Hammertown People – Danielle Michael 
You can email Danielle at danielle@hammertown.com
Dog Day Cicadas announce the Dog Days of Summer
You know you’re deep into the Dog Days of summer in July or August when you first hear that evocative sound. It is the elusive cicada (sometimes called Dog Day Cicadas) which are heard but seldom seen. The sound is actually the male cicada’s mating call and for its size, is impressively loud (over 100 [...]
Get off my plants!!
The beetles are coming, the beetles are coming so get your buckets. Yes…your buckets. Use a bucket of soapy water instead of pesticide spray. I too was a sprayer but have learned over the years all the harm it does to the environment. Pesticide sprays will have an affect on the bad bugs you are [...]
Flashers on the loose in Hammertown Country!
And you thought “Flashing” was something people got locked up for. Guess what? It’s going on in your own backyard. Fireflies or Lightning Bugs (depending on what part of the country you’re from) are actually beetles that live most of their lives underground or at ground level. Eggs are laid in moist soil and after [...]
An Understanding of Behavior – Oh, deer!
An Understanding of Behavior It may seem as if the deer are just out to destroy our gardens but in fact all they are trying to do is survive. The White-Tailed Deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have become overpopulated in many areas only due to us humans. We have moved in, made ourselves at home, and expect [...]
Bi-Annual Tag Sale to Benefit “Fresh Air Fund”
A Bi-annual Tag Sale will take place this Friday and Saturday June 3 and 4, from 9 to 4 at 188 Collins Street in Hillsdale NY. They have several Coach totes and lots of home furnishings this year. Most of the proceeds will go to the “Fresh Air Fund” which gives inner-city kids an opportunity [...]
There’s more to Trade Secrets than plants!
One of the few events that goes on to my calendar a year in advance is Trade Secrets Rare Plant and Garden Antique Show in Sharon, CT. Why? Because I find amazing varieties of plants, meet all kinds of extraordinary gardeners and find many antiques and tools for my own garden. It’s exciting, very beautiful [...]
Kill the Skeeters!
I know…last week it was ticks and now it’s mosquitoes. I promise, next week I’ll be talking about a far more pleasant gardening topic — Trade Secrets! Now, back to those “skeeters”. Obviously, we don’t want them around because they’re annoying and their bites itch like crazy but we have to also remember that they [...]
Revolting Creature: The Deer Tick
The more you learn about Deer Ticks (Ixodes scapularis) the more they sound like some horrifying sci-fi creature from space. But they’re not…they’re right here in our backyard! Not being able to see their host, the tick finds us by sensors, the Hallers Organs, on the tips of their front legs. These sensors allow the [...]
Is Landscaping for the Birds?
YOU BET IT IS! First: To Feed or Not to Feed — That is the question If you feed the birds through the winter you know how they help us with the winter doldrums. Come spring, however, there are different schools of thought. Some bird lovers believe it’s time to take the feeders down for [...]
