July 2012
1 post
Plants with a Punch
These last few weeks have been hotter than Hades and it’s been a real struggle to keep anything green alive. While a little beat up, the plants below, now affectionately known as “the Rocky Balboas” of my garden, have proven to be as tough as nails, thriving without much water or care. So, if you’re looking for beauty with backbone, give these flowers a try:
Black-eyed Susan (top...
June 2012
4 posts
Bee Smart
Sometimes it’s really hard to want to sit down and watch documentaries about all of the world’s problems. In fact, it can be a downright emotional and draining experience—one that I usually try to avoid after seven years of working for an animal protection organization. That said, I did recently watch Queen of the Sun: a very worthy film about the global plight of bees.
While I already knew...
Edible Inspiration
First, let me begin with a confession: I didn’t always like vegetables. In fact, I used to hate a lot of them, though I would eat most any put in front of me. After all, I was raised in the country; there were five kids and tight budgets, so we grew food. And, sometimes, my mother would spend long hours canning and freezing the harvest so that we could reap the rewards all year. I swear no pasta...
Going Native
Long before any of us ever claimed our respective spots on the planet, there’s a pretty good chance that plants were growing right in the place where we now sit. Known as “natives,” these plucky species valiantly held their ground, evolving over time to become integral parts of our landscapes. And, as true testaments to the genius and tenacity of nature, these plants have not only expertly...
It’s a Re-purposeful Life!
Bricks. I guess my obsession with these useful, albeit heavy, little suckers started almost two years ago when I discovered hundreds of them sunken into the ground in a place where a garage once stood in my backyard. At first, they seemed to me rather sad and kind of annoying – stark reminders of a former owner’s disastrous attempt to build a structure in a place that was doomed to flood. But...
May 2012
3 posts
Perennial Bliss
There is nothing that makes my heart skip a beat quite like a plucky, thrifty plant that rises like a phoenix from the soil each year to make my fledgling garden feel almost like paradise…almost. Ever since I put down roots in a place to call my own, I have been growing cone flowers, bleeding hearts, Russian sage, and other flowers like these for their striking appearances and ability to...
7 tags
Attack of the Unknown Species
When I moved into my house less than two years ago there were so many conifers you couldn’t even see the exterior. And so, while the decision literally made me sick to my stomach, and involved much deliberation and many tears, I authorized a local tree service to cut down the majority of the ones in the front and along the sides of the house so that my hubby and I could secure homeowner’s...
8 tags
Garden as Focusing Lens
“The environment is where we all meet, where all have a mutual interest; it is the one thing all of us share. It is not only a mirror of ourselves, but a focusing lens on what we can become.” – Lady Bird Johnson
I’ve never been especially well known for my patience. Nor have I been known any better for my ability to focus on one goal, dream or desire. I always want better, and I never want...
