by Whitney Anderson | Aug 3, 2025 | Gardening, Invasive Species
If you’ve landed here googling tree of heaven, you’re probably already in tree of heaven hell. Ailanthus altissima sounds poetic, but this invasive plant is a huge pain to deal with. I’m not a professional arborist or an invasive species expert — just a frustrated...
by Whitney Anderson | Apr 7, 2022 | Birds, Wildlife
If you are new to birdwatching, here are some great resources to help you learn more about birds and learn to identify them. These apps, books and resources have been invaluable to me as I learn more. Helpful Birdwatching Apps Merlin Bird ID (by Cornell) This is a...
by Whitney Anderson | Sep 7, 2021 | Gardening, Insects, Native Plants, Wildlife
One of the best things about my garden this year is how many pollinators I have been able to attract. Last year, I didn’t see nearly as many as I would have liked, so I took steps to attract more. It has been such a delight this year to see so many different...
by Whitney Anderson | May 13, 2021 | Gardening
I signed up for an online class about Virginia native plants several months ago sort of on a whim. I really signed up for it because of the words “Virginia” and “plants” and thought it would be great to learn more. Well, I missed the key word,...
by Whitney Anderson | Nov 7, 2016 | Roanoke Valley, Virginia
I try to always take a day off when the fall colors emerge. I started the day by heading up to Roanoke Mountain Overlook for sunrise. It’s so peaceful to almost have a whole mountain to yourself and to watch the sun rise on a cool morning. The contrast of the...
