Hiring unlicensed contractors is often expensive
Chris Meyer, owner of All Service Plumbing and Heating in Oak Bluffs, got a call recently to fix another man's work.
Tree swallows migrate over Martha’s Vineyard
Fall migration brings rare birds to the Vineyard, which makes Island birders happy.
Late-season gardening on Martha’s Vineyard
Upcoming at PHA: Fall Plant Sale, Saturday, Sept.
Backyard nature on Martha’s Vineyard
Regular readers of this column will know that while I enjoy every aspect of nature, I reserve a special enthusiasm for nature that turns up where you don't expect it.
On the move, sadly
It's the start of Departure Season: this weekend, following illumination night, the O.
Trees, dogs, beans, and salt
Our shade trees are demonstrating their importance during the increasingly hotter summers the Vineyard is experiencing.
Bluestem, native to Martha’s Vineyard
August is the time of the most active growth and flowering for a surprising number of our native plants.
Looking ahead
As we head into August, the Island setting welcomes a whole new cast of characters and a wholly different feel in weather, light, and garden atmosphere.
All hail swallowtails
The most famous butterfly may be the orange-and-black monarch, noted for its size, coloration, and prodigious migration.
Now you see them….
On a recent sunny Saturday, I slipped my blue kayak into the Lagoon at the Lagoon Road boat landing in Oak Bluffs.
Open days, open gardens
Six lovely private gardens in Edgartown were opened to the public on Monday, thanks to the Open Days Program of the Garden Conservancy, a national organization dedicated to preserving garden spaces of remarkable beauty and historical import.
Garlic, nepetas, neem
July is here, yet it feels as if it has been July for three weeks already.
Fledglings get a move on
In a hole in a maple branch overhanging Wing Road in Oak Bluffs, a pair of downy woodpeckers have been packing insects into two or three youngsters in a hole in a branch.
Any rare bees around?
If pressed to list all the bees we're familiar with, most of us would run out of names after the honey bee, the bumble bee, and perhaps the carpenter bee.
Creating your own Island oasis: Pool resources on Martha’s Vineyard
Even though we live on a small Island, one does not have to go very far to design, build, and put finishing touches on swimming pools, hot tubs, and whirlpools.
The ABC’s of Island gardening
Opportunities abound in the coming months for learning how to improve your garden and how to better appreciate the Island environment.