I’ve been cheating on my garden with an 11-speed Cervelo
We have been together for going on 4 years and thousands of miles." Do you remember the first time you got on a bike as a kid and [...]
Mary Vaananen, Guest Ranter
On Hold: Some thoughts on flash freezes and the color brown
Mother Nature’s emissary, winter storm Elliott, swept through the US bringing rapidly plummeting temperatures and snow Dec 22-23rd. Here in Louisville, it went from 55F in the evening, to -5F [...]
FRANKENPOTS~New Life for Broken Pots
“And now, once again, I bid my hideous progeny go forth and prosper.” ~ Mary Shelley Frankenpot with Sansevieria cylindrica I confess to taking precious time away from [...]
March Madness….Mastering the Gardener
It is the middle of March. I stand looking at the back garden, which turns 24 years old this August. The Hellebores are blooming up a storm of color. Fragrant [...]
A Gentle Plea for Chaos: Mirabel Osler’s 1980’s classic resonates today
Is there any reason to welcome chaos? It is the inevitable balance to stagnant order. In the Grand Garden, chaos is vitally necessary for life to thrive. Mary Vaananen joins [...]
The Gaura-Oenothera Connection – How Plants are Anointed with their Names
Collage by Mary Vaananen by Mary Vaananen. I am fascinated by the stories around the naming of plants. How is it that humans have come to know and [...]
Gertrude Jekyll and I wanted to Hyde: On giving horticultural presentations
Google Doodle celebrating Gertrude Jekyll's 174th birthday on November 27, 2017. Guest post by Mary Vaananen I will never forget my first presentation to a large group. I [...]
Mastering the Gardener: Hosting a Garden Tour
Styrax japonica and friends in bloom in the front yard Guest post by Mary Vaananen After a recent Master Gardener tour came through my little city garden, I [...]