Author Archives: dirtynailz

Have you noticed fewer – or  no – bats in your area this summer?  I’ve been hearing and reading a lot about bats lately, and the news is horrendous. Bats by the hundreds of thousands are being wiped out by … Continue reading →

With the summer gardening season winding down, we have a pleasant hiatus where we can enjoy our own gardens and sneak away to see other horticulturally interesting places. My husband and I discovered one of them quite by chance. We … Continue reading →

Here’s another interesting post from our friend, HerbDoc: One of my first memories of vegetable gardening at my grandparents’ home involved being given a half pound Chock Full O’Nuts can with which to pick the ugly green tomato hornworm.  These … Continue reading →

Every year, the University of Rhode Island Master Gardeners grow pointsettias. They sell them in December, and the proceeds help fund their programs. The growers ship them free plugs, in return for which they carefully monitor each cultivar and supply … Continue reading →

Last weekend, I finally had a chance to visit a new and very exciting project. The University of Rhode Island Master Gardeners are managing an American Chestnut tree research orchard. This is the fourth such orchard in the state, part … Continue reading →

Her name is Edith Ann, but in our family, she is known as “Auntie.” She comes from Connecticut, and has spent her married life just southeast of Montreal – several zones further to the north. Auntie hails from a family … Continue reading →

The first year I grew potatoes, there were Colorado Potato Beetle larvae on the leaves just about as soon as they came up, even though no one had ever grown potatoes there before.  I picked them off and had a … Continue reading →

I’m just back from a quick trip to Canada. It’s amazing how just a few days away from home can feel like weeks.  I drove up to Quebec alone, stopping once in a while to stretch my legs and admire … Continue reading →

Imagine watching crews cut down every single tree on your street. Now, imagine living in Worcester, MA, where they’ve had to destroy about 25,000 trees so far. The culprit is this  creature, the Asian longhorn beetle or ALB, and it … Continue reading →

Back in June, I wrote about my new push mower. I said that this mower and I were in the process of developing a “working relationship,” and I went on about the money I was saving and how my garden … Continue reading →