planted at home

L.O.V.E.

February 14, 2012

A Handmade Valentine: The above photograph, taken by the talented Allan Mandell, is from the dedication page of my new book Handmade Garden Projects: Step-by-Step Instructions for Creative Garden Features, Containers, Lighting & More. The heartfelt dedication reads: To James, my partner in a handmade life Thank you for everything honey~!

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Real Dirt!

February 13, 2012

Most gardeners with real dirt under their nails, if they’re being perfectly honest, will admit to several addictive behaviors. Never pass a seed rack without giving it a good once over (even if you already own enough seed to plant out several acres of farmland). Obsessively track the weather; day to day if not hour [...]

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Home again…

February 5, 2012

What a beautiful weekend; blue skies and warm weather (for February… but really, 60 F is warm for April where I come from!!!) My quick drive down and back to Hillsboro, OR was a delight. And I knew I was with “my people” when upon arriving at Junk Salvation on Friday afternoon I was greeted [...]

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My first road trip of 2012!!!

February 1, 2012

I do love me a road trip! iPhone loaded with fresh Podcasts, a tank full of gas, coffee-d up and pointed towards Portland, this Friday I’m headed to Junk Salvation taking place February 3-4th at the Washington County Fairgrounds in Hillsboro, Oregon. This unique gathering – produced by the Funky Junk Sisters - is chock full of vendors [...]

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True Confessions of a garden expert

January 16, 2012

… I’ve killed more plants than you have. Really! As I write this my garden is encased in snow and ice. Unfortunately, so are the many succulents and the world’s most-beleaguered lemon tree. Not a day has gone by in the past 2 months that I haven’t told myself to move said plants indoors. Alas. The [...]

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Pocket full of change

January 11, 2012

Change is constant Time sort of got away from me last month. When calendar pages shift not just from month to month but over to a brand new year it’s easy to feel even more behind than you really are. Fortunately, we only have to tackle this life day by day. Tidy, finite chunks of [...]

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Giving THANKS

November 23, 2011

Happy Thanksgiving all! These handsome birds are (permanent) residents of Old Goat Farm where they lead a very good and pampered life. Although if memory serves me correctly, their names are Thanksgiving and Christmas… a third – Easter – is not in this picture. Rest assured they will live long and prosper under the care [...]

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Deadlines and distraction…

November 18, 2011

Some people have cutworms. I hate cutworms. Although once I was complaining about cutworms making backyard mayhem and my friend Rick shot me down with a story about bugling moose trampling his garden. Yeah, you’re right, moose are bigger and badder than disgusting cutworms. But this week I can top that! The weedlot next door [...]

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Hello WORLD!

November 12, 2011

It’s cold, rainy and blustery and I’m stuck at home banging away on a deadline. My husband is in Boise visiting our son and my darling daughter is hopefully having a ball on a girlfriends weekend in San Francisco. Still struggling with the remains of a nasty cold, and, maybe I mentioned it – banging [...]

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Thank you… more please!

November 1, 2011

This month of giving thanks begins with honoring the dead and ends with a feast that just about kills us, or at the very least puts us into a turkey-induced stupor. “What a long strange trip it’s been” (sly homage to the Dead) My harvest this year was an unexpected one that I’m still learning [...]

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