If you’re looking for a plant for your garden that will come back year after year, is easy to care for and suitable for a variety of growing conditions, coral bells ( Heuchera ) just might be the plant for you. It’s also known by the common names alum root and rock geranium. Heuchera are semi-evergr...

Weather is more unpredictable than ever before, and homeowners should take stock of the outdoor power equipment they have in their garages and sheds to handle ensuing damage left behind. Preparation is key – before a storm and unseasonable weather hits a community. “Today it’s not enough to just pre...

While the weather where you are might not quite be conducive to gardening just yet, any time is a good time to check out a good book! Since 1997, the American Horticultural Society (AHS) has been honoring outstanding garden-related books published in North America through the annual AHS Book Awards....

It is generally accepted that cattle vaccines should be stored at temperatures between 35º and 46º F. But what happens if they aren’t? “Exposure to temperatures beyond the optimal range has the potential to negatively impact the effectiveness of both killed and modified-live vaccines,” said Dr. Cath...

Each winter, gardeners bid farewell to their outdoor growing spaces and turn their attention to other ways to occupy their days. Magazines and seed catalogs provide inspiration, but there’s nothing like gardening indoors to satisfy your inner gardener. Plant stands with grow lights are a convenient ...

Highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI or bird flu) is a contagious poultry virus that has caused significant financial losses to the U.S. poultry industry and disruptions to the nation’s supply of eggs and poultry meat. The highly pathogenic strain, H5N1, has been circulating in the U.S. since Feb...

As snow and winter lose their charm, one thing that excites gardeners this time of year is the arrival and perusal of seed catalogs. The glossy pages filled with promises and beauty remind gardeners that spring is just around the corner, and soon, hands will be in the soil awaiting summer bounty. Br...

March signals the beginning of spring wildfire season across much of the East Coast, and the North Carolina Forest Service is urging residents to be diligent about using best practices and common sense with all outdoor fires, especially yard debris burns. “We reduce our wildfire risk by working toge...

By this time of the year, it may seem like winter will never end. Many of us are eager to start gardening knowing that spring is right around the corner. While we can’t make the calendar pages turn more quickly, we can get ready for the upcoming gardening season while having some fun with friends an...

Cultivating the decay of kitchen scraps, yard cuttings, dead leaves and crumpled napkins destined for landfills infuses landscapes with new life. A well-managed compost pile promotes decomposition of those organic materials that eventually crumble into a nutrient-packed humus. That “black gold” is a...

Is February over yet? It’s been chilly here in the Finger Lakes and I am ready for spring. With the coming of spring comes all the spring sales, plant sales and in local farm stores the arrival of the chirping baby chicks for sale as well. My mom always said chickens were the gateway drug into farmi...

Gardening is becoming so much more than just a hobby. A growing number of homeowners say they feel it contributes to a larger life experience. This belief is helping the pollinator garden trend continue to blossom and evolve, including shining a spotlight on a little bird that’s creating a lot of bu...

You may be familiar with its name from the bottle of astringent found in your home medicine cabinet or for sale on pharmacy shelves near rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide. What you may not know is that the leaves, bark and twigs from American witch hazel, a small native tree, are used in the man...

With National Reading Month taking place in March and Read Across America Day quickly approaching on March 3, Discover Dairy has a new book available – “Curious Clover” – to help bring dairy farming to life for elementary and middle school students. The book is available in both English and Spanish ...

Compost, the dark, crumbly, earthy-smelling material produced by natural decomposers, provides many benefits to gardeners and non-gardeners alike. Converting garden waste, kitchen scraps and various paper items into compost at home reduces the amount of waste that ends up in landfills and saves hous...