Category: On The Stump
-
First Shade Day 2024
Last Friday, May 10, 2024, I looked out the window and saw well-defined shade on the lawn. Every spring, there’s a moment when Mother Nature provides the gift of shade. The first time I noticed, I was driving home from high school. At the bottom of a hill, shade poured across the road on a…
-
Garden Maintenance is a Journey, Not a Destination
I’ve spent the last few days overwhelmed with how far behind I am in my home’s garden maintenance. Yesterday, I knocked the weeds down with a weed wacker because they were so overgrown. This morning, I flame-weeded our gravel driveway. Finally, I hoped to tune up the lawn mower but fell behind in my plans.…
-
Why You Should Never Play to the Gallery
I recently found this interview by David Bowie. I agree. When checking boxes, my work is droll and lifeless—my designs are like a pile of boxes left out for recycling. I work with nature, combining traditional knowledge with intuition, creating unique landscape solutions. Always go a little further into the water than you feel you’re…
-
Signs of a Dominant Cat
A cold front swept through a couple of days ago, leaving temperatures in the low 40s°F. An unexpected thing happened around the house: the cats started sleeping in groups. Outdoor Cats Phantom (cow pattern) and Snowball (tabby), our outdoor cats, were peacefully sleeping in the three-season room they appropriated. They usually sleep in different locations,…
-
First Fire of Season
About an hour ago, I started the first fire of the season in the wood stove. It’s October 14th and overcast, 53°F, and starting to rain. While it’s 63°F inside the house, and a sweatshirt takes the chill off, it’s cold to me. After lighting, I walked into the room with the stove and noticed…
-
PeeGee Hydrangea Window Peeping
The off-white PeeGee Hydrangea contrasts warm yellow lamp light inside the house viewed through a double-hung window older than me. PeeGee Hydrangeas give instant class to any landscape. Click on image to view larger.
-
Patriotic Lambsquarters
Last week, I woke early and headed out to hone my photography skills. While I would like to put all of my award-winning photos in one post, I realized a picture truly is worth a thousand words and decided to break up the posts. Click on a photo to open a larger version. Patriotic Lambsquarters…
-
Visitors Welcome – Especially Cats!
Last summer, a couple of weird things happened. First, I turned on the backyard light one night and saw an orange and white cat patiently sitting under a shrub by the bird feeders. Then, a few weeks later, as I walked across the side yard, I spotted a black and white cat carrying something. I…
-
Pansies Yellow and Purple
Yesterday I spotted pansies in front of the supermarket begging for a home. They pulled on my heartstrings until I brought two flats home. The truth is, my wife wrote pansies on the grocery list. She didn’t have to. By early April, I’ll take any blooms I can to add color to the landscape. There…