Columns

My little garden bounced back pretty quickly after our recent snow. Other than the calla lilies that are none too happy now but will recover, the rest of the plants seem just fine. The native and ornamental flowering trees are coming on like nothing...

I lost a dear “friend” sometime during the storms in January, which day or night I’ll never know…I wasn’t privy to its demise. I only know the evening during which I realized my friend Snag had disappeared from the horizon. My hubby Norm and I...

The daffodils are blooming. Will spring be early this year? When will I no longer need to worry about the danger of frost? How much is climate change affecting our natural world? We can all remember years when there is little rain in January...

There’s no denying that relationships are hard. Maintaining connection and keeping the spark alive when life gets overwhelming and stressful can be hard. But with focus, attention and commitment, you can build and sustain a thriving relationship.  While no relationship is perfect, there are some...

Several of my friends suffer from allergies nearly year round starting in January. Most of us don’t notice the amount of pollen in the air even when it’s cold, but my friends sure do.  Everybody blames the Acacia tree for their allergies, but they are...

We all know clean eating habits and regular training will keep you healthy. But did you also know healthy eating a weekly fitness routine will also keep your bones healthy and strong in your older years? Strong bones could lead to a better quality...

I would be remiss if I didn’t write about the problems we all have had since the January storms here in our valley; particularly about our food markets where I purchase almost all of the food I cook, photograph and then write about in...

Hopefully these cold mornings will be a thing of the past by the time you read this. My plants were much happier right after the rains when nights were mild. I’m waiting patiently for the buds on my pink flowering currant to start showing...

At the end of last month’s column, I wrote that “2023 would no doubt bring new challenges and opportunities.” What none of us could have imagined was how quickly those challenges would present themselves in the new year. The series of atmospheric rivers that pounded...

I see some outstanding new rose varieties available for the 2023 season. It won’t come as a surprise that they are all very fragrant and have good disease resistance. So while you’re out in your garden pruning your existing roses, consider adding a new...