Category Archives: garden
The Constant Gardener
The constant gardener lives in an uneasy relationship with nature. Sometimes they are friends, sometimes allies, and at other times enemies.There is nothing natural about a traditional English cottage garden, however beautiful it may look. Nor is there anything natural … Continue reading
Posted in garden, nature
Tagged cottage garden, lawn, nature garden, White-tailed deer, wildlife-gardening
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The song of Magicicadas
If you hear ringing in your ears this month it could be the chorus of millions of cicadas, so don’t worry about getting tinnitus! The last time periodical cicadas emerged in southeast Virginia was the spring of 2013. See the … Continue reading
Clover isn’t a weed
You know spring has arrived when the aisles of big-box stores are filled with sacks of grass seed, lawn fertilizers, and garden poisons. The suburban obsession with green lawns is not ancient; probably inspired by the manicured landscapes of grand … Continue reading
Urushiol Pain and Products
A week after nightly creaming my face and arms with hydrocortisone I’m still itching. Each exposure makes the reaction worse next time. A few people, including our gardener, are lucky they don’t react to poison ivy, nor wildlife or pets … Continue reading
Posted in garden, Health, nature
Tagged Chinese ancestor chair, dermatitis, lacquer, lacquer tree, Poison ivy, Toxicodendron, urushiol
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Happy and Grubby in the Garden
I suspect former neighbors laughed from behind half-drawn curtains: “There’s a weird gardener next door who toils in the midday sun.” But I didn’t care, wearing my green hat with pride and careless if anyone thinks I’m a throwback to … Continue reading
Posted in garden
Tagged Allotment, Organic gardening, Victory garden
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