Blog
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Fortune Cookie Fortunes – My Favorites
My favorite fortune cookie fortunes: Confidence begets confidence. If you have no critics you’ll likely have no success. Enjoy yourself while you can. The secret to good friends is no secret to you. No one can force you to change direction or abandon your principles. I’m ordering Chinese food for dinner to research fortune cookie…
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Itsy Bitsy Spider
Spiders are incredible builders. I bet this guy/girl built this web in one night with no architect, no permits and no contractor headaches. The reward will be a well-earned dinner. Those of you who watch my wood splitting videos may recognize the tire. It’s the tire I use for splitting wood. While I admit spiders give…
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Frog in Puddle
Last week after a downpour I spotted a frog enjoying a cool puddle. While I’m no expert on the difference between a frog and a toad I would say that’s a frog. The nearest stream is 150 yards from where I found my frog friend. Go figure!
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5,000,000 YouTube Views
Yesterday my YouTube Channel, CTSCAPER, passed 5,000,000 views and 10,000 subscribers. It’s taken four years to get here. When I filmed my first video on May 10th, 2011 I had no idea where I’d end up. I remember the nervous energy I felt in front of the camera. It’s the same energy most people experience when public speaking. …
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Use Curves When Designing Landscapes
Straight lines get you from point a to b. Curves add interest.
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Beefsteak Tomato Roadside Stand
This week I took the kids and dog for a walk and stumbled across a tomato plant (Solanum lycopersicum) growing in the crack between the curb and the asphalt. A plant’s will to live is amazing. I can’t wait to return this summer for some Beefsteaks!
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Wetland Plants of CT
Every year Cub Scout Pack 170 cleans up Edmund Road in Newtown, CT. It’s our Earth Day conservation project. My son and I spent an hour one Saturday morning picking up garbage and admiring flora. Truth be told I was the only one admiring the flora. We cleaned up litter on a Saturday. I was so…
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Wisteria – Mother Nature Trumps Man Every Time
Last week I saw a wisteria in full bloom weeping from a blasted ledge. No matter how hard I try to create beautiful landscapes mother nature can beat me without trying. If you’re driving down Whitney Avenue in Trumbull, CT in early-May keep your eyes open for the wisteria on the ledge between the entrance to…
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Craftsman Wanted
Our home needs a new roof. Badly. For a couple of years. A month ago my wife, Karyn, started the process of hiring a roofer. Karyn asked me who to call. I mentioned a large roofing company and an acquaintance who started his career in roofing and now works in all aspects of carpentry. Karyn asked…