by Suzanne Ruggles “I just came in from the garden. It had been calling me for quite some time, and I was resisting. But it didn’t stop calling, and I was practically levitated to it, and there it was – the garden in splendor: glorious light shining from every bean flower, the bright, clear yellow […]
by Suzanne Ruggles St Francis and God are conversing … Frank, you know all about gardens and nature. What in the world is going on down there in the USA? What happened to the dandelions, violets, thistle and stuff I started eons ago? I had a perfect no maintenance garden plan. Those plants grow in any type […]
by Suzanne Ruggles Native plants require less water because they are suited to the climate, soils, and other environmental factors of their native regions. They also have built-in defenses against native insect, viral, and fungal predators and are thus less likely to succumb to the different fungi and insects that plague non-native plants. Because of the above, […]
by Suzanne Ruggles A. Leaf Removal Leaves and plant litter are a vital part in the life giving systems that plants need in order to survive. Nature, in its infinite wisdom, has provided an incredible diversity of organism that make up the soil. They range in size from the tiniest one-celled bacteria, algae, fungi, and protozoa; to […]
by Susanne Ruggles with a quote from The Economist. In “The Economist” June 8, 2002, “A Biting Response” it says. “Gardeners understand the virtue of pruning. Cutting back the lanky stems of a prized shrub leads not only to a smaller bush; it also reinvigorates the whole plant, thickening it up as side branches are stimulated […]
Written by Suzanne P. Ruggles, May 4, 2009 While many forms of life can survive without oxygen, none can survive without water. And as hard as we try, with all of our intellect and scientific prowess, we cannot manufacture water. Most people are shocked to know that 97% of the world’s water is salt water and […]
by Suzanne Ruggles Nature is good for us. This may seem obvious, but science is now actually studying this quantitatively, and coming up with surprising, although obvious findings. Richard Louv, in “Last Child in the Woods – Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”, links the lack of nature in the lives of today’s children to some of […]
Wildlife Rescue Center boardmember Suzanne Ruggles, known to many as “The Barefoot Gardener,” has received the first Suffolk County Water Authority Source Water Protection Award. This award is co-sponsored by the Long Island Pine Barrens Society, The Nature Conservancy and Neighborhood Network and seeks to recognize individuals actively working towards ensuring the quality and quantity […]
