Saturday morning began as most of our gardening days—I headed out to address a few minor chores while Shawn finished straightening the kitchen and strapping on her work shoes. As I flitted about marking items off my list, I noted that our Cryptomeria japonica ‘ Elegans Aurea’ (Japanese cedar) had a pronounced lean to the […]
The Beauty of Faded Flowers
The new year has ushered in a long string of cold days and even colder nights. I determined to hit the garden anyway to turn compost into the vegetable section, and I discovered that here in zone 8A some of the ground is frozen. We’ve had a couple of warmer days tucked into the freeze, […]
Count Your Treasure
Treasure. For the gardener that word conjures different thoughts than it would for a banker. What’s on your garden treasure list? Here are some of mine. All of these bring a sense of wealth to this gardener’s journey. In late fall, after a hectic year in the newly launched Gardens of Grace, I reached the […]
Unleash the Garden Ninja
As summer sizzles to a close at Gardens of Grace the moving boxes have all been emptied with the contents stowed in appropriate locations. We have a few pictures leaning against walls along with a promise of someday hanging them. The lengthy “To Do” list we created during our December move has slowly inched toward […]
The Power of Water
As I watch Tropical Storm Debby empty her massive reservoir across my gardens I am amazed that so much water can fall from the sky in such a short time. A few weeks ago we received a desperate plea from our water company that drought conditions dictated that we conserve water to extend the water […]
Clear the Forest
One year ago, we inked the agreement to buy a non-existent house on one of the last lots in a secluded neighborhood. Shawn and I fell in love with the site though we knew the homestead would require much heavy work to untangle the brambles, beat back the vines, and remove the damaged trees. Some […]