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Bright Days coming

Its officially spring here in the northern hemisphere and our weather these days is fairly typical. Bright and sunny, relatively warm days split time with cloudy, cool windy days and some snow thrown in for general entertainment. Yesterday morning, it was clear, sunny and breezy and cold, (20F/-7C). I looked out my back window where […]

Earth Day

Its Earth Day, and in fact the 50th anniversary of Earth Day. As someone who remembers the first one, and back then started adjusting my life habits to be gentle on the earth and continues to be aware, it is with surprise that so many people are unaware or unconcerned. For me, its “old news” […]

Spring Snow

The weather folks were right this time, and yesterday’s rain turned to snow overnight. We got about 4 inches. The roads are mostly clear, as the retained heat melts the snow on contact. It’s a different story for the plants. Leafed out trees bow low, and I’m sure there will be some broken limbs from […]

Cruel?

In The Wasteland, T.S. Eliot famously stated that April is the cruelest month. That is of course, a matter of opinion and experience. Concerning the weather, it seems true this week. Monday was pleasant and Tuesday was pushing towards hot, with a high above 80. The kids were out in shorts and sandals, it was […]

Summer’s Hope

Someone I knew once commented that gardeners are optimists, looking ahead to possibility and planning for growth and a future reward. As I gardener, I do recognize this in myself, and the excitement that comes as seeds are purchased and started for the upcoming season. I started my tomato seeds last weekend, under lights and […]

What a Difference a Day Makes

Cycles, rings, spirals. All patterns of movement, recurring events or themes. Yesterday was the end of the growing season here. It was a beautiful autumn day, with a clear blue sky, and a high temp of around 70F (21C). The weather was predicted to change overnight, with several inches of snow, and today the high […]

Clematis

Before I bought my house 30 years ago, I had never heard of clematis. My house was new; I was starting from dirt in terms of landscaping. That first spring, my brother and I built a deck I had designed, and I was talking with some of the folks at my office about my plan […]

Hot Stuff

Its June, and its going to be hot this week, predicted to hit the 90’s (32 to 35C for those of you who did go metric) every day. I don’t particularly love hot weather, so I’m not flummoxed on how to order my day. Exercise early, before the heat hits. I’m a morning person, and […]

Gardening–Imagination in Action

Gardening requires imagination, seeing what might become sometime in the future. Seeds become seedlings and then plants; bearing food, flowers and greenery. Patterns emerge to engage the eye. Bare dirt or a weedy patch transforms. Flowers brighten the day, beckoning bees. Shade from the trees shelter even as the apples grow for later harvest. What […]

Friday Flowers

I’ve seen a number of posts today labeled as Friday Flowers, and given the profusion of blooms around here, I thought I’d throw a few of my own in today, with the subclass of purple. They are all from the area paralleling my driveway. Enjoy!

Homeowner Triathlete

I’ve been encountering some schedule and fitness issues recently. Last week, we finally got a few days of badly needed rain. This messed a little with training plans. While I saw one hardy runner out in the downpour, I was not so inclined. And while I might consider running in the rain, forget biking. Too […]

Faceless, Take Two

No face to be seen And yet you push through the soil And my face brightens Seeing your colors, your leaves New blossoms for spring. Faceless“>Faceless

Incubate

Support at the start Nurtures possibility Choosing what to grow Incubate“>Incubate

The End is Near! Winter Storm Warning

As I write this, its 55 degrees and sunny; predicted to hit 70, a gorgeous autumn day. The weather folk say that by midnight snow will be falling and we will likely have several inches by the end of tomorrow. Along with the snow, we are also expecting the first hard freeze of the season. […]

Flavorful

via Daily Prompt: Flavorful Garden tomato Warm. Juicy taste of summer. Flavorful defined.

Tomatoes, Finally!

As I mentioned earlier in Strange Gardening, this has been a very unusual year in the vegetable garden. Some varieties ripened as expected and lasted their usual length of time (green beans, squash), others bolted very early (spinach), and still others lasted much longer than usual (sugar snap peas). And then there are the tomatoes. I love […]

Prickle

Today’s one word prompt is prickle. It resonates with me at this time of the gardening season. So often, when I go out to harvest, I return with both vegetables and a prickly rash on my arms and hands. Yesterday, I was itchy for about an hour after picking 3 summer squash. Squash and beans […]

Strange gardening, take 2: Small potatoes

A few days ago, in my Strange Gardening post, I noted some of the unusual goings on in this year’s garden. I now have an update. The potato plants that weren’t doing so well a few days ago started looking really crummy, despite rain and cooler temperatures. Figuring that they were unlikely to improve, I upended their […]

Strange Gardening

This is my 29th season of vegetable gardening. I began when I bought my house, and started from bare dirt. There have been many iterations over the years, and if I’ve learned anything, it’s that no two gardening seasons are alike. What thrives one year may be a total bust the next, and vice […]