DOLLY PARTON’S IMAGINATION LIBRARY WILL EXPAND IN LYNCHBURG THIS YEAR

The Dolly Parton Imagination Library, an international initiative that sends free books to children from birth to age five, is extending its reach to additional Lynchburg-area zip codes this year. Local education-focused nonprofit The Aspire Foundation began partnering with DPIL last fall and has since signed up many families who reside in the 24501 and 24504 zip codes.

“When we started the program last September, we didn’t know how fundraising was going to go,” says Aspire Foundation co-founder Mary Omotoye. “We decided to start the program in 24501 and 24504 because according to the U.S. Census Bureau, those are the most socioeconomically challenged areas in Lynchburg. We are happy to announce that we now have enough funding to open the program up to 24502 and 24503 as well in 2020!” Grants from the Schewel Family Foundation, Centra Foundation, Greater Lynchburg Community Foundation, and Mustaches 4 Kids increased DPIL funding significantly.

Omotoye first learned about DPIL when she and her family lived in Cleveland, Ohio. She and her husband, Samuel, enrolled their two young sons in the program and received free books for about half a year. When the family moved to Lynchburg, however, they discovered that DPIL was not available. For the Omotoyes, this absence proved to be an exciting opportunity rather than a disappointment.

“I checked the Imagination Library website and found out that in order to be an affiliate of the program, you have to be a nonprofit organization,” Omotoye notes. “I talked to my husband about it and we thought, ‘Why don’t we start a nonprofit?’ We always had it in mind that we eventually wanted to do nonprofit work in the education sphere, so we thought this initiative was a great place to start.” The couple founded the Aspire Foundation in 2018.

Rox Cruz, a local mom and Freedom Schools Site Coordinator for The Listening, Inc., was one of the many parents who was excited about DPIL coming to Lynchburg.

“I am a major Dolly Parton fan, so I’ve known about this program for over 10 years,” Cruz says. “Once I had my first son, I wanted to sign him up for the program right away. We were living in Florida at the time, but unfortunately our zip code was not eligible for the program. I was so stoked to find out we were eligible in Lynchburg!”

Beloved country music artist Dolly Parton founded DPIL in 1995, and the program has since expanded beyond Dolly’s home state of Tennessee to all 50 states and to Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and Ireland. Childhood literacy is a passion of Parton’s largely due to her own upbringing.

“Dolly Parton’s father was illiterate, and she grew up very poor. Her mission is to provide books for all children, no matter their family’s income,” said Omotoye, who also experienced a humble childhood. “My husband and I are immigrants and didn’t have a lot growing up, but good educations and a love of books and learning helped us find success—I’m a pharmacist and my husband is a physician.”

By 2003, DPIL had mailed one million books, and now the program sends out over one million books per month. DPIL earned the Library of Congress Best Practices Award in 2014, and the initiative’s 100 millionth book was dedicated to the Library of Congress in 2018.

Enrolled children between ages birth and five receive one free, high-quality book each month until they turn six. The books are selected by an expert panel and come from reputable publisher Penguin Random House. Titles are age-appropriate, at least two bilingual titles are sent to each child each year, and DPIL’s partnership with the Braille Institute of America ensures that blind and visually impaired children receive Braille books.

Cruz, whose sons are one-and-a-half and four, is especially grateful for the addition of bilingual books to their home library.

“My husband is Puerto Rican, so it is really meaningful to us that this program occasionally sends out bilingual books,” she says. “I was so excited when my four-year-old received A Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats in English and Spanish last month.”

Although DPIL is beneficial for all children in the targeted age range, it is ideal to enroll a child at birth.

“What’s special about this program is that it really starts from birth,” says Omotoye. “We’re really trying to target that age group before kindergarten because there are tons of studies that show that just having books in the home early on in a child’s life—before the child is even talking—is incredibly impactful on brain development and reading readiness.”

Of course, reading to your child is even more beneficial than simply having books in your home. “For parents, the DPIL books are a reminder to be more intentional about sitting down and reading with your children,” Cruz says.

Omotoye adds that DPIL has a “large impact with a relatively low financial input.” It costs $25 per child per year, which comes out to $2.10 per book including shipping costs.

With the upcoming inclusion of additional Lynchburg zip codes, the Aspire Foundation will be focusing on registering new families for DPIL in 2020. Existing partnerships with Miriam’s House, Johnson Health Center, Richeson Drive Pediatrics, the Jubilee Community Center, and Lynchburg City Schools (specifically the Pre-K Headstart program) will continue to raise awareness of and participation in the program, and Omotoye hopes to work with even more community partners this year.

“To register as many children as possible, we want to partner with places that provide services and programs for children,” she says. “We have many wonderful community partners already and are hoping to partner with One Community, One Voice and other organizations in the near future.”

Cruz highly recommends enrolling in the program as a supplement to taking your children to the library.

“We love taking our kids to the library, but this program brings free books to us when we’re too busy to go out or it’s flu season and we don’t want to risk our kids getting sick,” she notes.

Although the long-term benefits of DPIL, libraries, and reading books in general may be lost on little ones, the joy of receiving a free and personalized gift in the mail applies to folks of all ages.

“For kids, it’s simply a gift that they get in the mail,” Cruz says. “There’s a kind of magic in receiving snail mail, especially when you’re receiving something wrapped up with your name on it. My four-year-old thinks Grandma Dolly sends him the books personally!”

To check your family’s eligibility for DPIL, visit aspirefound.org. Although it is possible to register online, Omotoye recommends doing a written registration form at this time. To learn more about DPIL, visit imaginationlibrary.com.

