We hardly ever see oppossums -- commonly called possums -- unless we're out at night. Then you can see them trying to cross the road. Sometimes they're successful. Sometimes they're not. And sometimes we just hear them rumbling around the garbage cans while we're trying to sleep. In trying to find out what makes these critters tick, pretty much all we found out is that even though the species is physiologically unique in our area, oppossums are really no more than common pests. They have no redeeming social value. Indeed, according to pestworldforkids.org they are the only marsupial native to…

“Ignorance may be bliss” as the old saying goes, but sometimes “controlled ignorance is prudent.” Such is the case with the now beloved wisteria growing next to our front porch. When we first moved into our home, we had no idea what the twisted viney monstrosity was and my husband was quite tempted to chop down the grizzly and disfigured old girl. Instead, we adopted a wait-and-see philosophy with the wisteria, as we did with most of the foliage on the property. In that first year, as things bloomed, we would say “oh, that’s Echinacea” or “look those are gladiolas.” Not so with the wisteria. …

It’s in toothpaste. It’s in candy canes. It’s in mojitos. In whatever form it crosses your path, it’s hard to miss the distinctive taste and aroma of this well-known herb. It grows well in flowerpots, provided it gets enough water. It grows like a weed in a sunny, well-watered yard and if left unchecked will pretty much take over everything. We have spearmint and peppermint growing in our yard and we dry it all summer long. We regularly tie in it bunches from our clothesline, and then fill spice jars with it for cooking and making teas. All of this made me pretty proud of myself and my …

Every cloud has a silver lining as the old saying goes. And, there is actually a silver lining that could be growing close to the poison ivy that grows so well in our neck of the woods -- a neat and kind of pretty plant known as jewelweed, believed to be a natural cure for poison ivy, poison oak, okra spines, stinging nettle, and other irritating plants. Have you ever used jewelweed to ease poison ivy? Have another poison ivy cure? Tell us in the comments. Probably one of the easiest ways to recognize jewelweed is based on its distinctive flower, which tends to be orange and trumpet-shaped. …

For the past several summers, at least one person has arrived at my home and commented on the beautiful deep purple plant in the flower pot on the railing of our back deck. The flower pot has changed as the plant has grown. We bring it in in the winter and nurture it on the kitchen window sill. But, the plant getting the compliments is the same one -- just another year older. Then comes the inevitable question…what kind of plant is that? What is it called? It’s a question I avoid. I typically answer that it came from a clipping from a friend of mine, which is true, and try to leave it at that…

I am just going to put it out there…I have bird issues. I don’t like them near me. I don’t like them flying overhead. And, I surely don’t like them touching me in any way. I am not exactly sure when or how this “problem” with birds began. It might have something to do with an unfortunate incident at the beach as a teenager related to a flock of seagulls. But, that’s an issue for a qualified therapist with a reasonable hourly rate. That being said, this summer, it seems, that I may be approaching a bird-related breakthrough all on my own, thanks to a couple of bird feeders and hundreds of …

If you would have asked me to name my top 10 favorite animals last Thursday morning, I can assure you that the bat would not have made it to the list. And, even after attending Family Fun Night at the Emmaus Public Library Thursday evening and listening to an hour-long presentation by a representative of the Wildlands Conservancy extolling the virtues of the much-maligned flying mammal, I am still not sure that the odd looking furry creature would make my top-10 list. Is there a plant, animal or insect you'd like to learn more about? Email jennifer.marangos@patch.com or Tell us in the …

I had never met a Cleome, commonly known as a spider flower, until moving to Vera Cruz. As I delved into our overgrown flowerbeds during our first spring in our new home, the spindly, green plant was everywhere. The leggy, leafy foliage was so pervasive among the other greens that I recognized, that I assumed – quite wrongly it turns out – that this plant was a weed and started ripping it out with wild abandon. Fast-forward a little bit to early summer when the one wayward Cleome that had some how made its way to our gravel driveway bloomed, showing off its unusual pink flower atop its even …