• Garden,  Local

    JC Raulston Annual Plant Distribution

    The Annual Plant Distribution is like getting an annual dividend on your stock. If you are a member, once a year you get the greenhouse excess. It’s wonderful. The “grab” is broken up into four rounds. During the first three rounds, each member can grab three plants. A list of plants are pre-published and numbered with at least four of each available. There are also tons of plants not numbered, and some are real stunners. The fourth round is a free-for-all with the only rule being, “no plants left behind”. Members come with wagons, plan lists and their own game plan. This was our second year as members, and so…

  • red wagon filled with plants from the annual plant distribution
    Garden,  Local

    Friends of the Arboretum Annual Plant Distribution

    I’ve heard rumors of this event for years. Members show up at the JC Raulston Arboretum on a Saturday morning to rush a field of plants to help empty the greenhouses. This April I finally became a member so my husband and I could gain access to the newsletter, member pricing on events, and passes to this event in particular. Last night we drafted our list of desired plants from the 80 plants listed, and this morning we watched the pre-game video to make sure we knew the rules. We loaded up Joe’s truck with a wagon, camp chairs and stopped for Bojangles on the way. We were amazed at…

  • Pottery

    My Life in Piles

    Years ago, my friend Andrea did a photo series of her life in piles. This morning as I was surveying the downstairs living area, it struck me that I currently am living in piles. These piles represent daily chores, impending projects, and dumping grounds for things not in use or waiting to be sold. These are only the physical manifestation of the even larger number of mental and emotional piles that my brain is constantly sorting through.