Summer Garden 2008, Redux

Three things today...

First of all...was it just me or was Google down today? Don't *ever* do that to me again, Google. You're scaring me.

Second, I have the Accidental Guest Blogger today: Green Nana. Today's post is "ripped from the headlines", er, I mean, her email. Take it away, Green Nana (who, by the way, lives in plant hardiness zone 5a, I believe)! [Warning - see the kind of coded messages from her I have to decipher on a daily basis?!]

re: blog....i also got the planting season bug....but jumped the gun
up here in cold ma. did buy lettuce seeds, but the "seed starting soil" bags are not yet at home depot or lex. gardens! i did take some
cutting to see what was wrong with my bushes......needs fertilizer was
the answer! trying to find coast of me." organic soil bags i will not buy
"scotts" here is a seedling tip......use the paper egg cartons to start seedlings and then you can just plant the whole thing when the plants get big enough because the
cardboard will just disintegrate into the soil:) hugs, mom

Thanks, Green Nana: the "original" Gift of Green!

And finally, as Green Nana reminded me, it is almost time...get ready...for Clothesline 2008! Woohooo! I am thinking of some type of clothesline challenge this summer for my bloggy friends - which brings me to this: is there anyone out there who will design a Clothesline 2008 bloggy button for me? I have nothing to offer in return except credit and a link back atcha.

Books We Love: Leaf Jumpers

Phew! The Wanna-Greenies are back from a whirlwind tour of Massachusetts, visiting Green Nana and Green Gramps, and I've got a lot of catching up to do. I'm looking forward to visiting your blogs and to posting about the latest and greatest in greenery.

We did a lot of fun stuff while in the Bay State: The New England Aquarium, Lookout Farm, and lots and lots of walks and hikes. I also have two observations to make about the inhabitants of my former place of residence: 1) I don't care what the actual statistics are, and Starbucks can disagree with me all they want, but these people love their Dunkin' Donuts. That's all I'm sayin'. 2) These people (again with the "these people") are...um...shall we say, kind of into the team logo apparel. We are talking there must be a Red Sox hat, t-shirt, or sweatshirt for every man, woman, and child in the Bay State and they are all wearing them at once. Love that team pride!

While we were in Boston, we also had the opportunity to visit with artist and illustrator, Leslie Evans at Sea Dog Press. She is busily working on a new book called Winter Trees, published once again by Charlesbridge Press. It is a companion book to her previous award-winning tree-tise (hahaha, oh gosh, I slay myself) Leaf Jumpers. If you have not seen this book yet it, you should really make an effort to find it in your local library or bookstore as it is the perfect time of year for this perennial favorite.

Using the same hand-cut linoleum block print and watercolor technique that she used for her Acrostic series, she illustrates in autumnal colors the different leaves from our favorite trees. Along with author Carole Gerber's rhyming narration, you cannot help but want to gather up your own pile of leaves to crunch through. In the interest of full disclosure, this book happens to feature my two cousins, but hey...I'd love Leslie's work anyway!

I hope you enjoy Leaf Jumpers, no matter if autumn leaves fall in your neck of the woods or not! And who knows...Leslie, if you're reading this...maybe you'd agree to be interviewed for a future Gift of Green post!

A New England State of Mind

In the random flotsam and jetsam of donations that pass through my library, there is an occasional gem. This week's gem was the July/August issue of Yankee Magazine, which I have not see in oodles of time and sports a new, breezy format. The editor, in his "Letter to Our Readers" column quotes Henry Beston, the author of The Outermost House. I reprint it here:

The three great elemental sounds in nature are the sound of rain, the sound of wind in a primeval wood, and the sound of the outer ocean on a beach.

I think that about says it all. What nature-writing have you read, if at all? I confess that I have not read much, but if Gift from the Sea counts, I certainly recommend it. Any suggestions for starters?

With the number of Kids and Nature posts, and the yet to be read "Last Child in the Woods" I hereby declare the upcoming month of August Month of the Outdoor Child in the Wannie-Greenie household. This is going to be pretty freakin' tricky considering that the month of August in my neck of the woods is about as hazy, hot, and humid as you can get...but soon September will be right around the corner and you know what that means...shudder. Fortunately, my kids love the outdoors, but I would like to read some new and clever ideas. Today we spent the morning at a park nestled in the woods, shaded and cool. It was a short walk from one of our areas fabulous nature centers, so we stopped there briefly but decided the small turtle pond was more interesting. Living up to its name, the turtle pond revealed a turtle taking a dip, covered in some clover-leafed-looking algae (can anyone tell me what type of algae it was? Perhaps it wasn't algae after all? It looked like little clovers floating on the surface of the water). Sprout, Pip and I watched the turtle emerge from the pond and amble off back into the woods. Turtles are surprisingly fast, wouldn't you know. I'm sure two loud toddlers hand nothing to do with that.

Won't you stop by EnviroMom's site and leave your suggestions for their new Outdoor Child segment of their website?