that beagle, mama and preparing for winter

desperately seeking sun

florence: Boboli Gardens at Palazzo Pitti

To end my two day mini-tour in Florence, I decided to visit the Boboli Gardens at Palazzo Pitti. I would recommend it to anyone who would like to find a peaceful place to draw, meditate and relax. Not to mention, the amazing view of the city that awaits for you when you walk all the way to the top of the gardens. I think my spring fever is on now... can't wait to garden.

letting nature take the lead

In the past Edgar has been determined to rake up the leaves from the million trees that surround our house as soon as they touch the ground. This year, however, the babies [or should I say, our bosses] have kept him too busy indoor to maintain the yard. As a result, when we look out our windows now the ground isn't a mossy green, but a wash of gold and amber. It reminds us just how beautiful nature is when left to do its own thing.

a prickly subject

We've lived with this cactus for four years. In that time it hasn't grown a millimeter. Makes me wonder just how old it must be..

stop and smell the springtime

Who knew I had ESP at six?

This is exactly what I've been doing this afternoon...looking at tulips...or at least their first sprouts, emerging from the ground. Today feels like spring and I'm so eager to see what becomes of last fall's massive bulb planting; that is if our ravenous squirrel neighbors don't get to the fruits of our labor first.

P.S. Please forgive my scan quality. If only I'd know the merits of drawing with pen back in 1986. You'd think I would have planned better...especially with my sixth sense and all...

better than flowers

sketchworthy service: jeremy @ new garden nursery

For quite some time I've wanted to purchase a couple of Dwarf English Boxwoods for our yard. A few weeks ago I visited New Garden Landscaping and Nursery and, much to my surprise, all the shrubs were half-off...bingo! [I was probably the only person looking for plants in the middle of winter, but that's besides the point.]

As I searched the nursery in the bitter cold, Jeremy Warren stopped what he was working on and asked if I needed any help finding anything. I asked his advice on how to take care of my new shrubs and could tell he took pleasure talking about the plants. And, because he noticed how much I liked my little shrubs, he took time to show me another stash of english boxwoods under a tarp and picked the ones he thought looked good.

This all sounds like a pretty good customer service, but Jeremy went above and beyond. When he asked “Is there anything else I can help you with?” he showed true sincerity. Not only was he glad to help me, he wanted to make sure I had all the information I needed before heading home.

Jeremy made me feel welcome…as if I was in my own yard. What a cool guy!

Learn more about this series here.

gardening: my new passion

Suzanne and I bought our house last August. Ever since, I have taken lots of interest in gardening. No wonder why... when I garden I tend to relax and experience a strong connection with nature. These are my first planters.