USING FLOWERS AMONG FOOD CROPS

There is a certain satisfaction in seeing crisp, clean rows of tomatoes or tightly packed lines of lettuce. But in my gardening experience, I have found that my plants are happier and healthier when they are given a bit more freedom—not unlike people.

In nature, plants don’t tend to segregate themselves into exclusive groupings, but rather they grow together, mixing and mingling. In doing so, they achieve a symbiosis; they benefit from and protect one another.

Polyculture is an agricultural practice that seeks to mimic this natural diversity by growing a variety of plants together so they can help one another grow. Planting flowers in and among vegetable crops is a wonderful way to naturally promote garden health and, as an added benefit, enhance the beauty of your garden spaces. I personally love gardens that take on a wild, lost-cottage appearance—but flowers don’t have to look messy and haphazard. Considering size and height, complementary colors, and spacing will help to give your garden an elegant, graceful appearance.

However, the main reason to plant flowers alongside your veggies is that they can attract—and repel—insects. As gardeners, there are bugs we like, and bugs we would rather be without. Pollinators such as butterflies, moths, and, of course, bees, are critical to the survival of vegetable gardens. Then, there are the bad bugs: aphids, beetles, leafminers, squash bugs… the list goes on and on. Planting flowers can deter pests by their scent, make it more difficult for pests to travel and spread through your garden, and even attract other insects that eat those pests. >>

Pollinators, Please!

So much of the food we eat relies on pollinators to grow and produce fruit. Planting the right flowers can draw them in and give your garden the boost it needs to be productive.

Bees, well known for their productive pollination in gardens, can’t see the color red. They are especially attracted to blue and violet flowers that smell sweet and provide easy access to nectar. But bees are not the only pollinators we want in our garden! Butterflies and hummingbirds are excellent pollinators too, and they have different mouth-shapes and color preferences. Hummingbirds, for example, love red, cone-shaped flowers and can access nectar that is stored deeper within the bloom. So when in doubt, plant a variety!

Cosmos: Full disclosure, I listed these first because they are my favorite. I love how leggy and wild cosmos grow, especially when planted among sunflowers (which are also great for bees). But these beauties are professional pollinator magnets, with many varieties and colors to choose from. Bees love the purple and pink varieties, while the white sensation variety is especially good for attracting lacewings, who in larvae form have quite an appetite for aphids. Tip: They look stunning among anything that vines or climbs up a trellis.

Purple Coneflower (Echinacea): Bees love this stuff. Their purple, cone-shaped blossoms are the perfect color and shape for our busy, buzzing garden friends. As an added bonus, echinacea is well-known for its immune-boosting, cold-fighting qualities when used in tea.

Zinnias: An excellent choice for the vegetable garden, zinnias attract lots of beneficial insects. In particular, butterflies love them. They are bright and colorful, and provide late-season nectar for pollinators. They also invite beneficial insects, especially Monarch butterflies, to lay eggs in their foliage. They attract hummingbirds, hover flies and wasps, all of which eat up destructive pests. Plant them around your tomatoes to deter worms. If you need more convincing, they make gorgeous cut flowers. You can’t lose with a thick zinnia patch in your garden.

Columbine: Columbine is another personal favorite and has a very interesting history of adaptation to benefit the pollinators that drink their nectar. Biologists have found that the unique nectar spurs, or long tubes that lead to the flowers’ nectar, grow in length based on the tongues of their preferred pollinators. These are a favorite snack of hummingbirds.

Lavender: This divine smelling, purple beauty is a favorite of bees and gardeners alike. You probably already have some in your garden. Consider placing it nearer to your veggies. Choose long-blooming varieties—be sure to leave some uncut—and bees will come from miles around to enjoy the bounty of pollen and nectar that they provide.

Pest Prevention

There are all sorts of things we don’t want in our gardens. Flowers can be used to disguise food crops, confuse and trap harmful pests, and even attract insects that love to feast on all the bugs we don’t like. Better yet, strategically placed flowers are so much better for the garden than chemical pesticides, which can damage soil and stunt growth over time.

Calendula (Pot Marigolds): Who doesn’t love these flowers? Simple, compact, colorful, and late-blooming, pot marigolds are so cheerful and deter all sorts of unwanted insects, such as squash bugs, mosquitos, and lice. Considered a great “trap crop,” calendula attracts pests like aphids and whiteflies and produces a sticky substance that traps these garden pests before they reach your crops. Note: Calendula, an edible, herbal flower, is different from the common marigold, which is toxic when ingested.

Chrysanthemums: Did you know that some brands of bug repellent and pesticides use a chemical extracted from mums (pyrethrin) to deter pests? Not only do these flowers repel pests such as beetles and harlequin bugs, which destroy gardens, they also keep away lice, ticks, bed bugs, roaches, and other universally disliked crawling critters. I like to plant them among squash and potatoes.

Queen Anne’s Lace: A tall, elegant choice for the garden, Queen Anne’s Lace attracts lacewings, ladybugs, hoverflies, and a number of other pest-gobbling insects to the vegetable patch. They are also known to give tomato plants a little boost when planted close by! Like many on this list, they will keep coming back year after year and can spread prolifically.

Yarrow: Yarrow is becoming the permaculturists secret weapon. It attracts beneficial insects such as bees and lacewings, provides excellent nesting grounds for these helpful critters, and has a scent that repels garden pests. In fact, it would make an excellent addition to your cucumber patch. To top it all off, yarrow is a beloved medicinal herb, used to control bleeding, pain, and inflammation. It’s also known to fortify garden soil and activate compost. This is a powerhouse of a plant you should always make room for.

