Columns
Bringing in the sheaves
When I was a kid, late summer/early fall meant harvest time — black eyed peas, purple hulls, the last of the tomatoes, sweet potatoes, butter ...
Dr. Cynthia Wood, Author at Farmville - Page 7 of 8
Columns
Pokeweed is an amazing plant
It’s been immortalized in song, grown at Kew Gardens as an exotic, used to make ink, eaten as an early spring green and is a ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, September 7, 2017 9:32 am
Columns
Meet the cleomes
Have you met the cleomes? They’re old, favorite garden plants that are enjoying renewed interest. The heirloom “Rose Queen” cleome originated in the West Indies ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, August 17, 2017 9:22 am
Church & Community
The Schuyler Quarry Gardens
Some people retire and are quite content to do nothing. Others are constantly looking for new projects and challenges. Imagine deciding to abandon city living ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, August 10, 2017 9:23 am
Columns
Embracing creativity and diversity
Once upon a time, there was a beautiful and very thoughtful young woman who wanted to have the perfect early summer wedding. You know the ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, July 6, 2017 8:44 am
Columns
Quite a find — the scarlet cup
Several months ago, a friend went for her regular morning walk. As usual, she took photos of snails, interesting clouds and whatever else struck her ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, June 8, 2017 8:12 am
Columns
It’s important to eat your greens
I might have gotten carried away when I planted the early spring garden this year. I always plant lettuce, chard and kale, but this year I ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, June 1, 2017 7:44 am
Lifestyles
The deer-resistant garden
I own a farm in Lunenburg County that my husband and I have decided to turn into a weekend bolt hole and eventually a retirement home. ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, May 11, 2017 7:55 am
Lifestyles
Squawroot: An unusual parasite
When you mention the Natural Bridge, most people don’t think of hiking trails, but there are three at the relatively new Natural Bridge State Park. ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, May 4, 2017 9:44 am
Columns
Design in the vegetable garden
Many years ago, when I was a kid, growing vegetables was serious business. We had row after row of melons in a location some distance ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, April 20, 2017 9:46 am
Columns
Black cohosh — 2017 Wildflower of the Year
As soon as the new year begins, I’m always anxious to learn what the Virginia Native Plant Society’s wildflower of the year will be. The ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, March 2, 2017 9:28 am
Columns
Lessons from great gardeners
Have you ever wondered how many gardens we humans have made since the beginning of civilization? We’ve grown grains and other crops for food; herbs ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, February 16, 2017 12:05 pm
Columns
Help! My Azaleas have yellow leaves
Several weeks ago, a friend emailed me a question about his azaleas. They’ve been planted in the same location for many years and have always ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, February 9, 2017 12:01 pm
Columns
Butterfly weed: 2017 Perennial of the Year
You probably know it as that bright patch of orange you see when you’re driving along back roads in our area in mid-summer. If you’ve ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, January 5, 2017 7:23 am
Columns
Trends in garden design
It might be cold and dreary at times, but it’s never too cold or dreary to think about what to do in the garden once ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, December 22, 2016 8:54 am
Columns
Annual ramble in the woods
My family has a long-standing tradition of taking leisurely walks in the woods during the week between Christmas and New Year’s. It’s a great way ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, December 8, 2016 11:51 am
Columns
Apples part of culinary heritage
When I was a little kid growing up on a local farm, we had a very scraggly looking, old apple tree that was much loved ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, November 17, 2016 9:41 am
Columns
Ironweed: The pollinators’ friend
You probably saw it growing along the back roads in late summer/early fall. With its tall, dark red stems and clusters of small purplish-red flowers, ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, November 10, 2016 8:46 am
Columns
Time to tuck your garden to sleep?
For years, we gardeners were told we should spend the last glorious days of fall cleaning up our yards. Remove dead foliage; deadhead spent flowers; ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, October 27, 2016 7:00 am
Columns
The classic Virginia garden
If you grew up in Virginia, chances are gardening is just an inherent part of who you are. You know what I mean — you ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, September 8, 2016 6:35 am
Columns
Honeyvine milkweed: a native with mixed reviews
I often hear people describe all native plants as good and all non-native species as invasive or bad, and I become concerned. Life just isn’t ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, September 1, 2016 5:46 am
Columns
The Canada Lily: a striking native
Brave the heat for a walk in a moist meadow or along the edge of a wooded area and you just might find a Canada ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, August 4, 2016 5:06 am
Columns
Whimsy in the garden
A few years ago, I added a bottle tree to a perennial border in the back garden. The reaction, unfortunately, wasn’t what I had expected. ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, July 28, 2016 5:41 am
Columns
The good and the bad in Mother Nature’s garden
Wa kid, I couldn’t wait for school to be over in mid-June so that I could spend time with my grandma and my aunt. The ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, July 21, 2016 5:02 am
Columns
Rose pogonia: an uncommon orchid in our area
Robert Frost wrote about a meadow saturated with them and hoped that the meadow wouldn’t be mowed while they were blooming. Frost had found a ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, June 23, 2016 5:11 am
Columns
Making the most of what you have
May was all about taking a break from garden maintenance and enjoying the parade of azaleas, rhododendrons, peonies and irises. Thanks to the copious amount ...
by Dr. Cynthia Wood, Thursday, June 2, 2016 1:40 pm
Columns
New trails and a new plant
Several weeks ago, friends forced me out of my trail walking comfort zone and insisted that I try two new areas. I wasn’t happy about ...