May, Down and Dirty Gardening
Through the Garden Gate Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins Have you ever wished you had a vegetable garden but didn’t have the time? Well, now’s your chance. It’s not too late to break ground. All you need is a spade, preferably one with a straight edge, a hoe, some muscle, a tarp and any […]
April, Foraging in Your Backyard
Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins Ever wonder what you would do if you ran out of food? Would you starve? There are accounts of people lost in the wilderness, famished in the midst of all sorts of edibles. We are surrounded by berries, fruits, herbs, mushrooms and greens. The trick is identification. Get yourself […]
March, Nature Appreciation
Text and Illustration by Leslie Watkins Nature gives freely. She provides us with fruits, nuts, grains and leafy greens both directly and indirectly through the animal products we use for food, warmth, protection and a myriad of other things. But do we truly appreciate and respect Nature’s gifts, or are we taking her for granted? […]
February, Hope
Through the Garden Gate Text and Drawing by Leslie Watkins “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” –Hebrews 11:1 One may have the skills, expertise and resources to accomplish tasks, but without the drive fueled by hope it may not be possible to succeed. […]
December, Memento Mori
By Leslie Watkins Memento mori is Latin and means “remember you must die.” It’s a reminder of the inevitability of death, and it’s useful to help us keep things in proper perspective. Plato thought that the practice of philosophy was “about nothing else but dying and being dead.” Which in turn may make us wonder […]
Through the Garden Gate
November, A Late Autumn Cornucopia Text and Drawing Leslie Watkins Two thousand years before the horn of plenty became a symbol for thanksgiving, the cornucopia was a curved goat’s horn overflowing with nuts, fruits, vegetables and honey symbolizing harvest, prosperity and abundance. According to ancient myth, the infant Zeus accidentally broke off one of Amalthaea’s […]
October, Keeping Green
By Leslie Watkins Most gardeners share a deep regard for nature. We enjoy living a good life with the freedom to pursue our dreams and we love to see our gardens thrive. That love often extends beyond our own gardens to nature around the world. Everything depends on a healthy environment to work from and hopefully […]
September, Planting a Seed
Through the Garden Gate By Leslie Watkins Baby boomers will represent nearly 25 percent of the American population in 2020, and that number includes a lot of grandparents. Many grand-boomers love passing on knowledge and skills to their grandchildren. One of the best memories and activities one can share with a child is the cultivation […]
August, Dog Days of Summer
Through The Garden Gate By Leslie Watkins The saying “dog days of summer” as we use it generally refers to those hot, lazy summer days spent lolling in the hammock or on the beach, but actually it originates in astronomy. Sirius, the dog star, appears in the heavens in late July when it rises just […]
July, . . . Why?
Through the Garden Gate By Leslie Watkins Gardening is a lot of work. Digging in hard soil, hauling in compost and keeping up with the weeds are daunting. Learning what’s what is a whole other thing. There’s a lot to know, it’s endless. When you add up the hours spent laboring and learning, is it […]
