It’s time. They’re out there, you know. Leaves. Thousands of leaves! But this year, leave the rake in the shed and crank up the mower. Your lawn will thank you for it come spring. Matted leaves aren’t good for grass. They will smother and kill it, but finely mulched leaves add vital nutrients to the soil, and help the lawn retain moisture, so the grass doesn’t become overly dry in … [Read more...]

  They live in clusters atop the dunes and stretch westward towards the sun. They dance in rhythm to the music of the breezes throughout the day and night. They are sea oats, creatures of the beach. They build the dunes and guard the shores. The stately grasses are tough. They can sink their roots in fragile sand and survive the big blows out of the northeast and the driving gales of … [Read more...]

  Nancy loves impatiens as a beautiful, border flower. She has grown them from seeds and bought them in containers. She has dug and re-dug them as the squirrels chipped away, she has cast thousands of gallons of water on them to keep them alive. She has seen deer sneak in and eat them to the ground. She is through with them. We now, and will always in the future, a much more … [Read more...]

  Ever been fussed at by a catbird? You’ll know if it happens. Since my catbirds arrived, I have been treating them with Peanut Suet Log – a product that I discovered last year and one that catbirds find irresistible. The logs last 2 to 3 days before they’re totally pecked away. The other afternoon after work, I walked outside to the patio to enjoy an adult beverage and I heard this … [Read more...]

This is a make-or-break time for baby deer. A good majority of whitetail fawns in Virginia are born the first week of June. Some will come a few weeks later from does who were bred later in December, during the second rut, but right now there are lots of baby deer in our fields trying to survive. For the first week of their lives, fawns are practically defenseless. Their wobbly legs couldn’t … [Read more...]

  I used to see a lady at Kroger’s from time to time that brought in her own grocery bags, but I haven’t seen her in a while. I’ve come to the conclusion that I may be the only shopper in town to bring my own reusable shopping bags – totes, really. My understanding is that stores are either going to begin taxing the use of those god-awful plastic grocery bags or do away with them … [Read more...]

    We now have four baby bluebirds flitting from treetop to treetop as their busy parents move them around. I didn’t  know until two weeks ago that the hen was even on the nest. Last year, bluebirds were on their nest before the first of April. This year I saw the male going in and out of the box, but the female would show up only periodically. I wasn’t sure if she was ready to … [Read more...]

There is a good reason why there are fewer whitetail deer in the National Forests west of the Blue Ridge. Fire, or the lack thereof.  It’s the same reason California endures horrendous wildfires each year – it’s due to the lack of controlled burning. According to the biologists of Virginia Division of. Wildlife Resources, we’ve been conditioned to think of fire as solely a destructive force, … [Read more...]

  What’s a sure sign of spring - that winter is in the rearview mirror? Jonquils? Robins? Groundhogs and shadows? Well, yes, but the best sign of things to come are worms in the driveway. I went out to get the paper a few days ago and saw that wonderful sight. There was a worm in the driveway after an evening’s rain. That’s a good sign. That means spring is not far away when both lawns … [Read more...]

I have heard of passenger pigeons, now extinct, but I had never hear of a passenger hawk – until recently. A friend told me of a strange experience that happened to one of his friends. The man was driving on the interstate when the car in front clipped a hawk, which fell to the side of the highway. The man got out to check on the fallen bird. It seemed to be alive, but knocked unconscious. Being … [Read more...]