Beans for Brekkie

Sun’s comin’ up. Time to get to work. Breakfast…an afterthought. Summer is always a time of early-to-rise (but perversely late to bed!) and out of the house, off to work before the day’s heat really sets in.  I like to strike an early, vigorous blow at the day’s task list, and there’s nothing like the cool morning […]

Stand back, puny human gardener

Our bodies are weak and puny, and that is why humans, since the beginnings of our self-consciousness, I think, have been fascinated with animals and their wondrous powers.  Their claws, talons, beaks, antlers, wings, hooves, eyes, noses, fins, tails, etc. are awesome tools given them by nature and their powers of flight, sight, agility, scent, […]

Chicago Inspires, Even Vegetably

Walking around Millenium Park in Chicago is the last place I’d expect to be inspired with garden ideas, but the park’s landscape designers have tucked some mid-western, veggie-patch sensibilities into their otherwise prairie-themed beds.Here, very neatly manicured, is a row of tomatoes, pruned to one vine and staked with bamboo canes.  It’s an attractive look, […]