At the Thousand Islands Land Trust’s 12th Annual For The Trees Arbor Day celebration Friday morning at Zenda Farms Preserve, over 30 volunteers planted dozens of year-old super sweet sugar maples throughout a large field. Read More ⇒Arbor Day celebration ‘For The Trees’
The Garden Guy has become completely mesmerized by a bowl of blackcurrants. Read More ⇒These superbells pack a punch
FINEVIEW— People made the drive to Minna Anthony Common Nature Center on Wellesley Island for an Earth Day Celebration on Saturday, where they took part in several outdoor activities. Read More ⇒Wellesley Island nature center provides an Earth Day Experience
It’s a beautiful Monday evening here on the Eicher homestead. We had such a nice sunny day, which made for a good laundry day. The solar eclipse was today. How amazing is God’s creation. The temperature reached 72 degrees. Our rhubarb is coming up very nicely. Before long, we should be able … Read More ⇒Lovina: Celebrating a belated Easter together with family
As I waited with my cup of tea for a webinar to begin, I jotted down what I knew about our National Agricultural Library. It belongs to Americans. It is related to the science of agriculture. And it’s a storehouse of valuable information. Read More ⇒Explore the National Agricultural Library
CLAYTON — The doors weren’t even open for two full hours before hundreds entered the Cerow Recreation Park Arena on Saturday for the 34th annual White’s Lumber Home Show. Read More ⇒Annual White’s Lumber Home Show takes center stage in Clayton
Greetings from our home to yours! This is Elizabeth, Lovina’s oldest daughter. I have decided to take a moment and scribble out some lines. Read More ⇒Lovina: Daughter Elizabeth shares about her family
Dear Aggie: How do I select the right tree species for my yard? Read More ⇒DearAggie: Tree selection
My last article also talked about sleep. And I still tout its value for all of us every chance I get, but today I want to talk about safe sleep for our tiniest of humans. All caregivers should follow these recommendations to reduce the risk of SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) and other sl… Read More ⇒CCERoot: Safe sleep
It’s Monday evening, and I wanted to get this column written tonight so I can get an earlier start with my work in the morning. Read More ⇒Lovina: Lovina shares stories of phone call adventures
The world seems to have a fascination with volcanoes and even more so with lava flow. We’ve got volcano lava cookware, lava salt lamps, lava rock mulch. Some of my favorite glazed pottery designs are called lava flow as they mimic molten lava spilling over the rim. Then The Garden Guy does a… Read More ⇒Lemon Coral sedum catches the eye as it spills over containers
COPENHAGEN— It was a slow and sleepy snow that fell on Saturday morning outside of Champion Peak Maple, covering the cars in the small, plowed lot, and the fields and maple woods behind. Read More ⇒Maple Weekend: Local producers share their craft at end of ‘weirdest season’
We sure have had mild weather the past few weeks. It brings on some spring fever! Now we have entered into March. It seems so hard to comprehend that the year is already in the third month of 2024. Read More ⇒Lovina: Beef preparation begins
Dear Aggie: I don’t have much space for a vegetable garden. Can vegetables be grown in containers? Read More ⇒DearAggie: Container gardens
This is a diary of Monday, February 26, 2024. Read More ⇒Lovina: A day in the life of Lovina and her family
Saturday was a very cold and windy day, so the men were unable to put the roof metal on the new pole barn. They kept busy doing other work on the barn such as building the sliding doors, putting on the wainscoting, and more. Read More ⇒Lovina: Lovina reflects on over twenty years of writing the column
Dear Aggie: I’d like to plant some roses this spring. Are there easy to grow types that will survive our winters? Read More ⇒DearAggie: Winter hardy roses
The excitement for spring planting is building at a feverish pitch and many are wondering what they can do to add more pop to the landscape. The answer just may be ColorBlaze coleus, and I am not just talking a dab.A dab is precisely how many of you have looked at coleus. One little coleus h… Read More ⇒Add ColorBlaze coleus to make your garden pop
