gardening
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Queen of the Night
What is the point of an exquisitely beautiful flower that only blooms once a year for a few hours – and only in the dark, so no one even sees it unless they go outside in the middle of the… Continue reading
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Keep on the Sunny Side
I know plants don’t have brains, but sometimes I wonder… I tried again this year to grow a row of sunflowers along the eastern section of our backyard fence. I purposedly planted more than one type of seed, hoping for… Continue reading
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Uprooted for Good
I like to plant seasonal vegetables and herbs in terra cotta pots so I can try new things (and limit my risk of failure) in a small space. When my potted experiments die back at the end of a season,… Continue reading
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Potato Gleanings
Potato plants make good role models. In fact, I wish I could be more like a potato. Potatoes grow steadily and purposefully under the ground until they are mature and ready to be used for good purposes. They are low-maintenance,… Continue reading
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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
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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
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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
Glean Daily 