Mary Mofit Small, Author

(magic with a wink)

Tag: Plants

  • Noisy Landscaping vs. Meditative Gardening

    Noisy Landscaping vs. Meditative Gardening

    The Fence We once owned a miniature schnauzer who KNEW that chasing the neighbors into their house and critters into the woods was in her job description. Although the couple next door thought she was hilarious, we fenced part of our land to keep Pixie from meeting a coyote twice her size while following a […]

  • When Your Houseplants Answer You

    When Your Houseplants Answer You

    You know you’re in a pandemic when you talk to your houseplants. You know things have taken an ugly turn when they respond.

  • Fall Flowers for Hummingbirds: Readers’ Suggestions

    Fall Flowers for Hummingbirds: Readers’ Suggestions

    Last week, I wrote about planting fall flowers for hummingbirds, and I promised to post any suggestions I received. Fun fact: plants that thrive in much of the United States will not grow in Massachusetts because it’s too cold. If you detect a touch of envy in my tone, you’re wrong. It’s sheer, blatant jealousy, […]

  • Flowers for Picky Hummingbirds

    Flowers for Picky Hummingbirds

    Why We Don’t Own a Hummingbird Feeder The growing season is over, and it’s time to pore through seed catalogs to decide what to grow in the garden next spring. But this year, the birds are demanding a say. A hummingbird appeared in front of our kitchen window in September, hovering and looking seriously annoyed. […]

  • Wildflowers: Early May

    Wildflowers: Early May

    Last week was a lovely slice of May, filled with beautiful days, birdsong, and wildflowers. (And yes, I’m exempting Mother Nature’s snowy snit over the weekend. The flakes melted as they landed, and our electricity came back on after only an hour or so—I’m willing to overlook it.) Today, I share the photos I took […]

  • Gardening with Weeds

    Gardening with Weeds

    Weeds get no respect from most of the planet, but I love them. Hardy enough to survive my non-existent gardening skills, they’ve fooled even my closest friends into believing that I have a green thumb. I admit, I occasionally buy a lovely, fragile flower, but it always ends as an expensive takeout dish for the […]

  • Poison Ivy: The Forest Sorcerer (Part 2)

    As I mentioned last week, every part of Poison Ivy is toxic. Still, could there be a tiny spark of good somewhere in its sappy vascular tissue? Does it have ANY useful purpose besides being an amazing way for the town curmudgeon to keep neighbors off their lawn? The answer is, yes, it does. It […]

  • Poison Ivy: The Forest Sorcerer (Part 1)

    The plant in these photos is a particularly villainous sorcerer of the forest. One touch can turn you into an itching, blistered, swollen mess. Like any good enchanter, it hides in plain sight by shape-shifting. And the false tales spread about it? They keep you from recognizing it until it’s far, far too late. Its […]

  • Vampires of the plant world

    At this time of the year, I am desperately searching for ANY sign of spring. Green sprouts thrusting up through the cold soil are a long-awaited sight. But not all leaves flaunt that distinctive color. Most do. I’m sure you learned in science class that the typical plant makes its own food with chlorophyll, which […]

  • Autumn is much too fast

    A month of autumn photos!