Natures Way

By Karen Cohen Oh Snap! After an afternoon of research, I learned a ton about self propagating asparagus. I decided to order purple asparagus online this winter for my spring garden. Join me now in reviewing some fact based revelations. Asparagus come in 3 colors: green, purple, and white. Purple...

What’s Bugging You? Bugs. Can’t live with them; can’t live without them. Maybe you think, “What good are they?” It has been said that if ever humans go extinct at some point in time, bugs will still populate this planet. Stink bugs are invading this area slowly but surely. They...

By Karen Cohen Just when I thought I might be shifting to low gear and taking it slow in the garden department, a blast of fresh air swept me off my feet! I attended the Virginia Biological Farming Conference for a weekend in Roanoke. Not only did I come home...

Happy New Year! Another year for gardeners to learn, plant, and grow. January is a start up month for certain seeds. Indoor seed starting kits can be bought online complete with a bottom tray for catching water drips and a clear, plastic lid to keep moisture inside. These are reusable...

By Karen Cohen This article was originally published in the Mountain Messenger on March 8, 1996 and was Karen Cohen’s first article for this region. My husband Tim and I moved here almost a year ago in 1996. April Fool’s Day to be exact! We moved from the Garden State...

By Karen Cohen My List for Santa So, I’ve been good, very good. Have you? When we are good, we expect a reward of some sort, right? That message comes from our childhood. My mom would promise me an ice cream if I had to go to a doctor’s visit....

Time to bring a tree inside! What? Yes, we have cut and dragged outside evergreen trees into our homes since the beginning of time. Maybe even the cave dwellers did it, just to liven up their interior caves a bit. Drawings on the wall, a few cut logs for sitting...

By Karen Cohen Spread across my kitchen table are seed packets, lots of them! In glorious color, images of veggies, not sugarplums, dance in my head. Oh the countdown begins. Some seeds can be started indoors in January, just a few more weeks! Some can be started, also indoors, about...

By Karen Cohen Master Gardener/Photojournalist/Artist Every gardener knows and expects that this time of the year, the plant and seed catalogs come pouring in the mailbox and into your email box. Most of us actually enjoy receiving the annual assorted selections from various companies. Winter afternoons are set aside for...

By Karen Cohen Shallots are not onions and are similar to garlic. Shallots form small cloves that have a thin skin casing around them just like garlic. Much milder in flavor than onions, they do turn translucent when cooked. I love to cook with them because they have less of...