Do hard winters really curb “bad bugs”? A reader’s question opens the door to a deeper conversation about beneficial insects, plant diversity, and why harmony — not eradication — is the key to resilient gardens and balanced lives.

In winter’s stillness, reflections reveal what shadows alone cannot. From mirrored ponds to garden design and the quiet wisdom of roots beneath the soil, this post explores how nature teaches us about healing, self-awareness, and the promise of spring in the garden of life.

Winter shadows reveal quiet truths about grief, resilience, and hope. A gentle reflection on gardens, moonlight, and the healing companionship of light and shadow.

When a money tree becomes too tight in its pot, the remedy is simple: loosen what’s bound, refresh the soil, and give it room to grow. Sometimes the same is true in life. A struggling houseplant reminds us that renewal often begins by making space.

Yellow leaves aren’t always a crisis—they’re a conversation. In this week’s Garden Dilemmas, a fiddle-leaf fig’s distress leads to reflections on watering, patience, and tending both houseplants and tender hearts through life’s transitions.

When the New Jersey Tree Survey arrived in my mailbox, it stirred more than curiosity — it invited reflection. From fundraising letters to fallen hemlocks and thriving beeches, this story explores how trees quietly teach resilience, renewal, and hope.

As snow melts from the roof and rain fills a waiting bowl, nature offers its original gift to our houseplants. In this post, I explore why rainwater and snowmelt nourish soil more gently than tap water — and what water teaches us about patience, renewal, and trusting life’s rhythm.