Simple Pleasures - grace grits and gardening

Sunday Letter: 12.04.22

December 4, 2022 By Talya Tate Boerner 1 Comment

Dear Sunday Letter friends,

Oh my goodness, November was a complete blur for me. And now December is here, and I want time to slow so I can savor every moment of the most wonderful time of the year.

I don’t know when I’ve been so excited for Christmas. I think attending the Christmas parade and tree lightning in Littleton, Colorado, on the day after Thanksgiving really gave me a head start. Also, because my son and daughter-in-law will be with us this Christmas, I’m over-the-moon excited.

It has been several years since either of my kids came home for Christmas. Even though we all live within a short 1.5 hour flight from each other, that often feels way too far away.

Anyway, with only 28 days left in the year(!), I hope to appreciate every little sparkly bit.

Diary of a Spicebush Swallowtail Caterpillar

May 8, 2022 By Talya Tate Boerner 11 Comments

Pour yourself a cup of coffee and prepare to fall in love again. I’ve been sooooo excited to share my diary of a certain cute spicebush swallowtail caterpillar. If you followed my butterfly stories last summer, you might remember that I was a bit obsessed with raising butterflies on the back porch. I successfully released 50 butterflies—44 monarchs and 6 eastern black swallowtails.

And, at the end of the season, after the last monarch had headed to Mexico where they hibernate for winter, two spicebush swallowtail chrysalises lagged behind, still in the chrysalis stage.

So here’s my diary of a spicebush swallowtail caterpillar. Two caterpillars, actually.

Garden Surprises in Spring

May 26, 2021 By Talya Tate Boerner 5 Comments

This spring, so many garden surprises have entertained me. Almost every day something reveals itself. Something unexpected, curious, even unusual.

It helps that I spend a crazy amount of time poking around outside. (The more time one spends with any activity, the more accessible and intimate the parts of that activity become.) Each inch of soil surrounding our home is habitat for fungi, bacteria, insects, tiny burrowing creatures and organisms. Healthy soil supports plant growth by anchoring and insulating roots, filtering water, holding oxygen, and supplying nutrients. While soil provides life, it certainly enhances mine.

Our garden has been especially magical this year. Or, maybe I’ve simply fallen under its spell.Continue Reading

Food. Farm. Garden. Life.