Solano

Work Smarter not Harder After two knee replacements and recovery, I must admit that I am not as spry as I used to be. In my mind, I think I can throw 2 cubic foot bags of soil with ease and weed a garden plot in half an hour. Not anymore.

My favorite ride in Walt Disney World in Florida isn't one of the roller coasters, 3D rides or even one of the major headliners. It is Epcot's Living with the Land. It is one of the most inspiring and meticulously curated gardens in the world.

Protea is a species of flowering plants from South Africa. It is a member of the Leucadendron family, also commonly known as the sugarbush. Interestingly enough, it belongs to an ancient angiosperm, which evidence from pollen fossils that date back to 80 million years ago.

Having seen many pretty pictures of succulent fairy gardens online, I finally decided to attempt one myself. Armed with a hammer, chisel and old towel, I was ready to start on some Dollar Store Terracotta pots. The klutz in me had said to definitely buy more than one pot.

Sunchoke - Jerusalem Artichoke - Sunroot, Helianthus tuberosus Edible Tuber Plant 4-6 inches deep and 12-18 inches apart Grows 6-10 tall, Needs staking.

Spring blooms ending soon Most roses are in full bloom May a month of change...

With spring so warmly upon us, thoughts turn to meaningfully entertaining children during summer vacation.

I love to grow a variety of easy-to plant, spring-flowering bulbs for their colorful, cheery blooms in the garden and to fill vases inside my home. One of my favorites is ranunculus, which come in a variety of colors and petal styles, and are very easy to grow.

Every so often, I rescue a spider from my bathroom, and sometimes I need to call my husband to help. I do the same for other creatures, but I have always been particularly curious about spiders. One spider type that visits often has very long legs, which are well known as daddy-longlegs.

We live near a fast food restaurant that doesn't have much landscaping, mostly white rocks and few scrubby plants. But it also has six compact, deciduous, spring-flowering magnolia trees planted in two groups of three that are quite charming.