Morning Break? Is Re-shooting Photos a Break?

For a number of days of the last ten, I’ve been sequestered inside.   Re writing.   The editor at Timber Press sent back my manuscript for a final edit.   Well, 32 pages and about 40 hours of edits.  Done.   Great edits.  He said, ‘I’m trying to help you say what you want to say, more clearly.’   …

Read More

We Built a Barn with Daddy’s Wood

Daddy left barns full of wood. Last night, I slept on the screen porch, totally surround by him. The barns are a source of frustration for me. Messy, sliding, tumbling, old boards might have been stacked one day. Now they’re an inefficiently, stored reminder that he’s not here for them and that I can’t do…

Read More

The Mechanics of Life

There’s a term I remember from the putty-green workrooms of Clemson’s agricultural building.  I overheard from the hall, a professor, teaching floral design say something like, ‘You get it right with wire and tape and picks and then you hide those things, you hide the mechanics of flower arranging.   He should have used a different…

Read More

Beauty Inside

In downtown New Orleans we’ve seen lots of real life.  And walking the garden district is an amazing mix of ultra swank, fluffed-up places, cute renovated cottages and seriously poor shacks on the edges.   But we had an agenda — figure out what fits in my friend’s front pots.  To avoid the too, too trendy,…

Read More

Stone & Cob Floor in the Farm Studio-barn

Why make a stone using cob mixture as mortar? Part of our “barn/studio” walls are made from cob.   We liked the process of mixing.  We have fine, sticky red clay, lots of it, so we didn’t have to buy mortar mix.   We wanted a natural, low cost floor.   So instead of mortar or wood, we…

Read More

Breeders

I’m not a good breeder.  That requires a forsite and planning that my mind doesn’t do well.  So, my crinum selections are all happenstance and simply noticing something cool that’s happened in the field.   But I am a good gardener and part of being a good gardener is remember connections between plants and people. Sometimes…

Read More

Mother’s Day

Happy Mother’s Day!    Thanks to all Mothers and friends who came to our farm to enjoy the early lilies, masses of larkspur, poppies, and beautiful breezes!   Join us for a special, small group luncheon and an afternoon full of fun. The details and tickets are actually on this other page, so once more……

Read More

Farm to Table? No, just dirt to mouth….

I had a beer with a scientist this week.  She told me to buck up, get ready to face the future.  GMO’s are nothing compared with what’s happening in Universities now.  What’s coming down the pike, via the science of synthetic biology.  It’s all amazing, scary, promising, complex and it’s going to be in your…

Read More

Wednesday’s Garden

Yesterday was so busy I forgot to follow up with my promise of new gardens everyday this week.   If you’re in 75 miles of Aiken, take this once  year chance to buy at Woodlander’s Nursery.   Yep, this world renowned nursery is open just once a year.  Here’s Carl from Woodlanders. In Augusta, this killer private…

Read More

Magic Carpets

In this garden in Augusta, Jefferson Hubble, amazing stone mason and friend in Columbia, SC made a magic carpet patio.        And behind that, a carpet of moss makes a brilliant lawn and contrast with the purple fence.

Read More