Plants

assorted ferns
Natives, Plants

Fern identification, the basics

Time to take a shallow, messy dive into What’s That Fern?  First, some terms that might be helpful and a diagram that maybe isn’t. (It helped me, though. Enjoy!) Frond: full structure from the ground up.  Stipe: the “stem” or “stalk” on the frond that stretches from the ground to […]

purple flowers
Critters, Natives

Gaywings

  When we were looking at this house and walking through the 4.4 acres of “eclectic” conditions (wetland, dry infertile areas, clay soil, sandy soil, full sun in some areas, surrounded by woodland, bunch of boulders pushed around by glacial force and the whims of the builders) we walked along […]

Messy garden
Plants

The Hostas

I think I’m making this post entirely because I’m in the mood to shop for hostas, feeling inspired having just picked up some for L (shopping for others is absolutely intoxicating.) So I am making this post as an excuse to take inventory, learn names of the ones I’ve inherited, […]

Virginia bluebells
Plants

Spring 2025 highlights (March to May 1st)

This gorgeous creature (below) showed up a couple of years ago under a random viburnum in a nowhere place in the yard, where no one would ever see it, and I told myself firmly that I would move it and of course I didn’t for two years. But this is […]

Snake plant
Houseplants

Snake plant gets fancy

The 25-year-old snake plant/mother-in-law’s tongue/sansevieria has decided to put out a flower. I hear they smell lovely in bloom; guess we’ll find out.  Nice end to the houseplant-focused season. In a month or so they will all be outside, or most of them, which is great because by March I’m […]