If you head into your local garden center, you may notice the area that once held grass seed now houses turfgrass fertilizers. Labeled with “winterize” on the bag, it would make you think that you are to fertilizer your lawn now.

What is an expert? Well, an EX is a has-been and a SPURT is a drip under pressure. Draw your own conclusions.

A few weeks ago I started writing about a series of seven words that I thought would help each of us on our paths forward, whatever direction that might be. Seven words that when embraced could help us all in times of joy as well as times of trouble. Seven words to set us up for the future.

It makes me sad to say goodbye to some of the vegetables in my garden, others, not so much. You would think it would be a good thing to have a plethora of veggies to be harvested. It would mean you did a good job. It may not be this way for everyone, but by the time my summer squash plants a…

Country boys, of every age, look forward to the fall and winter months with eager anticipation. It signals the beginning of hunting season which is what most of them live and breathe for.

We make instant judgments about so many things, dozens, even hundreds of times each day – what we approve of and like, but more often, what we disapprove of and dislike. These can be time-honored judgements: things we’ve lived with for years, if not a lifetime.

As a foodie, when I think of delicious, sweet strawberries, my mind goes to summer. As a gardener, on the other hand, I think fall. Strawberries established in the fall will have a much higher yield the following season. I use strawberries often in summer dishes, so a high yield is definitel…

Before introducing the mysterious Sally to you, let me explain the circumstances leading up to our encounter. Ironically, though we had another name picked out and used, during the infanticipation of our first born, we referred to her as Sally until the early morning of her birth. The Sally …

At first, grief seems overwhelming because it is. It almost kills you, quite literally, and I don’t feel good admitting that. But it’s the truth. 

In 1999, I moved to a small village in Germany. My home sat just a few steps away from the entrance to the forest. The neighbor across the street was very good about introducing me to the German culture. One day, she came to the house and asked if I wanted to go “pilz sammeln” – translation:…

A favorite activity of little girls in any culture is playing Tea Party. We loved to impersonate those most favored princesses, real or fairy tale, in our amusement. Dressing up adds an air of perfection as we play tea party or house.

“If you don’t have time for things that matter, stop doing things that don’t.” Courtney Carver.

Looking around my home, I realized it’s a little lopsided. There is only one room that gets direct sunlight, and it is filled with all of my sun-worshipping plants, as well as where all the outdoor, non-hardy plants come to overwinter.

Housework is like stringing beads with no knot in the end, or getting caught in a revolving door. Nothing inspires cleanliness more than surprise guests. Hiring someone else to do it is the best solution, provided it’s in your budget.

Weeks ago, I started out contemplating a list of seven words that led me to some universal life truths.

Summer flower gardens sparkle in cheery runways of bright color brought from waves of petunias, zinnia, lantana and marigolds, along with a host of other summer dazzlers. As summer starts to wind down and the season for these beauties comes to a close, the garden is ready to show off its fal…

If you’re like me, you have embraced the world of emojis. You may even be an enamored habitual user. You probably have your favorites. I know I have mine.

One of the things I like the most about being a master gardener is belonging to a group of people who like to swap plants. Two years ago, I had a bank of daylilies that needed to be divided. While they were all healthy, they also were starting to get overcrowded.

Outgoing, friendly and fearless, 26-month-old Patsy, a beautiful child, drew attention everywhere she went.

When my husband first left this earth, people told me I was strong. I recoiled from this label because at the time I felt anything but strong.

“Army worms come marching through,

Editor’s note: Guest writers featured in The News Courier are expressing their personal observations and opinions. The comments are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The News Courier and its staff.

A few weeks ago, I started a series on seven words that can possibly help us make sense of — and master — the crazy, unpredictable world we live in.

The last time I was covering high school football, I was watching six-man, eight-man and 11-man football in Montana. Granted, that was only back in 2019-2020, but it feels like forever ago. To have the opportunity to be the on the sideline for the first time covering high school football in …

As a foodie, when I think of delicious strawberries, I think of summer. As a gardener, on the other hand, I think fall. Strawberries established in the fall will have a much higher yield the following season. I use strawberries often in summer dishes, so a high yield is definitely what I’m l…

The bright sun and water warmed me thoroughly. Nearly blinded by the glare on the surface, the ball was still within view. Muscles strained to reach it in my struggle while also desperately searching for something solid to stand on.

I recently sold the house I’d lived in for more than 20 years. During that time, my family and I had accumulated infinite memories and related “stuff.”

It’s officially August. Fall is approaching, and we all know what that means — football. We’re just a couple weeks away from high school football starting and me roaming the sidelines and feeling like a kid on Christmas. We’re also less than two weeks away from the 2021 college football seas…

On the side of our garage, there is a small flower bed that was home to two azaleas. The shrubs were small and weren’t flowering well. The area they were in was not only in full sun, but it was also an area where water seemed to pool.

The golden years sounded fabulous as I anticipated them. It became our dream, but alas, that title is very deceptive. We watched in shock and horror as our skin migrated south, our hair faded, our joints creak and crack and our energy slacked. There is good news — we’re too old to die young.

I knew I wanted this job when I saw it online at the beginning of 2021. I saw the location, I read the description of the job and I knew that’s where I wanted my next stop to be. Fortunately, shortly after I applied I had a chance to interview over Zoom with my editor, Lora Scripps. I had ot…

“You won't know until you try it,” Mom still tells me when I'm unsure of things or my anxiety takes control.

Last week, I wrote about basil, the herb that we have dubbed the king of the herbs. Well, it turns out that the French also use that moniker.

Have you ever been asked to pray aloud in a large group? Or do you pray only in private? Prayers can be said anywhere at any time, but orally, in front of others, out loud, petrified me. The first time I was invited to pray in public was intimidating because the prayers familiar to me were e…

Some days are not quite like any others. Yesterday was one of those days.