You know it’s fall when you see Chrysanthemums at the garden store! My love affair with mums goes back almost as far as the one I have with my husband! At our first house, in Buffalo, New York, we rejuvenated our front garden bed by cutting down overgrown spirea and boarding the bed with yellow…
gardening
Hey, Gardener! Leave them bugs alone!
Pink Floyd Do you remember the Pink Floyd song that included the line: “Hey! Teachers! Leave Them Kids Alone!” Well, I do – since I am of an age when my friends were listening to Pink Floyd and other rock bands in the late seventies. This song and that famous line came to my mind…
A Wisconsin Perennial Garden in July
My husband and I have always lovingly cared for our yards. From a tiny condo outside Baltimore Maryland to the current 3 acre spread, our yard eventually takes on a personality unique to us. This last yard took some getting used to and really hasn’t acquired the “us” factor until the last five or so…
Silent Sunday: Coneflowers
Passing on the School Garden Baton
School gardens are in my blood. I’ve been continually involved in planning, planting, and caring for school gardens since 2004! Fifteen years! Wow, that is a long time! And, more remarkably, that span of time only involves two gardens! My first school garden involvement was at the elementary school where my boys attended their first…
Saving the Monarch Butterfly
Today, I feel compelled to write about monarch conservation. We are in the height of monarch breeding season here in the midwest, and I am seeing post after post on social media about these amazing creatures. In fact, earlier this week, I found four monarch eggs on the common milkweed patch at my house. No…
Dangers of Gardening….Wild Parsnip!
As hobbies go, gardening is a fairly mild, low risk activity. As long as one uses proper body mechanics when bending and lifting, usually one can get through a gardening session without a problem. Long ago, my husband and I found the best way to rid your flower gardens of weeds is to make regular…
Silent Sunday: Prairie Plants and Other Pretties
Tenacity
While having my tea on this glorious Saturday morning and checking my emails, I realized that I have a slight problem with tenacity. Or, rather, my problem might be the opposite – one of letting go instead of firmly hanging on. Earlier this year, I resigned from the garden club advisor position I hold at…
Shades of Clematis
It’s that time of year when our world starts to have color. Color is something for which I have a keen sense of awareness. Tonal variations are seldom lost on my perceptions, so I enjoy a very delightful world with many variations on color. This can be seen in what I choose to photography and…









