Dr. Cynthia Wood, Author at Farmville - Page 5 of 9

MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN

Incised fumewort is problematic

I went to Powhatan State Park last week, walked the usual trails and searched for Dutchman’s breeches, which I didn’t find. When I got home, ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, April 10, 2020 6:00 am

THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE

Gardening from a dog’s viewpoint

Hello, fellow gardeners. It’s me, Uschi again. While my mom is busy moaning about the general state of affairs – plants arriving and no one ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, April 3, 2020 6:00 am

Farmville the Magazine

From the Ground Up: There’s always a place for hellebores

Like Lady Jean Skipwith at Prestwould Plantation near Clarksville, I’ll always have a place in my garden for hellebores. Thank goodness I don’t have to ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Monday, March 16, 2020 6:00 am

Lifestyles

Gardening trends for 2020

Like just about everything else, gardening is influenced by trends. For nearly 10 years, our obsession with native plants has increased. Some gardeners have been ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, March 13, 2020 6:00 am

MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN

Speedwell, a beautiful weed

Hiking in late winter or very early spring requires an open mind about the plants that can be found. Sure, there are always Christmas ferns, ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Saturday, March 7, 2020 6:00 am

MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN

Hiking can be a voyage of discovery

Spending time outside, whether gardening or hiking, is just plain good for you. Hiking and walking have been called moving meditations because they enable people ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, February 13, 2020 10:48 am

THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE

Add pops of color to winter gardens

On New Year’s Day, my gardening mad friends in England sent me photos of their yard, and I was struck by how colorful it was, ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Saturday, February 8, 2020 8:28 pm

MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN

New apps for field work

Not too many years ago, hiking meant carrying a heavy backpack filled with my favorite field guides – some for plants, some for mushrooms and ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, January 16, 2020 10:27 am

THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE

Gardening resolutions for the New Year

Hi there, it’s me, Uschi, my mom’s best garden helper. She’s busy reading seed catalogs and making lists of plants that she doesn’t need and ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, January 9, 2020 11:55 am

MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN

The aftermath of finding a rare plant

A good part of last year was spent hiking with a list of plants that needed to be documented in various counties. For example, common ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, January 3, 2020 11:16 am

From the Ground Up

A Christmas tree primer: simple steps to a happy holiday

Americans have been having a love affair with Christmas trees for more than 150 years. German settlers introduced the first Christmas trees in the mid-1800s. ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, December 20, 2019 12:48 pm

THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE

Sweet anticipation: Habenadas in November

Here it is early November and I’m still nursing along a pepper plant because I’m curious about its fruit. Almost everyone in my family is ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, November 14, 2019 11:56 am

MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN

Torrey’s mountain mint: A rare find

It’s been so hot and dry that I decided Oct. 4 would be my last major hike before the skunk cabbages emerge in late December. ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Saturday, October 12, 2019 11:19 am

MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN

A tale of persistence and what grows in the swamp

While mucking about in a swampy area at Holliday Lake State Park last month, I stumbled upon an odd looking little plant that I had ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, October 3, 2019 3:23 pm

Columns

Gardeners questions

Over the years, I’ve gotten lots of questions about gardening. Most are the usual ones — when to plant potatoes, how to grow sweet potato ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, September 26, 2019 4:26 pm

MOTHER NATURE'S GARDEN

Long-lobed arrowhead: An uncommon plant

In the early days of the commonwealth, the naming of rivers was arbitrary. Settlers along a particular waterway named it whatever they pleased. For example, ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, September 13, 2019 10:00 am

THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE

Tomato mania

You’ve heard of Crimson Tide? Well, last month I had a red tide running through my kitchen. Way back in early spring, I prepped my ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, September 5, 2019 2:58 pm

Columns

The gardener and the wedding: Part II

The wedding is fast approaching — Labor Day weekend. Invitations have been sent, responses have been tallied, accommodations and transportation have been arranged; even the ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Saturday, August 17, 2019 5:00 am

Columns

The difference in buttonweed

It’s been so hot that my hikes have been reduced to half-hearted slogs up and down the back roads near my farm. No enthusiasm and ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Saturday, August 3, 2019 5:00 am

Columns

Wood Betony: an interesting hemiparasite

There are some native plants that I just can’t keep straight in my head unless I see the leaves and the flowers together. Wood betony, ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Friday, July 19, 2019 5:00 am

Columns

Luxurious food

Mention luxurious food and most people think of heaping servings of beluga caviar, raw sea urchins, foie gras, kopi luwak coffee or other expensive, hard-to-find ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, July 11, 2019 11:12 am

THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE

The lazy gardener

I don’t know exactly how it happened, but, at nearly 72, I find myself managing two homes and gardens — one in town and the ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, June 20, 2019 2:29 pm

Columns

Slipper Orchids: Love and obsession

Wildflower people are both incredibly generous and seriously obsessive. This spring I’ve been the recipient of untold generosity. It’s common knowledge that everyone loves lady’s ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, June 13, 2019 1:59 pm

Columns

Moss: Going with the flow

Some gardeners have very inflexible opinions about how their gardens should look; they insist on imposing their will on nature. Others take stock of what ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, May 9, 2019 8:48 am

Columns

The thrill of the find

In my ongoing rambles in the woods, I visit new places every year, but I also return to the same areas over and over every ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, April 25, 2019 8:20 am

Columns

Lyre-leaf sage: An assertive native

Walk across any unkempt lawn (mine!), waste area or woodland clearing this month and you’ll find basal rosettes of dark green and purple leaves that ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, April 11, 2019 7:58 am

Columns

The gardener and the wedding: Part I

In most families when a daughter brings home a serious boyfriend and announces her engagement, there is an immediate flurry of activity related to dresses, ... Read more

by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, April 4, 2019 7:33 am

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