Fanny Flagg, the author of "Fried Green Tomatoes at Whistle Stop Cafe," used images of cardinals and camellias to great effect in her novel, "A Redbird Christmas." She also used people's belief that ...

If you want to fill your yard with colorful, red-feathered visitors year-round, it's important to choose the right plants. Northern cardinals are one of the most beloved backyard birds that nearly ...

Since their creation, state mottos and symbols have helped to achieve distinction and uniqueness. North Carolina's state motto is "Esse Quam Videri." It's a Latin phrase that roughly translates to "to ...

Want to see a wider variety of birds in your backyard? Choosing the right food is key, since some, like one particular seed, ...

For reasons that don’t require full disclosure, I have set up a temporary desk in our kitchen by a bay window that blissfully connects me with the outside world — so lush and green, from trees to ...

One common backyard bird that may be taken for granted also has romantic attributes worthy of Valentine’s Day. In the brown bleakness of mid-winter, the male Northern cardinal brings a flash of bright ...

As predictable as the world can be (sometimes, anyway), you never truly know what you'll see when you venture outdoors. Your favorite flower might be in bloom, or you might notice a new animal ...

The shopping days before Christmas are getting fewer, so I hope everyone has had time to find gifts for everyone on their lists. My own sincere wish to readers is that everyone gets to enjoy a great ...