gardening
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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
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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
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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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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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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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Every Weed, Everywhere, All the Time
I don’t plant them, I don’t water them, and I don’t want them. But I ALWAYS have weeds in my backyard. Weeds thrive in drought conditions, and they thrive after heavy rains. They pop out from under rocks, and they… Continue reading
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About Bunnies and Boundaries
All summer long, an adorable little bunny has been showing up in our backyard. She’s a stealthy animal, and I’ve never actually caught her eating any of my plants or vegetables, but the evidence of her voracious appetite is everywhere:… Continue reading
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A Community that Gleans
The blog “Glean Daily” emphasizes the dual meanings of “to glean” as both a method of gathering produce and knowledge. It highlights the importance of community gardens, like the Frenchtown iGrow garden in Tallahassee, which provide food to those in… Continue reading
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A Tale of Two Sunflowers
With visions of an eye-catching row of tall sunflowers towering over the fence in my backyard, I carefully placed the seeds I had harvested from last summer’s blooms in a row of dirt along the fence line. I watered the… Continue reading
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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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