30 seconds, please

This week has gotten away from me a bit (still trying to find a new rhythm, with school and a Bronx commute now in my mix) but there is one extremely important matter we need to discuss, and a link I need you to click on. As you no doubt know, every day in this administration brings a new assault on our public lands and wildlife, and it’s beyond exhausting. Shortly after declaring that destroying the habitat of an endangered species will no longer be considered “harm” by the Environmental Protection Agency (!) (among too many other actions and rule changes to list), this week they announced they intend to repeal the US Forest Service’s “Roadless Rule” that protects millions of acres of pristine forest, opening them up to roads and industry. If you haven’t already read about the implications of this, here’s a gift link to an NYT explainer. But the link I most want you to click is to this Sierra Club page where, in a matter of seconds, you can add your name to the list of those opposed to this change. When any administration takes action that is clearly counter to overwhelming feedback that was given by the American people during the public comment period, that is grounds for legal action against them. So every single signature matters. Please take a moment to sign. And pass the link along to your friends, family and followers.

In non-infuriating linking, Laura Fenton put together a piece for Gardenista rounding up a bunch of gardeners’ favorite big and tall plants, and gave me the chance to rave about my beloved ironweed. [I’ve also added some additional images (in different seasons) to my ironweed mash note here, if you haven’t seen that before. This is ironweed’s time to shine, so there will likely be even more pics to come!] And while you’re at Gardenista, check out Clare Coulson’s list of 8 regrets (lessons learned!) from her first years of gardening. (Clare is the author of the beautiful book Wonderlands.)

Happy weekend to you — I hope you get to spend it in the garden!