I love this time of year.  Spring already gave me a great show, but now I get to watch the summer crew gear up for action.  Take the grapes, for example.   I did a hard prune this year, according to the instructions I downloaded on the web.  I thought, oh no, do these folks … [Read more...]

You have to watch out for food around here.  On occasion it disappears.   It used to be Tucker, all 130 pounds of him, was our challenge, but while he still waits by the stove to grab a morsel, he no longer knocks the stove over.  I suppose old age has taken some strength out  of … [Read more...]

A gardener without patience is a liability to a garden.   Nature has a way to astound even the most novice of gardeners -- and I am that --  but it takes time.  If we want instant gratification, we will have to pull out the checkbook because it is going to cost.  But what is also … [Read more...]

There is a subtle beauty that exists in our daily life if we look hard enough.  It is the undercurrent of who we are that is often forgotten in the busyness of the day.  Souls come and go and those of us who remain wait our turn.  We don't know when our time is up but we can … [Read more...]

I bought this plant at the swap meet two years ago.  It gave bloom to a "flower" this year.  A 20 foot high flower!  The bees absolutely love it.  The base looks like an agave but I have never seen anything like the flower.  It sure gets lots of commentary from the neighborhood. … [Read more...]

There are paths in gardens we plan.  And then there are paths we don't.  Initially, when we first began the landscape of the backyard, it seemed obvious.  Three staircases made the first path.  As we started to lay the soil and plants and arbors, other paths began to define … [Read more...]

Nature is a powerful teacher.  If we ever wonder about a divine intelligence, we only need take a look around us and get our answer.  The variety of plants and color, the chatter and song of birds, the amazing fullness of a ripe tomato, the soulful eyes of a basset hound, say so … [Read more...]

Finding gifts for friends can some times be a challenge for me, but I found some good ideas right in my backyard.   Don't be afraid of using color and putting things together you never considered before.  The best garden gifts mix it up and offer a bit of whimsy as well.  Better … [Read more...]

What you forget is that plants themselves want to live as much as you want them to.  More. -   Elizabeth Smart, Elizabeth's Garden, 1989   Several years back, when I lived in San Francisco, I did a course for women by a woman whose sole objective was to teach us to step outside … [Read more...]

My 20 year old niece Alex and I visited the San Diego Botanical Gardens last November. It was great bonding time for me with this smart and beautiful young woman who holds wonderful promise and enjoys adventure like I do. I had wanted to visit the gardens -- once named Quail … [Read more...]