About tedmanzer
I grew up in Old Town Maine and got a B.S. at the University of Maine in Plant Sciences/ minor in Botany. From there I moved to West Virginia and earned a M.S. in Agronomy at WVU. I also met my wife there. She grew up in rural WV as the daughter of tenant farmers who raised cattle and hogs. Their lifestyle at times was one of subsistence and I learned a lot from them. I've always been a foraging buff, but combining my formal botanical knowledge with their practical 'Foxfire-type' background opened up my eyes a little more.
I recently retired from teaching high school agriculture after 25 years teaching with my wife. Until recently I wrote a weekly nature/foraging column for the local paper (dailyadvance.com). I also have written several Christian nature/adventure novels that can be purchased on Amazon in paperback and in Kindle format. One is a five book family saga I call the 'Forgotten Virtues' series. In the first book, Never Alone, a young boy comes of age after his father dies in a plane crash, and he has to make it alone. The second book, Strange Courage, takes Carl from his High School graduation to his recovery from a nasty divorce. The third book, Second Chances, takes Carl from his ex-wife's death and the custody of his son to his heroic death at age 59. The fourth book, Promises Kept, depicts how his grandchildren react and adjust to his death (this one is not yet published). In the final book, Grandfather's Way, his youngest and most timid granddaughter emerges from the shadow of her overachieving family and accomplishes more in four months than most do in a lifetime. I use many foraging references with a lot of the plants I profile in these articles in those books. I also wrote a romance novel titled Virginia, set in rural West Virginia in the early 1980s. It is available on Amazon and is a different type of romance from a man's perspective.
Many folks have noticed their lawn has suddenly turned green, and the grass is not coarse and ugly. However, this species of annual grass is the most difficult to control and most obnoxious weed in golf courses. The culprit is … Continue reading →
The first five days of 2018 saw low temperatures in the teens in Elizabeth City. Night temperatures hovered in the single digits the next three nights, one of them around zero. During that stretch daytime temperatures remained in the 20s. … Continue reading →
Many people who don’t have it growing on their property want it. Those who have it usually want to get rid of it. Once established, English ivy (Hedera helix) can take over a wall, tree or forest floor. I don’t … Continue reading →
Posted in general nature
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Tagged climbing evergreen vine, clinging adventitious roots, English Ivy, forms a barrier, Hedera helix, high organic matter, medicinal uses, not native, provides insulation, Sun or shade, traps water
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Whenever we have a mild winter folks complain that mosquitoes and other insect pests will be worse. This past January we had some of the coldest temperatures in several years. People have asked me if that weather might have a … Continue reading →
Nearly everyone has used honey as a sweetener. It is far sweeter per gram than table sugar. That means fewer calories per serving. About thirty-five years ago I remember watching my future father-in-law dehorning cattle. After tying off exposed bleeding … Continue reading →
Ever since the first of the year we’ve experienced strange weather in eastern North Carolina. A few days have been warm. We’ve even seen temperatures in the 70s, but most of it has been cold. Many folks have experienced frozen … Continue reading →
Posted in general nature
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Tagged bronze colored leaves, Cold temperature damage, deer, gardenia, hollies, Indian Hawthorn, mice, Osmanthus, rabbits, snow damage, snow insulation
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I know we’ve had some rough weather for this area. We’ve had substantial damage to some of our landscaping too. However, some shrubs have begun to awaken from their slumber. I’m speaking of pussy willows (Salix sp.). There are many … Continue reading →
Posted in foraging
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Tagged dioecious, early bloomers, furry catkins, hardy shrubs, informal landscaping, pussy willow, salicylates, Salix, single bud scale, specimen plant, wet places
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I was racking my brain trying to come up with a timely column this week. Somebody suggested dementia. I laughed. After a little musing I decided it was a fair topic to discuss. I’ve noticed memory lapses, particularly short-term in … Continue reading →
Posted in Uncategorized
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Tagged antioxidants, CoQ10, dementia, fish, Ginkgo, herbal remedies, jellyfish, Omega-3 fatty acids, outdoor activities, oxygen to brain cells, panacea, reading, rosemary, silver bullet, turmeric, Vitamin D, writing
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Birds will visit a feeder any time of the year, but winter is when we notice them most. Maybe it’s because they have less available food. Maybe it’s because there’s less leaf canopy to conceal them. Maybe it’s because we … Continue reading →
Posted in general nature
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Tagged blue jays, bluebirds, cardinals, Carolina wrens, chickadees, corn, finches, grackles, millet, mourning doves, nuthatches, nyjer, pigeons, raccoons, red-winged blackbirds, rodents, safflower, skumks, songbirds, sorghum, starlings, suet, sunflower seeds, woodpeckers
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I run into so many people who love houseplants but just don’t have enough light for them. It’s also difficult to find plants that will truly thrive in the shade outdoors. Cast iron plant is one that can do both … Continue reading →
Posted in general nature
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Tagged Aspidistra, cast iron plant, easy to propagate, few insect and disease problems, hardy to zone 7, low fertilizer user, low light interior plant, non-poisonous, rarely flower, rhizomes, shade lover, slow grower, unique flowers
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tedmanzer 