Last year’s bird buffet was a resounding success. I set up the buffet in January, and by March, titmice, cardinals, house finches, and chickadees were regular visitors. Lacking a proper bird feeder, I opted to stick with safflower seeds because squirrels won’t eat them. However, safflower seeds are tiny withContinue Reading
What does a photograph mean? I asked myself this question while recuperating and looking over images of past gardening seasons. When not quite able to play in the dirt, yet longing to do so, those images gave me a sense of place, of being there. While many looking atContinue Reading
By the time the first frost arrives each year, I am ready to welcome it. Managing a garden, even a small one, is more work than it seems, a fact I discovered within a few weeks of my first gardening season. First, there is digging, fertilizing, and planting. Then, onceContinue Reading
Pass by the garden in midsummer and you notice a five foot high wall of green topped by deep purple flowers— “black and blue salvia.” I chose this plant because it is known to attract pollinators. What an understatement! From early morning until dusk, a cloud of beesContinue Reading
Description: Mourning doves relaxing Background: It seems that 2022 is the year for birds at our house. I started putting out bird seed in winter, and it quickly attracted regulars. By April, there were four nesting families—two sets of house finches at the apex of the eaves on the front and westContinue Reading
One ostrich fern–one. When my hosta garden still seemed a little bare, I decided ferns would be a good addition. My wife, who loves ferns, thought it was a wonderful idea. I really should have read a book. Wandering through Grower’s Outlet, looking for Prairie Bella day lilies (they neverContinue Reading
This tasty weed started as a tiny mint plant bought in a grocery store. It sat in our front room next to the fireplace where it was noticeably restless. By restless, I mean it sent out long tendrils that snaked across the floor to the love seat, the corner ofContinue Reading
I’ve been considering a bird feeder for a couple of years. The idea started with my neighbor across the way who, after installing hummingbird feeders, waxed poetic about the thrill of their visits. Each time I’ve had the urge to try a feeder, a few moments’ reflection was enough toContinue Reading
Not long ago, I wrote about the lemon tree I gave to my mother-in-law. In the ensuing years, the tree has reliably produced at least one lemon in each growing cycle. The cycle is nearly a year long, with honey-scented blossoms appearing in January and ripened fruit in November. OnlyContinue Reading
It’s not as bad as it sounds, but it was, in turns, scary then hilarious. You see, all summer, I had been hearing local stories of copperheads. For those of you unfamiliar with scary snake stories, copperheads play a big role in southern versions, and Cottonmouths are their only realContinue Reading
