Lori Erickson is a seeker. She found a way to meld her inner spiritual quest with journeys across the globe. Over three decades, she has been transformed by visits to holy sites ranging from Machu Piccu in Peru and the famous healing shrine at Lourdes, France, to Tibetan retreats in the U.S. heartland and the … Continue Reading →
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Treats 'n Trunks 2017
We’ll close out the summer at Fletcher Field with our 11th annual Treats ‘n Trucks event on Sunday, Oct. 29. As usual, we’ll start to decorate our cars at about 1 p.m. and then begin passing out candy to the kids around 2. I’d love to reconnect with some familiar faces we haven’t seen in a while … Continue Reading →
The remarkable salvia flower
You can find some really amazing things in the garden if you know where to look. For example, look closely at a salvia flower and you will see something unique. Like most flowers, salvia produces nectar to lure pollinators such as wild bees, honeybees and others. And as usual, the pollinator ends up carrying pollen … Continue Reading →
Sweezeweed in the garden
We were sitting out on the porch earlier this week enjoying that summery weather. One flower caught my eye, it was fresh and bright among the others that were either gone or fading fast. It was one we forgot that we had planted this spring it was sneezeweed. Sneezeweed, also referred to as Helenium by … Continue Reading →
Find your favorites at ArtPrize9, through Oct. 8
From downtown streets, museums, restaurants, bars and churches to the post office, police department and parks, Grand Rapids is overflowing with art this fall, courtesy of ArtPrize9. Some pieces even are installed in the Grand River and are visible from nearby bridges, promenades and buildings. Running through Oct. 8, the city’s annual phantasmagoria of art … Continue Reading →
The Wonder Years
Even now, I find it hard to believe that such an incredibly diverse, dedicated coalition could come together — both on the ground and virtually through social media — to do so much good in a community that many others left for dead. Heck, some of it doesn’t even seem possible or real anymore. But … Continue Reading →
Autumn dogbane
When I was around 10 years old, back when all kids were free-range, I spotted spotted a plant during my wanderings that impressed me so much that I’m intrigued by it to this day. I didn’t know what it was called at the time. It wasn’t until later, when I was in college, that I … Continue Reading →
Lots of spots on maple tree
In many cases, diagnosing plant problems requires an in-person look at the plant in question. Too many disorders look similar when all you have is a photo to go by. Earlier this week someone sent me a photo asking about spots on a valuable tree they have in their front lawn. That was an easy … Continue Reading →
Keep an eye on your grapes
According to my records, my grapes are about 10 days ahead of last year at this date. Every growing season is different and any particular year doesn’t necessarily line up with seasonal average growing conditions. Ten days is a long time when it comes to grapes. I covered the grapes with netting last week to … Continue Reading →
Sycamore trees losing leaves
The stretch of dry weather we had took its toll on some sycamore trees planted in a less than ideal spot this season. Although sycamores can grow in dry areas, they thrive in moist soils. That causes a bit of a problem since the best spot to build a structure is on a high and … Continue Reading →
