By DEAN FOSDICK Associated Press Pruning is one of the most fundamental tasks in gardening, and knowing when to trim is as essential as knowing how. Pruning woody plants at the wrong time can interrupt bloom cycles and damage stressed plants. "It's time to prune whenever your pruners ...

METRO — Bees, birds and butterflies play integral roles in pollinating many of the crops humans rely on for sustenance. Bees are beneficial for yards. Gardener’s Supply Company says one out of every three bites of food humans take depends on a pollinator. That’s because about 150 ...

By LAURIE WELCH For me cucumbers are one of those vegetables I look forward to eating fresh out of the garden every year. But let’s face it you can only eat so many before you start giving them away or turning them into pickles! A little history on this summertime mainstay. The cucumber ...

By TOM BUTZLER Harvest of backyard gardens should be in full swing this month. Staples such as beans, tomatoes, cucumbers, and summer squash should be picked every few days to ensure continued harvest and top quality. Unfortunately, it is this time frame that unseen micro-organisms try to ...

By LEE REICH Associated Press I have a head of cabbage that's getting so swollen I know it's going to split. Especially if a thunderburst drenches the ground. And after that head splits, my other cabbage heads, not as far along as the first, are also likely to swell, then split. I'm not ...

By BRUCE BUCKLE I have always enjoyed traveling. By myself, I appreciate the opportunity to reflect upon the world around me and my relationship to it. The camaraderie of traveling with family and friends is equally welcome. Spending time on the road with others deepens relationships, and ...

Ernestine Hamilton of Long Run Road, Mill Hall, submitted this photograph of Burgamot Tea, also known as beabalm, growing on the property where she and her husband, John, live, just across the street from the Old School Market in Salona. Ernestine said a friend gave her a handful of the plant ...

OLE BULL STATE PARK ∫ On Thursday, August 8 at 10 a.m., bring a camera or cell phone for this high tech “Photo Scavenger Hunt.” Find the items on the list, take a photo, and get a prize. Children will need the help of an adult in order to participate. This program may be cancelled in ...

WATERVILLE — For the weekend of August 16 - 18, the programs will focus on a variety of topics. Friday evening at 8 is the weekly coffee break. This is an informal question and answer period and general chat session. Coffee, tea, and iced tea will be provided, but please bring your ...

By Quentin Stocum I could have easily covered my derriere and said that I put a test in last month’s article. But no, I must fess up that I made a boo–boo. But I wasn’t called out on it which means that no one caught my error or that no one reads my column. I’ll lean towards that no ...

(Editors Note: This article is the fourth of a series exploring plants and horticulture on Maine’s Mt Desert Island and Acadia National Park.) Conifers are a significant part of a landscape design and can be used for a variety of reasons. With their evergreen foliage, they can serve as a ...

If you work in agriculture, I am sure you have heard about nematodes, nonetheless now is a good time to review what they are and how they affect crops. Nematode are eel-like worms that live in a wide range of environments including soils, oceans, rivers, hot springs, arctic ice, tree ...

WATERVILLE — For the weekend of Aug. 9 - 11, the environmental programs at Little Pine and Hyner Run State Parks will focus on a variety of topics. The programs on Friday and Sunday will be at Little Pine, and those on Saturday will be at Hyner Run and Hyner View. Friday evening at 8 ...

HARRISBURG— The Pennsylvania Board of Game Commissioners this week voted to increase the agency’s monetary donation to Hunters Sharing the Harvest, ensuring that hunters can continue to donate venison to the state’s hungry without having to pay deer-processing costs. The board ...

By LISA RATHKE Associated Press SALISBURY, Vt. - A wet spring has caused one frog population to explode in an area of Vermont where throngs of the amphibians have been hopping through fields and lawns, darting across roads and getting flattened by cars and tractors. University of ...

(Editors Note: This article is the third of a series exploring plants and horticulture on Maine’s Mt. Desert Island and Acadia National Park.) Hiking is one of the more popular activities in Acadia National Park (ANP) and it is not difficult to find a trail that has interesting sights and ...

LOCK HAVEN — Eight Master Gardeners traveled to Valley Forge, Pa. during the week of June 16 to represent Clinton County at the 2019 International Master Gardener Conference. The conference theme was “Penn’s Woods: Digging into our Roots.” It was an opportunity to showcase ...

WATERVILLE — For the weekend of July 26 - 28, there will be programs at both Little Pine and Hyner Run State Parks. The programs on Friday and Sunday will be at Little Pine State Park, and Saturday’s programs will be at Hyner Run State Park. Friday evening at 8 p.m. will be the ...

Ole Bull State Park ∫ Thursday, July 25, at 9:30 a.m., there will be a “Bounty of Beetles DiscoverE Program.” This is a DiscoverE Program for children ages 6-12 (Outdoor Explorers, Penns’ Adventurers). Join the naturalist for a look into the life cycle and distinct characteristics of ...

(Editors Note: This article is the second of a series exploring plants and horticulture on Maine’s Mt Desert Island and Acadia National Park.) Acadia National Park, on Mt. Desert Island, was created in 1916 (under a different name then) and covers 38,000 acres with another 12,500 in ...