Opinions

Home grown shiitake mushrooms (Photo by Karen Cohen) By Karen Cohen   Grow Your Own  Two years ago, I wrote about fun fungi. I hope you were inspired then to start growing some mushrooms of your own. We buy inoculated logs and also bags of spores to put into our own...

Dear Recycle Lady, I’m new to the area and need clarification on how to separate items for recycling. Are cereal and other uncoated boxes considered paper or cardboard or neither? Can aluminum foil be included with tin and aluminum cans? Thank you for your help. Need Information Dear Need Information,...

Dear Recycle Lady, Previously, you said that white prescription bottles could not be recycled even though they have a recycle symbol on the bottom of the bottles. What about vitamin bottles or aspirin bottles? Are they recyclable? Healthy Recycler Dear Healthy Recycler, The Recycling Center does not accept any of...

By Karen Cohen I have friends who just moved to an area on the Greenbrier River which is “populated.” That means they can see their neighbors’ houses from theirs and vice versa. Wondering what plantings they can introduce into their yard which will quickly turn into privacy fencing, I started...

Dear Recycle Lady, Why must labels be removed from aluminum cat food cans, but not steel cans? Like My Cats Dear Like My Cats, The reason labels are removed from aluminum cans and not steel cans is that aluminum cans and steel cans are recycled differently. Steel cans are processed...

By Karen Cohen Invasive species of plants are non-natives that come from other parts of the world, usually by boat. They don’t always adapt to their new homes but when they do, they can become invasive. That means they cannot be easily controlled. One such plant is called Chinese Lantern....

By: Karen Cohen A reminder that we are earth dwellers with many other lifeforms. I learned a new word and I am a tad embarrassed that I didn’t know this sooner than now. Biophilia. Let’s break it down: a human tendency to interact or be closely associated with other forms...

The West Virginia Nursery & Landscape Association (WVNLA) registered its “strong disapproval” to leaders at West Virginia University (WVU) for its proposed elimination of bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in Landscape Architecture and the reduction of staff in Soil and Plant Sciences from 21 to 10 people. Julie Robinson, executive...

Growing food in winter under cover (Photo by Karen Cohen) Just when you feel a bit tired from weeding, planting, watering, snipping and picking, comes the time to do it all over again. Are you ready? If you plan to have some late summer/early winter crops, better get to it...

Dear Editor: I noted with concern the recent recommendation by the administration of West Virginia University (WVU) to not only cease offering foreign language majors, but to also eliminate the entire Department of World Languages. This is a matter of national security that places WVU outside those institutions that provide...