Lifestyles
The difference in buttonweed
It’s been so hot that my hikes have been reduced to half-hearted slogs up and down the back…
Lifestyles
Wood Betony: an interesting hemiparasite
There are some native plants that I just can’t keep straight in my head unless I see the…
Lifestyles
Slipper Orchids: Love and obsession
Wildflower people are both incredibly generous and seriously obsessive. This spring I’ve been the recipient of untold generosity.…
Lifestyles
The thrill of the find
In my ongoing rambles in the woods, I visit new places every year, but I also return to…
Lifestyles
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…
Lifestyles
Coltsfoot: an early sign of spring
By late February, most of us are so desperate for early signs of spring that we’re overjoyed to…
Lifestyles
Naming plants
When people on my Facebook wildflower page talk about plants, there can be massive confusion. Many of them…
Lifestyles
Virginia Creeper: vibrant color to brighten a fall day
Visit that massive stone heap, Blenheim Palace, in October and you’ll find the walls near the main entrance…
Lifestyles
Blue Mushrooms and Hens for Dinner
When I was a kid, about a 1,000 years ago, mushrooms were an exotic food that came in…
Lifestyles
The Wild Onion Controversy
As many of you know, I manage a Virginia Wildflower Community Page on Facebook. It has just under…
Lifestyles
Dodder: An interesting parasite
Yesterday I was driving on the Powhite Parkway, getting ready to merge onto 288 S. when something bright…
Lifestyles
Thugs and potential thugs
I’ve been searching for wildflowers since I was about 12 years old. It’s what my dad and I…
Lifestyles
Species of roses
Roses are very old flowering plants. Fossil evidence shows that they’re around 35 million years old. The cultivation…
Lifestyles
The mystique of lady’s slippers
Virginia has quite a few species of native orchids. Some are showy, while others are almost drab by…
Lifestyles
Yellow confusion in Mother Nature’s garden
It all began with a series of posts on my Facebook wildflower community page. There was a flurry…
Columns
A tale of two plants
Walk through just about any wooded area in Prince Edward or surrounding counties and you’re likely to find…
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Old friends rediscovered in new places
Nearly 10 years ago, I found some trailing arbutus (Epigaea repens) at Holliday Lake on the Lakeshore Trail.…
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Consider the dandelion
Dandelions. Children are endlessly fascinated by them. They’re often the first flower that kids can identify, and probably…
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Native Plants for winter interest
It’s still cold in the woods, so February is the perfect time to take a leisurely stroll through…
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Thugs and potential thugs
Just like people, plants manage to slip into our country uninvited; they hitchhike in packing materials or grain,…
Columns
In my father’s time
There is renewed interest in using natural, native materials for holiday decorations. It’s part of the nativist movement…
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Pokeweed is an amazing plant
It’s been immortalized in song, grown at Kew Gardens as an exotic, used to make ink, eaten as…
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Embracing creativity and diversity
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful and very thoughtful young woman who wanted to have the…
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Quite a find — the scarlet cup
Several months ago, a friend went for her regular morning walk. As usual, she took photos of snails,…
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Black cohosh — 2017 Wildflower of the Year
As soon as the new year begins, I’m always anxious to learn what the Virginia Native Plant Society’s…
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Help! My Azaleas have yellow leaves
Several weeks ago, a friend emailed me a question about his azaleas. They’ve been planted in the same…
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Butterfly weed: 2017 Perennial of the Year
You probably know it as that bright patch of orange you see when you’re driving along back roads…