, you may feel that the planting season is so far away. Don’t worry as you can start many plants indoors by seed soon.

If you’ve purchased perennial plants or started them from seed, you’ve likely seen notations such as “hardy to zone 5” or “USDA Zones 4a-9b” on the package or in the product description.

There’s nothing like creating a salad of freshly harvested greens you’ve grown yourself from seed.

Every gardener has a fall to-do list to complete: pulling annuals, raking leaves and storing hoses and other garden tools. They aren’t the most exciting tasks, but planning for your spring garden now saves time next year.  

With cooler temperatures , we have to say goodbye to our beautiful summer annuals. Still, you can try container plantings.

When classes resumed in late August at Beeman Elementary School in New Haven, it was time for pulling potatoes.

Of all the wildflowers — or weeds, if you prefer — goldenrod (Solidago) is one of the most recognizable. Its plumes of bright yellow flowers atop tall stems bob in the breeze, making its presence hard to miss.