Moonflower Moments

At Home in the Fern House

I have a special place in my backyard where I go to feel centered, loved and at peace with the word. This is what I think about when I think about home. It is the place that Dorothy fought so hard to get back to when she clicked her ruby slippers together and chanted, “there’s no place like home!” While I do not have the magic ruby slippers, I do have red garden clogs and I can click them together at any time to enter my sanctuary.

The fern house is a structure that my husband built over 25 years ago in the back yard. It has a wooden floor, a copper colored metal roof and lattice walls that support the moonflower vines in the summer months. By definition, a fern house is a structure to provide shade and shelter for growing ferns. While I do have ferns around it, it is much more to me. It is my sanctuary, a place where I retreat to whenever I need to relax, write, meditate and plan my garden. There is a ceiling fan that cools me in the hot summer and a small outdoor heater for cool winter mornings. There is a small table and chairs for when I have friends over and a glider with pillows and a cozy quilt for when I want to read or take an afternoon nap.

My family has always been respectful of my time in the fern house and they know not to disturb me if I am in meditation or writing mode. When I have people over to visit, they feel the peace and tranquility it brings. Therefore, I have decided to open up this space and share it with you as we discover moonflower moments together.

You will have the opportunity to meet some truly amazing people through the conversations that we have about, art, literature, life and our next big adventures. You will meet accomplished artists, writers, and gardeners all doing incredible things with their lives after their career paths have wound down. Have you ever wondered how to get started on writing your memoir, writing a poem, or painting a picture? You will meet people who will share their stories and inspire you to get started.

Do you want to start a garden? Do want to know how to get started or enhance your gardening knowledge? You will get science-based information that will help you to be successful and resources that can enhance your knowledge. As a “vintage gardener”, I understand physical limitations or just getting older and you will learn how to protect your body and resources to make the activity more enjoyable. Remember, we don’t quit gardening because we grow older, we grow older because we quit gardening!”

Join me in the fern house and meet people like yourself who are looking at the adventures that lie ahead as we move through the various stages of life. So, what are you doing the rest of your life? Meet me in the fern house and we will share some “moonflower moments” together!