Lifestyles

Appreciate the rare beauty of blue flowers

A poll done by YouGov revealed that blue is the favorite color in almost all countries. Ancient Egyptians, ...

Lifestyles

Rainbow pools in the Cypress Swamp

No matter when you visit, bald cypress swamps are magical places. In late spring and summer, there’s green ...

Lifestyles

The Adder’s Tongue: An unusual looking plant

It doesn’t look like a fern, and it really isn’t one, but it’s fern-like in some respects. Meet ...

Lifestyles

The fanciful turkey tail fungus: nature’s recycler

“Nature doth thus kindly heal every wound. By the mediation of a thousand little mosses and fungi, the ...

Lifestyles

There’s magic in the woods

The desire to foresee the future, improve one’s strength against enemies, expel evil spirits that may have caused ...

Lifestyles

Remembering Anne Mason Field and yellowroot

For many years, I hiked local trails with my friend Ann Mason Field. We followed the cycle of ...

Lifestyles

Groundnut: The plant with a crumpled red velvety blossom

I confess that I’m often overcome by the sheer number of yellow flowers that appear in late summer. ...

Lifestyles

The oxeye daisy is a weed, but an interesting one

Wander around the edge of the woods near the office at Holliday Lake State Park, and you’ll likely ...

Lifestyles

Mountain Laurel is putting on an exuberant display

“…but the typical mountain laurel overshadows all, dominates the scene, defies descriptive effort, lays a hush on the ...

Lifestyles

Discovering the harbinger-of-spring

While there are plenty of interesting plants in our area, sometimes I like to go hiking in an ...

Lifestyles

In search of the southern grape fern

I’ve always been fascinated by ferns. They’re old. So old that ancestors of modern ferns were here long ...

Lifestyles

Nature provides its own valentines

According to the calendar, it’s the shortest month, but, in reality, it never seems to end. February is ...

Lifestyles

COLUMN — A walk in the woods

This time of the year, when the forest is a study in brown, beige and gray with a ...

Lifestyles

It’s never too late for a walk in the woods

It’s the first week in December, and the weather is still pleasantly warm. Even so, I’m surprised at ...

Lifestyles

Bald cypresses are an atypical conifer

The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) was first described in 1640, and ever since then writers have been impressed ...

Lifestyles

A cool find on a hot day

Last summer I spent far too many hot, humid days mucking about in several swampy areas at Holliday ...

Lifestyles

Goldenrod provides late summer color

Several years ago, I went with a friend to a business luncheon where there was a beautiful floral ...

Lifestyles

Uschi goes on a trail walk at High Bridge

Hello, fellow wildflower lovers. It’s me Uschi. Several months ago, I went with my mom on a trail ...

Lifestyles

Stalking the hoary yellow puccoon

Sometimes a plant just shows up in an unexpected location. Sometimes you walk by that location over and ...

Lifestyles

Incised fumewort is problematic

I went to Powhatan State Park last week, walked the usual trails and searched for Dutchman’s breeches, which ...

Lifestyles

Speedwell, a beautiful weed

Hiking in late winter or very early spring requires an open mind about the plants that can be ...

Columns

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 ...

Lifestyles

New apps for field work

Not too many years ago, hiking meant carrying a heavy backpack filled with my favorite field guides – ...

Lifestyles

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 ...

Lifestyles

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 ...

Lifestyles

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 ...

Lifestyles

Long-lobed arrowhead: An uncommon plant

In the early days of the commonwealth, the naming of rivers was arbitrary. Settlers along a particular waterway ...

< Newer|Older >

SportsPlus