LOWVILLE — The Farm to School Program of Cornell Cooperative Extension Lewis County has launched a Classroom Greenhouse Kits initiative, providing local schools with hands-on opportunities to explore plant growth and agriculture. Read More ⇒Farm to School greenhouse kits available
Dear Aggie: I received some beautiful flowers for Valentine’s Day. How can I make them last? Read More ⇒DearAggie: Prolonging the vase life of Valentine’s Day flowers
We have entered the first week of February, though it would be hard to tell by the weather. Yesterday was sunny and 50 degrees. I hung all the laundry out to dry, and most of it could be folded and put away the same day. Read More ⇒Lovina: Lovina savors the first hints of spring
The last 13-14 months of weather turned me into “The Gardening Curmudgeon.” Truth be told, my garden was the most beautiful ever, and I’m not tossing blue sky to you. Well maybe I am to a point, but I’ll explain. A Polar Vortex after a mild fall in 2022 followed by a late freeze after leaf e… Read More ⇒Let’s Dance Sky View is ‘Hydrangea of Year’
The ground is covered with snow again, which will probably be gone by tomorrow. On Sunday morning the ground was also covered, but it was gone by afternoon. Other than the cold spell the other week, we have had a pretty mild winter so far. Read More ⇒Lovina: Lovina remembers lost loved ones
Happy (almost) Valentine’s Day! Matters of the heart are important for many reasons in February as we celebrate love and friendship, as well as National Heart Health month. Let’s start with love and friendship. Mental health impacts our physical health. According to the Mayo Clinic, friends … Read More ⇒CCERoot: Maters of the heart
Travis Willoughby is wrestling with what to do with the belongings he and his brother, Davis, have accumulated that fill a 10-by-10 storage unit along Dallas’ Greenville Avenue. Read More ⇒Storage unit users getting younger as memories (and junk) accumulate
As I watch comments on my Facebook page, there is something about this winter that has everyone counting the days until spring. I know I have seen at least two countdown clocks, marking the hours and minutes. When I post a photo that shows any color of blue, particularly in combination with … Read More ⇒These ageratums quench the thirst for blue in garden
Dear Aggie: What trees and shrubs should I prune in the winter? Read More ⇒DearAggie: Winter pruning
First of all, a happy 28th birthday to daughter Susan on Jan. 24. Also a happy 55th birthday to my sister Liz. I wish both of them many more happy and healthy years. I don’t get to see Liz too often. I think I only saw her a few times in over a year and not very long each time. There is over… Read More ⇒Lovina: Lovina enjoys games with grandchildren and pole barn progress continues
At 10 a.m. the temperature is still only at zero degrees with a wind chill of -17 degrees. The last several days we have had even colder temperatures and wind chill down to -27 degrees. It’s been a challenge to heat for everyone. It seems the wind gets in everywhere. Read More ⇒Lovina: Keeping warm in a cold spell
Stress is everywhere — some “good” and some “bad.” Some stress is actually beneficial, but too much stress can wear you down and make you sick, both mentally and physically. The first step to keeping stress under control is to understand the effects it has on your mind and body. Surprisingly… Read More ⇒CCERoot: Stress
The selfie station by the giant pyramid of potatoes sat empty Jan. 10 at the Pennsylvania Farm Show, but around the corner, the bleat of baby goats had already drawn hundreds of paying customers. Read More ⇒Baby goats and sunflower selfies are a boon for farmers
There is a winter weather advisory out this morning. It felt good to be in the warm house and hear the blowing wind from the inside. My husband Joe and son Joseph left for work. I’m sure the roads were a challenge for the drivers. Read More ⇒Lovina: Hosting the Amish men’s choir and caring for family
Dear Aggie: I like to feed the birds during the winter, but I heard that avian bird flu is still an issue. Should I take down my bird feeders? Read More ⇒DearAggie: Feeding songbirds and Avian Influenza
