“Can we plant the pumpkins this day?” “Let’s go see if the peas are growing!” “Mom, the chickens are in the garden again.” Oh yes, those are the sounds of spring around here. It’s our fifth year growing vegetables in our backyard. It’s amazing how much easier it is than that first April, when seven…
Last week I asked you for your favorite blogs, and you gave me so many to explore. Thanks for your feedback! I’m already familiar with some of them, but it’s exciting to find a few new ones. For anyone looking for new reading material, here’s a small sampling of the recommendations, described in the bloggers’…
I’m acutely aware that my son’s childhood is passing rapidly. Soon he won’t fit in my arms. He’ll stop running around the house squealing, “I love you, Mama.” Hair will sprout on his toes. So birthdays and milestones can be bittersweet. Except potty training. Saying goodbye to diapers has brought only joy, exultation, and delight…
We moved into our house a few years ago in mid-February. A couple of weeks later, a neighbor knocked on the door holding clippers, a miniature saw, and a book on caring for roses. “It’s pruning season,” she said, gesturing toward my backyard, which is teeming with rose bushes. I’d never pruned anything before. I…
When you type the phrase “American consumers” into Google, you get 976,000 results. That two-word phrase is mentioned 1,494 times in Google News stories just today. I don’t know about you, but I’m a little tired of hearing about American consumers. I’m all for supporting farmers, booksellers, manufacturers, craftsmen, bakers, and artisans with my dollars…
Back in May, I wrote Notes From the Garden about my high hopes for our vegetable garden this year. In the three springs since we’ve moved into our house, we’ve set out with grand gardening visions each April. We’ve tilled and planted and watered … but we haven’t had much success. The first April I…