Category: gardens
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Keystone Plants
The term ‘keystone plant’ has been popping up in my reading and in my native plant research. Keystone plants are native plants that form the foundation of an ecosystem. These plants are essential for the lifecycle of many species. They support a high percentage of caterpillars, insects, and birds. Fourteen percent of native plants support…
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Garden Planning
I’ve written a few pieces for Wild Ones on native plants to consider adding to home gardens. I like writing these pieces because I learn about native plants and the benefits they bring to the landscape. So as the temperatures are close to zero and a few feet of snow covers the ground, I’ll read…
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Wonder
In a moment of quiet as I gazed out the back window, the word ‘wonder’ came to me and the hymn: I wonder as I wander out under the sky And wonder is my word of the year. As a gardener, when I stop with my list of garden tasks and simply stand or sit…
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Golden Hour
It is that time of year when the light turns to gold. The sugar maples filter the sun and we are bathed in the soft light of autumn. The backyard is a tapestry of yellow, gold, and still some green. I was afraid we would lose a lot of color after a rainy and windy…
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That Rainy Day Feeling
I love those days when it is softly raining. Maybe a bit of thunder. I’ve been able to enjoy many of those days this summer since it has been wet. We’ve had all day rains. Spotty rain. And torrential rain. And living in a forest the rain is loud. I enjoy staying in on rainy…
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A Different Point of View
We went fishing with a friend early one morning. The stars were still out and Lake Michigan was glassy smooth. Heading out of the harbor, I leaned back and watched the blanket of stars move slowly overhead. I felt part of something much bigger. And at the same time, with the sound of the boat’s…
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Smell: Tomato and Basil
On my daily visit to my vegetable and herb garden on the deck, I make sure the plants have enough water and are healthy and vigorous. As I pass by the plants, I run my fingers through the leaves. The smell of summer is on my fingertips. I planted determinate tomato plants because of limited…
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Taste: Tea Pot
In a pot in the side garden stands a pot. A pot filled with peppermint, spearmint, and lemon balm. My tea pot. In Spring, I sowed seeds in the pot. The mint has taken off. The lemon balm is quite stunted. After this picture was taken, I cut down the mint and put the leaves…
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Midsummer Check in
This summer has been rather hazy, due to the Canadian wildflowers. The forest has filtered a lot of the smoke, but ever so often I get a whiff of what smells like campfire. Views over Lake Michigan are gray with no horizon line. The tomatoes and peppers are doing well. I need to keep on…
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Our Garden Elders
BLACK CHERRY We have a few old trees on our property that have been here for decades, if not centuries. They have seen the land go through logging then private ownership. They are a visual history of what was here and what can thrive. One garden elder is the black cherry, Prunus serotina. A black…
