During these times of climate change and COVID, it’s easy to take life too seriously. Any excuse to laugh feels like mountain-fresh air. Take last week when I’d lost all sense of taste and
All about organic gardening in Kodiak, Alaska: Compost, cool climate gardening, cold season crops — all organic gardening tips from my 30+ years of writing a weekly garden column and teaching garden workshops.
During these times of climate change and COVID, it’s easy to take life too seriously. Any excuse to laugh feels like mountain-fresh air. Take last week when I’d lost all sense of taste and
It began as a tingling, prickly feeling in my fingers and toes as if they were going to sleep. “Wow, this is weird,” I thought.
On a recent Saturday, when the sun popped out from the gray, shredded clouds, I was standing in the greenhouse admiring the yellow marigolds. Looking more like tennis balls than flowers, marigolds
When the weatherman predicts that the sun will come out, my camera often stays in. Why? Bright sunny days are great for picnics, hiking, and putzing in the garden. But they’re not so great for
“It’s been said that gardens and children need the same things — patience, love, and someone who will never give up on them.” [Nicolette Sowder] As a child, I spent many happy hours outdoors. I climbed trees, built stick forts…
You’d think that riding your bike across the country would be a trip riddled with trials, tribulations, and fears. Things like running out of water, fierce headwinds, hail, diarrhea
I was walking home along a gravel road, houses on the left side, and a steep embankment on the right. Heavy with rain, the salmonberry bushes and young mountain ash trees arched over the roadbed like miniature lampposts
Q: How to get rid of chickweed? A: Don’t try to beat it, EAT IT! On most Tuesdays, I teach an online class called the Compost Academy. Students, mostly women, from Alabama to Australia, meet in lively Zoom meetings. It’s…
If you compost, you might find this question interesting. If you don’t compost, I’ll be upfront: You and your garden are missing out. Big time. Anyway, here’s the
Last week’s span of warm, clear days found island gardeners scrambling outside, perched on bended knee pulling weeds, transplanting seedlings, and slaying slugs. It was a flurry of activity that reminded me of a children’s story
I’m Marion Owen. I work, relax, and love life in Kodiak, Alaska. I’ve worked on research ships, created photographs that hang in The Smithsonian, given up cheese and meat, and enjoy watching bumblebees and snowflakes. And somewhere along the line, I co-authored the New York Times bestseller, Chicken Soup for the Gardener’s Soul. I’m learning how to not do too much. To be authentic, embrace joy, and not burn the oatmeal.
Thank you for being here,
