Some of the most popular gardens are plots designated for cultivating herbs and vegetables. Fresh produce is a great benefit of having a home garden, allowing homeowners to exercise control over which products to use to grow robust, healthy vegetables. Novice gardeners may not know where to begin when it comes to planting their first…

Photo by John Hall Salamanders like this Eastern red-spotted newt will soon be crossing Vermont roadways to reach wetlands where they will breed. You may have already heard the spring peepers or wood frogs calling in your backyard. Or perhaps you’ve noticed salamanders crawling over rocks in a nearby stream. The arrival of spring brings…

Submitted Keeping your lawn an appropriate height, versus very short to cut down on mowings, will help to keep it healthy. Maintaining a lush lawn is a healthy and rewarding hobby that affords homeowners to spend some time outdoors in nature. Lawn enthusiasts can make their hobby even healthier by adopting several eco-friendly lawn care…

Submitted Similar flowers can be arranged into beautiful arrangements — or not. As you can see the arrangement has “bullseye” flowers, but the filler isn’t recessed to show off those main flowers and little or no greenery has been added. This is an example of a badly organized arrangement. The Rutland Garden Club provides a…

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has declared April to be “National Gardening Month,” and Vermont has much to celebrate. Although garden season gets a later start in Vermont (May or June is more like it!), our state has a vibrant, active, gardening culture. “Vermonters care very deeply about where there food comes from,”…

Cal Garrison (a.k.a Mother of the Skye) writes weekly horoscopes for The Mountain Times. If you would like an emailed notification sent to you weekly, sign up for the newsletter, below.         Horoscopes for April 30 - May 6, 2015 Aries March 21 - April 20 There's so much new energy around, within…

Submitted Unhealthy trees may need to be removed from a property before they cause significant damage. Perhaps because they can live for so many years, trees have a way of falling down homeowners’ landscaping priority lists. Trees also tend to be big and strong, so it’s no surprise that they often are overlooked in favor…

On April 28 and 29, 61 public librarians from around the state completed a two-day Vermont Early Literacy Initiative (VELI) conference, convened by the Vermont Department of Libraries (VTLIB) and the Vermont Center for the Book (VCB). Librarians learned how to enrich their practice by incorporating important early literacy, early mathematics, and social-emotional development concepts…

Submitted With the right tools for the job, a professional can prune your trees safely and efficiently. Bountiful, healthy trees can be beautiful to behold and important contributors to a thriving environment. According to American Forests, a nonprofit conservation organization, a tree can absorb as much as 40 pounds of carbon dioxide per year and…

Thursday, May 14 at 6 p.m. — CAVENDISH — It’s great for the garden and it’s great for the lawn. Also, composting is soon to be the law. The Vermont State Legislature has passed comprehensive recycling legislation that includes mandatory rules on composting certain food waste. The Cavendish Community and Conservation Association in conjunction with the Town…

Rutland customers will be first to receive Powerwall storage technology RUTLAND—Green Mountain Power recently announce that it will be one of the first energy companies in the country to offer Tesla’s new home battery, the Powerwall, to customers. Tesla, best known for its groundbreaking, fully electric cars, is taking its electric energy storage expertise to…

Dr. Leonard Perry, Horticulture Professor, UVM Back injuries are the second most common of injuries, only to fingers and hands. Most back injuries come from improper lifting, lowering, pushing, pulling, and carrying—all activities we perform in the garden. Here are some basic principles which apply to any means of lifting, lowering, and carrying, whether at…

Submitted Providing food for avian friends is a great way to create a bird-friendly environment; just be sure to keep feeders clean to keep bird healthy. Organizations like the Audobon Society help provide tips for homeowners. Bird watching is a pastime enjoyed by people of all ages. While many people trek into the woods to…

Video courtesy of Bobby Lanctot Photo courtesy of Marie Cole

By Robin Alberti Building tall towers and enjoying sweet treats were among the activities enjoyed most by area children at Wonderfeet’s open house celebration this past Saturday. The new location features expanded space and new exhibits that foster creativity and engineering. Open house weekend followed by Pig Roast benefit, May 5 RUTLAND — Friday, April…