Dandy dandelions

Having been away for the past few weeks, I arrived home last week to discover my lawn inundated with dandelions. Taking to the yard with my spray bottle filled with white vinegar, and my mouth spitting vitriol about weeds that masquerade as flowers, my neighbor dropped by to ask about my cross-country trip.

"It's a shame you're getting rid of the dandelions," he said.

I looked at him, sure I'd misheard him. "What?" I asked.

"The dandelions, I just love them," he said. "They look so nice, popping up in the yard."

I took my finger off the spray-bottle trigger and tried to see the weeds the way he did. "Really?" I asked. All I saw were weeds marring an otherwise uniform green expanse.

"Yeah, I've always loved them. They're so cheery."

That's when his words hit home: One woman's weed was another man's precious flower. I stopped spritzing the yard and went inside with a good book, realizing if I didn't stress so much over what I envisioned as the "perfect weed-free yard," I'd have a heck of a lot more time to catch up on my reading. I have a list a mile long of personal must-reads.

The dandelions continued to grace the grass with their festive yellow blossoms. I remembered that my daughter's favorite color was yellow. I smiled and realized--yet again--it's all in how you look at it: weed or wondrous little flower, determined to thrive despite being (almost) universally hated.

At that moment a chubby little gopher waddled across my yard--eating every dandelion in his path!!! I stared in disbelief as he meticulously made his way from one golden bud to another, until he'd eaten every last one. Then, bypassing my hostas, he wandered off my yard, presumably searching for dandelions at my neighbor's place.

I looked back at my green lawn and let out a small sigh. Yes, balance was restored. And it took no effort on my part. I just let nature figure it out. I've gotta admit, I'm a long way from truly admiring the dogged dandelion. But I've got very little time to ponder that--I've just cracked the spine on a book I've been wanting to read for ten years!

Duck tales

Is there anything that inspires tranquil feelings more than watching ducks calmly paddling in a pond?  I thoroughly appreciate their gentle bobbing, and delight in their duck dives--their undercarriages suddenly on view as their tail feathers point heavenward, and webbed feet scale the water's surface upside down.

Nature at its most serene--or so I've always thought. Yet when we arrived last week at our modest lake house upstate, intent upon tidying the yard for the summer season, the ducks (pictured above) greeting me was a shock. Why? I don't have a pond on my property. Up until that weekend, I had an extra--grassy--lot in that space.

Needless to say, I didn't get the grass cleared of leaves, now that it was a pond. In the 16 years we've owned the place I've never seen it flood like that. Funny how every year is different. We had a relatively mild winter this year, until March hit. During that month we got a season's worth of snow and cold temperatures. It was followed by a few weeks of drenching April rains and, voila, we now have a pond!

It didn't take long to embrace the transformation. As I stood by my new water feature, watching the ducks' antics, I felt a familiar enjoyment wash over me. Sure, my yard probably won't recover for another month or two. I'll be clearing away leaves in late May or even early June, after the water evaporates, but that's okay. I realize the yard isn't the only thing that changed. Sometimes the best thing about nature is its unpredictability.

Think about Mother Nature's everyday surprises: the robin's nest under your eaves; daffodils popping up through the snow; a family of tree frogs suddenly taking up residence in your yard. Little marvels that are anything but mundane.

You know what? I'm really gonna miss that pond.

Basil: a versatile herb

If I could plant only one herb it would be basil (Ocimum basilcum). This member of the mint family, originating in tropical areas of Africa and Asia, has become a culinary staple worldwide. It's easily grown both indoors and out, reaches a height of 1-2 feet, flowers white to reddish from June to
September, and has leaves ranging in shade from glossy green to purple.

I have the purple variety throughout my landscape. I use it as a groundcover. When people ask what it is--and they always ask--I explain the colorful addition to the flowerbeds is wild basil. Because it has a distinctive scent, it discourages wildlife (most of whom just hate heavily scented plants), so it's more than a pretty face in the garden. In order for leaves to fill in, I sometimes nip the flowers, which

Its well-known green-leafed cousin dots my window boxes. I like the lushness of the plants, which envelope the area in a fresh, earthy scent, and produce a plethora of leaves for spicing up culinary creations. In fact, basil has also been used to flavor the liqueur Chartreuse, and is widely used as a tea. Basil tea has been known to relieve intestinal disorders, treat headaches, and even coughs. Historically, basil was given to women during childbirth to reduce labor pains. Traditional folklore entailed using basil as a good luck charm. It was said those who tucked a sprig into a pocket would have an abundance of love and money!

I don't know about that, but I always feel lucky to have this versatile herb in my garden.

Spring shape-up

Ever since my husband bought me a Fitbit this past Christmas I've been viewing the world through a healthier prism. Calculating my energy output and calorie intake has actually become fun. Now that Spring's here, I've happily discovered my longtime love of digging in the dirt pays off big time when it comes to decreasing stress and increasing muscle mass. Here's how:

Mentally: A productive day in the garden boosts self-esteem and focus, while reducing tension. Raking leaves, pulling weeds and prepping soil provides meditative energy which soothes us and teaches us to concentrate on individual tasks--and accomplishing our gardening goals makes us feel purposeful. To make the most of the experience, unplug. Leaving your electronic devices inside helps you disconnect from the wider world, enabling you to revel in the sounds of birdsong and sweet spring breezes. Hint: deep breaths--in through the nose, out through the mouth--enhance the relaxation effect.

