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You might be a gardening geek if…………………. (monarch metamorphosis!)

September 28, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

you might be a gardening geek if...

You might be a gardening geek if...

  • when you find a Monarch chrysalis, you plaster the news over social media;
  • you are convinced if there is one, there must be more so you crawl around on your knees in the mulch along the house and fence searching for other Monarch chrysalises—and you were right(!);
  • you read everything you can about the process, all the way to the last page of the internet;
  • you postpone travel plans because your Monarchs are likely to emerge during the time you would be gone;
  • you photograph your chrysalises several times a day (more often than you photograph your dogs) to monitor changes even though there don’t appear to be any;
  • you might even talk to them;
  • on the morning that two of your chrysalises begin to show true signs of metamorphosis, you skip an all day writing class because what if they are born while you are gone?;
  • you head straight to Westwood Gardens where you ignore the giant containers of fall mums in favor of more milkweed, your new favorite plant;
  • when you return, TWO OF THE MONARCHS HAVE BEEN BORN!

Continue Reading

Magic in the Decay: Composting My Way

September 26, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

Composting 101Shortly after moving into our Fayetteville home, we built a compost. I’m happy to report I have finally started using it. It took me a while to get my ducks in a row because a) during winter we had very little yard clippings to add, and b) I couldn’t get my ducks in a row. Composting 101 (my way)–that’s today’s topic. There’s magic in decay. Lots of magic.Continue Reading

How to harvest Coneflower Seeds

August 24, 2015 By Talya Tate Boerner

how to harvest coneflower seeds

Coneflowers rank right up there with black-eyed Susans as my favorite native summer flowers. I planted six coneflower plants in our new front bed this past spring. As the flowers have begun to dry on the stalks, I’ve been snipping some of the heads and leaving them in the bed to multiply. I’ve also begun drying and harvesting seeds to sow in other areas of our garden and to share with friends. Today I’m showing you how to harvest coneflower seeds.Continue Reading

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Hi! I'm Talya Tate Boerner. Writer, Reader, Arkansas Master Naturalist / Master Gardener, Author of

THE ACCIDENTAL SALVATION OF GRACIE LEE (2016)

GENE, EVERYWHERE: a life-changing visit from my father-in-law (2020)

BERNICE RUNS AWAY (2022)

THE THIRD ACT OF THEO GRUENE (coming 2025)

Recent Ramblings:

  • Sunday Letter: February 22, 2026
  • Our Garden Mission Statement
  • Goodbye, 2025. Hello, 2026.
  • Sunday Letter: 11.23.25
  • Maggie and Miss Ladybug: My New Children’s Nature Book

Novels:

Coloring Books:

Fiction-Themed Coloring Books

Backyard Phenology:

Children’s Nature Book:

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