Notes from a plant nerd: You reap what you sow … if you’re lucky

Whoever first wrote down the phrase, “You reap what you sow” was definitely not a farmer or gardener. I’ve started following that phrase with, “…if you’re lucky.”

Does anyone really like Daylight Savings Time?

I guess they must exist, these people who actually like setting their clocks back an hour for daylight saving time, these fans of all things dismal and dark.  

Notes from a plant nerd: Going to seed

Want to hear a corny joke about an oak tree? That was it. 

This must be the place: ‘And I thought that I’d found a light to guide me through’

A soothing mid-fall breeze floats across my front porch, through the screen door and into the apartment, ultimately swirling around the writing desk facing a bustling Russ Avenue within sight. 

It’s time to grab your hardhat

To the Editor:

As yellow falling leaves and cool, dry air are floating into the mountains, it signals to knowledgeable residents that it’s time to look up.

Panther Top Tower open for fall leaf views

The Panther Top Tower in the Nantahala National Forest near Murphy will be open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 28-29 and Nov. 4-5, offering spectacular views of fall colors in the surrounding mountains.

Sponsored: Fall foods

As we move from fall into winter and cooler temperatures it’s always fun to start adding more seasonal foods and dishes to our meals. 

Color season expected to be earlier, less intense

Western Carolina University’s resident fall color expert is predicting that the start of leaf season will come earlier than usual but that peak will lack the intensity it had last year, primarily because leaves won’t be changing color at the same time.

Notes from a plant nerd: Pushing Leaves

Every year, the fallen leaves blanket the forest floor in the fall. And every spring the wildflowers have no trouble pushing up through them to bloom.

Notes from a plant nerd: The leaves don’t just fall, y’all. They’re pushed

We have a tendency in our modern culture of celebrating only the young, youthful and new parts of our world, and not enjoying the old, aging and dying parts. We tend to fear death and growing old. Throughout the world, indigenous traditional cultures celebrate and venerate older members of their people as the carriers and imparters of wisdom, knowledge and how to live well on the earth.

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