Nasturtium: These attractive edibles are another powerful multi-use companion, and they come with a cornucopia of benefits.
The flowers and leaves are edible (and quite tasty) and provide an extensive list of medicinal benefits. They also emit a powerful odor that masks the scent of crops that are often vulnerable to a pest attack. Plant them everywhere, but especially near your brassicas.

Consider experimenting with interplantings of beneficial flowers this spring. You’ll have a great time trying different height and color combinations. When you find yourself spending less time fighting off pest infestations and more time enjoying the beauty and bounty of your garden, you’ll become an instant polyculturalist for life.

General Tips:

Avoid chemical fertilizers and pesticides.
These products can be helpful to the gardener, but often their consequences outweigh their benefits. Pollinators don’t like them, and they can strip soil of its organic qualities. Use natural, cultural solutions when possible, and if chemicals are a must, check to make sure they aren’t harmful to beneficial insects.

Plant in small groups. A single flower is better than no flower at all, but planting in clumps is a good way to attract pollinators. It shortens the distance that they have to travel for food and encourages them to stick around. As pest repellents, groups of flowers perform better.

Shoot for year-round blooms. If you provide a constant food source for beneficial insects, they will return to your yard all year long—and likely make their homes close by. Try to keep something in bloom throughout the year.

Provide other resources. Bees, butterflies, and all of those garden-friendly bugs need more than food to survive. Consider providing housing (bee hotels are really cool, and make for a fun project) and shallow water to encourage long-term residence in your garden.

A Bedford County custom build full of color and contrast

Photos by Laura Beth Davidson

Before Jill Rufus can answer a knock on the front door, the family’s Golden Retriever, Hershey, has long beaten her to it. Almost on cue, the gentle giant lays down on the foyer rug, rolls over onto his back, and stops—hoping for a belly rub from this new stranger-turned-best friend.

It’s a very fitting welcome to the Rufus household. While the impressive craftsman-style home is impeccably styled down to the very last detail, there is a down-to-earth vibe here. From her husband Jim’s obvious aversion to wearing a tucked-in button down and khakis to Jill’s easy and approachable conversation, this is a place where it’s okay to kick off your shoes and be yourself.

Jill and Jim—owners of real estate and rental investment company The Rufus Group—stumbled across the “Tranquility” house plan by Garrell Associates while attending a party at a friend’s house in 2012. With four sons—now ages 16, 17, 18 and 20—they were outgrowing their current space, a traditional historic home.
“What sold us on [the new house] was the open spaces, and I liked the different levels of the ceilings,” Jill said, adding that only three homes of this style have been built in the Lynchburg area. “It’s not cookie cutter.”

Neither are Jill’s décor choices—she’s not afraid to mix colors, patterns and textures. “I’ve just always been attracted to color,”
Jill said. Turquoise is one of her most-used hues.

The living room is especially vibrant with its floor-to-ceiling wall featuring patterned hardwood tiles from Mirth Studio, based in Charleston. “I call this my Charleston room,” Jill said. The couch, zebra-inspired ottoman, and large floral oil painting over the fireplace are all Charleston finds.

While Jill has always been a do-it-yourself kind of person, (she also is part owner of Ideal Cabinets of Lynchburg and oversees kitchen designs and other renovation projects regularly), she recalls a gentle nudge to get some design help as they built. “We were about 25 percent in when the kitchen designer said, ‘do you not have an interior designer?’” Jill recalled. “It had never dawned on me at all.”

The friend with the same house plan they saw at that party, Kate Avello, agreed to take on the job. Because she had lived in the same house, and had a similar modern style to Jill’s, it was an easy fit. “We had a really good time together,” Jill said.

Instead of always focusing on perfection, Jill loves to talk about all of the things that went wrong throughout the building process—but ended up being “happy accidents.”

In the keeping room right off the kitchen, dark wood, mirrored inserts frame the fireplace and instantly catch the eye. They were designed by a jeweler-turned-home builder, who also does other custom projects. He laser cut the design, but the final pieces were too small. “Jimmy did the measurements one day, and I took a pic of those and sent them to the builder,” she explained. “Well, apparently Jimmy’s 7 looked like a 1.”

This led to a months-long back and forth between the designer, decorative painter, installation crew and mirror company to come up with a plan to salvage the original design: “But it was all worth it in the end,” she said.

There are other “happy accidents” in the kitchen—featuring antique white cabinets and a leathered granite in Antarctica white.

The Rufuses chose to not only increase the size of the island but also double stack the granite—which caused the slab to sag. Jill had meticulously measured the space and bought chairs. At first, she was frustrated they wouldn’t fit with the added support posts. “Our builder said, ‘Jill… put two of the chairs on each side. You’re going to have better conversation that way.’ Now, I love that.”

The kitchen is truly the heart of the Rufus home. “We usually eat right here [at the island],” she said. “The computers go up and everyone just hangs out.”

It’s also a place that Jimmy shows off one of his hidden talents. “His degree is in hotel/restaurant management. He does everything involving cooking,” she said. “I don’t cook at all!”

The Rufuses enjoy hosting dinner parties in their formal dining room a few times a year. But even when they aren’t expecting company, the table is always set. “Every time people come over they are like, ‘Are you about to have a party?’ For my eye, I like to see that it looks put together and not empty.”

A herringbone dresser in the dining room ties into the other black and white accents found in the home. It’s the only piece of furniture that came from their old house, a $300 auction win. “Other things I’ve shed,” she explained, “but that will always stay with me.”

In the master bedroom, the brighter colors found in the rest of the home are taken down a notch—including the classic drapes, a $50 find from Estates and Consignments. Chandelier-style lamps give the room another touch of elegance.

