May, Spring Remedies
By Leslie Watkins Root beer anyone? Not the sweet, syrupy concoction found on the grocery shelf, but the real deal a tonic made from the roots and bark of wild-sourced medicinals designed to kick start your engine in the spring. The herbal drink was traditionally made with sassafras by indigenous peoples of the Americas. Europeans […]
Norfolk’s March 2019 Weather
Third Driest March on Record By Russell Russ March can be a month that sees some strong nor’easters that can bring heavy snow or rain or both. March of 2018 was a prime example, with three storms that helped push last March’s snowfall total to 43.5 inches. That was not the case this March. While […]
It’s Spring! Animals Awake From Hibernation
By Jude Mead Spring is the time to celebrate more sunshine and warmer days. Spring is also the time when many animals awaken from a long winter’s nap. After spending a season sleeping, they emerge hungry and ready to roam. Making it to spring, however, is not an easy task for some of these animals. […]
April, Happy as a Pig in Mud
By Leslie Watkins Mud season is that slippery, slimy time of year when winter melt starts from the surface and works its way down to produce sticky wet soil. Deep ruts in dirt roads can make them impassable and hikers are advised to stay on the trails, not the edges, to prevent further erosion. Not […]
Norfolk’s February 2019 Weather
Wintertime, More or Less By Russell Russ You cannot judge a complete month’s weather by looking at just a few days. The first few days of February were quite cold with below-zero temperatures. A few days later, temperatures were in the mid-fifties. So, what was the rest of the month like? The answer is mostly […]
March, Forcing the Issue
Through the Garden Gate By Leslie Watkins This time of year, most of us in the North have had about as much of snow, subzero temps and ice as we could want. For gardeners, it’s a good time to prune fruit trees and woody shrubs. If you are seriously done with winter, there are some steps […]
Norfolk’s January 2019 Weather
Above-Normal Precipitation Continues By Russell Russ The year of 2018 was Norfolk’s seventh wettest year since 1932. It was also Norfolk’s 11th warmest year. Overall, the first month of 2019 picked up right where 2018 left off: it was wetter than normal and a little warmer than normal. January was not a monster winter-weather month […]
February, Planning a Garden
Through the Garden Gate By Leslie Watkins Winter is a wonderful time to plan and design a new garden. The stark landscape helps to envision the shapes and placement of plants, paths and views. If there’s enough snow on the ground you can thrust sticks into it to help delineate boundaries. Check out the views […]


