I don’t know what made the rhododendron outside my apartment window bloom. But it’s nice to see. It has been a sunny, but cool and low-humidity day, making it perfect for a hike.

I knew that indigo, marigold, and walnut, among others, make excellent fabric dyes. I now know that the following plants also make excellent dyes: Bergamot Bloodroot Coltsfoot Coreopsis Echinacea Yarrow I also learned that cream of tartar works to keep colors from bleeding and it’s safer than alum. Read on for a basic recipe on [...]

Organizer Nicole Carman is a genius. This event brought 182 participants to Mt. Pisgah State Park to participate in events ranging from kayaking and horseback riding to firearms, ATV safety, and wild game cooking. If you can do it in the outdoors, there was someone to teach you how in a mini-workshop. I learned about [...]

This is a bountiful season for mushrooms and many other wild edibles.

Enjoying nature is in the little things, like this insect (I think it’s a firefly) on a laurel node. Dawn and dusk are the best times for hiking; that’s when I see the most wildlife activity.

Day lily flowers are so named because they live for one day.

These showy flowers make an excellent table presentation. The buds and roots, which are also edible, can be frozen or dried for future use.

My early morning nature hikes make me feel like I am in a holy place. With images like this, what other way is there to see the natural world?

I tried to freeze violet blossoms for future use. My only real success in terms of preserving the shape of the blossom was in my violet blossom ice cubes. I dipped each blossom in sugar, then froze them on a plastic-lined cookie sheet for 24 hours before adding them to the water in the ice [...]

Milkweed (Asclepias syriaca) buds and unripe seed pods are the only palatable parts of this plant. The buds open quickly, so harvest the tiniest ones immediately.

There is so much to learn.Starting with mushrooms: Dryads Saddles