As I’ve written before, there is no end to the garden to-do list. It’s a constant challenge to keep the list from dominating my life, and I fail on a regular basis. Some things are just essential. But essential is often subjective. Just this morning, in the middle of an essential task, I thought: How essential is this? Dove-proofing bird feeders—really? That must be the most nonessential thing in the world. But bear with me while I explain why it is essential to me. First, ho

Bit by bit, the kitchen update I started last November is progressing. I’ve replaced the white faux wood blinds with bamboo shades. I love the natural look and the warmth they bring, but best of all, I love that I can see outside even when they’re closed. When it’s just too hot to be in the garden, I still enjoy a filtered view of green, splashes of color, shapes and outlines, and flashes of movement as birds feed and fly around all day long. The garden is ethereally visible,