Is there really such a thing as World Garden Naked Day? I find it hard to comprehend that anyone would willingly give mosquitos and other pesky critters a more expansive target for their next meal. And that’s not even taking into consideration the stabbing potential of thorns. Or walking on broken pottery. Or sunburn. That’s … Continue reading World Garden Naked Day – Do You Dare?
Spring
The First Edible Plant I Ever Grew
What was the first edible plant I ever grew? A tomato! Surprise, surprise! I was in good company. Not only did I grow up dining on fresh-from-the-garden tomatoes grown by my father (along with cucumbers and peppers), but my mother canned and froze some of those tomatoes for winter use and made pickles from the … Continue reading The First Edible Plant I Ever Grew
My Favorite Garden Photos
Well, this is a fun one. The theme for Day 5 of May’s Garden Bloggers Challenge is “my favorite garden or flower photos.” Most of my old garden photos reside on out-of-date laptops or back-up storage, but I do have some I’d like to share. My favorite garden flower is the purple coneflower (Echinacea purpurea). … Continue reading My Favorite Garden Photos
Another Day in the Garden
Bleeding Heart, Solomon's Seal It’s National Weather Observers Day—Who knew? Not me. Truth is, I observe the weather every single day. It’s the first thing I do in the morning. I get up, walk to the nearest window and move aside the curtain to see what Mother Nature has in store (for the moment, at … Continue reading Another Day in the Garden
Meditating in the Garden
I’ve seen some beautiful garden spaces with areas set aside to peacefully commune with nature or meditate. Such a space is on my garden to-do list, but I have other things on that very long list to do first. Oh, don’t get me wrong: I have places to sit and relax, but they’re not set … Continue reading Meditating in the Garden
My Favorite Garden Chore
Some days, knowing what needs to be done in the garden means finding it difficult to get going. Call it a chore, a task, a bullet point on the to do list. Whatever term you use, it’s work: often hot, sweaty, I’m-going-to-pay-for-this-tomorrow labor. Working the garden is also so much more. My list of garden … Continue reading My Favorite Garden Chore
Garden for Wildlife
Living by the woods, I always knew there were wild things living in and around my garden. I grew up watching squirrels leap from tree to tree, chipmunks disappearing into holes by the cement walk, robins pulling worms from the lawn, and the occasional snake sunning itself on a large rock. It wasn’t until I … Continue reading Garden for Wildlife
Bidding Winter a Not So Fond Farewell
Witch hazel in bloom Today is the last day of winter. Tomorrow morning at 10:47 spring arrives, and I couldn’t be happier. It’s been a long, drawn-out winter here in the Berkshires and throughout New England. And while the arrival of spring won’t flip a magical switch weather-wise, it does wonders psychologically. In the quiet … Continue reading Bidding Winter a Not So Fond Farewell
Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer
Summer arrives tonight at 10:42 p.m. Sigh. I’m missing spring already, in part because I know now the days will begin to grow shorter. Minute by minute, the hours of daylight will decrease until the Winter Solstice in December. I’ve always found this ironic that the arrival of the warmest, sunniest days we wait all … Continue reading Goodbye Spring, Hello Summer
The Rugged Rugosa
My inspiration this week comes from two things: an article I recently wrote about the different types of roses and my determination to get a particular rose in my garden under control.I’ve noticed for the past few years that the rugosa rose (Rosa rugosa) planted in front of my house has been spreading and was … Continue reading The Rugged Rugosa
Pen, Paper, Plant 