Lifestyles
There’s magic in the woods
The desire to foresee the future, improve one’s strength against enemies, expel evil spirits that may have caused ...
Lifestyles
Remembering Anne Mason Field and yellowroot
For many years, I hiked local trails with my friend Ann Mason Field. We followed the cycle of ...
Lifestyles
Groundnut: The plant with a crumpled red velvety blossom
I confess that I’m often overcome by the sheer number of yellow flowers that appear in late summer. ...
Lifestyles
The oxeye daisy is a weed, but an interesting one
Wander around the edge of the woods near the office at Holliday Lake State Park, and you’ll likely ...
Lifestyles
Mountain Laurel is putting on an exuberant display
“…but the typical mountain laurel overshadows all, dominates the scene, defies descriptive effort, lays a hush on the ...
Lifestyles
Discovering the harbinger-of-spring
While there are plenty of interesting plants in our area, sometimes I like to go hiking in an ...
Lifestyles
In search of the southern grape fern
I’ve always been fascinated by ferns. They’re old. So old that ancestors of modern ferns were here long ...
Lifestyles
Nature provides its own valentines
According to the calendar, it’s the shortest month, but, in reality, it never seems to end. February is ...
Lifestyles
COLUMN — A walk in the woods
This time of the year, when the forest is a study in brown, beige and gray with a ...
Lifestyles
It’s never too late for a walk in the woods
It’s the first week in December, and the weather is still pleasantly warm. Even so, I’m surprised at ...
Lifestyles
Bald cypresses are an atypical conifer
The bald cypress (Taxodium distichum) was first described in 1640, and ever since then writers have been impressed ...
Lifestyles
A cool find on a hot day
Last summer I spent far too many hot, humid days mucking about in several swampy areas at Holliday ...
Lifestyles
Goldenrod provides late summer color
Several years ago, I went with a friend to a business luncheon where there was a beautiful floral ...
Lifestyles
Uschi goes on a trail walk at High Bridge
Hello, fellow wildflower lovers. It’s me Uschi. Several months ago, I went with my mom on a trail ...
Lifestyles
Stalking the hoary yellow puccoon
Sometimes a plant just shows up in an unexpected location. Sometimes you walk by that location over and ...
Lifestyles
Incised fumewort is problematic
I went to Powhatan State Park last week, walked the usual trails and searched for Dutchman’s breeches, which ...
Lifestyles
Speedwell, a beautiful weed
Hiking in late winter or very early spring requires an open mind about the plants that can be ...
Columns
Hiking can be a voyage of discovery
Spending time outside, whether gardening or hiking, is just plain good for you. Hiking and walking have been ...
Lifestyles
New apps for field work
Not too many years ago, hiking meant carrying a heavy backpack filled with my favorite field guides – ...
Lifestyles
The aftermath of finding a rare plant
A good part of last year was spent hiking with a list of plants that needed to be ...
Lifestyles
Torrey’s mountain mint: A rare find
It’s been so hot and dry that I decided Oct. 4 would be my last major hike before ...
Lifestyles
A tale of persistence and what grows in the swamp
While mucking about in a swampy area at Holliday Lake State Park last month, I stumbled upon an ...
Lifestyles
Long-lobed arrowhead: An uncommon plant
In the early days of the commonwealth, the naming of rivers was arbitrary. Settlers along a particular waterway ...
Lifestyles
The difference in buttonweed
It’s been so hot that my hikes have been reduced to half-hearted slogs up and down the back ...
Lifestyles
Wood Betony: an interesting hemiparasite
There are some native plants that I just can’t keep straight in my head unless I see the ...
Lifestyles
Slipper Orchids: Love and obsession
Wildflower people are both incredibly generous and seriously obsessive. This spring I’ve been the recipient of untold generosity. ...
Lifestyles
The thrill of the find
In my ongoing rambles in the woods, I visit new places every year, but I also return to ...