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  • Afternoons with Sister Mercy

    After a little bunny nibbled his way through our sweet potato crop last fall, I decided to try again with a different type of potato. I cleared the garden bed, raked in several loads of compost from our backyard bin… Continue reading

    Afternoons with Sister Mercy
  • Aloe There!

    Something wasn’t right with Fluff. Our normally energetic and ever-curious young chicken was standing away from the others, not eating and lethargic. When I took a closer look, I noticed her comb had a grayish hue and it was drooping… Continue reading

    Aloe There!
  • Being 6-7

    Once again, it is a time of transitions in my backyard. My cold-weather-loving camellia bushes are still filled with late-season blooms, but most of their petals are starting to brown or just wilt and fall to the ground. A few… Continue reading

    Being 6-7
  • Cold-Plunging Cows

    What do cold-plunging cows, the Winter Olympics and National Parks have in common? You might be surprised. Last Saturday, I was on a group bike ride in Jefferson County, a rural community east of Tallahassee. It’s a great place to… Continue reading

    Cold-Plunging Cows
  • Spring Matters

    I normally take the transition from one season to the next in stride, making the traditional adjustments to accommodate changes in the weather (summer clothes out, winter clothes in, e.g.) and then moving forward with the regular routines of my… Continue reading

    Spring Matters
  • Return to “Best in Show”

    I was happy to help set up for the American Camellia Society’s regional show in Tallahassee again this year (and secretly thankful I hadn’t been banned from volunteering after accidentally knocking over a few vases last year!) As I wrote… Continue reading

    Return to “Best in Show”
  • 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

    Shelter from the Cold
  • 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

    The Tree of Forgiveness
  • 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

    The Little Tree in the Woods
  • 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

    Best in Show