Tag Archives: backyard

In Which Winter Reminds Us Not To Jump The Gun

Posted on February 19, 2015 by Benjamin

The Cold has settled in and seems determined to sit a spell. The Professor and I had been lamenting the fact that we’d had such a mild winter. Foolish mortals. We’ve been reminded (quite harshly) that February is still a winter … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged backyard, birding, birdwatching, Cardinal, cold, gardeing, garden, Kentucky, narnia, Ohio, Ohio River, Ohio River Valley, spring, Winter | 23 Comments

Honey, Put the Kettle On, We Have Visitors!

Posted on February 9, 2015 by Benjamin

The combination of a recent snowfall, coupled with a heavy application of black-oil sunflower seeds to the bird feeders, turned our backyard into quite the beehive…or…aviary of activity. The guests were well-behaved (for the most part) except for this gang … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged backyard, bird, birdfeeder, birding, birds, birdwatching, Cardinal, cardinals, carolina wren, chickadee, downy woodpecker, fox squirrel, garden, gardening, gardening tips, Great Backyard Bird Count, Kentucky, Northern Flicker, Ohio River Valley, redbellied woodpecker, squirrel, starling, Tufted Titmouse, Winter, woodpecker | 53 Comments

Break Out the Mittens, Here Comes Winter!

Posted on November 10, 2014 by Benjamin

The weather map shows ominous arrows sweeping down from the frozen tundra of the North and pointing straight at our little slice of the Ohio River Valley later this week. This is when we realize (and usually quickly forget) that, … Continue reading →

Posted in Gardening, Uncategorized | Tagged autumn, backyard, books, compost, farming, flannel, flower garden, flower gardening, garden, gardening, gardening tips, Kentucky, Ohio, Ohio River Valley, organic gardening, polar vortex, reading, weather, Winter | 39 Comments

Wrap Yourself in Daisies

Posted on October 29, 2014 by Benjamin

“Once we believe in ourselves, we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight, or any experience that reveals the human spirit…” ~e.e.cummings. Ms. Professor and I grew our first patch of these confident little daisies (actually Chrysanthemum carinatum) this year. They’ll definitely be … Continue reading →

Posted in Flower Gardening, Gardening, Uncategorized | Tagged autumn, backyard, Chrysanthemum, Chrysanthemum carinatum, compost, confidence, curiousity, daisies, daisy, e.e.cummings, farming, flower, flower garden, flower gardening, gardening tips, Kentucky, Ohio, Ohio River Valley, organic gardening, Painted Daisy, procrastination, propagate, Winter | 42 Comments

Cosmos: A Gardentime Odyssey

Posted on October 21, 2014 by Benjamin

“Let’s go wait out in the fields of the ones we love…” ~The National As the flowers wind down for the year, petals shriveling, stems and leaves hunched against the chilly October mornings, the Cosmos is still radiant, shooting up … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autumn, backyard, bees, birding, butterflies, butterfly, compost, cosmos, daisy, fall, farming, flower, flower garden, flower gardening, flowers, garden, gardening, gardening tips, harmony, heirloom, Kentucky, Ohio River Valley, organic gardening, Seashell, The National | 36 Comments

Bees & The Sweetness of October

Posted on October 14, 2014 by Benjamin

“Bees do have a smell, you know, and if they don’t they should, for their feet are dusted with spices from a million flowers.” ― Ray Bradbury, Dandelion Wine October is the month that always seems to pass too quickly for … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autumn, backyard, bees, Blackberry Winter, coneflower, Dandelion Wine, fall, farming, flower, flower garden, flower gardening, flowers, frost, garden, gardening, gardening tips, Indian Summer, Kentucky, Ohio, Ohio River Valley, organic gardening, Ray Bradbury, spring, vegetable, vegetable garden, Winter | 46 Comments

The Bittersweet Melancholy of Summer’s End…

Posted on September 29, 2014 by Benjamin

What good is the warmth of summer, without the cold of winter to give it sweetness.~John Steinbeck September and the remains of summer have all but slipped away. The warm spell we’re experiencing in our part of the Ohio River … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autumn, backyard, basil, birding, bugs, cilantro, fall, farming, flower, flower garden, flower gardening, gardening tips, goldenrod, guacamole, Kentucky, Ohio, Ohio River Valley, organic gardening, pesto, squirrel, steinbeck, summer, sunflower, vegetable, vegetable garden, Winter | 41 Comments

A Swiftly Tilting Planet and the Autumnal Equinox

Posted on September 23, 2014 by Benjamin

This swiftly tilting planet (to steal a phrase from Madeleine L’Engle) is approaching equilibrium again today, giving us equal servings of light and darkness. And now those of us in the Northern Hemisphere begin our journey into night and winter … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autumn, backyard, equinox, fall, farming, flower, flower garden, flower gardening, flowers, garden, gardening, gardening tips, Kentucky, Ohio, Ohio River Valley, soccer, vegetable, vegetable garden | 29 Comments

Summer’s Ghosts

Posted on September 19, 2014 by Benjamin

“We know that in September, we will wander through the warm winds of summer’s wreckage. We will welcome summer’s ghost.”~Henry Rollins September has been beautiful in our part of the Ohio River Valley…Except for the allergens. This part of the … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged autumn, backyard, fall, farming, flower, flower garden, flower gardening, garden, gardening, gardening tips, Kentucky, Ohio, Ohio River Valley, organic gardening, summer, vegetable garden | 39 Comments

Gardening Home Away From Home

Posted on September 11, 2014 by Benjamin

Whenever we go on holiday, we like to scout out the cool garden shops in the places we’re visiting. Sometimes it takes a little bargaining with the kids. “We’ll give you 4 hours at the waterpark for an hour of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged backyard, birding, birdwatching, compost, daisy, farming, flower, flower garden, flower gardening, flowers, garden, gardening, gardening tips, heirloom, heirloom tomato, Kentucky, nursery, Ohio, Ohio River Valley, organic gardening, peony, propagate, rose, summer, vegetable, vegetable garden | 23 Comments