Americans are notorious for putting sleep last on our to do lists and boasting of only needing a few hours. But it is the rare person who does not need seven to nine hours of sleep a night, even if we try to trick our bodies and brains into thinking we don’t — hello caffeine!! Incidentally, … Read More ⇒CCERoot: Sleep
A brand-new year is before us. What does 2024 hold in store? A new year always feels like a new beginning. A time to try harder to break bad habits, a time to start fresh. Most importantly, to spend more time reading God’s words every day and remembering those less fortunate in life. We have… Read More ⇒Lovina: Lovina and family gather for Christmas and ring in the New Year
As we start 2024 with our garden planning, I want to encourage you to shoot for the moon. The impetus for this thought is a new Proven Winners recipe that you most likely have never seen called Bloom Moon. It is so intricate and yet so stunningly beautiful that I can hardly get it out of my mind. Read More ⇒Shoot for the moon in your 2024 garden
At 26, Brandon Paulin couldn’t believe he was still living with his parents. Read More ⇒Millennials have found a way to buy houses: Living with mom and dad
Dear Aggie: Do you have any tips on planning my vegetable garden for next season? Read More ⇒DearAggie: Planning the 2024 garden
Fight the post-holiday blues with a bit of indoor gardening. Keeping your houseplants healthy and looking their best with a bit of grooming this winter is sure to lift your spirits. Read More ⇒How to boost the health and beauty of houseplants
CONSTABLEVILLE — The historic Constable Hall was honored with the New York State Senate Empire Award, presented by state Sen. Mark Walczyk. Read More ⇒Constable Hall honored with Senate Empire Award
The idea of taking plants from the wild and bringing them indoors seems to fly in the face of all things natural. Read More ⇒Houseplants: Gardening indoors during the winter
SACKETS HARBOR — Those looking to help the community and donate their real Christmas tree can do so at Old McDonald’s Farm, which is accepting trees to feed to their animals. Read More ⇒Old McDonald’s Farm accepting real Christmas trees to feed to animals
PITTSBURGH — Whether a flock of the much-coveted evening grosbeaks or eastern bluebirds shows up at a feeder, it’s all about getting them there. Read More ⇒Up your bird-feeding game
I grew up in a home with a fireplace in the living room. My folks used it only on really cold nights, in addition to the furnace, or when the power went out. It was reassuring to know that even during power outages, we could build a fire to stay warm and comfortable. Read More ⇒Is something hiding in your firewood?
Poinsettias are among the most popular potted flowering or foliage plants of the Christmas season. They have been for decades. According to the 2020 United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Floriculture Report; the most recent statistics available); the wholesale value of U.S. grown po… Read More ⇒Poinsettia: A sub-tropical plant that’s a Christmas tradition
Daughter Verena will be 26 on Dec. 10. Grandson Timothy (T.J.) will be five on Dec.17, granddaughter Allison will be four on Dec. 27, and my husband Joe will be 55 on Dec. 22. Happy birthday to all of them! Read More ⇒Lovina: Lovina and her family announce the name of Midnight’s colt
After a year of hardship — shootings, war and uncertainty regarding artificial intelligence — the Pantone Color Institute has announced that Peach Fuzz, a warm and fuzzy hue between pink and orange, is the Color of the Year for 2024. Read More ⇒Peach Fuzz is Pantone’s color of the year
I ended up not going to the comfort knotting last week. Instead, I went with daughter Susan and Ervin to the hospital. Now I have exciting news to share. Ervin Jay Yoder Jr. was born to Ervin and Susan at 6:17 p.m. on Nov. 14. He weighs 7 pounds, 11 ounces, and is 19.5 inches long. Joe and I… Read More ⇒Lovina: A welcome addition to the family
The North Pole is waiting for you! I’m not talking about a geographic location or small village where Jolly Saint Nick and his crew are making toys, but a tree or shrub that will put you in the holiday spirit for this season and years to come. North Pole is a selection of arborvitae, Thuja o… Read More ⇒North Pole is perfect choice for a living Christmas tree
Dear Aggie: Winter is coming. What should I do to protect my fruit trees? Read More ⇒How to protect fruit trees through the winter
