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A Major Life Change
Some changes in life are bigger than others. I recently experienced a huge change. The Kroger where I’ve shopped for more than 25 years closed. I don’t get out much. Many believe going to the grocery is old-fashioned. Ordering groceries for delivery or pickup doesn’t work for me. I need to see stuff. Getting out…
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Canteerbury Bells
This year has been my best ever for Canterbury bells–a plant I’ve grown on and off for more than thirty years. They’re biennials–like foxgloves, forget-me-nots, and dame’s rocket. Folilage grows the first year and, in the second year, they bloom, set seed, and die. Outside of catalogs, I’d never seen Canterbury bells. I ordered several…
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A Good Start
Spring weather has arrived here in Athens. Locals say Good Friday is the safe planting date to avoid late frosts. Given the way Easter moves around, that’s tricky. I go with April 22–the day between the birthdays of Dad and his mother from whom I inherited a green thumb. Little is blooming beyond some store-bought…
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Pickled Weeds?
A post promoting vinegar (one gallon), salt (one cup) and dish soap (one tablespoon) as a replacement for RoundUp recently came across my Facebook feed. The active ingredient in Roundup is nasty, but effective at killing plants–and lots of other things. A more earth-friendly approach appealed to me. Weeds pop up in cracks in the…
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Starting Over, Part 2
Earlier this month, I shared about losing the war with Blackbeard algae in my aquarium. Since that post, I’ve restocked the plants and added a few fish. To make the tank less attractive to BBA, I’ve reduced the number of hours the light is on every day and cut back on food. Aquarium Plants Factory…
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Pile Shifting–Again
Cataract surgery in late February significantly improved my vision. For the first time in years, I saw exactly how dirty my house was–especially the carpet. Seems my little dog had more “accidents” than I thought. “Accident” suggests she couldn’t help it. I’m sure that’s how Tootsie see it. She thinks going outside in inclement weather…
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Starting Over
Blackbeard Algae finally won the war in my aquarium. The outcome was inevitable. My choices created the ideal environment for the nasty stuff to thrive. Removing infected plants, washing equipment with peroxide, and replacing at least a fourth of the water every week kept the algae at bay for about three years. I knew it…
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Patience Rewarded
This year is the best yet for my indoor seed-starting operation. Rather than the end of December, I held off until February to start anything. Waiting made a big difference. On Groundhog’s Day, I started Gloriosa daisy–a double variety of Black-eyed Susan. Seedlings appeared a few days later and stayed under lights until big enough…
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Progress in the Garden
Since moving to this house in November 2012, I’ve removed more permanent plants from the yard than I’ve added. The removals had outgrown their allotted space–and then some. Committing to replacements has been a challenge. I decided to hold off before planting anything to study the space. I fixed drainage issues, improved the soil, and…
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Vision Upgrade
The Advanced Macular Degeneration I’ve had for more than seventeen years is stable. Vabysmo has enabled me to double the time between injections from four weeks to eight. I am beyond grateful. My optometrist told me I had cataracts in 2023 and suggested I ask my retina specialist about any concerns. I brought it up…