Most of the time when you walk through a parking lot, you are often greeted by the appearance of islands scattered throughout overplanted with badly maintained shrubs. Last month, I drove into a parking lot that was quite unusual in that…

This year, the anniversary of a very important date in our family's life quietly snuck up on us. Exactly 11 years ago in a hotel lobby in China, my life was changed when our son Kai, was first placed in my arms. He was 2 1/2 years…

In my humble opinion, a garden should be filled with plants that benefit wildlife. Imagine a garden that not only rewards you with beauty but also has the wonderful side benefit of allowing you to observe wildlife up close when they come and…

January is off to a busy start.  We have gone from a house bursting at the seams to one that seems suddenly spacious after my two oldest daughters left for home with their children.  While I do miss them, I must admit that I never…

Do you write a family Christmas letter telling people what has been happening in the past year? I confess that I have never done this before.  But today, I thought that I would write one for you that talks about our Christmas celebration…

Do you garden in winter? For most of us, the answer is decidely "no".  That is also true for many of us who live in warmer climates as the shorter days often slow down plant growth. However, for those of us who are rose lovers,…

Last week, I had one of my best days at work.  I had to do some work out in the field, which entailed placing 3 large boulders in a high profile landscape design of a golf course. While placing boulders may seem rather boring to…

With the arrival of winter, some people resign themselves to a boring garden, devoid of interest until spring arrives with its warmer temperatures. Thankfully, we don't have to settle for 'blah' winter gardens if cold-hardy succulents have…

Some of you may remember me sharing about my oldest daughter moving to a small town in Michigan back in early September - "Goodbye Arizona, Hello Michigan".  It was so hard to see them go, but at the same time, I was excited for…