Playful Spaces
I found myself muttering under my breath the other day because it was time to take the kids outside to play. I knew that in order to go out, I had to chase down three pairs of socks and three pairs of shoes and three coats and three hats and as soon as we got …
Rest, Relax and Rejuvenate -- In Nature
I honestly thought that when I retired from teaching the pace of my life would dramatically change. I imagined spending hours outdoors — working in my gardens, exploring new places and just generally basking in nature — since I wouldn’t be tied to a desk grading papers anymore. What I discovered was that the ending …
The Not So Secret Life of Bees
Two years ago, when we moved into this house, I planted the beginnings of a butterfly garden. Last summer it didn’t amount to much — the perennials were small and it just didn’t have many winged visitors. There was a little more interest this summer; I’ve had several types of swallowtails, lots of cabbage whites …
The Golden Hour Garden
Every now and then it just so happens that you are in the right place at the right time and something extraordinary happens. Bear with me while I explain. The presenter at the last design workshop I attended spent a large portion of the time talking about the importance of light in the …
Water Features: An Oasis of Your Own
“Rest is not idleness, and to lie sometimes on the grass under trees on a summer’s day, listening to the murmur of the water, or watching the clouds float across the sky, is by no means a waste of time.” The words of John Lubbock, an early British statesman and naturalist, hold enormous truths …
Dining Out -- In Your Own Backyard
It was a perfect spring day here today — the kind of day that makes you want to spend all day outdoors luxuriating in the warm sun and soft breezes. Knowing that I should be inside cleaning the kitchen or vacuuming floors, instead I made myself a sandwich, grabbed a book I’ve been wanting to …
What Are Your True Colors? Part 1: Color Schemes
I can say, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that my outlook on life is directly tied to the amount of time I spend outdoors working or playing or just relaxing in my yard. I used to think it was time in the sunshine that made me feel better — Vitamin D, you know — …
Fill the Need for Green - Visit a Nearby Botanical Garden
It’s been nearly two weeks since we have seen blue sky and sun here. Temperatures have been so miserable that zero feels like a heat wave and to top it all off, our driveway becomes a death trap in snowy or icy weather so I am essentially housebound right now. With January not even half …
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