On the tray ceiling, a decorative painter, who also did work in other parts of the home, created a unique bronze design. Again, Jill wasn’t worried about perfection. “Kate called me and said, ‘Jill, it’s not even.’ I said, ‘No, I kind of like it like that.’ Because the painter freehanded it. And it’s another part of the story of this house.”

Jill and Jim reminisced about another “happy accident” many years ago. With two young sons already, they were finalizing plans to adopt a newborn baby boy, when Jill found out she was pregnant. “My life at that time was a blur,” she said. “Is he a happy accident? He is. I would have definitely been done after our third.”

Opening their home to a child in need came second nature to the Rufuses. Jill’s previous career was running an infant adoption agency. It was also in this season where she developed a passion for interior design. “I would go on these home visits all over the state and was just wowed by some of the interiors I saw,” she said.

The main level powder room is the room for the daughter Jill never had, she joked. It’s the smallest, but loudest, room in the house—inspired by the beachy prints of
Lilly Pulitzer. “The boys will bring the girls they are dating in here and show it off,” she laughed.

The Rufuses four sons all live at home and have plenty of space to themselves. Right off the foyer is a set of open stairs leading to the basement, where there are three of the boys’ bedrooms, a kitchen, billiards room and home movie theater.

It’s a major upgrade from their last home, where all of the boys shared one bathroom. While Jill certainly has moments where she misses their younger years, she’s also the type of mom who thrives in the present. “Years ago, my first house was very matchy matchy. It looked like kids lived there and I wanted it to look that way,” said Jill. “But I knew once my kids were older, I could really invest in stuff that would stay nice. Once that time came, I knew and did exactly what I had always wanted to do.”

SIMPLE AND ENDLESSLY VERSATILE, THIS RECIPE COULD BE THE MAIN ATTRACTION OF A STRESS-FREE WEEKNIGHT DINNER PARTY

PHOTOGRAPHY BY RJ GOODWIN

The best parties are the fun ones—the ones you leave with a smile on your face. But if you are the host, there can sometimes be too much to do to enjoy your own event. Take heed—these three tips for stress-free party planning will help you relax and enjoy the night:

1. Weeknight over weekend. Everyone’s weekends are so busy that scheduling becomes a nightmare. Why not pick a weeknight when more of your guests are available? Since nobody expects you to take the day off to cook and clean, expectations are automatically lower, and by having people over on a weeknight, they tend to say goodnight faster.

2. Keep the guest list small. The best parties are often the smaller ones, giving you a chance to have more interesting conversations and get to know your friends on a closer level. Inviting 4-6 guests is a good number for that, without too much work involved.

3. Cook only one thing. It’s tempting to try too hard and attempt more dishes than you should. Keep the menu simple, but make things festive by serving in nice dishes. Plan to make only one thing yourself and assemble the rest. For instance, the recipe below for a savory Dutch Baby makes for a fun, dramatic (but quick) main course. Serve with a Spinach-Strawberry salad and some good ice cream with store-bought pound cake for dessert and you have a party!

Dutch Baby
Makes 4-6 servings per “baby”
Prep time: 20 min
Total time: 45 min

INGREDIENTS
3 extra large eggs
3/4 cup whole milk
2+1 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1/2 cup all-purpose flour (I use King Arthur brand)
2 tablespoons cornstarch
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground

RECIPE PREPARATION
Place a 12” cast iron skillet in the oven and heat to 450 degrees. Let skillet heat up for 20 minutes while you prepare the batter.

In a regular blender, blend eggs until frothy, about 30 seconds. Add milk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter and blend for another 10 seconds. Add flour, cornstarch, salt, and pepper and blend just to combine.

Remove the skillet from oven and carefully pour remaining 1 tablespoon of butter into it and swirl quickly to coat. Before the butter burns, pour the blender-batter into the skillet. Bake until settled in the middle and puffy and brown around the edges. Don’t worry if one side is taller than the other; that’s part of the fun (and it will sink down, somewhat).

TOPPING IDEAS
A Dutch Baby lends itself equally well to both savory and sweet toppings without changes to the recipe. It’s a blank canvas for being creative! Here are some of my favorites:

• Mascarpone, berries and powdered sugar (great, make-ahead dessert!)

• Mozzarella, pepperoni and basil (add topping and then bake under broiler for a few minutes to melt cheese)

• Thinly sliced gravlax, sour cream and dill (trust me, it’s delicious!)

• Sautéed kale, crispy bacon, and shaved Parmesan (I like green curly kale because it’s very mild)

Even if you walk the straight and narrow, we’ll all need legal help at some point in our lives. Whether it’s a typical home purchase or a rare estate settlement following the death of a relative, lawyers are there to guide us through some of life’s biggest moments.

For the fourth year in a row, Lynchburg Living is your source to find the region’s best lawyers. We once again partnered with Date Joe Research Company to conduct a peer-to-peer survey within the local legal community.

The lawyers included on this list were nominated by fellow lawyers. That says something about their integrity and professionalism.

You’ll find the full list of this year’s lawyers on the following pages—plus, we’re taking a closer look at real estate law and the top mistakes people make when buying a home.

Forget the organic food aisle. Natural goodies are available for the taking in our local wilderness.

For many, the end of summer signals the end of the growing season. Spades and gloves go sadly back into the tool shed, and the green thumbs among us long for spring. As cool weather settles in, and winter gives pause to production and growth, it’s easy to feel separated from our environment. However, life does not stand still after the arrival of the first frost. Quite the contrary, it is a time of continued harvest and discovery, and when I find the greatest affinity with my Blue Ridge Mountain home through wild foraging.

