by Barbara Smith | Jun 16, 2023 | Gardening & Housekeeping, Painting & Writing
It’s the Middle of June already. This has been one of the slowest starts I’ve ever had to get stuff planted. It isn’t the slowest — there have been spring growing seasons I did zip, zero, nada. In a burst of energy last week, I traveled to a local nursery and took... 
by Barbara Smith | May 20, 2023 | Gardening & Housekeeping
Aging and Gardening Aging and gardening are still two of my favorite writing prompts; an autumns-garden may still teach life lessons worth sharing. In an actual garden past its prime, lots of plants, shrubs and flowers need cutting back, or uprooting. In our... 
by Barbara Smith | May 5, 2023 | Gardening & Housekeeping, Personal Pigeonholes
A White Iris My neighbor shared a photo of a happy surprise: a reward of her waiting for a transplanted white bearded iris to bloom. Four years it took! That was a long time. Her comment got me thinking, though: Patience is such a part of gardening. Whew — some... 
by Barbara Smith | Apr 30, 2023 | ABOUT ME
April is leaving behind a week of Indian Winter . . . that is, unseasonably chilly weather arrived about ten hours after I switched the winter bedding and clothes. My affect on the weather is not a new gift . But frankly, I am glad for this respite. These cool... 
by Barbara Smith | Jan 16, 2023 | Gardening & Housekeeping, Personal Pigeonholes
2023 True to their own timetable, the Lenten roses are budding. This discovery I made replacing our Christmas flag with a winter one — Wise men have been replaced with a pair winsome owls bundled up for January’s chilly winds. And now that I am seeing so clearly,...