Six Steps to a Beautiful Landscape Next Season
Don’t let a busy schedule stop you from creating a beautiful landscape. Incorporate a few of these changes in your fall landscape care
View ArticleFresh Market—the Pumpkin
Nothing says Fall quite so well as the pumpkin! Its bold color and robust texture are characteristic of the season. It is a fall favorite in the U.S., selling over 1 billion pounds annually in its...
View ArticleProtect your winter landscape from hungry wildlife
There’s no doubt that managing critters in the landscape can be a challenge especially as food supplies start to dwindle. If you are battling with rabbits, deer, groundhogs or other wildlife, don’t let...
View ArticleFresh Market – The Pear
Because they are considered hypoallergenic, pears are often one of the first foods we introduce to babies. Soft and easily digestible compared to other fruits, these are excellent choices for first...
View ArticleHere I am, where are you?
Here I Am, Where Are You? sings the Red-eyed Vireo all day long through the summer. Now it is silent but I watched one feeding on abundant insects this past week.
View ArticleFresh Market—the Cabbage
Everyone knows that babies come from the cabbage patch, right? But do you know where cabbages come from? According to Roman mythology cabbages sprung from the tears of Lycurgus, King of the Edonians of...
View ArticleFresh Market the Cranberry
It is commonly held that there are only three fruits native to North America—blueberries, cranberries and Concord grapes. While I am not certain of the accuracy of this statement, cranberries are...
View ArticleRob Vander Zee’s ArtPrize
Rob Vander Zee, talented young man, was seeking an art project while in high school and has now displayed in Artprize 2013. When I was developing a wetland learning station at the Howard Christensen...
View ArticleFresh Market-Jack o’ the Lantern
Most of us have heard the story of the wily rascal, Jack, and how he tricked the devil and thereby secured his own soul. Many versions of the tale exist, but all agree on the conclusion that...
View ArticleLeaf Experiences
The best learning is a family experience with fun. I was raking leaves and thought about my girls helping or thinking they were helping. Then I thought about when I helped my dad rake leaves or thought...
View ArticleChecklist for Fall Garden and Landscape Care
You can see and feel the change of seasons. Fall color is starting to appear, pansies, mums and asters are in the garden center and your thoughts are turning to preparing your landscape for winter.
View ArticleMichigan vintners prepare for short crop
Severe cold events from January through March resulted in damage to grapevines that reduced fruitfulness for many of the more cold-tender varieties used for wine production in Michigan.
View ArticleFresh Market: Horseradish
By Vicky Babcock Welcome to the American Bottoms, a Mississippi River basin carved out by glaciers during the ice age. The soil here is rich in potash, a nutrient on which horseradish thrives....
View ArticleLawn care tips for Fall
(Family Features) Taking time in the fall to prepare your lawn for the colder months ahead will pay dividends come spring and allow you to enjoy lusher, greener grass when temperatures rise again....
View ArticleColors In the Wind
By Ranger Steve Mueller Red Maples in swamplands are the first to show fall color. It is typical for stressed plants or weak dying plants to change color earlier. Difficult growing conditions in...
View ArticleFresh Market: Is there fruit after August?
Now that the kids are settled back into school and we are pushing into October, it’s time to address a few misconceptions. I’m frequently asked how long the (Solon) Market runs.
View ArticleBeware of poison ivy
Richard Cone, of Camp Lake, near Sparta, found out the hard way that getting rid of poison ivy can be a tricky business. Cone recently cut down a tree in his yard, and attached to it was a poison ivy...
View ArticleFresh Market: The Pinecone
By Vicky Babcock Consider the pinecone. While not a viable food source for humans, pinecones are invaluable to birds and mice that eat the tender seeds when other sources of food are scarce. Dried...
View ArticleFall clean-up tips for your lawn and garden tools
As the temperature drops, your lawn and garden will start settling into a dormant state. As you prep your landscaping and garden for a winter’s slumber, it’s a good idea to review the tools you used...
View ArticleFresh Market: The Pumpkin—a Halloween tradition
By Vicky Babcock Google “pumpkin” and you will find everything from riots in (Keene) New Hampshire to Ichabod Crane’s unfortunate encounter with the headless horseman, to pumpkin scones. We have...
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