Wild foraging is identifying and collecting the edible plants that grow naturally in the forests and fields around you. For the better part of human history, people relied on their natural environment to sustain them. In many parts of the world, hunter-gatherer societies still exist, and for those folks, foraging for food is just a part of daily living. Here in America, with the advent of grocery stores and DoorDash, foraging for wild edibles is a great way to reconnect with the earth and participate in a tradition with deep roots here in Appalachia. I hope you enjoy going along with me on one of my journeys and, ultimately, are inspired to take one of your own.

Word to the Wise: Before we go on, it’s very important to note that eating plants growing in the wild can be very dangerous if misidentified. If you have even the slightest doubt about whether what you’ve found is edible, complete additional research to ensure proper identification before consuming.

A Walk in the Woods

Early on an autumn morning, when fog still blankets the troughs and peaks of the Blue Ridge and the bitter chill of the night hasn’t yet dissipated, there is a quiet, tender magic over the landscape surrounding my home in the mountains of Bedford County. The scent of wood smoke and loamy earth fills your lungs and charms your senses. This is my favorite time to be out in nature, and one of the best seasons for foraging.

With my leggy hound dog Atlas in tow, we set off first into the forest. Even through the winter, birds chirp and small things scurry, and the dappled sunlit paths are deeply tranquil. This time of year, tree nuts are the stars of the show, and we’re keeping our eyes trained to the both the understory and the ground, where many delicious nuts have fallen. We’re in stiff competition with the birds and rodents who are also looking forward to snacking on these treats.

Hickory nuts are a wild treasure. A cousin to the pecan, they are sweet, meaty, and packed with calories. I love the earthy smell of the hard, outer husks, which by now have turned a tannish brown. The ones we want are partially open, and the husks are easily peeled off. The nuts are then very similar to walnuts and will need to be cracked in order to get to the meat, divided neatly into chambers. I’ve got my heart set on baking an old-fashioned hickory nut cake, so I collect as many as I can find.

As we go, I like to make note of the maple and elderberry trees I spot, which will be tapped for syrup toward the end of winter. But we keep on, because a favorite find of mine waits just down the trail—the Allegheny Chinquapin. A type of chestnut, the Chinquapin is more disease-resistant than the American chestnut, which is now endangered and very difficult to find healthy. The fruit is enclosed in a prickly burr that will stick your fingers if you’re not careful. Gently remove the husk, and the nuts themselves have a smooth, dark shell, and resemble an acorn. Once cracked open, the meat inside is creamy light in color and quite tasty. According to lore, John Smith was the first European to make record of the Chinquapin in 1612, noting that the Native Americans greatly valued the nut. Eat them raw right where you find them, or bring them home for easier processing.

Nuts are a wonderful cold weather snack, but as we near the edge of the woods, we’re on the lookout for the final fruit of the season. Persimmons are sour and astringent when picked early, but if enjoyed after a winter’s frost, they are sweet and sticky, and taste like something right out of summer. They are somewhat easy to identify, as there aren’t many tree fruits available in colder seasons. The tree is relatively small, has a simple leaf, and deep, tightly spaced ridges on the trunk. The uglier the fruit, the sweeter it will taste, so we’re going for the wrinkled, gooey ones, while the ones found on the forest floor are a perfect treat for Atlas. The fruits will be golden-orange in color, and about the size of a golf ball. (Later, I’ll dig out my Foxfire books to find the persimmon bread recipe I’ve dogeared, but you can find great ones on the internet.) These fruits are also made in jams, sliced into salads, and frequently fermented into beer. Or they can simply be eaten raw!

As we near the fields and edge spaces, we’ve got our eyes on a different prize. Now planted with rye, the scrubby field behind my home was once a stand of mixed hardwoods. It was logged 15 years ago, and now it is a gold mine of volunteer species—species that tend to appear first in the process of natural regrowth. I often fuss about the weedy, bushy poplar trees and the wild blackberries that claw my legs, but there are some real treasures to be found here. Among them, rosehips. These can be found on cultivated roses, but the invasive multiflora rose grows wild, and produces them just the same. A small red berry with a crown on top, you’ll want to pick the ones that are soft when squeezed between the fingers. The thick, thorny brambles can be frustrating, but persistence is rewarding, because rose hips are a medicinal foragers dream, packed with Vitamin C. In the old days, they were essential for winter survival and helped to stave off scurvy in mountain communities. Now, they are great for fighting off winter colds and flu. Rosehips are best utilized when dried and worked into tea blends.

As the day slowly warms up and other projects call me home, there’s one more late autumn treasure I’m looking for. The Jerusalem Artichoke is often found in fields and along roadsides. The yellow flower looks like a cross between a sunflower and a daisy and blooms very late in the year. They made beautiful cuttings last month, but now I’m looking for what’s left of the woody, hairy stalk. Dig gently below the base of the stalk, and you’ll find knobby, thick root tubers. These are nature’s free potatoes and can be prepared exactly as such. They are textured more like a sweet potato, and my husband and I love to slice and fry them in a little butter and garlic or bake them for a tender dinner side dish.

Now home we go, with a basket loaded down with a wild, late season harvest. The hemlock and white pines along the way make for nice winter wreaths, and I may cut a few branches. There’s never really any telling what we‘ll find on a foraging outing. Sometimes, the nuts take a back stage to more medicinal roughage—other times, the birds and squirrels have beaten us to the punch. Either way, there are few things more rewarding than a cool, refreshing walk in an autumnal Virginia forest.

Herbal Expertise
A guide to growing your favorite flavorful plants

Herbs have been part of our kitchens and medicine chests since medieval times, when herbal wisdom was abundant in every community and home. Today the appreciation for herbs is rising again.

