Where in the World is The Forgetting Flower T-shirt? Paris!
On the eve of The Forgetting Flower's book release, the TFF T-shirt is in Paris with my dear friend Pierre-Marie Dufour! When he isn't taking photos in front of flower shops and being a part-time model, he manages a magazine and travels the world. We talked about his first impressions of Paris, his translation of Dan Savage's The Kid, a dreamy vacation home in Spain, and the secrets of the Vatican.
How to Bend and Be Resilient
I've been thinking about how to be resilient this weekend, how to bounce back from challenges and setbacks. On one day, you encounter obstacles and the stresses of life. Stuff that's important that may not work out. Important stuff. So what helps us recover?
In a Woodland Border, Plants Struggle in the Sun and Sandy Soil
Along the back fence of my garden I have a tricky spot. A dry woodland border of sun that’s tucked under fir trees. The ravine behind the fence slopes up and the fence intersects where the wild woodland ends and my cultivated area begins. So it’s the edge of a woodland, but sunny, and hot. Very very hot. The soil is sandy and drains instantly. Growing plants there has been difficult. Sandy Acidic Soil in Full Sun Normally, we Northwest gardeners don’t mind soil that’s sandy or acidic. It’s better than clay or heavy silt. Sand means well draining, acidic…
Where in the World Is The Forgetting Flower T-shirt? Poland
Today, The Forgetting Flower T-shirt is in Białystok, Poland with my friend Ula Drapała. The above photo shows Ula at the Branicki Palace. She and I talked about life in the UK, why she wants to live in a house made of clay, her medium format photos, and the Polish naturalist Simona Kossak. Who are you and what do you do for fun (either in your job or outside of your job)? I’m Ula, a thirty-three-year-old woman. A few years ago, I moved from Poland to England to work as a nurse. I’m currently a cardiac specialist and I am passionate about…
Botanical Shakespeare: My Kind of Nerdy Fun
The book, Botanical Shakespeare, is a delightful compendium of every mention of plants across all of Shakespeare's works. Physically, it's a lovely book, an old style hardback with a silk ribbon and pretty color illustrations. Inside, it's even more engaging, as author Gerit Quealy alphabetically collects the bard's poetic lines on everything from aconitum to yew.
My Own Random Small Tips for Visiting Paris
This summer I imagine a lot of people will be visiting Paris. It’s an easy city to get around in with a compact layout and excellent subway system. It, of course, has amazing history and architecture. There are hundreds of blog posts on what to look out for and what not to miss so I won’t go into the basics of visiting. But I thought it might be useful to offer some random small tips for visiting Paris that I discovered when I lived there. In a store or restaurant, always start off using ‘Bonjour’ and end with ‘Merci.’ I…
Why a Reading Space Is Important for the Soul
In my house, I have books in multiple rooms but my most favorite reading space is in a sitting room off the kitchen. It’s a simple area, a couple of bookcases and a chair. It’s not the one pictured above but if you subscribe to my newsletter, you’ve probably seen it. In winter, it’s cozy with a view of the garden and a lot of light. Lately, I’ve been thinking about how important a space like this is to the psyche. What It Offers It’s actually a snug area, about five by twelve feet, but the effect it has on…
