• garden,  plants

    A to Z Challenge: “N”ame this plant…

    At the end of last summer, I found three plants whose tags said they were good in shade and partial sun. They were also on sale, which meant if they didn’t make it to next spring, I wouldn’t be out a fortune. I do take it personally when plants die on me but that’s another story. To my great surprise, all three survived the winter and are now flourishing. The problem is, I can’t remember for the life of me what they are. I’m hoping that a kind, knowledgeable A to Z Challenger will help me identify the plant. Here’s what I remember: it is a perennial that stays low…

  • dandelions,  nature,  recipe

    Beauty, in the eye of the beholder

    We’ve had plenty of rain this spring and with the moisture comes gorgeous green grass and foliage … and dandelions. My friend and I talked about these hearty weeds recently, and how prevalent they are. No one plants dandelions and yet they grow, spread, blow beyond the borders of the yard and fluorish. I haven’t found Dandelion Food at my local greenhouse. And, I won’t be asking the master gardeners what pesticides are recommended to ward off buggy predators, for dandelions. Photo © Diane Weidenbenner There are plants that I want to grow in our yard and flower beds. My husband and I have worked for years to get a…

  • grief,  life lessons,  rose

    Blogging from A to Z: Perennials

    The definition of a perennial according to the dictionary is “a plant that has a life cycle lasting more than two years.” Roses are perennials … right? One of my dreams has been to have a rose garden. In Indiana, because of the humidity, it’s not uncommon to find roses growing in vacant lots, along highways and abandoned houses. Our previous townhome in Denver didn’t allow us to plant our own plants. They had a lawn service and they would only “support” foliage that was already there. Many times I was tempted to plant my roses, “be darned,” but I didn’t want the lawnmowers to eat them. When we moved…

  • Christian living,  hostas,  rural life

    Hostas with the most-est

    What an amazing season spring is! One day the grass, trees, bushes and other plants are brown, dry and easily crunched between your fingers. And, the next day it rains and thunders a bit and voila! Everything is green. It’s like all the plants have gotten together and decided to cooperate. It’s a symbol of the best team spirit I’ve ever witnessed. Everything has sprouted overnight. Our house backs up to Lost Creek and in the winter, although hundreds of trees and bushes line the creek bed and shelter us from our neighbors’ prying eyes and the roaring traffic of 13th Street, they are leafless. We can see AutoZone from…