Let's Talk Gardens!

Because it's spring and we do this sometimes. (Also, allll the links.)

Spring Plant Chat!

Yesterday morning, I was all set to do my usual Lauren Leavell workout when I let the dog out to pee and realized even here, on our cold, desolate mountain of never-ending stick season, SPRING IS HAPPENING. I’ve got hellebores, scilla, pulmonaria, cherry blossoms, and so many daffodils blooming, plus dozens more baby plants waking up and struggling to push their little shoots through. Most of the trees are still bare but we’re even seeing the start of baby green fuzz, much earlier than usual and I will take it (sorry, planet). So I spent my morning workout time clearing dead sticks and leaves out of two garden beds (while listening to a Glennon Doyle podcast) instead and felt like a whole new human.

This is not a gardening newsletter, but every so often we break character and I’m always delighted to realize that there are so many plant people hanging out here. And after a long week of yet more interviews about Ozempic (still! a! story! why!), I’d love to peace out of diet culture talk for a minute and just gossip about our spring garden plans/hopes/dreams. What are you more excited to grow this year? What return of which perennial or shrub are you anxious awaiting?

If you don’t have a garden, I’d love to hear about your favorite houseplant, or about what your dream garden MIGHT involve, if only space/money/time/skill were no object.

As always, be nice to each other and no diet talk or anti-fatness or general ickiness, please. (Gardening feels pretty safe, but if you’re a Michael Pollan obsessive, this may not be the chat for you!)

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Links, Links, Recs and Links

Since I was out last week, I have a bumper crop of links for you today! (That was a gardening pun and I’m sorry.)

First up, I had the most delightful conversation with Shanna and Laura of the Big Fat Positive Podcast, and you can catch part 1 and part 2 now.

I also really loved talking to

Kelly Fradin, MD

for her new book, Advanced Parenting, which came out this week. It’s a much-needed guide for those who find themselves facing a complicated parenting journey—I shared some of our story as parents of a child with a complex congenital heart condition, and you can also hear it on her podcast here:

Advanced Parenting with Virginia Sole-Smith - Episode 3

(But get Kelly’s book too! And a reminder that if you preorder FAT TALK with Split Rock Books, you can take 10 percent off any book we recommend here on Burnt Toast!)

OK, onto the two most useful items in my life right now. (One is cute, one is decidedly not.)