Posts Tagged ‘native’
Carolina Vanilla Leaf
Years ago, my mentor, Bennett Baxley told me of his move to Bluffton, South Carolina. In the 50s, this tiny coastal village on the salty marshes of the May River struggled. A few wealthy folks kept quiet summer houses. Like poor people everywhere, folks looked to the wild for sustenance and income. With gunny sacks…
Read MoreSouthern Peat Bogs, Old Men and A New Farm Ethic
Sitting in a rocking chair, a tiny plate of deviled eggs in his football player lap, I guessed he was about 75. He was almost a stranger yet immediately familiar. He had my father’s brogue, my uncle’s nose, and this family’s skills of storytelling, “Did you know Daddy used to run a peat company down…
Read MoreMoving Big Palms….graceful, adaptable plants often misunderstood
Most people have a really bad sense of design when it comes to placing palm trees. Or maybe a lot of people really like the putt putt course aesthetic. Palms can also seem stark and out of place. Like that 3-story tall sculpture of fire plug in downtown or that antler chandler from an antique…
Read MoreSand Dune Meadow; A Plea for Stewardship in Gardening
Our beautiful barrier islands have been landscaped beyond recognition. Typical “landscapes” seem designed to demonstrate that people can dominate nature. We can. We do. For a moment in time. But in making and keeping up typical landscapes, we’re doing harm to the life on the islands, in the soil and in the water. We can…
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