My excuse: a crazy, busy, bustling, “retired” life

  "Where the hell have you been?" my garden and the SGS blog both asked. I put in my last day of employment over a year ago, but when I set my sights on retirement from my "day job", sitting back and relaxing was far from the plan. In this next phase of my life, I will have plenty of time to garden while I finally pursue the career path I chose some 44 years ago: creating and selling art. After I wrapped up my professional responsibilities, I gave myself six months to develop a... Continue reading

Victory Garden

Day one I'm not holding my breath for all that purported "American Greatness" to start showing up any time soon. I'm beginning my Victory Garden today. We can stretch our food dollars, save money on supplies, and help the planet heal with our gardening practices. This post details a few ways to do just so. When I see piles of sticks and leaves all bagged up with plastic and ready for the trash heap, I instinctively do a head bump. I confess to sending a lot of tree matter away before I... Continue reading

The Annual Dandelion Rant

It's that time of year again. A warm breeze inspires hope of cold days ending, the morning sun beckons the jewel-like glow of lime green new growth, and weekend gardeners gather their trowels, their poisons, and their resolve to annihilate the dreaded dandelion. How dare they dot your perfectly groomed carpets of thick grass. WTF? Those beautifully groomed green lawns are the bane of this planet's existence, while dandelions can do nothing but good... for the dirt, for the pollinators,... Continue reading

Garden Bones and Chicken Broth

  A soft footprint is not what I'm after. I don't want the planet to diminish because of me. My goal is to leave it better. I want nature to start singing the Hallelujah Chorus because I showed up. To that end, I am following the lead of the indigenous people of this continent, the original citizens of North America, in showing appreciation and using my resources without waste. It's not only good for me; it's good for the planet. Here's an idea, and it's pretty simple. Replace... Continue reading