plants
Going Out with Hope
Yesterday was my last day of work at a job I’ve only had a little more than 8 months. It was a job I wanted, a job I was given the opportunity to have, and a job in what I was educated to do – be an environmental educator. But, alas, the job was not…
Silent Sunday: Early Fall Color
Nature Education…Stepping on a Nest of Ground Bees!
Today, I went into the field with our land manager and another coworker to do some work on invasive species – namely, buckthorn. It was storming when I awoke around 6 a.m. and I was not sure we’d go due to thunder and lightning but it seemed to be clearing as it approached the time…
A Trip to Seed Savers Exchange in Decorah, Iowa
Last Tuesday I did something I have never done before. I went on a field trip with the Master Gardener group to which I have belonged since 2004. Their trip was to a place in Decorah Iowa called Seed Savers Exchange. I’ve always been interested in the process of saving seeds, and here we got…
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…
Hike Prep & Powerlines
After spending a week hiking in the Canadian Rockies, I feel primed to keep at it. So, last night I went hiking with my oldest son who is extending his break between his Master’s and PhD programs. He studied up until mid-July, took his test, and now is on hiatus for an additional week beyond…
Silent Sunday: Coneflowers
English: Our Weird Language Strikes Again, as I Poke Fun at Myself!
Okay, so I am going out on a limb with this post. But, be assured that I am only poking fun at myself! Lately, I have noticed that I might be mis-pronouncing the name of a plant. This has happened now on two occasions, the most recent being this Saturday when I co-led a hike…
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…