Over my 55 years, I’ve been part of a family that loved growing our own flowers and vegetables. My mom used to can because she had to — and because she could. In a small town, you didn’t have access to things like you do now. You grew vegetables in season and canned so you'd have “fresh” food through the winter. That was also when the reuse and recycle era began — making gardens and yard items out of old "things."

When you talk to our parents, they’ll say, “We didn’t know.” I think to myself, You didn’t know that planting carrots in an old tractor tire might not be the best idea? We know what tires are made of. It’s not like we just invented tools to figure out what’s in a 60-inch tire. Raised beds are all the rage now, but they were popular in the '70s too — they just made them out of old railroad ties. “We didn’t know that creosote — the chemical that made wood last 100 years — might not be great when it leaches into our tomatoes.”

I still remember, as a kid, watching my grandfather sprinkle tablespoons of DDT into ant holes. Even then, I knew it was bad — I didn’t know why, but I’d heard you weren’t supposed to use it. His answer was what they tell you about many “retired” chemicals: Don’t dump it — use it up, as per the label. Essentially, finish the poison. I think that applied to many chemicals but feel he might have gotten the wrong message on this one special one.

And I can only imagine how much healthier I’d feel today if I hadn’t been allowed to chase the mosquito fogger truck through the neighborhood. I’d ride my bike for 30 minutes, one foot behind that machine, breathing in gallons of insecticide. I haven’t noticed any lingering effects — other than when a mosquito bites me, it dies instantly.

Another classic from back in the day was clearing weeds. We didn’t use cardboard or mulch to choke them out — we laid down plastic sheets and fumigated underneath with a chemical that killed not only weeds but also weed seeds. To give you an idea of how dangerous it was — they admitted it was dangerous, even back then. If something was considered hazardous in the '70s and '80s, you know it wasn’t messing around.

Like I said, we talk about “not knowing,” but really, we just didn’t think about consequences the way we do today. Now, we consider the future — our health, our environment. Forty years ago, it was all about now — saving time, getting things done faster, hard work. We didn’t have today’s knowledge or tools, and looking back, it feels so inefficient. Honestly, I’d say we can get three or four times more done in a day now, which gives us more time to think about the impact of our actions.

And if anyone disagrees, I just tell them — You don’t know. You didn’t eat carrots from an ol tire.

A Week of Perfect Spring

Around the country, many of us have enjoyed the best spring weather we've had in a while—perfect temperatures and flowers bursting all around us. The pattern of trees blooming is always the same: pear, cherry, magnolia, crabapple, redbud, then dogwood. Everywhere is somewhere in that cycle. In my area, we're at peak crabapple and redbud season.

You may or may not have noticed, but redbuds often display different shades of pink. The reason can be as simple as a different variety or the stage of bloom. Maybe—though less likely—it's due to soil differences. But there's one reason most people don’t know: it’s how they’re grown.

I saw these two trees about 100 feet apart on my run yesterday—both common redbuds (Cercis canadensis). Like most men, I'm not great with shades of pink, but there's no doubt these were completely different. At first, I chalked it up to being at different stages of bloom—the smaller one likely blooming first and fully opened, while the other was still mid-flower. But that wasn’t it. They’re simply two different shades.

This is actually very common with redbuds. Why? Because a large percentage of redbuds—especially multistem ones—are grown from seed. They grow easily and fast. But growing from seed also brings diversity in flower color. Not dramatic differences, but every now and then, one will show a slightly different hue.

If a seedling shows a completely unique leaf shape or flower color, growers will take cuttings to create a new variety, keeping that color stable and true. That’s how we’ve ended up with purple-leafed varieties and weeping forms—like ‘Bubble Gum,’ which has a color close to what I saw, but is almost always single-stemmed.

Now, you can find redbuds with yellow, burgundy, red, or purple leaves, and flowers in just about every shade of pink.

But in this case, I think you're just seeing Mother Nature doing her thing.

