Mary Engisch

4 days ago | vermontpublic.org | Zoe McDonald |Abagael Giles |Mary Engisch

High temperatures and humidity are enveloping the entire state, with areas of the Champlain Valley under an Extreme Heat Warning from 11 a.m. Monday until 8 p.m. on Tuesday. “Heat indexes are going to be anywhere between, say, 95 and 105, with probably some locally higher amounts in some of the valleys,” said Eric Myskowski, a meteorologist at the Burlington National Weather Service office.

6 days ago | vermontpublic.org | Charlie Nardozzi |Mary Engisch

Iridescent gold and shiny emerald green, this critter may look beautiful in the sun, but it can easily do a lot of damage to your garden. The Japanese beetle is an invasive species with a giant appetite. Currently, the insect is still in its larval stage in the soil. If you dig into the ground, you might see the telltale C-shaped grubs, waiting to mature and become full beetles. When they emerge, they'll be hungry, and your garden is the closest salad bar.

1 week ago | vermontpublic.org | Mikaela Lefrak |Adiah Gholston |Mary Engisch

In early May, a group of small business owners in Burlington sent an open letter to Mayor Emma Mulvaney-Stanak asking for a series of immediate changes to take place downtown. One of their requests was to move a free lunch program run by Food Not Cops from the Cherry Street Garage to another location. The cosigners of the letter cited a number of reasons for their concerns, including construction that impedes foot traffic, and long-simmering concerns over public safety.

1 week ago | vermontpublic.org | Charlie Nardozzi |Mary Engisch

While your garden and raised bed may be humming along and growing just fine, there are still some issues that can pop up. Charlie Nardozzi answers a slew of listeners' questions about veggie plant and tree troubles, as well as what to do to eradicate various garden pests. Lilacs look brown and burned Q: My lilac bush developed a strange issue last fall where the leaves appeared brown and burnt.

2 weeks ago | vermontpublic.org | Charlie Nardozzi |Mary Engisch

With a super soggy May in the rearview, your garden might need some extra TLC. Certain plants, trees and shrubs are susceptible to too much water. With these techniques, your gardens and landscape will be on the upswing and can thrive for the rest of the season. Vegetable plants, like tomatoes, and shrubs like lilac and some cherry and other fruit trees might be showing signs of damage from the wet spring. Plus, even any newly replanted seedlings may need a helping hand.