grace grits and gardening

ramblings from an arkansas farm girl

The Little Pipevine That Could

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The Little Pipevine That Could

Two days ago, the best thing happened! The Little Pipevine That Could arrived on our doorstep.

Let me explain…

I’d been looking EVERYWHERE to purchase a pipevine plant. Pipevine is the host plant for the Pipevine Swallowtail, and I want to add it to our butterfly garden. Unfortunately, pipevine plants are difficult to locate. This spring, they quickly sold out at all the regular garden places I visit (if they were there to begin with). The Botanical Garden of the Ozarks offered a few starters at its spring sale, but I was a few minutes late to the on-line party and missed out. Continue Reading

Happy Memorial Day Weekend!

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Happy Memorial Day weekend! If I could, I would give you a bouquet of red poppies…

This Memorial Day likely won’t look the same as Memorial Days of the past. (Well, it shouldn’t, in my opinion.) While the corona-craziness has changed the scope of our gatherings, (well, it should, in my opinion), the meaning behind Memorial Day hasn’t changed. And that’s what’s important.

On Memorial Day, we commemorate those who died in service to our country.

Poppy Symbol

Did you know the red poppy is the symbol of both Memorial Day and Veterans Day? I only learned of this poppy connection a few years ago while doing book research for Gene, Everywhere.

After WWI, red poppies were the first flowers to bloom across war-torn European battlefields. The seeds had lay dormant for some time, but after such disturbance to the land, they germinated again.Continue Reading

Sunday Letter: 05.17.2020

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Sunday Letter

Hello Sunday Letter friends,

I have figured something out about coronavirus. Not only does a world with coronavirus make time pass at lightning speed—I mean, it’s already the middle of MAY—but it also makes my arms flabby.

Has anyone else experienced this?

Truly, I’m not making light of COVID-19; this is me trying to make it down the road. The gravel washed-out, pot-holed road.

This past week was another rollercoaster for me. There were several days when I felt as though I might come out of my skin. And then other times, all was well and I was content to sit and write for hours. Continue Reading

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