The iconic monarch butterfly is now beginning its migration to warmer climates for the winter: to central Mexico, to Southern California, to Florida and to the Gulf Coast (depending on the population). And humans, these butterflies need our help: population reports have been grim in...
You know how they say, “Say it with flowers”? If the lipstick plant — which is now blooming at our place — could talk, it would say, “I'm here to bring some flair to your shaded areas.” (Or something like that. We try not to...
There is one hashtag that’s singing our heartsong these days, and that hashtag is #FacetheFoliage. Imagined by designer, author and creative-force-of-nature Justina Blakeney, #FacetheFoliage is an open invitation to build whimsical portraits out of leaves, stems, twigs, fruits and flowers — and to join the...
[vc_row css_animation="" row_type="row" use_row_as_full_screen_section="no" type="full_width" angled_section="no" text_align="left" background_image_as_pattern="without_pattern" z_index=""][vc_column offset="vc_hidden-xs"][vc_column_text]Updated April 2022. This post contains affiliate links, which means we receive a small commission from purchases on the products we recommend below. Thanks for helping us grow! Hanging your everyday clay pots just got easier! We're...
If there’s one plant — one group of plants — that equally amazes and weirds out visitors to our place, it’s our collection of carnivores. We’ve written about them before: how some entrap their prey passively with intoxicating nectar and slippery surfaces, others with chomping showmanship,...
Guava season has officially begun! Although none of the egg-shaped green fruits have conked us on the head yet (a sign of good luck anyway), our Acca sellowiana tree has been dropping goodies left and right since late July. In previous years, this level of...
It only occurred to us after we received our wholesale order of 50 air plants that we had no place to put them! I had ordered the lot for my new acrylic air plant habitats (coming soon) — and I guess we got too excited...
“You know, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Chantal turn down champagne,” Ryan said in our kitchen a few days ago. We had a guest in town from DC, and let’s just say…the flutes were flying. The ongoing “sparkling wine as an everyday drink” is a...
Today's summer drink, a beer cocktail, might be our simplest. As much as I love our lush porters during the fall, come July, light, dry, refreshing lagers are my garden companion. Sometimes it’s the only thing that makes all this yard work not feel so much like work. My pick secret shame weakness?...
Is there anything more summer-ific (if that’s a word) than biting into an outrageously juicy peach? Or finding a plum the color of a backlit amethyst? Stone fruits are synonymous with long hot days and jacket-optional nights. Lately we’ve been eating nectarines, peaches and plums by the...