Have you noticed lots of weeds 2-3 feet high with white flowers or rays around yellow centers? They seem to be growing everywhere this year – in vacant lots, along roadsides, in gardens. Eastern daisy fleabane (Erigeron annus) is prolific this year. I have decided that some of it looks well in my garden, but... Read More
Salsify – isn’t that what old timers call the oyster plant because it tastes slightly like oysters? I found a stiff plant with a yellow flower that I identified as western salsify. Same plant? Not quite. Western salsify (trogopogon dubius Scop) sports a yellow flower while the salsify vegetable (T. pomfolius) has purple flowers. Actually... Read More
Recently I had to remove some turf to extend a garden of shrubs. I’m hoping the shrubs will act as a snow fence in the years to come so I don’t get snow drifts blocking my drive. Peeling back turf revealed lots of things: tiny roots from the removed grass, lots of varied-sized stones and... Read More
Several days ago a neighbor took me on a tour of her gardens. As we approached the upper side of the gardens, I looked at the stone row that outlined an old woods road, once a short cut between two roads. And then I saw it – a large tawny cat lying on the stone... Read More
Late winter is the time to prune many fruit-bearing trees and vines. I took my loppers and a step ladder to prune my cherry trees, removing crossed twigs and branches to clear out the central area and provide more air circulation. It was then I noticed a gummy substance leaking from a long “rip” on... Read More
Who goes there? I love to unravel mysteries and footprints in the snow are a challenge. My walk in the snow before it all melted revealed lots of animal activity. Aside from a domestic cat, there were fox, squirrel and deer footprints as well a new set of prints found in multiple places. It was of... Read More
What animal made these tracks? The January sun shone across the new snow, highlighting numerous animal visits earlier today. The day before the wind drifted the snow wiping out most tracks, but today the wind was still. However, fluffy snow does not create sharp images so I paused to scrutinize tracks to determine the animal... Read More
Years ago I had to commute along the Juniata River. There were a few ramshackle cottages between road and river. One of them sported a sign saying ‘bittersweet for sale’. I thought bittersweet was pretty with its bright orange berries in the winter, but I never stopped to buy some. Since then bittersweet began growing... Read More
I had considered blogging about urban wildlife like raccoons, skunks, opossums, squirrels, rabbits and other rodents in addition to a large assortment of insects and some amphibians that can be found in urban habitats. Occasionally deer, ground hogs, and even turkeys have been seen in Easton. A few years ago, a turkey hen explored the... Read More
