Category: Gardening
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Gardening Again
As I sat here to begin writing, I saw a little squirrel with only a smidgen of tail. He was up in the silver maple eating some of those helicoptering seeds. At my old house, I used to see a regular little stump tail squirrel and I always thought of him as Squirrel Nutkin the…
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Not an Exact Fit, Times Two
Look at the fabulous garden prep we did this weekend!! Everything is looking so good. You might notice the new raised bed with the cover. This is especially exciting. I have long wanted a covered bed for lettuces and kale–the foods worms love. So, this year we’re giving this a go. We filled the bottom…
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Underwhelmed? Blossoms to the Rescue!
Lately, I have found myself underwhelmed. I read Sea of Tranquility by Emily St. John Mandel. In light of her other two books, I had high expectations for this one. However, in the end, it felt rushed, like she was working on a publisher’s schedule–getting that next big seller out there. The plot and scenario…
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Crowded Days
It has been a difficult and busy past few weeks at my job. At the start of the year, I had a class of new English speakers (meaning they know little to no English) of 12 students. That class has now grown to 42. The kids have arrived at all different times so that those…
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Winter Blooms
Nothing clears away winter doldrums like flowers. Tulips are some of my favorite of all time! A couple of weeks ago I bought some amaryllis bulbs at a 2 for 1 sale. They arrived last week and I got them into pots right away. All but one are starting to shoot up. It is amazing…
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Winter Garden
Last weekend was warm and I was able to clean up the garden. I trimmed off the dead chrysanthemum tops, chucked out dead potted plants, and went around picking up pinecones and sticks and broken limbs. I took down the puppy fences I use around the 4 x 4 raised beds (my rabbit guards) and…
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Year’s Start/Year’s End
It’s always a little sad to pack up the Christmas decorations on New Year’s Day (something I always do). This year, maybe it was especially so because I enjoyed the anticipation of the holiday season so much and felt so relaxed and joyful when it came. I was able to knit the whole body of…
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Colors of Fall
Okay, yes. This is not an ordinary pumpkin patch. It is the pumpkin patch at the Atlanta Botanical Gardens! We went to the garden expecting scarecrows, but got all of these beauties as a bonus! So many colors, textures, shapes, and sizes–it was spectacular. Of course, the scarecrows were fun too. Each is made by…
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Seeds In
The weather has shifted with night temperatures going into the 40s for a short stretch. Today was a beautiful day to bring in the hibiscus and the curcuma and the Christmas cactus who’d all rather stay a little warmer than 40 degrees. I also rescued my African mask plant, otherwise known as an alocasia, from…
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Hint of Fall
The weather has shifted at last. The last few nights, I’ve woken to the sound of heavy rain. This morning the garden was wet though inviting. I saw the dreaded Saddleback worm (or caterpillar) who creeps along the underside of leaves and stings the life out of you if unfortunately you happen to brush against…