Published in Tea with Mother Nature·2 days agoWhenever I see sunflowers, smiles, sunshine, and joy followMammoth sunflowers earn top honors as my favorite variety. The garden drama queen grows up to a foot with 10- to-12 inch flowers. Just seeing those rich yellow petals wrapped around its burnt-almond orb sparks images of fairies hiding in the leaves and peeking out from the flowers. Or maybe…Outdoors3 min read
Published in The Shortform·2 days agoA Blast Of Color Fills A White Picket FenceSometimes one flowering plant can make a rainbow.Flowers1 min readPhoto by Moryt MiloA Blast Of Color Fills A White Picket Fence----
Published in Tea with Mother Nature·2 days agoBountiful lemon tree grows from roots in Southern CaliforniaThree decades ago I planted a small stick in the ground. The scrawny thing grew from a lemon seed I carefully germinated from my father-in-law's prolific backyard lemon tree. The thing is, my father-in-law, Al, lived in Southern California in the breezy, salty coastal town of Santa Monica. My husband…Outdoors3 min read
Published in Tea with Mother Nature·Jun 11Butterflies Soak Up the NectarI love butterflies. I had a butterfly net as a child and spent days idly chasing after Tiger swallowtails, Black swallowtails, Viceroys, Clouded sulphur, and so many other species. I took their abundance for granted. I’d capture them and put them quietly to sleep until they died. …Insects1 min read
Published in Tea with Mother Nature·Jun 10The boysenberries are here, hooray!I confess. I picked some of the boysenberries too soon because that first bowlful is always the best. The red ones are a bit tart. The dark black ones are tangy and sweet. We planted the sprawling vine on the western fence about 25 years ago. Each fall my husband…Food2 min read
Published in Tea with Mother Nature·May 31Geese and goslings munch on greensThe park is busy on a windy, upper-70s day. After walking for a few miles the occasional gust feels delicious, as I aim for the shade. The creek that borders the trail is quite low. I remember years ago when we had torrential rains. The waterway greeted me with another…Nature3 min read
Published in Tea with Mother Nature·May 25A Fence Full of Jasmine and JoyThe weather turned quite hot, into the upper 90s, and the star jasmine broke out in bloom all at once along the side of the house. The vine with its ivory-scented flowers has completely overtaken the redwood fence flowing down to the ground. …Flowers2 min read
Published in Tea with Mother Nature·May 16Diverse plants and trees live in unison, a roadmap for humanityUnlike people, these various plants, the Prickly pear cactus, fuchsia bougainvillea, and yes – look closely – an orange tree have all managed to cohabit in small quarters. Ironically, this profoundly diverse grouping of vegetation all has thorns. Yet, the Prickly pear cactus will fruit in the summer, while the…Nature2 min read
Published in The Shortform·May 2An Explosion of Colors Tells a StoryUnruly flowers hide a fence. It’s beautiful and chaotic.Nature1 min readPhoto by Moryt MiloAn Explosion of Colors Tells a Story----
Published in The Shortform·May 2The Scent of Lavender is EverywhereMy favorite scent after the intoxicating smell of orange blossoms is lavender.Flowers1 min readPhoto by Gemma Evans on UnsplashThe Scent of Lavender is Everywhere----1
