Monthly Archives: September 2019

Planting For Climate Change


Posted on September 30, 2019 by Ann Lovejoy

Long blooming heat lovers thrive with few inputs Looking South For New Ideas I’ve been asked a lot lately about which plants might work best as our climate changes. Clearly, climate change is having enormous impacts on our forests as … Continue reading →

Posted in Care & Feeding, Climate Change, Easy Care Perennials, Native Plants, Pollination Gardens, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Celebrate The Equinox With Tree Planting

Posted on September 23, 2019 by Ann Lovejoy

I have to remind myself forcibly that despair is exactly what the current regime and others like it around the world intend; despair is notoriously debilitating, as are depression and anxiety. People without hope are easily overwhelmed and tend to hunker down rather than stand and fight. As people of color everywhere have known forever, it’s hard to keep on fighting through many weary years. So what helps? Well, for me, trees do. Plants do. When I weed my tiny yard, I notice hundred of seedlings, sown with a lavish hand as nature works to replenish what humans destroy. The world-wide strikes for climate change fill me with hope, even though the kids are clear that they want our help, not our hope. I still offer my hope, because I’m not hoping that the kids will magically “figure it all out” and repair our battered, broken world. My hope is that their clarity, energy, courage and strength continues to revitalize those of us who have felt derailed or despairing. Continue reading →

Posted in Climate Change, Gardening With Children, Health & Wellbeing | 3 Comments

Pick A Peck Of Peppers

Posted on September 16, 2019 by Ann Lovejoy

To protect yourself, always use gloves when handling fresh chiles. Also, avoid touching yourself ANYWHERE, and keep some antihistamine (such as Benedryl) on hand in case of accidents. If hot peppers give your hands a “burn”, plunge them in cold water and take an antihistamine immediately; the burning sensation is a histamine response, so the usual burn treatments won’t help. Here’s another tip from direct experience; always work in a well ventilated space. When prepping peppers and when using a vegetable dehydrator, run a vent fan to avoid getting those volatile pepper oils in your eyes, nose, or throat and save yourself from a world of hurt.
Continue reading →

Posted in preserving food, Recipes, Sustainable Gardening, Sustainable Living, Tomatoes, Vegan Recipes | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Nurturing Monarchs

Posted on September 9, 2019 by Ann Lovejoy

If Monarchs are no longer showing up, what’s the point? Planting projects to reestablish native milkweeds can have remarkable results. This summer, several members of the Deschutes Land Trust experienced an astonishing butterfly bonanza in Brookings, Oregon. A number of Land Trust members have learned how to nurture and support Monarchs by creating Waystations for migrating butterflies. These can be as small as a series of modest patches of milkweed and nectar-rich, long blooming flowers, or extensive pollinator gardens, well stocked with milkweeds and a wider variety of nectar and pollen producing plants. (To learn about the training and certification for Waystation making and maintaining, check out this link:

https://www.monarchwatch.org/waystations/ .) Continue reading →

Posted in Butterfly Gardens, Pollination Gardens, Pollinators | Tagged , , | 2 Comments