I was tending my flower beds when I spied some movement on a batch of Black Eyed Susan blooms. A small praying mantis was looking for lunch among the flowers! It saw me at the same time and really gave me the stare down. It was a brave little insect that held it's ground and didn't move away from someone much larger that itself.

The praying mantis was introduced in the southeastern US in the late 1800's for pest control. They are… Continue

I may never have learned to love to garden if not for the influence of my grandparents. They spent all their waking hours outside, only going indoors for meals. My grandfather was a plasterer/cement mason by trade and had always worked in construction. He built their home in addition to others for his family members. He was also an avid rockhound and created jewelry from his finds in the desert. My grandmother was a homemaker all her life and a darn good one too. Together they were an inspiring… Continue