Physically: A mere plant-watering session (30 minutes per day) burns more than 50 calories. Imagine how much energy you'll expend tidying up your backyard! Not such a tough row to hoe, is it? Bad puns aside, turning over dirt, collecting--and dumping--debris in wheelbarrows, and crisscrossing your yard dozens of times takes a lot work, but it also burns calories. And it gives back too--in the form of muscle-strengthening exercise. I spent an afternoon cleaning up my yard last week and recorded 20,000 steps on my Fitbit. That's more than 8 miles of walking!

Another plus: tending to your own outdoor spaces is cheaper than hiring someone else to do it. Make the commitment to shape up your landscape and enhance your health in the process. Spend the money you saved on a trip or a special treat for yourself. I plan on getting a mani-pedi and taking a two-week road trip!

Welcome, Spring!

The good new is that today's the first day of Spring! The bad news for northeasterners is that this (pictured above--at least the dogs are loving it) is what our garden spaces look like. Time to channel the inner Pollyanna buried deep within us: temperatures will be in the 50's today and tomorrow, the birds are twittering as if it were a mild summer morning, and the sun actually feels warm on my vitamin-D-deprived skin.

Time to banish the thought of the Nor'easter, six days ago, which dumped two feet of snow on our tenderly sprouting daffodils, crocus and hyacinths. As I dig out the perennial beds, I remind myself of the lovely photos my friend sent me from the recent Philadelphia Flower Show (pictured below).  Looking at the array of floral offerings from the famous event is a tension tamer, to be sure. The colors alone lower my cortisol levels.

If you're as antsy as I am to sample the flora of our area, but know you're at least a week's worth of snow melt away from seeing the seasonal shift in your garden, visit some of the botanical gardens in our area of the country:

New York Botanical Garden, Bronx, NY, has a fabulous Orchid Show, which it presents each spring. This year's offerings are not to be missed.

Brooklyn Botanic Garden's 52-acre section of flowering cherry blossoms will soon be in full bloom--a true harbinger of spring.

Garden in the Woods, Framingham, MA, maintains a 45-acre landscape of native plants--the largest offering in the northeastern United States.

Green Animals Topiary Gardens, Portsmouth, RI, boasts topiary critters of all shapes and sizes .

Elizabeth Park Rose Garden, Hartford, CT, is the site of a famous flower show each spring.

This is just a small slice of the bountiful botanical pie the northeast offers. Each state has a wide variety of venues just ripe for the picking. Check out the ones closest to you.

Get to know Rosemary

I plant rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis) in my window boxes each spring because I'm addicted to the scent, but there are a lot of reasons to love this herb. In addition to scenting the air around it--which keeps wildlife at bay--you can rub the tiny leaves on your skin to smell fresh and discourage bugs. It's also an attractive plant, sprouting pale blue flowers in spring, and its growing habit lends it to easy shaping. I've often seen rosemary fashioned into topiaries.

Of course rosemary is best known as a culinary herb, principally with meats. Chefs of all skills and talents keep this versatile herb in their kitchens. Rosemary tea is also quite popular, and can even be useful in alleviating headaches and congestion due to colds.

Historically, the leaves and flowering plant tops of rosemary were combined with other liquids and oils to create medicine to stimulate liver function and raise blood pressure--concoctions that I don't recommend whipping up in your kitchen! These remedies relied upon rosemary's mildly astringent, antiseptic properties which ancient healers also used to treat skin problems, wounds--and even baldness. I'd steer clear of such remedies, since large doses of ingested rosemary can be poisonous--even fatal. Best to stick with a few flavorful leaves adorning the Rosemary Chicken you're making for dinner.

Native to the Mediterranean, which is much milder than the Northeastern United States, it's not a perennial in these parts, but when planted in early spring, it will last a good five months--right up until the first hard frost in autumn. The scent alone--fresh, clean and ever-so-slightly spicy--is reason enough to add it each year to your garden.

Winter wrap-up--getting the garden ready for spring

March has arrived, which can only mean one thing: spring is right around the corner. Since we had a milder-than-usual winter in the Northeast, I'm eager to get my spring flowerbeds prepped, but I must put the brakes on that plan. March--and even April--have been known to throw climatic curve balls. Best to keep the oak leaves covering tender perennials for a few more weeks.

Still, Spring is in the air and I'm enjoying the clues nature is doling out: magnolia buds, tulips and hyacinths sprouting. Green moss everywhere. What a minute! Moss everywhere? It's a fine sight to see in places I've encouraged it to grow. Not so welcome in other areas. For that reason, I've begun to think of this illustrious time of year as "baking soda month."

Armed with my jumbo-sized box (for $1.98), I take to my front lawn, sprinkling it onto emerald patches like fairy dust. I then relentlessly grind my foot into the areas where moss is marked for extinction. This aggressive action forces the baking soda into the moss roots, killing them. Harsh, I know, but you have to get at it early. Come April, moss spores take to the air. That's moss-speak for "go forth and multiply." Next thing you know, you've got a whole new generation of the green stuff taking up residence in your lawn and flower beds.

A little due diligence is pretty easy this time of year. I mean, really, what else is there to do this early in the season, besides dream of the perfect outdoor space? Take the time to pull the plug on moss now. Your thriving spring garden will thank you for it in a month or two.