Life is what you make it.
When I was about 3 years old, my dad very gently hammered two tiny nails into the wood paneled wall of our dining room. He tied a length of string between those nails and Voila! We had a holder for the first of our Christmas cards that had arrived that afternoon. It was fun to… Continue reading Merry Christmas in the Mailbox
The north east has been hit with our first big snowfall of the season. It had been a remarkably warm and green winter here so far. But it is cold this morning. 15° F is the expected high temperature for that day. Snow flurries, come and go. Winds blow fallen snow into deep drifts. Snowfall does… Continue reading Long Snowy Weekend
Driving down the road last week, I spotted the first blooms of roadside lilies popping up out of a ditch. Just about everyone is familiar with this tawny orange summer bloom. It grows everywhere in Ohio. Probably everywhere else too. Because it's so prolific I used to assume it was one of our native… Continue reading Heirloom Garden Flowers: the Ditch Lily
After moving to my forever home 20 years ago, my love of heirloom garden plants intensified when I purchased a piece of land adjacent to my property and discovered an old species daylily struggling to grow there. The property had once been the home of the "Red, White and Blue" tavern. Built in the early… Continue reading Hemerocallis Dumortierii: An Heirloom Garden Discovery
In my mid-20's I became interested in both hostas and heirloom garden plants. My boyfriend at the time owned his abandoned family home. He told me about a hosta that his late mother had planted there many years before and he encouraged me to dig one up and replant it in my own tiny flower… Continue reading Discovering Hosta plantaginea ‘Grandiflora’: “The August Lily”
Like many others, I watched the news coverage of hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria on the Weather Channel last summer. One thing that struck me as people prepared for the coming storms were the long lines at gas stations and the demand for food and bottled water at grocery stores. I couldn't help but wonder,… Continue reading Organize It! Updating Emergency Prep
Winters in Northeast Ohio can be brutal. A visit to the glasshouse at the Cleveland Botanical Garden will warm your spirit and offer an escape to make you forget the snow and ice-covered landscape outside. The winter show, “Orchid Mania” is held annually. Whether or not you have ever had any desire to grow orchids,… Continue reading “Orchid Mania” at the Cleveland Botanical Garden
Last Christmas, my family decided to have a "white elephant" gift exchange. It wasn't about saving money, although we did save money. My siblings and I have simply grown less particular over the years. We have reached a point in our lives where we no longer need or desire a bunch of new "stuff." We… Continue reading Enjoying A White Elephant Christmas
