Tag: Plant Stories
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Meditative Gardening: How Tending to Plants Can Be A Tool for Personal Development and Growth
As the seasons change, it’s a perfect time for personal growth. Meditation gardening, also known as wellness gardens or zen gardens, offers a unique path for reflection and relaxation. By engaging the senses with vibrant plants, soothing scents, and soft leaves, a meditation garden can provide a space for contemplation and tranquility. Just like tending…
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Site Visit: Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego’s Balboa Park
It was a whirlwind of an April here in my world, but I’ve made the most of it by sneaking out during a work trip to visit the amazing Japanese Friendship Garden of San Diego, California! If you’ve never been, the Japanese Friendship Garden, situated in the greater Balboa Park, is an exquisite place to…
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World Art Day 2024: A Garden of Expression
World Art Day, introduced by UNESCO, honors art’s role in advancing knowledge, creativity, and cultural diversity. Its theme changes yearly, with the 2024 focus on cultivating community through art. The date, April 15th, coincides with Leonardo da Vinci’s birthday. Anyone can participate in World Art Day, from simple sketching to botanical art. Realism, capturing the…
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Year of the Dragon: The Madagascar Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata)
The Chinese New Year just started, marking the Year of the Dragon. To celebrate, a deep dive into the Dragon Tree (Dracaena marginata) is offered. The author shares a personal connection with this plant and discusses its characteristics, propagation, care, common problems, and significance as a lucky plant. Through a personal anecdote, the acquisition and…
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Seed Swap Events: Increase Your Home Seed Library & Expand Your Garden
National Seed Swap Day, typically celebrated on the last Saturday of January, provides gardeners with the opportunity to exchange seeds, cuttings, and plants. These events offer a chance to acquire a diverse range of seeds, including local varieties better suited to the area. Seed swaps also facilitate social interaction, learning opportunities, and the acquisition of…
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Season’s Greenings at the United States Botanic Garden: A Site Visit
Light shows and exhibitions abound all around the world during the winter holiday season. While the cold keeps gardens growing their slowest (or not at all), it’s odd to think of visiting botanical gardens during this time of year. However, not all botanical gardens go into winter hibernation. During the winter holiday, the US Botanic…
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A Poinsettia Holiday Story: Planty the Watered Plant
In the spirit of the holidays, it will come as no surprise that we will often purchase a poinsettia. Poinsettias are everywhere during the holiday season. This is the unexpected true and hilarious story of a poinsettia that made its home in our hearts.
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2023 Garden Visitors: All Creatures Great & Small
A garden is so much more than a place to grow plants. It’s also a communal place to spend time with nature. Of course, wildlife spends a fair amount of time there too. For a lot of gardeners, having creatures in our carefully prepared garden is a nuisance. Insects and animals alike quickly become pests…
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Performing A Garden Year In Review: Analyzing For Future Success
Performing an annual review on your garden can help you (and your garden) to perform better next year, overcome mistakes, and imagine new possibilities for the future. But how do you even start with such a review? There’s a few steps that I go through in my annual garden year in review that help plan…
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Fruits and Vegetables at George Washington’s Mount Vernon
Mount Vernon was the home of the first President of the United States, George Washington. Located in Mount Vernon, VA in Northern Virginia, it has some of the most spectacular gardens designed by the founding fathers. I had the opportunity to tour the gardens and have visited there many times. In the latest post I…