The cold and damp weather of March and April has deterred most gardeners from venturing into their gardens as soils have remained excessively moist, if not covered by snow. Even with the brief warm … more

Q: Our local gray squirrels have seemed to have lost the fur off their tails. We noticed last summer only one squirrel afflicted with this, but now there are five or six running around that have … more

Spring is just around the corner, but there's still time to take advantage of one of gardening's greatest bargains: bare-root trees and shrubs. These are trees and shrubs, commonly deciduous, that … more

Q: During the last storm the red-winged blackbirds and the grackles have been at my feeder. I cleaned out the bluebird houses on Feb. 27, and the next day two males were courting the female. They … more

Garden wildlife reminds me of teenagers — the critters eat distressingly huge meals then leave without communicating about what they have been up to or where they are going. Except in … more

A READER'S 99 PERCENT SQUIRREL-PROOF FEEDERGet some old [or new] vinyl-clad clothes line at least twice as long as the distance between a [sturdy] tree branch [about 20 feet] and the ground. To one … more

Q: We have noticed that birds don't come to our metal bird feeders. I have spoken with others who say the same thing. Any idea why they don't like metal feeders?— Joyce, Pittsfield, Mass.A: I … more

PLAINFIELD — Trees surround Jennifer Lee's rustic home, but harvesting their bark for the baskets populating her shelves isn't an on-demand activity."There's a season to taking the bark off a … more

Besides being faithful to newspaper deadlines, the most consistent thing I have done during my time writing for The Berkshire Eagle has been clipping each column for reference. But, could I locate … more

Spring — which is breaking now, even in the North Country — is the season when gardeners start spreading fertilizers on everything from lawns to vegetable gardens. This can be a good … more