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 …
Tag: gardening

a world full of wonder…fabulous nonfiction for all ages
Gorgeous artwork, compelling ideas to think about, fascinating people to admire, new understanding of the universe — excellent nonfiction is at the top of my list of Good Things in the World. Today’s list has uncommonly-good titles to suit folks …
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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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a time to plant…a list of five
Yes, I realize that for many of you, mid- and late-May are long past your time of planting, but we in Minnesota are finally nearing the end of freezing temperatures (we hope) and can safely tuck our tomato plants in …

spring forth, Spring!!
Despite the fact that the calendar claims Spring arrived a couple of weeks ago, here in Minnesota we still have snow on the ground and the air has a decided nip to it. In fact, some parts of our lovely …

dive into all things summer…a splash of picture books
Every season has its splendors. Now’s the time to celebrate the radiance of summer! Summer is …old-fashioned outdoor playtime! And Then Comes Summer, written by Tom Brenner, illustrated by Jaime Kim published in 2017 by Candlewick Press Flip-flops and lemonade …
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what is all this juice and all this joy?…books to welcome Spring
My stack of books today glows budding-leaf green and robin’s-egg blue. Oh, what is as cheery and hopeful as spring? Soak up some gladness with these books, bursting with life, growth and new beginnings. What Will Grow? written by Jennifer Ward, …
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ten for thirsty minds on August afternoons
I’ll start this week’s list with three gorgeous books about wildlife… Wild Animals of the North, written and illustrated by Dieter Braun, English translation by Jen Calleja published in 2016 by Flying Eye Books This spectacular piece of work by …
gardens full of surprises
If You Plant a Seed, written and illustrated by Kadir Nelson published in 2015 by Balzer + Bray Bunny and Mouse are gardening buddies. Into the rich earth they tuck some tiny seeds and after an arduous wait — voila! …