Herbs are wonderful additions to a landscape—rubbing your hand across rosemary or lavender as you walk by gives a momentary lift to your spirits. Adding herbs to a meal stimulates your digestive system and your appetite preparing you to eat. Herbs also provide a nutritional boost with the vitamins they contain.

Best of all—growing them requires very little effort.

Choosing the Right Spot

The first order of business is deciding where to plant your herbs. They need about five hours of sunlight a day to be their best. If they don’t get enough sun, they get long stalks and few leaves. This makes for an unattractive, unproductive plant.

Also, don’t plant your herbs in a windy environment. Planting near a brick or stone wall can provide both protection and a warm environment for your kitchen herbs. A spot between your driveway and sidewalk could be used for a wonderful raised kitchen garden. Alternatively, you could lay stone paths through the area and let herbs grow over them.

Helping Your Herbs Thrive

The next step to having a successful herb garden is making sure you’re using the right soil. If you don’t know what type of soil you have, you can do a simple test in a mason jar with a twist-on lid. Fill the jar halfway with soil then add water until the jar is full. Shake the jar well. If the water is distributed through the soil or leaves about a third of the water undistributed, it is acceptable. (You can see photos of the Mason Jar Soil Test online.) If needed, you can amend your soil with compost and/or sand to improve the texture.

Basil, chervil, coriander, dill, lovage and sage prefer rich, balanced soils. Sandier soils are preferred by lavender, thyme, tarragon and rosemary. Cultivation information can be found on seed packages, plant tags or from the nurserymen where you are purchasing. It is assumed that most herbs thrive in hot sun with well-draining soil. But some, like lemon balm, parsley and chamomile, need conditions to be a little bit cooler so they don’t wilt in the afternoon sun. The more you know about your plants’ growing conditions and habits, the more successful you’ll be.

Some herbs, such as mint and oregano, spread and get messy over time. You can contain them by planting these herbs in a grid pattern with pavers. Separating them like this also gives you a way to walk through for harvesting.

Herbs like to dry out between watering—none of them want to have wet feet constantly. To be sure it’s time to water again you can stick your index finger in the soil about an inch deep. If it’s dry, water. If it’s damp, wait.

Growing in Pots

One idea for those with limited space is to grow herbs in pots. This will allow you to give your herbs exactly what they need.

When choosing a pot, it is best if it drains into a saucer and is at least 6 inches in diameter. If you want to grow parsley or basil, your pot should be around 20 inches deep because they have long taproots. If your pots don’t have drainage holes, add a layer of stones or clay shards at least two inches deep in the bottom of the pot before planting. If you are buying your herbs from a nursery, make sure you buy, or have on hand, a pot that is twice as big as the pot you purchased them in. Re-pot your herbs quickly in the appropriate soil and give their roots plenty of room. It is better to have your pot too large rather than too small.

You can always combine herbs that require the same conditions in larger pots to simplify. Window boxes are also great choices for growing herbs. Watch for dry soil—potted plants need more water than those planted in the ground.

Herbs in the Off Season

Thyme, rosemary and lavender plants all do fairly well for me overwintering outside. If it’s mild, I sometimes will find mint and oregano still growing near the warm stone wall in my raised bed. What a treat to have fresh mint in hot tea on a cold day!

Other herbs such as parsley and basil will hang on by a thread until spring after I move them inside for the winter. Herbs should be ignored when brought in—give them only the minimum amount of water. For the best chance of survival, move these herbs out to your covered porch when temperatures are mild.

To overwinter your larger pots of herbs, pull them up close to your house and cover with mulch or wrap.

Harvesting and Storing Your Herbs

You can enjoy your herbs even after the growing season by planning ahead. Begin storing your herbs at their peak. And don’t rush. If done incorrectly, your herbs will quickly spoil. Here are a few harvesting tips:

• Their flavor is best when harvested on a dry day after the dew has evaporated and before the sun is hot. Also, keep your herbs from producing flowers, which ruins the taste, by pinching them back.

• Most herbs can be dried by hanging small bunches in a dry room out of the sun. Once they are brittle, you can run your fingers down the stem and store the leaves in a jar with a tight lid.

• Basil, dill and fennel can be frozen on the stalk when they are picked young, small and in perfect shape. Wash them and let them dry. Lay them on a towel on a cookie sheet, flash freeze and store in a freezer container. Fresh dill can be stored in a fridge for two weeks or more in a little water.

• Flowers like borage and calendula can be clipped off the plant leaving no stem and dried on a cookie cooling rack until they feel like tissue paper to the touch. These are also best stored in jars.

Place your herb jars out of direct sunlight to prolong freshness. Your herbs will store well for a year.

All of my favorite herbs are easily started from seeds so don’t be afraid of trying different herbs that can take you on a culinary journey! When you have grown your herbs yourself, you know they are fresh, pesticide-free and have optimal flavor.

My Favorite Performers
Check out a few of the herbs
I love to use in my kitchen.

• Lovage is a striking, perennial herb that tastes like celery. It can grow up to 6 feet tall!

• Rosemary is beautiful and hardy here when planted in a warm spot. It’s a very aromatic herb and it makes a great addition to poultry. It’s a food source for bees when flowering.
You can start new plants easily from cuttings or layering branches.

• Basils can add endless flavors to foods and vinegars because there are so many varieties to grow.

• Dill is beautiful, easy and like most herbs also draws beneficial insects. Keep the blooms “pinched back” to get the most production.

• Parsley adds a nice touch to salads. It will keep in a vase of water by your sink as you use it.

