To Be or Not To Be… A Professional Gardener
I think that in our lives, we go through stages where we wonder what our calling is and what our purpose is. I never thought of myself as a professional …
greenprints
Never Turn Away Volunteer Plants
Have you ever left your garden unattended to go on a quick getaway by yourself, with your friends, or with your family? Maybe you want to be spontaneous and go …
Understanding the Life Cycle of a Tree
Trees are honestly a force of nature. Sometimes, I find it so hard to fathom how these giant beings can sprout from a teeny, tiny seed. But here they are, …
Gift Wrapped in Snow
A garden in the winter is a gift wrapped in snow. -Anonymous …
A Midwinter Mystery
It felt like a haunting. The chickens, for no discernible reason, had stopped laying eggs. Our rain gutters were suddenly plugged; likewise, and seemingly overnight, the chimney flue began to …
The 12 Days of Gardening
On the first day we gardened, my true love said to me, “I’ve planted an evergreen tree.” On the second day we gardened, my true love said tome, “I think …
Oranges at Christmas
When I was a child in Britain, our Christmas stockings always had an orange in the toe. This wasn’t just a symbol but a real treat because I was a …
A Long-Ago Christmas
Her white hair was put up in a bun, and her pink cotton housedress reached down to her ankles. She sat in an old wooden rocker with a large glass …
Christmas Treasure
One November, a red lumpy sphere mysteriously appeared on the cold marble table. There it sat for days on end—admired, silent, proud, waiting. At night it reflected light from the …
Gardening Barbie
Buying Christmas presents for my young relatives is always a struggle. I only see these kids once every few years when I go back home to Texas. I can hardly …
