Jane Johnson
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Shelter from the Cold
During the several-month period before our chickens began laying eggs, I started researching whether there were any telltale indicators I should be looking for to let me know it was time (yes, I was very impatient for eggs). One of… Continue reading
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The Tree of Forgiveness
Drought, freezing temperatures and disease have taken a major toll on the citrus trees in our backyard. Where four healthy orange trees once stood tall and strong, bursting with fragrant white blossoms every spring and delicious fruit every winter –… Continue reading
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The Little Tree in the Woods
There is a thick stretch of unruly shrubs, mixed with small and large trees that sprawls between the back of our property and our neighbors’ yard. The untamed growth is dense enough to provide a wall of privacy for us… Continue reading
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Best in Show
For some southern gardeners, cultivating, growing and showing camellias is serious business. I am not one of those gardeners, but my friend Sarah Williams is. So last January, when Sarah asked me and some friends to help with the set-up… Continue reading
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Why Walk When You Can Fly?
Every backyard chicken person I’ve met has a story. The details and plot lines differ, but the outcome is consistent. Despite heroic efforts (and no small expense) invested to keep their chickens safe from predators, the laws of nature consistently… Continue reading
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It’s Not About the Eggs
I finally found an egg. I lifted the lid of the nesting box in our chicken coop last Saturday, and it was there. Perfectly shaped, light brown, and still warm. I gasped – then looked around to see who had… Continue reading
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A Late Bloomer
Many years ago, my mother-in-law Mary Lee gave me a small bougainvillea plant in a plastic nursery pot. I excitedly told her I couldn’t wait to plant it and watch those delicate fuchsia petals grow up against the white fence… Continue reading
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Deadheading – For Living
While just about every other flowering plant in my backyard has said goodbye to the 2025 summer season, that Mexican sunflower bush I wrote about back in July continues to bloom with vibrant, deep orange gusto. Its flowers attract a… Continue reading
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Looking Up
Last Friday I was in the pool before sunrise with my swim friends (AKA “the Squad”) for our regular weekday workout. It was a gray and cloudy morning, and after weeks of relentlessly hot and dry weather, the forecast was… Continue reading
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Trash Talking
Last Saturday, I was riding my bike with some friends in a rural area outside Tallahassee when we spotted a group of people in the distance along the grass shoulder of the road. As we got closer, I could see… Continue reading
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