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Bald Eagle

Bald Eagles: Noble bird or thieving scavenger?

As a kid, I remember the bald eagle being rare and revered. At school and on TV we learned the bald eagle was an endangered species. The resounding theme when I was young was that bald eagles were noble hunters, flying skyward and swooping down to grasp fish from an icy lake. In movies bald...
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large Norfolk Island pines in a landscape and potted Norfolk Island pine

Norfolk Island Pines

Norfolk Island pines (Araucaria heterophylla) are plants we commonly find during the holiday season. They are widely marketed as living Christmas trees and are commonly adorned with bells and bows. If you purchased or received one, they could become beautiful houseplants for many years if...
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New Year New Yard

New Year, New Yard: Making plans for your landscape in 2020

It is now the year 2020. It seems like everyone agrees, saying year “twenty-twenty”, feels so strange. As if we have arrived in a future we’ve only seen in movies and the Jetsons. As we were preparing for a New Year’s party, my six-year-old asked “Why is New Year’s such a big deal?” I explained,...
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Christmas trees leaning against wooden pallets in a snow covered field

Christmas Trees After the Holidays

All good things must come to an end. Once the Christmas holiday, or in some cases New Year's, is over, the Christmas tree will need to come down. Instead of hauling off this year’s Christmas tree to the dump right away (or having the city pick it up), consider repurposing it in your landscape. One...
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Food Waste

Examining the American Food Waste Problem This Holiday Season

‘Tis the season for…potlucks? That’s at least what it has felt like these past few weeks. Here’s the thing about potlucks – there’s always way too much food and you must try everything! To top it off, I throw out all the rules when it comes to making food for others to enjoy. I use lots of butter,...
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Gifts

Gift Ideas for Gardeners this Holiday Season

I completely understand why Santa makes his list and then checks it twice. For me, figuring out what others want for Christmas is incredibly difficult. Often my wife will ask, “What should we get for so-and-so?” My response, a shake of my head and a shrug of my shoulders. It seems all my good gift...
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picture of sweet potatoes in a bucket and yams in metal bowls

What's the Difference Between Sweet Potatoes and Yams?

Pass the sweet potatoes. Or is it pass the yams? We often use these names interchangeably, but in reality, they are two very different plants. So, what is the difference between sweet potatoes and yams? True yams are monocots (like grasses and lilies) in the family Dioscoreaceae that are native to...
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