It’s hard to find much nice to say about the outdoors this time of year. A couple of freakishly warm days made me yearn for the real thing: a time when I can put away the layers of polar fleece and down clothing I live in during the winter. I’m tired of reminding myself to bring a hat, warm gloves and a scarf whenever I leave the house. The crazy amount of precipitation we’ve had has turned walking trails into mud pits at times, with the muck threatening to suck the boots off our feet. My dog has come home from walks looking like she’s been dipped in dark chocolate.
Despite the woes of New England’s interminable late winter season, there are a few things worth celebrating. Walking in the woods, you will see an amazing variety of lichens. These subtle gray-green growths provide a welcome pop of color in the deep gray landscape; when more vivid colors arrive with spring, the quiet lichens recede into the background. Their diverse, multidimensional textures, scaly, curly, puffy, are endlessly fascinating to examine any time of year.
Found on soil, tree bark, rocks and even some under water, lichens are actually two organisms living together symbiotically. The major component of lichen is a fungus (a microbiont), so they are classified as fungi. The other component is photosynthetic (photobiont) and may be green algae or cyanobacteria (once known as blue-green algae) or sometimes both. The algae, or photobiont, can make food, which is sugar. The fungus, or microbiont, can kill or penetrate some of the algae cells to obtain food. This symbiotic relationship is actually a controlled parasitism.
Lichen perform many useful functions in the environment. They contain cyanobacteria and can fix nitrogen in the soil. They also act as sand and soil stabilizers. They provide food for deer, voles, wild turkeys and other animals. In northern climates, lichens provide 90 percent of the winter diet of caribou, also known as reindeer. They also provide camouflage for lizards, moths and tree frogs, as well as nesting material for birds. For an abundance of information on lichens, check out the North American Mycological Association website: namyco.org
So, the next time you go for a walk, pay attention to these lovely greenish-gray fungi and consider their quiet contribution to our planet.
Mickey Rathbun, an Amherst-based lawyer turned journalist, has written the Get Growing column since 2016.
There’s something wonderful about the almost-instant gratification that comes with container gardening. This week’s clinic at Hadley Garden Center will inspire you to think about creating lively and interesting containers filled with spring delights. The clinic will be held Feb. 16 at 1 p.m. at HGC, 285 Russell St. (Rte. 9) Hadley. 854-1423. Come early to get a seat; space is limited.
Okay, I admit that when I read about this upcoming talk at Berkshire Botanical Garden, I wondered what they were doing messing with nuclear materials. If you’re familiar with beekeeping, you already know what nucs are, but for the rest of us, nucs is short for nucleus colonies, small honey bee colonies created from larger colonies.
On Feb. 16 from 10 a.m. to noon, BBG will host an informative talk for beekeepers seeking to create replacement colonies for those lost during the year. Raising nucs allows the beekeeper to control swarming, partially manage varroa mites, and save money. It also is a very enjoyable and rewarding pursuit. Jack Rath, who works as the queen-rearing and nuc-production program manager at Betterbee in Greenwich, NY, will focus on the theory and practice of nucleus production with an emphasis on later season nucs for overwintering.
Rath started keeping bees in 1968 with a beginner’s kit and package bees bought from the Montgomery Ward’s Catalog. He received his DVM (Doctor of Veterinary Medicine) from Cornell University in 1978 and from 1979 to 2012 practiced veterinary medicine treating dairy cattle and horses. Jack became co-owner at Betterbee in 2012. Members: $10/nonmembers: $15.
For more information and to register, go to berkshirebotanical.org
On Feb. 16 from 2 to 4 p.m., Berkshire Botanical Garden will host a talk by Robert Herman about hardy cranesbill geraniums. Not to be confused with the tender Pelargonium species, hardy cranesbills are a diverse group of plants in habitat, foliage and flower suited to practically every gardening situation. An assortment of cranesbills offers up a profusion of blooms in early summer while the fascinating foliage patterns, markings and fall color can provide three-season interest.
Herman has had more than 25 years of experience as a horticulturalist. As “Meister” of the Countess von Zeppelin Nursery in Germany and Director of Horticulture at White Flower Farm, Herman cultivated over 30 species and cultivars of the genus Geranium. He will share his knowledge and give advice on selecting and raising some of the best plants for New England gardens. Members: $25/nonmembers: $35
Here’s another word that’s new to me, at least in a horticultural context: scion. To me, a scion was the descendant of a notable family. But I did not know that the word originally referred to a young shoot or twig of a plant, especially one cut for grafting or rooting.
The Hilltown Seedsaving Network will hold its second annual Winter Scion Swap on Mar. 10 from 1 to 3 p.m. at the Cummington Community House. The group’s first Scion Swap last year was a huge success with an outstanding turnout of eager and enthusiastic orchardists who brought many fine scions to swap and share. This year Tevis Robertson-Goldberg of Crabapple Farm in Chesterfield will be on hand to share some of his tricks and best practices for getting successful grafts to seal and grow. All are welcome, from beginner to advanced. Contributions to support speakers are welcome. Suggested donation for this event is $5-10.
For more information about the Hilltown Seed Saving Network and its amazing Virtual Seed Bank and other projects, go to: hilltownseeds.wordpress.com
This season’s series with Colleen Kelley will travel back in time to the days of the dinosaurs. Children will learn about dinosaurs through stories, songs, movement and crafts. The group will compare different dinosaurs, dig for bones and learn about the plants they munched on.
Ages 3-5 (Adult required to attend with child).
Fridays: Morning: 9:30 to 11:30a.m. Afternoon: 1 to 3p.m.
Mar. 22, 29, Apr. 5, 12, 26, May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31 (no class Apr. 19)
Limited to 12. Members: $220/Non-members: $255
For more information and to register, go to: hitchcockcenter.org