Jane Johnson
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Compost is Context
This past May, I bought a special oversized planter and dreamed of harvesting fresh squash from our backyard this summer. I filled the container with a blend of organic soil and carefully placed squash seedlings and a sprinkling of fertilizer… Continue reading
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Reservoirs
After a week of cycling in the cool and breezy weather of Nova Scotia, I was shocked when I came home to the brutal heat and humidity of a Tallahassee summer. Fortunately, my husband had kept our garden and yard… Continue reading
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Squirt
Last week my husband and I went to the local Tractor Supply store with our four grandchildren (ages 8, 9, 10, and 11) to let them each “adopt” a baby chick. It was the first day of a weeklong overnight… Continue reading
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Squirrelly – and White!
By Dr. Sissi Carroll Flat Rock, North Carolina, the village in Western North Carolina (WNC) where my husband, Joe, and I now live, is a destination town because it offers quick access to these, among other delights: Our white squirrels,… Continue reading
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Becoming a Bean
I wasn’t planning to grow beans this summer, but a few months ago, I went to a Tractor Supply Store for the first time in my life in search of advice on raising backyard chickens (a subject for a future… Continue reading
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A Nun’s Habit
Several years ago, a friend of mine with a connection to a local nursery gave me a plant that was being discarded because it was “a bit off”. She told me this particular plant was called a “Nun’s Hood Orchid”… Continue reading
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Sweet Songs
I am thrilled to welcome Dr. Sissi Carroll – a long time friend, fellow endurance athlete and travel companion – to this blog project! Sissi is an unapologetic gleaner and has always inspired me to look for big things in… Continue reading
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Poppies
I have always had a special fondness for red poppies. It isn’t just their eye-catching color – the contrast created by the brilliant red petals surrounding their deep black centers. It isn’t the way their long and delicate stems allow… Continue reading
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Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
We have the most beautiful shrub in our backyard. It blooms in early spring and produces fragrant deep purple blossoms that change color on the vine to lilac and then to white, before dropping off. At any given time, all… Continue reading
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Composting
Composting can be pretty disgusting. I’m not saying it isn’t a great thing to do, but for me, it’s right up there with cleaning the bathroom or unclogging a shower drain. Composting involves getting up close and personal with dead… Continue reading
Glean daily 