Discover More from This Category: Lifestyle

Pondering the pumpkin this Halloween weekend

October 26, 2022
By Vern Grubinger Editor’s note: Vern Grubinger, who is based in the University of Vermont Extension office in Brattleboro, is the extension vegetable and berry specialist. The pumpkin is an odd vegetable. The more popular pumpkins get, the less people eat them. Everyone wants to carve a jackolantern, but few people make pumpkin pie anymore.…

Time to button up your home

October 19, 2022
With heating fuel prices at their highest level in years and winter just around the corner, Button Up Vermont is getting the word out: The best time to weatherize your home is right now. The annual Button Up Vermont campaign, supported by a partnership of energy services providers and clean energy champions, works each fall…

Putting the garden to bed this fall season

October 19, 2022
By Deborah J. Benoit Editor’s note: Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM Extension master gardener from North Adams, Massachusetts, who is part of Vermont’s Bennington County chapter. Just because the growing season is over doesn’t mean work in the garden has come to an end. Almost, but not quite. There are still a number of…

It’s decorative gourd season

October 12, 2022
By Andrea Knepper Editor's note: Andrea Knepper is a University of Vermont Extension Master Gardener from Bolton. It’s the time of year when strangely-shaped, multi-colored, warty gourds begin to appear in gardens, markets, CSA boxes and on front porches. If you planted any type of gourds in your garden this year, peek under leaves now…

Take cuttings now for new plants next spring

September 22, 2022
By Deborah J. Benoit Editor’s note: Deborah J. Benoit is a UVM Extension Master Gardener from North Adams, Massachusetts, who is part of Vermont’s Bennington County Chapter. Summer ends and all those lovely annuals we’ve grown so fond of will soon come to an end, too. But it doesn’t have to be. Some of those…

Ecologically sensitive fall garden maintenance

September 14, 2022
By Bonnie Kirn Donahue Editor’s note: By Bonnie Kirn Donahue is a UVM Extension master gardener. It’s September, and to many gardeners, that means it’s time for end-of-the-year garden maintenance. This includes cutting back plants, clearing out leaves and composting most of the vegetation that grew this season. Before continuing the normal routine, it’s a…

Killington increases short-term rental permit fees

August 31, 2022
By Curt Peterson According to Killington Select Board member Jim Haff, there are more than 600 short-term rental properties (STRs) in Killington. Many of those owners have recently spoken out against the town's proposal to increase fees for registering the properties. Proposed increases were significant, adding $250 to each of three categories: one and two…

Teachers answer questions about the upcoming school year

August 31, 2022
By Jacob Knipes As students across our region prepare to go back to school, teachers and principals prepare for their impending arrival. But just what does the process of educators preparing for the beginning of a new school year look like? To find out, we asked several educators about what they are up to doing…

Ask a master gardener: What’s eating my squash?

August 24, 2022
By Bonnie Kirn Donahue Squash is one of the easiest types of vegetables to grow. Plant a seed in some soil, give it water and a lot of space and before long you have more than you know what to do with. However easy to grow, cucurbits are threatened by a number of pests that…

Common garden invasives: What you can do

August 17, 2022
By Bonnie Kirn Donahue Editor's note: Bonnie Kirn Donahue is a UVM Extension master gardener and landscape designer from central Vermont. While summer provides a bounty of fruits, veggies and flowers, it also brings invasive species. Common invasive species that you might find in your garden or landscape often started out as decorative landscape plants.…

Killington raises short-term rental permit fees

August 10, 2022
By Curt Peterson At its regular meeting, Aug. 8, the Killington Select Board proposed to increase the fees for the required annual registration of short-term rentals for the next program term — Nov. 1, 2022 through Oct. 31, 2023. The registration fee for each category will increase over this year’s fee by $250, Select Board…

Daylilies celebrate summer

August 3, 2022
By Bonnie Kirn DonahueEditor’s note: Bonnie Kirn Donahue is a UVM Extension master gardener and landscape designer from central Vermont. When daylilies are blooming, it officially feels like summer. Daylilies have a celebratory appearance, looking almost like stationary fireworks, reaching for the sun. These flowering fireworks come in many sizes, bloom shapes and colors. The…

Get ready for blueberry season

July 13, 2022
By Bonnie Kirn Donahue Editor’s note: Bonnie Kirn Donahue is a UVM Extension master gardener and landscape designer from central Vermont. Strawberry season is reaching its end, which means that blueberry season is on the horizon. Blueberries typically ripen starting in July. Depending on the variety, they can even ripen into September. At this point…

Your weekly horoscope, May 24-31

May 24, 2022
[vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image="194740" img_size="full" alignment="center"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row css=".vc_custom_1582852508329{margin-top: 40px !important;}"][vc_column][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner width="1/3"][vc_raw_html]JTNDc3BhbiUyMGNsYXNzJTNEJTIyaWNvbmlmeSUyMiUyMGRhdGEtaWNvbiUzRCUyMm1kaS16b2RpYWMtYXJpZXMlMjIlMjBkYXRhLWlubGluZSUzRCUyMmZhbHNlJTIyJTNFJTNDJTJGc3BhbiUzRQ==[/vc_raw_html][vc_custom_heading text="Aries" font_container="tag:h2|text_align:center" use_theme_fonts="yes"][vc_column_text css=".vc_custom_1568082984251{margin-bottom: 0px !important;}"] March 21 - April 20 [/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Despite barely being able to hold a note, I’m a very musical person. When I look at your stars this week, the song Wild Horses from the Rolling Stones comes to mind. Even if I tried…

Popular plants can have an added benefit as insect repellents

May 18, 2022
Homeowners choose plants for their properties based on a number of variables. Some may be into growing their own foods, while others desire their gardens to be an awe-inspiring mélange of bright colors and alluring scents. There’s no wrong reason to plant a fresh garden, but some plants offer extra benefits, such as repelling insects.…