Tag Archives: gardening

Hungry for Natives

Every week I try to sneak away from the city. I live in Eugene, Oregon which is a considered a small city by most standards but it is a city none-the-less. Eugene is rife with parks and bike paths but … Continue reading

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The Medicine of Flowers

I call myself the practical herbalist. Pragmatism is a value that I hold in high regard. I dress in clothing that fits comfortably. I strive to cook food that is flavorful and nutritious. I recycle. I can. I save paper … Continue reading

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Tribute to Mom

I wrote the following obituary for my mother a few days after she passed. At her memorial service, a man came up to me who had been working in the kitchen to pass out refreshments in the basement of my … Continue reading

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Life of Pie

I love pie. I was raised with the scent of pie cooking in the oven just before a holiday or birthday. My family was poor so cake was a luxury that we could rarely afford. Pie is made of fruit … Continue reading

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Elderberry to the Rescue

I am an unabashed elderberry fan. It is not a one-size-fits-all herb like garlic. It doesn’t grow neatly on a kitchen window like sage. It isn’t easy to pick without a ladder like cayenne. It doesn’t wander into the front … Continue reading

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Garlic Day in Sierralupeland

The garlic was ripe and ready to harvest. The leaves were drying and flowers were fading. It was garlic harvest time. I bundled up the garlic that I had pulled and laid it on on the lawn by the deck … Continue reading

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Calling All Converts

My husband, Dave, uses herbs the way most people use radiator coolant. Herbs are always around but he only seeks them out when his engine goes dry. Since he lives with an herbalist, he has an admirable knowledge base of … Continue reading

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Teenagers and the Backyard Chicken

Backyard chicken coops are all the rage now. There is even a name for women who raise urban chickens: femivore. This term doesn’t fit my lifestyle. I am not a suburban housewife with a high income hippie agenda. I work … Continue reading

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War of the Roses

I planted an aggressive climbing rose on purpose. There is a 3/4″ space between our circa 1940s chain link fence and the back of our neighbor’s shed. In this space lives an arrogant English Ivy. It knows that I won’t … Continue reading

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Mowing for Back Pain

My back ached. It could have been the 2-5 gallon buckets of soil that I lugged around the parking lot at the plant sale last weekend. It could have been the hole I dug in the front yard to uproot … Continue reading

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