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"Bring Me a Shrubbery!"
Thumbnail Image: In the 1975 movie Monty Python and the Holy Grail, King Arthur and his band are blocked by the dreaded Knights Who Say “Ni!” in an enchanted forest.“Bring me a shrubbery,” demands the...
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Centennial Elms: Where are they now?
Thumbnail Image: On July 4, 1876, eight citizens of Old Saybrook held a town meeting to declare they would plant 56 American elms in honor of the 56 signers of the Declaration of Independence. “Said...
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Book Review: Urban Forests: A Natural History
Thumbnail Image: If you enjoy the history of horticulture, land use, and landscapes, this is a great book. I particularly appreciated the history of elms as street trees in the US. I finally feel like...
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Low-Mow Lawn: Less Maintenance, Lower Footprint.
Thumbnail Image: Crew-cut or mop-top? In the early 1960s, the Beatles stirred up a generational divide and instigated plenty of push-back from parents when their sons let their hair grow. Then the...
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Find the Gold in Goldenrod
Thumbnail Image: Some experts call it our single most valuable perennial plant for pollinators, but many people still try to eradicate goldenrod because they think it causes allergies.The real source...
View ArticleLearned by working with Kathy
“I had the opportunity to pursue many of my Master Gardener outreach hours with Kathy Connolly at the “green” parking lot in Westbrook Center on Route 1. I learned of the design, implementation, and...
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Weeds, Weeds, More Weeds. What to do?
Thumbnail Image: September invites fall lawn and garden advice. Soon, articles on bare patch repair, leaf composting, and fall pruning will flutter onto screens and pages like leaves from the...
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Where the Road Ends, the Connecticut River Begins
Thumbnail Image: Did you get the fall foliage newsflash? The hills and valleys surrounding the headwaters of our own Connecticut River are among the first places in the United States to light up. More...
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Heat up the compost pile & put a freeze on next year’s weeds
Thumbnail Image: My grandma knew something about weeds that too many have forgotten: Hot composting is one of the best ways to kill the seeds. Better yet, hot composting does this without making ash,...
View ArticleWe learned a lot and laughed a lot, too
"Thank you for taking the time to speak at our meeting last night. We all learned a lot and at the same time, it was funny! You are really passionate about gardening and it came across. Thanks again...
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Book Review: The Triumph of Seeds by Thor Hanson
Thumbnail Image: How did grains, nuts, kernels, pulses, and pips conquer the plant kingdom and shape human history? If you find the question intriguing, you'll find some answers in this thoughtful look...
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Master Gardener Program Turns 40
Thumbnail Image: Perhaps you know someone you consider a master gardener, someone whose skill with plants and flowers is far above average. Perhaps you also know an Extension Master Gardener (they may...
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Down on the (Kelp) Farm in Fisher's Island Sound
Thumbnail Image: Suzie Flores had no professional farming or maritime experience before 2016. Then her husband, a veteran of the U.S. Marines, purchased the Mechanic Street Marina on the Pawcatuck...
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Grow Moss in Winter
Thumbnail Image: If I told you there’s something green sparkling in the February sunlight just outside your door, you might be tempted to take a look. Don’t be disappointed if all you find is moss. It...
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Slow down to see spring's ephemeral flowers
Thumbnail Image: Big bursts of yellow forsythia call out to us in late April, like billboards for spring, easy to see as we fly by in cars, trains, or on bicycles.It's a welcome sight, but the picture...
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Give a Hoot About Owls
Thumbnail Image: Got bird houses? Lots of people do. But have you got owl houses or habitat? Owls have a keen appetite for mice and other rodents, critical vectors of the disease-carrying tick...
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Consider these little green critters; they do big things.
Thumbnail Image: They weigh less than a pound, in most cases much less, and they make few sounds. Yet frogs, toads, salamanders, turtles, and snakes have a big presence in the landscape.Part of their...
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Book Review: The Wizard And The Prophet by Charles Mann
Thumbnail Image: The Wizard and the Prophet: Two Remarkable Scientists and Their Dueling Visions to Shape Tomorrow's World by Charles C. Mann My rating: 5 of 5 stars If you find the tornado of...
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Book Review: Eager, The Surprising Secret Lives of Beavers
Thumbnail Image: Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter by Ben Goldfarb My rating: 5 of 5 stars I live in a coastal town with abundant freshwater wetlands that drain to Long...
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A Feel-Good Moment With a Poignant Personal Note
Thumbnail Image: I drove past lots of parking lots filled with attendees at local graduations in June. Every year, the sight triggers a memory about June 1975. That year, I was a recent graduate of...
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