Caring for Cut Flowers
Before bringing those lovely blooms inside, learn the “dos and don’ts” of taking care of your bouquet

Surrounding ourselves with flowers can improve our physical and mental health. Flowers stimulate our dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin levels—the happy chemicals in our brain. They also remind us to slow down and enjoy them before they are gone. Because as we all know, cut flowers don’t last forever. While that’s part of their charm, there are a few things you should do (and not do) to make them last as long as possible.

Do give your flowers a “spa treatment” before arranging. This is commonly called “conditioning.” I use a Chrysalis floral conditioner during this step. Fill a bucket about a third of the way up with water, making sure every stem reaches the water. Put the bucket with flowers in a cool, dark room for about three hours and allow them to rest. This will lengthen vase life by maybe four days. Follow the directions on your flower food exactly.

Don’t use a dirty container. You should never reuse a vase without washing it first. A good rule is to add a few drops of bleach mixed in water to your vases after each use and let them soak before you wash and then put them away. If your glass vase gets “cloudy” over time you can clean it with vinegar, a dishwasher rinse aid, or a toilet bowl cleaner.

Do pay attention to the water temperature. The water in your vase should be tepid—something you would like to have your feet in! And a caution here to those using a water softener: the added salts in your water will sometimes kill the flowers. If your flowers always die quickly, this may be why.

Don’t obsess over floral “foods.” Using these for cut flowers is fine but not necessary. There are all kinds of tricks people use—a penny in the vase, a shot of gin or vodka, an aspirin, or floral food packs. The best food for your plants is simply keeping the water clean.

Do remove all the leaves that will be below the water line in your vase. Not only do they look ugly, they rot, smell and make your vase water look disgusting.

Don’t use dull clippers when cutting your stems. Stems that look “stringy” when cut show it’s time to sharpen your clippers. After this step do not get distracted by your kids, the phone or your dog. Move them into your prepared water quickly so the stems don’t close.

Do have some fun arranging your flowers. There is no right or wrong—place your flowers in the vase in a way that pleases you!

Don’t spray or mist your arranged flowers. This can cause fungal issues.

Do be prepared to troubleshoot problems. If you notice a flower either not opening or wilting, remove it from your vase. Re-cut the stem and place it in hot water from your tap. Leave it in the hot water until the water temperature has cooled. Also, place flowers out of the direct sun and/or away from heat ducts.

Don’t forget to do some maintenance. Every two to three days, re-cut your stems and change the water so your flowers stay hydrated.

Pro Tips on Some of Lynchburg’s Favorite Blooms:

• Hellebores are the first to bloom and we are anxious for flowers. Resist the urge to cut them too soon. Wait until a seed pod is formed in the center of the flower before you cut it.

• Harvest your peonies when they are soft like a marshmallow and not after they’ve blown open.

• Hydrangeas should feel like paper when you cut them. Strip all the leaves off the stem. Condition them up to their necks in water with a flower food. Cover their heads with damp paper towels and leave them to sit in your basement for a couple hours. Use care when arranging them as they drink water out of a vase much faster than you think.

• If those lilies or roses you bought just won’t open, trim the stems by about an inch and stick them in HOT water. Force the issue!

• Soft necked flowers, like a zinnia, that just won’t stand tall can be made to behave by sticking a toothpick deeply through the center of the flower into the stem. Stick it far enough in that the “trick” is invisible to others.

to Secure a More Certain Future

Ready? Set? Retire. Saving for retirement is best approached as a marathon; making steady gains over time. But for many it becomes a sprint; racing against the clock to make sure the money won’t run out. Certified Financial Planner John Hall, President of Lynchburg Wealth Management, takes us step by step to the finish line—no matter how late the start.

No Time Like the Present
Depending on where you are right now in life or your career, you either have already or will at some point think about retirement, and what it will take financially to get there.

“The answer to the question ‘When should I start?’ is almost always ‘right now’,” says Hall. “The first step to take in prioritizing retirement savings is to start. The sooner you start, the better off you’ll be.”

A workplace retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), can help you get started and stay on track through regular contributions, deducted right from your paycheck. That is particularly true if your employer matches what employees put in. Contribute at least enough to guarantee you get your company’s full match.
If you don’t have a workplace plan, or your employer does not offer a match, Hall says saving through an IRA is a good option. He suggests a Roth IRA if you have earned income that doesn’t exceed qualification limits.

Above and Beyond—You’ll Be Glad You Did
If you can afford to set aside more than what your company will match, Hall says contribute more.

To make sure you’re getting the best bang for your above-and-beyond bucks toward retirement, Hall suggests comparing the costs of your employer plan with other retirement savings options, such as IRAs.

Raise Now=Raise Later
Just imagine what that extra two to three percent a year could add up to years from now.

Every time you get a raise, Hall suggests increasing your retirement savings contributions. You won’t miss it. “That way, you’re putting away more money but it’s not hurting your take-home pay,” he says.

Age is More Than Just a Number, It’s a Strategy
Just as your needs and priorities change from your first job to your last, so should your retirement portfolio.

The right asset allocation, which means the mix of the types of investments you have, should reflect how close you are to retirement.

Hall says consider investments, such as equities, when planning your long-term goals, while other investments are best used for near-term needs.

“When you’re approaching retirement, or when it’s within a ten-year window, then yes it often makes sense to ensure that a certain portion of your retirement savings is invested more conservatively,” says Hall. “This is a rule-of-thumb, though, as everyone’s circumstances are different.”

Hall says this is where the advice of a good financial planner can truly be beneficial. You can discuss your individual situation with a professional and together develop your personal investment strategy.

