About

The unmowed corners. That’s where life shoves through, grows to the sun, flourishes.

 

I stop every time I’m in a parking lot, a schoolyard, a graveyard–anywhere–and see what plants are growing. There’s unintended beauty in the untended places. I look to see what’s pushing through the cracks in the pavement. What the mowers have missed. What the weed whackers have failed to whack.

So come on this journey with me. Examine and rejoice in that which no one else notices.

 

“It’s not what you look at,

it’s what you see.”

–Thoreau

 

About me:

I worked for many years as an educator at a nature center in upstate New York. I live on a farm, with my family, dogs, cats, a sheep, and a whole lot of chickens. I teach about nature in classrooms.

I love to write, and if you’d like to read more about a plant that grows in almost every place, mowed or unmowed, check out my book The Teeth of the Lion: The Story of the Beloved and Despised Dandelion.

Just for fun, if you like historical fiction (an amazing true story) check out The Invasion of Sandy Bay, my novel for young people. 

And if you want to read about the Shakers who had a vast knowledge of herbal medicine, try Mr. Lincoln’s Chair: The Shakers and Their Quest for Peace.

I like to sleep late, watch Sherlock, eat candy, read anything. I like to garden but I won’t fuss–if a plant can’t make it on its own, it’s out of luck. I gave up on tomatoes and tulips and just plant things that take care of themselves, like daffodils. This is why I like “weeds” so much–they’re undemanding. Lately I’ve been trying to plant native species of plants, being increasingly aware of the desperate need for food and shelter for native wildlife in our ever-shrinking green places.

So, welcome! I’d love to hear from you, or see photos of wild and weird plants in unexpected places. I can’t promise to identify mystery plants, but I’d be glad to try. My email is anitasanchez123@gmail.com

http://www.anitasanchez.com/

Stop by often to see what’s going on in the parking lot!