nature
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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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The Rest of the Story*
You can’t plant an old tree. Trees earn their designation as “old” by growing in place over decades, accumulating rings of life and surviving unpredictable cycles of drought, flood, wind, freezing temperatures and heat. Old trees are irreplaceable. You can… Continue reading
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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
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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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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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