College or Retirement?
Some kids will inevitably wind up on the five-year college plan, but that’s not where mom and dad want to be when it comes to retirement savings.

As noble as it is to want your children to come out of college debt-free, parents need to think of their own futures first.

“When it comes right down to it, it’s possible to borrow for education, but not so much for retirement,” says Hall.

For that reason, Hall typically recommends prioritizing retirement savings over education savings if you must choose between the two.

“It’s the old adage of putting on your air mask before helping those around you,” says Hall. “That said, if you start early enough, it can be feasible to save for and fund both goals. The earlier you start, the more realistic this is.”

Making Up for Lost Time
So you blinked and retirement is almost here, but your savings are not there yet.

It turns out it’s never too late to do something when it comes to your retirement savings.

“We can’t change what’s happened up until this point, but we can change how we’re going to save going forward,” says Hall.

Hall says amassing a huge nest egg becomes more difficult the closer one gets to retirement, but there are still steps to put even the most seasoned procrastinators in better positions.

If you’re 50 or older, look into certain savings tools, like IRAs, that have “catch-up” provisions. Such provisions can help some, but you’ll want to speak with a professional financial adviser who can help you take full advantage of them.

Don’t Believe Everything You See or Hear
You’re flipping channels and you see the guy who played a beloved TV dad, telling you how to invest your hard-earned money for your very real future. Remember—he gets paid to say that.

“If it’s being sold by an out-of-work actor on late-night television, it’s probably not the best idea in the world,” says Hall. “Investments that are sold with a pitch that plays on your fears, your politics, or that ‘guarantee’… something that sounds too
good to be true likely is indeed too good to be true.”

“Find a financial partner that you can trust,” says Hall. “You’ll know when it feels right.”

Disclaimer: This article is generalized in nature and should not be considered personalized financial, legal, or tax advice. All information and ideas provided should be discussed with an advisor, accountant, or legal counsel prior to implementation.

5 Pieces of Advice to Improve the School Year

Whether a child is starting school for the first time or returning to the classroom as a senior student, heading “back to school” is the perfect time to start fresh and begin the year in the right mindset.
We asked people in all areas of Lynchburg City Schools to give their best piece of advice to students of all ages.

“Be involved as much as you can.”

Marcy Farris sent her son, Ben, off to school for the first time in the fall of 2016. She said during the transition process, she made sure to go to all the orientations she could and ask every question possible. “If you have questions, ask them,” she says. “Chances are someone else is wondering the same thing.” In fact, many times after a meeting she would have several parents come up to her and thank her for asking the questions they were too scared to voice.
Farris said her son’s school, Bedford Hills Elementary, was always supportive and never made her feel as if the question was too small or insignificant. If they didn’t know the answer, they were willing to find out. She felt much more prepared this year as Ben returned for his second year. Now that she has a year of the school routine under her belt, she plans on being involved as much as her schedule will allow her.

“Tell your children what to expect.”

As the principal of Dearington Elementary School, Daniel Rule is no stranger to the back-to-school mindset. However, this year is a little bit different, as his oldest headed off to Kindergarten this fall. “A lot of time, children are excited to go to school, but that excitement fades when they realize they have to keep coming back day after day for years and years,” says Rule.
Get them interested in meeting new friends and learning new things. For example, in the weeks leading up to the first day, Rule gave his child regular “Kindergarten tests” by asking him to perform tasks such as showering by himself or pouring milk. “It really gets him excited about things,” he says.
Rule’s final piece of advice is to make sure your child knows their bus number. While the teachers will know it, it’s helpful if the child knows what number to look for and has it written down somewhere they can easily check, such as on their backpack.

“Every new year is a chance to start fresh.”

“Often, students get into their heads that just because they had a bad year or weren’t a good student last year, that this year is going to be the same,” says Catherine Bragg, eighth grade English teacher at Dunbar Middle School.
However, Bragg doesn’t let this attitude stay around for very long in her classroom. On the first day of school, she lets her students know they can start fresh if they would like, giving them a chance to do better. “My eighth graders are still trying to decide if they want to participate in school or not, so I try to encourage them as much as I can,” Bragg says.
In the classroom, Bragg spreads this idea to daily life as well. She reminds students that just because they were grumpy or tired the day before doesn’t mean they can’t do well in the present. She encourages parents to utilize this mentality at home and has seen it turn student
mindsets around.

“Don’t be afraid to reach out to teachers and peers about anything you need help with.”

Mary Kate Comerford is a rising senior at Heritage High School. “When starting a new year and a new grade, it’s a big change and adjustment,” she says. Comerford says she has a lot of questions at the start of each year and utilizes those around her for answers.
Normally, she asks upperclassmen about teachers—what to expect about their personality and workload. However, last year she had a history teacher who was new to the school. Since none of her peers could offer any information, Comerford went straight to the teacher to get answers. The teacher responded by laying out all the expectations for the year, a timeline Comerford could use to anticipate assignments, and guidelines for assignments. Comerford says, “Reaching out to her made me more comfortable. I didn’t have to go in blind.”

“Stay on top of your grades.”

As the director of Heritage High School’s Future Center, Leidra McQueen helps prepare high school students for college. “Your GPA starts ticking on day one of high school, and it’s important for students not to let it slip,” she says. The clock starts even earlier for those who take high school classes while still in middle school. Even though GPAs carry over from year to year, McQueen says each year is still an opportunity to start fresh and recommit to doing well.
For those who struggle with a low GPA, assistance is available. Both E.C. Glass and Heritage high schools offer assistance through Beacon of Hope. The two Future Centers offer tutoring, SAT and ACT prep courses, financial aid assistance and college admission guidance.