Can humans and paper wasps live together in peace? Two years ago, a couple of paper wasp nests appeared under the roof of my covered patio, and I decided to leave them there and see we could coexist. This is the European paper wasp, Polistes dominula. It looks a lot like a yellowjacket, but with a narrower body and longer… Read more →
In late August of 2021, I put in a different kind of garden—a water garden. I dug a hole in my backyard. It was six feet long, four-and-a-half feet wide, and two feet deep at the deepest point. I put in a pond liner, and I filled it with water. I trimmed off the excess liner, and I buried the… Read more →
When I began making my garden more wildlife-friendly a couple years ago, I never dreamt that wasps would be among my favorite visitors. I have since gotten a glimpse of the fantastic diversity of wasps that will appear when welcomed into the garden, and I’ve begun to appreciate how beautiful, interesting, and charming they can be. One endearing example showed… Read more →
A leafcutter bee visits my garden. On a warm, sunny day in late spring last year, I discovered I’d unwittingly constructed a condo for one of our precious native pollinators. Some years before, I’d stacked a pile of twigs and small branches against the south side of the house to use as kindling. Well, we hadn’t had a fire in… Read more →
It’s mid-May, and I’m working in my garden when I hear voices coming from the direction of my neighbor’s apple tree. Peeking over the fence, I see two men with saws and pole pruners. I feel a flutter of apprehension. I’ve seen the carnage that untrained tree trimmers can inflict on a tree, and the lack of safety equipment tells… Read more →
When Friends of Trees, Portland’s non-profit tree-planting group, came to my neighborhood in 2017, I scored a beautiful street tree for 35 bucks. I’d wanted two trees, two different varieties, but I could only make my mind up on one—a silver-leaved oak (Quercus hypoleucoides). I considered getting a parrotia for another 35 dollars, but I couldn’t decide if that was… Read more →
Something a little different this time. A short story. Lily and Destin: A Love Story “Mom, you don’t even know him!” she said, her eyes filling with tears. Lily and her mother, Sophie, were arguing again about her boyfriend, Destin. “You’re a monarch. He’s a spider. It’s just not right!” she said, more loudly than she intended. Sophie’s voice softened…. Read more →
