Monthly Archives: January 2015
Arborvitae is more than a pretty foundation shrub
I’ve always been a big fan of versatile plants. Arborvitae (Thuja occidentalis) is a common ornamental shrub locally, but that same species is indigenous and grows into a rather large tree in my native Maine. Up there locals call it … Continue reading
Has technology has taken some of the charm out of hunting?
When deer hunting season begins I always think back to my youth. Back then I hunted with my dad and grandfather and hunting was a way of saving money. We wandered the woods carrying rifles with old fashioned iron sights … Continue reading
Gathering wild plants is fun but learn your botany
People approach me and ask if I really collect all those wild plants and how I can identify them. Most think it’s difficult. Some even suggest it’s dangerous. It can be if you don’t learn your botany rules. Simply trying … Continue reading
Eastern Red Cedar is an evergreen tree of many uses
One of our more versatile trees is eastern red cedar (Juniperus virginiana). It’s adaptable, resistant to decay and parts of it are edible and have medicinal uses. Red cedars are evergreens, so they provide protection from winter winds. They’re also … Continue reading
Reclaiming those old apple trees
Perhaps you’ve let your fruit trees go or maybe bought some old farmland with an overgrown orchard on it. Maybe your hunting land has old trees that aren’t productive anymore. Whatever the case, you might have thought about renovating them. … Continue reading
Free range chickens are not necessarily free
In the past several years we’ve seen a resurgence of rural people raising small flocks of chickens. There are several reasons for this. Eggs are the most obvious, but chickens clean up grubs and other creeping and flying critters so … Continue reading
Creeping raspberry is a heat tolerant edible ground cover
Creeping raspberry is a heat tolerant edible ground cover I expect to see a lot more of this in the future, but before you get your hopes up it’s not really grown for its fruit. Creeping raspberry (Rubus calcynoides) is … Continue reading
Proper pruning is not one size fits all
Every fall I notice landscaping that has been cleaned up presumably for the winter. Unfortunately, many plants shouldn’t be pruned then. A general rule of thumb is to trim woody plants shortly after they bloom. Take azaleas, for example. Azaleas … Continue reading
tedmanzer 