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Outdoor Living

Here in the middle of Missouri, we haven’t had much “real” winter. Yes, we had a few inches of snow in November, enough for small snowmen and a bit of sledding, but it only lasted a couple of days. Then warm temperatures returned and we began to wonder if winter had come and gone. It hadn’t. Like so much of the country, we were hit with an arctic blast that crippled our community. People flocked to our stores to stock up on basic necessities –  bread, milk, wine and, most important of all, ice melt. 

A few close friends and I were having coffee the other morning when the conversation drifted off to holiday gift-giving and how difficult it can  be to find that exactly “right” gift for the “right” person. We started reminiscing about some of the gifts we have received through the years, usually from our husbands. Some were sweet, some were strange and some were absolutely hilarious.

Happy Halloween from the dark side of Embassy's monsterously creative Seasonal Color Specialist,

Jo Ann Prieto.

With a slight break in the streak of hot, humid weather we’ve had this summer, I’m finding myself spending more time outdoors, especially in the evenings when the sun crosses over the house and onto the street side. The last few nights I have found myself playing the “What if….”  game. What if I added night lighting to my landscape?

In 1937, after witnessing the havoc and economic desperation that the Dust Bowl had wreaked on our nation, Franklin D Roosevelt sent a letter to all of the governors of the United States, asking them to oversee the adoption of legislation that would create soil conservation districts. In his letter, Roosevelt wrote, “The nation that destroys its soil destroys itself.” His words, so appropriate to the time, still hold truth for us today. Because of our incomplete understanding of soil biology combined with incorrect and overuse of chemicals, we have put our soil and water at risk. If we continue to destroy our environment, then we will eventually destroy ourselves.

Three years ago we struggled with this question:  Dog or Yard?  Dog won; we rescued an 8 year old Cairn Terrier mix who has become my constant, and beloved, companion  --  and who immediately began to destroy my yard. Since a decimated yard wasn't an option for me,  I decided to follow my own advice --  and I can vouch for the fact that it worked! We have both yard AND dog, and we love both. If you missed it the first time, here is a reprint of that 2019 article.  I hope it helps keep you and your dog happy!

There’s a trend happening around our neighborhood that I am absolutely thrilled about. More and more people here are seeing their front yards as space to be used and enjoyed instead of maintaining it as the traditional green front yard carpet. I’m not sure if the change is a response to the past pandemic years, or if pinterest has exploded with ideas, but whatever the motivation has been, it has brought new life and vitality to an often underused and under appreciated space.

Until recently, residential landscape lighting was primarily held to various shades of white light. Colorful outdoor lights showed up during the Christmas season and then disappeared until the next year. With the introduction of colored LED and halogen lights, as well as a variety of easily used colored lens covers, white lights are no longer the only option for homeowners.