Blog
As a curious observer of life, I blog on writing, marketing, my prairie - anything that interests me in the moment. I like to have conversations with readers, so don’t hesitate to leave a comment. I'll respond.
The lawn is emerald green. The trees leaf out. Violets dot the lawn with splashes of lavender. The inevitable dandelions bloom. But from a distance, the prairie is brown. It is only 11 months since…
Read MoreMy intent has been to write about my prairie at least once every month. But sitting here in my office, looking out across the area where I so hopefully planted a prairie last spring, all…
Read MoreThe prairie is brown now. As my county extension agent promised, the crab grass died with the first hard frost. Dropping millions of seeds before letting go. A gift for future years. I mowed off…
Read MoreSnow on October 10. This was unexpected. When a weather occurrence is out of the ordinary, I always think, ‘Do I remember this happening before?’ Though I do not remember snow as early as October…
Read MoreA friend asked if I planned to mow the prairie off. It hadn’t occurred to me until she said something. I had been thinking to let the snow and rain mat the grass down to…
Read MoreAt this time of the year, I think of the end of the garden, the end of flowers. Roll up the hose, clean off the spent flower stems, bring house plants back inside. Fall coming…
Read MoreFour years ago, some friends began to restore several acres of prairie near their country home. This summer, as we walked the paths they’d cut through their prairie, Big Bluestem waved above our heads, the…
Read MoreSeptember 1, another month past in my prairie restoration. The battle against crab grass is lost. In some areas, the seed heads are knee deep. It is quite the mess. During August, I sought to…
Read MoreThis weekend marked the second month for my prairie. In spite of the crabgrass and barnyard grass, I have begun to spot native plants: Big Bluestem, Partridge Pea, many coneflowers. That’s a Partridge Pea in…
Read MoreNot quackgrass! That’s the judgment of the Iowa State University Extension Service who took a look at the pictures I sent and responded in a couple of hours. Crab grass and barnyard grass. Both annuals…
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