Author Archives: dirtynailz

I am so fed up with all the trash people toss out of their cars on the road to the beach. I thought I’d document some of it and indulge in a little rant at the same time. I’d love … Continue reading →

We took one of our favorite drives recently, to Cape Cod. It only takes about an hour for us to get there, and it’s always a pleasant change of scene. We don’t even think about going in the summer, because … Continue reading →

As the forsythia blooms and the narcissus flower their gorgeous heads off, something more ominous pokes up from the grass: signs warning that lawns have been sprayed with chemicals. I am completely, totally and rabidly opposed to the use of … Continue reading →

We have just returned from a week in Fernie, British Columbia. We have skied there for the past several years and we were really looking forward to this week, particularly after such a pathetic ski season here in the east. … Continue reading →

Here’s HerbDoc with one of the oldest gardening questions: Is it time to plant????? The days are finally getting longer, and the winter has been almost balmy, but is it time to plant? Gardeners need to remember that sowing too … Continue reading →

There was an interesting op-ed piece in our local paper recently. It was entitled : “Those over-rated ‘heirloom veggies’” and it was written by none other than the Chair of the Burpee Seed company, George Ball. In it, he attempts … Continue reading →

As many of my readers know, on winter weekends when I am not skiing, I almost always take a walk. This time, I stayed in my immediate neighborhood. Please join me. I find this creepy, and possibly downright evil. A … Continue reading →

The plant in the photo above has been living contentedly on our kitchen table for nearly a year. I bought it last summer for $20 from a vendor on the grounds of the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens. It’s a variegated … Continue reading →

Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome HerbDoc to the  orchid club: I was shopping at a local big box store this afternoon when I suddenly came upon a display of incredibly beautiful phalaenopsis orchids. The colors were dazzling and I couldn’t … Continue reading →

The man in the above photo has adopted the default posture for anyone walking on a beach. Why are we so drawn to the things we see lying on the sand?I find beach combing very much like gardening. It’s sort … Continue reading →