Talk to anyone who speaks, writes, or teaches about creating welcoming habitats for wildlife in our gardens, and sooner rather than later they will mention Bringing Nature Home by Doug Tallamy. This book has become the “bible” for wildlife gardeners everywhere. Doug Tallamy clearly shows in this book how native plants form the basis of the food web [...]

Many people are surprised when I talk about all the activity in my wildlife garden in winter. For them, everything is dead, all the plants are dormant, and there is nothing to see. How wrong they are! When you plan your wildlife garden, it’s always good to keep winter in mind so that you can [...]

Safe places to raise young comes in many forms, and means so much more than bird houses. While some birds are ground nesters and build their nests in the leaf litter (Ovenbirds come to mind), many other species of wildlife live in the leaf litter and find safety to raise their young. This includes salamanders, small mammals, [...]

Your wildlife garden can be a real haven in autumn for migratory birds and in winter for those hardy year round residents if you have laid out the welcome mat and planted your garden with lots of  berrying shrubs to sustain these birds on their long journeys and through the winter. But which berries are best for [...]

I have a confession to make. When the seed catalogs start arriving in my mailbox I lose all sense of time as I page through these “dream books.” My name is Carole and I’m a farmaholic. I dream and I plan, and I think “What If?” I let myself imagine any possibility. Plant enough corn [...]

Although this holiday season is filled with sadness this year, I am also filled with gratitude for the blessings in my life. I have learned to be thankful for my daily garden mindfulness times when I can be present in the moment and appreciate the beauty and wonders of the natural world around me that endures no matter what [...]

There’s a commercial running rampant on tv right now called “Shop Small,” the idea being that for one day (the Saturday after Thanksgiving) we should support the small businesses in our communities. Well, being the extremely intelligent people that you are, I’m sure you realize that we cannot make much of a difference at all [...]

For all of you who have been so supportive while I’ve been away caring for my mom, a huge heartfelt thank you! Your kind words and support have meant the world to me, and I so appreciate your presence in my life. Your gentle and loving support here at the blog, on Facebook, and Twitter have [...]

Yesterday morning I stood out on the deck and listened to the calls of the Great Horned Owls, then watched the most beautiful sunrise. The sky turned from ebony to light pink to the most gorgeous springlike day. Considering it’s November and it snowed last weekend, this kind of day was quite a pleasant surprise. [...]

Over the course of the past weeks I’ve become my mom’s fulltime caretaker. It’s an exhausting experience and requires my attention round the clock. I’m learning that I must find ways to take care of myself in order to be able to take care of her. Every day I take what few minutes I can [...]