About the Night Owl

Hello! I am a night owl, and I love to garden. My weekends in the summer are torn between sleeping until noon and getting everything done in the garden before the mosquitoes wake up. When it gets really hot, I do just the bare minimum in the yard to keep everything alive. I’m not an expert, but I like to share the lessons I’ve learned.

For many years I sat at a desk like most people I know. I had a great window seat and got to watch all the activity on the city street, but I longed for green spaces. Some people love city landscapes, but I’ve always loved natural landscapes, which is why I tend to avoid big cities on vacations and look for the quiet nooks. In October 2015, I broke out of the office life and started my first ever career break. I haven’t decided if that was a bold or crazy move. I lean toward bold.

I live with my husband, who works from home, and our nine cats (yes, you read that correctly!) in a small town in Kentucky. We lived in a half-duplex for seven years in a neighboring larger city and made the most of our small yard, including some over-improvements such as a fancy patio and retaining wall. In 2011, we bought my childhood dream home, which also happens to be next door to my parents. We now have more yard than we ever dreamed, and I am a bit overwhelmed by the potential. Fortunately, my parents love to help with the yard, especially my Mom who is a great gardener. I will definitely be sharing her excellent tips as well as my tales of garden successes, mishaps, and reflections, including scary bug stories, giant weed tales, and groundhog capers. Yes, we have several groundhogs living under the shed, and we love them.

Though it doesn’t always inspire me to garden, living in a bucolic setting inspires my soul. I also will be sharing with you my life journey and evolution as I try to figure things out as a woman in her 40s. Maybe it’s a mid-life crisis. Maybe it’s just a reassignment of priorities. I know I’m not alone in feeling the need to live a more meaningful and balanced life. You can call it the garden of my soul. Wow, that sounds cheesy! Still, Night Owl’s Garden is about more than just gardening.

I hope you enjoy visiting my blog. Welcome!