We know that plants communicate. Childhood fairy tales taught us this way back in the day. And, in the last four or so decades, hard core, just-the-facts-ma’am researchers have proven that plants of all sorts, from weeds to willows, have means of transmitting chemical signals in order to attract pollinators or defend against predators. But…
Ever since two step-granddaughters came into my life I have become very familiar with the concept of white noise. Emanating from a tiny amplifier in each child’s bedroom, the sounds of fizzling static are something I now immediately associate with a quiet night. I’d always thought white noise was somehow reproducing the sounds a baby…
Hello from Cedar Key, Florida! We love coming here for a little warmth and sunshine as Ontario starts the long wet chill that eventually congeals into winter. Sunrise over the pier at Cedar Key, Florida You may have heard about Cedar Key last August if you were watching the news about Hurricane Idalia. This small…
As Halloween approaches I love to indulge in some good old fashioned creepiness–the kind that only Mother Nature can provide. Natural creepiness, I find, is so much more satisfying than anything Hollywood can conjure up just because it’s happening right under your nose. In fact, I’d bet that a lot of horror movie makers get…
About a week ago, King Charles III, while in Bordeaux, France, got his hands dirty (symbolically, at least) by planting a Loquat Leaf Oak. This, in itself, is not news. Royalty and other VIPs the world over often make gestures like planting trees for the sake of bonhomie and a great photo op. But this…
This summer has been exceptionally cool and wet so no surprise to see so many mushrooms popping up everywhere on our mostly-woodland property in southwestern Ontario. But I’ve never seen so many different kinds. And some of them are truly weird. Take a peek, if you dare. A reef on a leaf This is a…
When I first spotted this thing from a distance, growing on a birch tree in southwestern British Columbia, I assumed it was a kind of ivy. But when I got up close to it, I realized that each leaf had its own unique shape. I had to know what it was and how I could…
We’re already in the middle of April and I’ve just found out that butterfly season is already well underway. These bedazzled bugs start making their appearance in Canada as early as March in balmy British Columbia. It won’t be long before Ontario is in peak butterfly mode. What’s the panic, you may ask? It’s surprising…
Judy Garland may have sweetly elevated rainbows to technicolour cliche, but they’ve always been happy, shiny wonders–ever since the sun’s rays met air-borne water droplets and there were sentient beings around to take notice. Now they figure in myths, superstitions, beliefs and symbolic declarations the world over. Marvelling at a rainbow’s beauty is a moment…
If you’re a big fan of mushrooms, like me, you might have enjoyed that video on how mushrooms can save the world six different ways that I mentioned in my last post. If that’s the case, then you’ll be just as excited as me to learn that, in addition to mushrooms potentially cleaning polluted soil…
Autumn is officially here and, just like the garden itself, gardening topics are dwindling as winter sets in–at least if you live north of the 49th parallel. From now til spring I’ll be posting a little less often but I promise to keep in touch as inspiration strikes. I find reaching out to my fellow…
True story: A couple of years ago, when my guy was applying for a permit to build a stand-alone garage near our cottage on the Bruce Peninsula, he had to jump through a lot of bureaucratic hoops, including an on-site inspection by the powers that be to ensure we would be inflicting the least amount…
Allow me to sing the praises of grit. Not the grit so indelibly captured by John Wayne–the stuff of perseverance and passion–but the stuff scattered on the floor of hen coops. I don’t know what chickens personally think about chicken grit but they certainly rely on it to help them digest food in their powerful…
Don’t you just love the instructions on your packet of seeds–”Plant outdoors after all danger of frost”. Right. Where’s that crystal ball when you need it? In Canada, the tradition has been to wait until Victoria Day weekend when warm temps are finally, thankfully guaranteed. But, with our wonky weather these days, patience can run…
The new year has arrived and we’re well past the winter solstice but in case you’re not convinced that the days are getting longer, this remarkable video takes only 90 seconds to transport you from the dregs of winter to a mezmerizing spring.
Reflections On A Life in Exile
Saint Andrew’s Forest Farm Blog
a chat over the garden fence
There's always room for one more plant.
a little garden near Gawler
.....and nurturing my soul
Gardening in Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada
The life and loves of a plantsman
if your garden is bigger than a courtyard, but smaller than an acre
Exploring the Depths of Curiosity
A blog about nature, home, community, books, writing, the environment, food, and rural life.
Ministry of the fence 