Another growing season has come and gone and I am looking forward to the quieter, dormant months of winter when both my plants and my tired muscles can rest a bit. It was a busy September/October! My back is feeling …
Category: musings

woodland and prairie…a restoration update
It’s already September. Tinges of fall color are showing up in my little restored woodland — a few sumac leaves have turned flamboyantly red, the jack-in-the-pulpit berries are clusters of ruby gems, and goldenrod waves it’s tall, frowzy head. Time …

a yard restoration check up — did it survive the winter?!
Welcome back to my yard restoration project! A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since I last posted about this so it’s time for an update. Did anything survive the winter? The rabbits? My bleak soil? I was …
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dozens of plants all snug in their beds!…a yard restoration update
As I write, snow is falling steadily here in Minneapolis, and I couldn’t be happier! If you’ve followed Orange Marmalade for any length of time you are well aware that I love snow. Besides that, my trees and shrubs are …
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the slow, meaningful work of restoration…a yard update!
It’s already the end of August. Time for a yard restoration update! Today I want to give you a peek at what I’ve been discovering in my small wilderness, chat a bit about the arduous process of restoration, and list …
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blisters and buckthorn…a yard restoration update
It’s been about a month since I introduced the restoration project we’ve begun in our yard. As the heat of summer bears down on us, I wanted to update you and talk a bit about invasive species as that was …
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even still, lovely things…may 31
It has been a heartbreaking week in Minneapolis. Heartbreaking for George Floyd and his dear ones; heartbreaking for our communities of color; heartbreaking for all Minnesotans as peaceful, unified, urgent protests were blighted by those from outside the community, burning …

five lovely things…may 24
Hello again, friends. Thought I’d drop in with five lovely things today. As the weeks stretch on and difficulties, acrimony, grief continue to weigh heavily on us, I hope these reminders of beauty, generosity, and creativity gladden your hearts as …

embarking on an odyssey…an invitation and a road map
What if I told you I was about to embark on a two-year odyssey, preparing to battle aggressive foes, poised to discover buried treasure, currently meeting a host of allies and trying valiantly to keep their names straight? Would you …
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five lovely things…may 3
May greetings to you all! Green is spilling forth in my neighborhood! What about yours? Grass; new baby leaves; a forest of slender spears that one day will blossom with lily-of-the-valley. Jubilant, hopeful, spring green. Here are five more lovely …