I Love When People Love Their Parks

I like anything that makes me smile—and this did just that. I was visiting a friend, and as we walked near their local park, I noticed someone had decorated the park sign. I asked if it was his doing, and he said, “No, they change it up every year. This year’s theme is frogs and bees.”

What I love most is that the city lets it bee (sorry, had to). It’s not hurting anyone, so they just let people enjoy it.

Too often, I think people overlook their parks and forget how much work goes into keeping them clean and maintained for everyone to enjoy. Sure, we pay taxes for that—but plenty of people pay taxes and don’t get great parks.

Things like this make you want to step inside, take a walk, and if nothing else, they make you smile. And honestly, the only things as valuable as open space and fresh air are a few good smiles.

Hmmmmmm 👀

This week I learned that if you want a Bigfoot statue in your yard, he definitely needs a fishing pole to make him look safe for kids. I love Bigfoot as much as the next person—probably more. I’d happily have him sitting on a wall in my garden.

But there’s one problem. I can’t enjoy both of my favorite things at once—Bigfoot and my wife. It’s a clear “him or me” situation. Especially when we’re talking about that Bigfoot—the one who looks like he’s not allowed within 500 feet of a school or playground.

Even if he’s holding a fishing pole, sweetly posed by the Koi pond, I’d have a better chance of bringing home 10 stray puppies than sneaking that statue into the yard. And just to be clear—my wife absolutely does not want 10 puppies.

Don’t Ever Take This For Granted

If you take anything from today’s newsletter, let it be this—never take a good sunrise for granted. It’s always worth getting up a little earlier to catch one. Every sunrise is a reminder that you’ve been given another day.

A beautiful sunrise isn’t guaranteed—just like tomorrow isn’t. That light creeping over the horizon? It’s opportunity. Opportunity to have a great day. To get your hands in the dirt. To see friends. To work, to build something, to earn a living that creates a life you enjoy.

I used to snap a photo of every good sunrise. I still take a few, but these days I mostly just stop and appreciate it. A few quiet minutes to be grateful.

And my wife? She’s grateful too—grateful I didn’t put that damn Bigfoot statue in the yard.

Two Plants of the Week

Zonal Geranium ‘Occold Shield’

At the nursery we plant up 100 plus mixed containers of Zonal Geraniums with a spike in the middle. To me one of the most boring containers but to many a staple for their porch or yard. They sell out every year. I know why. Geraniums are low maintenance and bloom their hearts out. But what if you had some incredible foliage to add to the easy care? That’s what you get here. If you follow our @botany Instagram account you’ll see we showcased it this week. It literally is a shining star in the greenhouse and would be in your containers as well

Sempervivum ‘Gold Nugget’
(and ?)

99% of the people who walk into the nursery and tell me what they want, say the same thing — “I want no-maintenance plants.” That’s when I start walking them over to the rock yard, because honestly, that’s the only thing I can put in their yard that's truly 100% no maintenance.

But to be fair, I’m not entirely right. Hen and Chicks might qualify as no-maintenance too. We actually grow them in old shoes and boots and set them on the steps—doesn’t get much easier than that. Most of the time, you’ll find them in shades of green or with a hint of red, but this one, much like a standout geranium, really shines.

Just imagine that vibrant color popping against brown mulch or stone. It’s hardy in Zones 4-9, so even though it looks like a delicate succulent, it’s actually a tough perennial.

Now, this red one next to it—I forgot to snap a picture of the tag—but I love the contrasting color. I’m assuming it’s in the same hardiness zone. Either way, it’s a perfect companion plant to the Gold Nugget.

A Picture is Worth a Hundred Words

I picked up this flashlight off Amazon. I will admit it doesn't do that great of a job of lighting up my path. What it lacks in lumens, it makes up for in cuteness. The other issue I’ve found is rather than leave it in a drawer or put it on a shelf, it tends to sleep in the bed with you

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