Hello Fellow Readers, Last week, I shared about the buck rub on Ellie’s memorial holly (link below) and how branches ended up strewn along the base of the tree. While rubbing, deer often chew on lower branches, then paw at the soil and urinate to mark their territory. I saved the bran

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, You may remember the story of the replacement tree planted in memory of Miss Ellie Mae, my rescue before Jolee. The first tree, a ‘Baby Blue Eyes’ Blue Spruce, didn’t survive. Its roots were severely cut and crisscrossed—what’s known in the tr

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. I harvested the last of my vegetables from the garden—late by most standards. But tucked into that final harvest were unexpected reminders of the resilience of a No-Till garden and the quiet wisdom that arrives when we let Nature lead. Ripenin

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Last week, I shared the sad news that the Karen Ann Quinlan Home for Hospice in Fredon, NJ, will close on November 14, 2025. As you can imagine, my final visits as a volunteer come with a swirl of emotions. On Friday, while chatting with the a

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. We are past the peak of fall colors, though there’s still more to enjoy. Before me are the brilliant red leaves of a Japanese Maple and the golden glory of Bottlebrush Buckeye, dancing on in the breeze, bringing to mind how leaves change

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green, Last week, while recording the podcast version of our weekly chat from the screen porch, a loud ruckus of birds erupted, sounding like an argument from the oak tree by the vegetable garden. The ruckus was equivalent to the deafening sounds of

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. Sunflowers not only purify our earth of toxins, there smiling faces also bring happiness that can help heal our hearts. What a delight to revisit Liberty Farm’s Sussex County Sunflower Maze in Sandyston. Raj Sinha kindly offered a tour o

Craig has had two rings that have made recurring visits to his lawn over the past few years in the same place. Each one is about ten feet wide and spaced five feet apart. He and Caroline live in front of a farm field and thought pesticides used over the years could be causing the myst

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. As dry as our weather has been, there’s been some fascinating and fun fall fungi that have shown up in our lawns, including Giant Puffball Mushrooms, which are intriguing and edible. I harvested conjoined twin giant puffballs before cutt

Hello, fellow lovers of all things green. About a month ago, at late dusk, I took Jolee over the footbridge across the pond to her potty spot. On the way back, I noticed an oddly flattened snake, but there was no blood, and the head was intact. How strange, given there’s no vehi