Author Archives: dirtynailz

“Be careful what you wish for!” my oh-so-funny friend warned, and of course, she was right. It was not even a week ago that I was writing wistfully about waiting for snow. Yesterday and last night, we got it – … Continue reading →

Here’s HerbDoc with the first  of a series of holiday week posts on – you guessed it – herbs! Here in Rhode Island, the majority of herbs in the garden have been put to bed for the winter, except for … Continue reading →

Aside from a cursory dusting this week, we remain snowless here in southern Rhode Island. It’s so close to Christmas, and yet, if you explore the woods, it could be November. The trees stand stoically in their duff of fallen … Continue reading →

The great thing about growing diverse orchid species is that they flower at different times. That means I have something in bloom throughout the year. This is Oncidium Twinkle “Pink Profusion.”  I have only had it for about six months, … Continue reading →

This seems like an appropriate time of year to consider the Christmas Cactus, Schlumbergera bridgesii. Those of you who own these are seeing them come into bloom right about now. I think they add a flamboyant and tropical touch to … Continue reading →

Another dispatch from my former home city of Montreal: This one has to do with the city’s squirrels, which are apparently harassing park visitors. News reports tell of squirrels stalking people and even leaping into baby strollers and snatching food … Continue reading →

As I explained in my last post, I was in Montreal for several days recently. One of the nicest things about my former city is Summit Park in Westmount. Sitting at the very top of the mountain, this wooded area … Continue reading →

I was in back in Montreal recently, visiting relatives and friends. In November, people start wrapping their trees and shrubs to protect them from the road salt and the cold. Some Montrealers (my good friend among them) scoff at such … Continue reading →

HerbDoc has some musings on one of our favorite herbs, and one we use often during the holidays: Thanksgiving is a few short days away, and one of the herbs that no cook can be without is sage.  Sage has … Continue reading →

It’s the little things that make me happy – like buying an orchid that is reputed to be difficult to grow, and getting it to bloom often. Since I entered the orchid world a few years ago, I have been … Continue reading →