In Vermont they take their wood piles seriously. Last winter my son-in-law Nate built the holz hausen shown here at Eve and Nate's house outside of Woodstock, VT. Typically he stacks their wood in a long straight woodpile (also visible in photo), and finds it to be meditative work. Last year after building the straight wall he found that he still had a pretty sizeable amount of wood left that wasn't going to fit, so he decided to try something…

The Monarch Butterfly, like the bee, has become the poster child for pollinators in trouble.  The sharp decline in Monarch populations in recent years has gotten the attention of scientists and ordinary citizens alike. It has spawned a movement of citizen scientists who are taking action! Read below to learn what efforts are being made to bring back monarchs. Project Native and Monarch Waystations Project Native in Housatonic, Massachussetts, is a non-profit grower of native plants and a learning center.…

I visited the farm, Dingle Hill Flowers & Herbs, on a sultry August day, my car bumping up a hilly, mile-long stretch of gravel road leading to the former dairy farm, now herb sanctuary, in the Catskill Mountains of NY.  Finally I took a sharp turn and headed towards the main farmhouse and the "Heart" of the enterprise, where I met owners Daphne Boss Ayalon and her husband Jerome. Liz Scholl, Womanswork's master herbalist, who sources herbs from Daphne for our…

I met Michele Carlin this summer at the Pawling Farmers Market, the day she volunteered to talk to our community about beekeeping. As I watched the crowd gather around her I observed people's curiosity about this age old art. In her talk Michele noted that honey is one of the few food products that doesn't spoil. Local honey is a great remedy for colds and congestion. Michele…

The "Dear Ruth" Column for Gardening Questions Ruth Rogers Clausen is a horticulturist, journalist and author who is partnering with Womanswork to produce the "Dear Ruth" column. Ruth grew up in Wales and studied horticulture at Studley College in England. She has contributed greatly to her profession as a writer of tomes (Perennials for American Gardens, Random House; Essential Perennials, Timber Press); an editor of gardening magazines; and a lecturer, advisor and judge for botanical gardens and flower shows all across the country and around…

Suzanne Estock, Park Ranger, featured on Womanswork hang tags.Do you know a woman who is making a difference in the lives of others by helping to protect, improve or rebuild a community or place? Is her story one that will be inspirational to other women? Please send us her story and we will publish it on our website.  Our favorite inspirational stories will be printed on "Womanswork Profile" hang tags on our work and garden gloves. The women we select…

Curious Gardener's Garden Quiz: 1. What well known Spring shrub is this: salix discolor? a.)   azalea b.)   pussy willow c.)    forsythia 2. True or False: It’s best not to garden in wet soil  3. Which one of the following plants makes a wonderful cut flower, and  has the delicacy of a rose? a.)    Lisianthus b.)    Dahlia c.)    Peony 4. Which of the following is a recipe for creating a natural rooting hormone for plants? a.)    Squeeze a lemon in…

Womanswork is giving away a signed hardcover copy of "Essential Perennials" by our friend Ruth Rogers Clausen and Tom Christopher, published by Timber Press. Photos are by the husband and wife team of Alan and Linda Detrick.  Margaret Roach says, "Finally, a guide to navigating the staggering possibilities among perennials."  I interviewed Ruth Clausen about the book and about her life as a gardener and writer. She and her writing partner wanted to make a book that is a reader-friendly reference…

Last weekend I learned some interesting things about bears at a talk hosted by a local environmental group called FroGS (Friends of The Great Swamp). The speaker, Felicia Ortner, is a Connecticut Master Wildlife Conservationist, a volunteer outreach program with the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (DEEP). Black Bear in my backyard, Pawling, NYWhere I live in Southern Dutchess County NY, I have seen bears in our back yard twice. The second time was last summer when I…

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