Musings on horticultural therapy and the soothing effects of plants and nature
One of my favorite sightings when I am in the Keys are iguanas. These colorful invaders from Central and South America are highly invasive and typically litter and chomp on the landscape. But this past Christmas, the Keys had record low temperatures, which killed large numbers of these reptiles. So in my daily bicycle rides, […]
A full moon appeared out of the ocean last night. Juana and I rock back and forth on a porch swing enjoying its reveal and the shadows it casts upon the sand and sea. We will soon be heading north, back home, though moments like this give us pause.
Juana and I decide to take a short road trip to Big Pine Key with our bikes. Big Pine Key is known for its Key deer, which are very tiny and cute, as well as the Blue Hole, which is an old limestone quarry that now fills with fresh water. This key was hammered by […]
The shoreline of our beach is not a pristine expanse of white sand, but is filled with wrack. This natural material is a combination of sea grasses, sponges, shells, coral, driftwood and other organic materials that wash up. When the wind comes from the south, it tends to pile up. From the north, it clears […]
The birds are always active looking for a snack regardless of size. Flying high are pelicans, anhingas and ospreys looking for yummy seafood and making a quick and decisive dive to capture a morsel. Closer to the ground are sanderlings that scamper in a pack pecking the sand looking for sustenance. Their quick and coordinated […]
Reaching for what I think is a blue plastic bag in the shoreline wrack, Juana yells, “Stop!” She spots what I don’t, which are a mass of stinging tentacles. It’s not a bag. It’s a Portuguese Man-of-War—a nasty, stinging jellyfish. These seemingly benign floaters come in on the tide and wind resting on the shoreline […]
While one may think that coconuts are the only things to forage in the Keys, there are lots of other options. The other day Juana and I stumbled upon some desert purslane nestled next to some wind-blown palm fronts and a stone-like sponge. Differing slightly by shape and taste, this wild succulent is just like […]
A lone hawk sits motionless on a Japanese maple branch hoping that an inattentive bird will feast at the feeder below. After a few minutes there are no takers and it flies away still looking for an afternoon meal.
The birds have pretty much picked clean all the berries and seed heads in the yard leaving bare branches and stalks in their wake. With the early warming rays of the sun, they flock to the feeders in the front and back of our house. Ground feeders like doves, pidgins, and juncos avoid the traffic […]
January has arrived (sort of). The temperatures are falling and nightly fires in the wood stove have become common. The kindling has nearly run out as has the wood bin in the garage. I enlist Juana to help me in both areas. About 10 trips with the log carrier gets the bin filled. It looks […]