If you garden in the Southwest, doubtless you have Western fence lizards (Sceloporus occidentalis), also known as blue bellies. They do push-up displays on boulders and scurry if you get too close. They’re part of my garden’s ecosystem, and I’m grateful to them for eating insects. Other than that, I seldom gave them a thought…until recently. Boys visited this summer—my[...]
I took an early train from Philly to Manhattan on Saturday to attend a dear friend’s family reunion that was taking place on a boat on the Hudson River. It was a thrill for me to see him with generations of his family that had traveled from throughout the U.S and beyond to get together[...]
I absolutely love the sense of discovery that comes with exploring a garden with a camera. I have learned to take it slow, to relish and be watchful, as every step changes how I see. Every step could be a new picture. Every step changes how the elements compose themselves. So a recent visit to see gardens[...]
Chris and John Gleason of San Diego did a brave thing: They tore out a perfectly fine front yard. Most people who want to save water merely let their lawns die and replace them with less thirsty plants. The Gleasons went several steps further. They got rid of a healthy ornamental plum tree and a privacy hedge that[...]
I didn’t expect to be taking garden photos when I visited my daughter in New York City, where she lives in the Bedford-Stuyvesant area – a “transitional” section of Brooklyn. But for years Brooklyn Botanic Garden has been sponsoring The Greenest Street in Brooklyn as a neighborhood beautification program and it’s inspiring. My camera phone[...]