Author: Valley
-
Welcome Autumn with an Apple Wreath
The front door of a home is more than just the focal point. It is where the outside and the inside worlds touch, the portal, where homeowner and visitor each linger for a moment before entering the private spaces. Here is the perfect location for a personal statement… a sign, striking color, or a wreath. Jim…
-
A Gallery of September Blessings
Our homegrown butterfly is released back to the garden. Our Cape Plumbago reaches 4 feet, with its faithful sky-blue show of flowers. …providing tasty treats to our little flock. …who then “scramble” for prime nesting spots. … laying our biggest egg so far. Our mini street garden offers beauty to passers-by, and water to neighborhood…
-
Our Giant Swallowtail Story
About a month ago I plucked a gooey Orange Dog Caterpillar from one of our baby Clementine orange trees. Kinda gross, huh? Yeah, before I touched it with a stick to make it poke out its tiny orange horns, it looked like a bird dropping. This ugly masquerade is to fool birds so they don’t…
-
Consider Your Options; Old Things Can Become New
Today began as usual — a blessed morning filled with possibilities. While cleaning up breakfast — Jim’s yummy blend of fresh eggs from the backyard, potato, peppers, green onion, garlic and cheese — I noticed that our spice cabinet looked like it needed some attention. The lazy Susan’s were jumbled and be-specked, and upon investigation, I…
-
My Summertime Friend
Just after checking out of the office, yesterday, Rain started to knock on my roof with his silvery knuckles. ” Hello! ” Was the friendly greeting, “I’m back. Can you come out and play?” A visitation from Rain is an EVENT in Tucson. Knowing it would be brief, I ran –yes– RAN — for my…
-
Residents Visitors and Invaders
The natural world is a wild place. Many of us do not notice how wild, because we have built our habitats to keep ourselves safe and comfortable, insulating our lives from its wild elements. I’m happy to report that in our 36 years gardening in Tucson’s suburbs in the Sonoran desert, I’ve never seen a rattlesnake,…
-
Pick a Pepper, Beck
After a few months of Arizona sunshine and daily water, our veggies are ready to eat. For the past several mornings Jim has been treating us to his special scrambled egg concoctions, and…well…every day has been different.Yesterday’s entree was my favorite, so far. ( I say, so far because today’s breakfast is still in production.)…
-
A New Cast of Characters
When our backyard weather station registered 101, I knew I would have to say goodbye to some of my favorite garden characters. The happy face pansies, sweet alyssum and snapdragons that have brightened the garden stage with color since last October, will take their last bow in a few weeks. Our leading actor –winter lawn…
-
Step into Our Garden; Peek into Our Lives
Step into our garden. There are places to relax, enjoy company, grow beautiful flowers, vegetables, herbs, trees and grass. In our garden everything slows to the pace of a dove building her nest… … chickens lay eggs for breakfast …and little feet run through sprinklers. Our garden is a home for school and for weddings, pets, grilling steak,…
-
Growing Spaces in New Places
I’ve been seeking ways to add edibles to our landscape. Last year we added a pot garden to an unused space at the back of our patio where we grew herbs, cherry tomatoes, lettuce, spinach and peppers. Jim linked the pots into our garden drip irrigation line to help with the watering chore, because in the…