Author – The Durango Herald

Fragile trees, shrubs need some help getting through winter

Winterizing fragile trees and shrubs is a simple and prudent exercise in landscape management. Mulching and watering before the ground freezes can save you a bundle of time and money. ...

DATE: Oct 21, 2018 | CATEGORY: Southwest Life

To protect pollinators, go easy on fall garden cleanup

Time to rake up the yard, deadhead the perennials and till the vegetable garden? Not so fast. Popular opinion is swinging toward letting things stay just as they are through winte...

DATE: Sep 22, 2018 | CATEGORY: Southwest Life

Is homegrown food safer? Only if gardeners take precautions

Food safety often is cited as the primary reason why people grow their own edibles, but that’s frequently an illusion. Food-borne illnesses are almost as likely to be caused by homegrown pro...

DATE: May 19, 2018 | CATEGORY: Food

Stealthy, scarce and spectacular: Viewing tigers in India

A photographer goes on safari

DATE: Sep 30, 2017 | CATEGORY: Travel

What to look for when you’re booking a photo safari

Shopping for a wildlife safari is like taking a multiple-choice exam. You know the right answer is there on the page somewhere but they all seem so appealing. Most safari operator...

DATE: Feb 28, 2017 | CATEGORY: Travel

Beekeepers, growers get financially stung by hive thefts

Bee rustlers are driving up the cost of one of nature’s sweetest enterprises: Honeybee hives valued at over $350 apiece are disappearing in large numbers. That figure doesn’t inc...

DATE: Sep 9, 2016 | CATEGORY: Good Earth

Milkweed creates monarch habitat

One of the most widely recognized butterflies in North America, the monarch, is disappearing fast. Most of that decline is blamed on changing land use, but property owners can help shore up ...

DATE: Jul 15, 2015 | CATEGORY: Good Earth

Careful when coaxing birds into your sight

Wildlife watchers can now wield unnatural powers, playing actual birdcalls on smartphones and other mobile devices. The practice, called playback, is effective for attracting elusive species...

DATE: Jun 18, 2014 | CATEGORY: Good Earth

Bulletproof plants for novice gardeners

Gardening is a forgiving pursuit. Get it wrong one year and you can start fresh again the next, wiser, with lessons learned. Study up between planting seasons. Scan the seed cata...

DATE: Dec 4, 2013 | CATEGORY: Good Earth

Slow gardening: It’s a lifestyle, not a race

Felder Rushing is not a man to be hurried. This former county extension agent turned folklorist, author and lecturer is an advocate of slow gardening – emphasizing the process over the produ...

DATE: Aug 28, 2013 | CATEGORY: Good Earth

Creativity by the yard: Thinking beyond grass

Grass isn’t always the best groundcovers for a yard: It’s thirsty at a time when water is becoming scarce; it attracts fewer pollinators; it requires expensive chemicals to maintain, and it ...

DATE: Jul 17, 2013 | CATEGORY: Good Earth

Herbs increasingly used in home canning

Culinary herbs are among the hottest trends in gardening. They also are popular among families who preserve fresh foods for later use. Nearly 70 percent of home canners are growin...

DATE: Jul 3, 2013 | CATEGORY: Good Earth