Gophers Go For Roots And Lawns
UNITED STATES—Who do they think they are?! This ain't 'Caddy Shack'! They have such attitude! Gophers move into our gardens and lawns, take what they want, and build their messy volcanoes of loose soil. They do not care how much work we put into our gardens, or how much we spend on nice plants, or how much we crave...
Pliant
UNITED STATES—Recently, I had a houseguest who asked, “What do you have planned for today?” and I burst out with my ideas about plans instead of burying them in silence. “Well, I usually have plans for five things,” I said.
I feel a bit on the spot when someone asks, “What do you have planned for today?” I feel more...
Meal Prep Made Easy 101
UNITED STATES—Cooking for many of us is something we dread, for others it’s something we love, and for those in between rather you like it or not, you have to eat so get used to it. I’m someone who knows my way around a kitchen, and while not an established chef, I’m able to care for myself without relying...
Hedges Are Like Green Fences
UNITED STATES—Hedges are a complicated topic! Like lawns, they are among the more functional features of a landscape. They can be used to provide privacy within, obscure unwanted views beyond, or merely to separate a large landscape into cozier or more functional spaces. Except for hedges that are grown for spring flowers or autumn color, most hedges are evergreen...
Breakfast Is Indeed Important
UNITED STATES—We have all been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and I would 100 percent agree with that claim. Why? It’s like the kick-off meal of the day. I am an individual who can’t function without a bit of breakfast in my body. I know for so many people this is a meal...
Secret Lives Of Classical DJs
UNITED STATES—They are a breed apart. Certainly the classical DJ cannot be made but is born, the mixture of low-key charm and effortless erudition. No wonder bad-boy actor Alec Baldwin said he wished to be reincarnated as a classical DJ. The classical DJ has an inexhaustible store of good cheer and a steady supply of musical anecdotes. Most admirable...
Squash For Summer And Winter
UNITED STATES—Considering that some of the winter squash can last right through winter and into spring, there really is a squash for every season. By the time the last of the winter squash run out, the first of the summer squash will be ready later in spring. They get an early start here, and continue until frost. By that...
Health Is What You Make It
UNITED STATES—As Americans if there is one thing that we’re all guilty of its not taking full accountability for our health. There are things that we can control, and some things that our out of our hands and we have to seek medical attention for. On the other end of the spectrum, there are indeed things we can do...
Caulking By Matisse
UNITED STATES—Redoing the caulking on a bathtub is a lot like marriage. The task is embarked on with great hopes and images of perfection, both omnipresent and taken for granted, held steadily before one's eye. Then, afterward, one must face the reality.
The whole thing is so downright weird in our well packaged, standardized world. I must have been six...
Bulbs Foliage Lingers After Bloom
UNITED STATES—Daffodils, freesias, lilies, snowdrops and the various early spring blooming bulbs and bulb like perennials will be finishing soon if they have not finished already, leaving us with the annual question of what to do with the foliage after bloom. The plants will not bloom again until next year, and the remaining foliage might be unappealing without bloom....