Tina reminds us that “as we age it’s important to maintain our social lives, to stay mentally and physically healthy and to challenge ourselves to learn new things.” This week she invites us to showcase things we’ve learned about any subject of our choice. Sitting outside on my deck, it seems fitting to feature gardening. When we had our house built 40 years ago, we asked that as many trees as possible be saved. Through the years I have stewarded this sylvan refuge.

To learn what would thrive, I studied gardening resource books (now internet), talked with family and friends, and tried things out, focusing primarily on perennial and native plants. Some worked well, other quickly faded. We now have seven tall Douglas Firs, five Vine maples, one Bigleaf maple and a large stand of holly in this east-facing back yard. Understory plants include rhododendron, hydrangea, Japanese Ajuga, various viburnums and a carpet of shade loving ground covers. From early spring to late fall this is my favorite place to be (when not at the beach!) and it’s a year-round sanctuary for birds.

Top left clockwise: adult Pacific Steller’s Jay, adult male Varied Thrush, fledgling Red-breasted Nuthatch, Mourning Doves, adult feeding fledgling Northern Flicker, aka Red-shafted Flicker.

From sunup till late afternoon, my front yard has a lot of sun exposure. This is where lilacs bloom in spring, followed by rhododendron and hydrangea, and by mid-summer rudbeckia and echinacea join the perennial color-riot. In May I plant annual vegetables, herbs and companion plants in raised garden beds. Again, I learn what works through research, and trial and error.

Our neighborhood abounds with bunnies, and a good many hop between our front yard and our neighbors yard. Years ago I learned they devour carrot-tops, lettuce and sweet peas, so I only put in plants they historically avoid; tomatoes, zucchini, basil, thyme, rosemary and sage. Things were looking good in the veggie gardens this spring until one morning I noticed that all three of the Genovese basil I’d inter-planted among tomatoes, were gone! When I saw that the lower leaves of some heirloom tomatoes had been chewed upon, I immediately placed plastic netting around the base of the tomato cages, and they have rebounded.

Then I fashioned a plastic netting cage to the back of my other tomato bed and planted sweet peas and basil inside. They are doing well, and once in a while I see a bunny looking through the net longingly.

I could go on from here, as the bunnies gnawed down my gladiolus and started in on the one artichoke I’d planted just for fun. I net-fenced it along with some chewed upon snapdragons and calendula, and now they’re doing fine. This fall I’ll put in fresh gladiolus bulbs and fashion a bunny-proof fence around that bed. So we Live and Learn! Stay curious and you will never be bored. Thank you Tina for another wide-open challenge. I wish all the green thumbs out there a plentiful harvest.

On your walk with life, please honor our earth, encourage dignity and share kindness. 🐾