The definition of magenta
Happy Saturday, all! “Where flowers bloom, so does hope” –Lady Bird Johnson xoxo, shawna NaBloPoMo May 2015 May 1– To selfie or not …
Sun lovers
It felt like a near-death experience. Me. Turbo kickboxing after eight months away. Burning chest, raspy breathing, nausea. And my chipper instructor …
Flowers in a drought
Despite the blessedly beautiful storm clouds covering my neighborhood right now, California is in a terribly, ugly, awful, persistent drought. Thinking about …
Fixing my tomato mistakes
There are few things I like better about summer than sweet, ripe tomatoes from the garden. In fact, I’ve cultivated quite the …
Spring, in full burst
Maybe it was too much Alice and Wonderland as a kid, but I can’t help anthropomorphizing flowers. Like this hydrangea, which looks …
The color and texture of spring
Although I’m feeling trepidation at another painful drought year, I’m relishing the color and texture of early spring in Sacramento. …
Becoming a crazy bird lady
The sun is shining on a chilly spring day. A breeze cuts through tall grasses as 15-year-old me tromps through the wetlands …
Peppermint oil: A rather useless squirrel deterrent
Damn squirrels have dug up the coleus plants in the three bottom pots repeatedly! I curse caterpillars aloud. I’ve been known to …
13 things my spring gardener self needs to know
The holy grail of gardening. As the summer gardening season fades away, I’ve got a bone to pick with myself for the …
For the love of pumpkins
“I love you!” I shout to Mr. T, jumping into his lap and planting a noisy kiss (or seven). “Why?” he asks, …