I Simply Remember These Favorite Things with Dr. A~ January 2025

Simply My Favorite

Jan 16

You would think we would run out of Favorite Things, but we have so much to still look forward to in 2025

A Plant - Nepeta, Catmint

Sometimes known as catnip*, its “proper” common name is catmint. I consider this a favorite plant because it is colorful, has flowers for a long time, and is reasonably well-behaved, not requiring a lot of cutting back or dividing. It is even easier to recommend because deer don’t much like it. I use it at the front of the garden and it comports well with almost any other plant.

A number of cultivars are available, large ones like ‘Six Hills Giant’ and ‘Walker’s Low’, medium size like ‘Blue Prelude’ and compact ones with cute catty names like ‘Cat’s Pajamas and Purrsian Blue’

*Catnip is closely related but an entirely different plant.

A Garden - Wisley Gardens, England

No trip to England for someone who appreciates plants is complete without a visit to the headquarters of the Royal Horticultural Society at Wisley. Simply walking through the gates brings oohs and aahs as gardens, landscapes, and beauty unfold around every corner. The perennial borders at Wisley are renowned throughout the world, not only because of their size but also because of their diversity. Another bonus for people who want to learn is that all the plants are labeled.

The rock garden, the trial garden, and the prairie garden are all spectacular, and when you get a little tired, you can have scones with clotted cream, tea, and a lovely lunch. It is an easy trip from London, put it on your agenda.

Visit the Garden Here

A Book -My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell you She is Sorry,

Author: Fredrik Backman

Fiction

Frederik Backman is one of my most preferred authors, having penned some of my favorites like “Anxious People” and his most popular, “A Man Called Ove.”. So, when a friend suggested I read this, I jumped right on it. It is a true Backman book, in that you don’t know where it is heading, but, in the end, everything seems to fall in place.

It is difficult to describe 7-year-old Elsa’s adventures with her best (and only) friend, her “crazy as a loon” seventy-seven-year-old grandmother. Her grandmother’s fabulous tales take Elsa to the Land-of-Almost-Awake and the Kingdom of Miamas, where nobody needs to be normal. When her grandmother dies, she leaves behind a series of letters apologizing to people she feels she has wronged. It is Elsa’s job to deliver them.

As with all Backman’s writings, the characters are, to say the least, interesting. It may take you a little time to get into the book, but once immersed, you won’t be coming up for air any time soon.

A Show/Movie- New Amsterdam, Netflix

We started watching this hospital show with a ho-hum, another drama-in-the-Emergency Room-show. But many things about this drama kept us watching; the people were certainly three-dimensional, with medical skills and a ton of baggage. New Amsterdam is a public hospital, and nearly every episode dealt with social issues such as lack of insurance, addictions, homelessness, inability to get to a hospital, and mental illness. And, of course, interwoven through the character issues were miracles in the ER, in surgery, oncology, and mental illness.

However, we nearly turned it off often, as some of the storylines were simply dumb and unnecessary. A three-way sexual liaison was just silly and added nothing to the show. Gay divorces and renewals, a snakes and ladders-like plethora of love affairs, and way too many episodes. However, having said all that, we ended up watching them all, and we both agreed that, warts and all, we enjoyed it enough to recommend it to friends.

A Place - Sheffield, Tasmania, Australia

I seem to be sending you to faraway places all the time. That is not my intention. When I shut my eyes and think about a place to share with you, often some place or thing springs to mind. Today I thought of murals. Murals??, you say

I have recommended other places in Australia in the past, but if you are on the east side of the country, do your best to visit the magical island of Tasmania. Tasmanian Devils aside, it is another world.

Of course, you will visit Cascade Gorge, Mt Wellington, and Hobart, but don’t forget to stop at the little town of Sheffield, known as the Town of Murals. It is not far from the ferry port of Devonport and on the way to Hobart. I was blown away with the wonderful private gardens, but the murals on the buildings are must-sees. Known for the more than 160 large colorful murals, just spending a few hours walking around town, enjoying lunch, and savoring the stories the murals tell is definitely worth a stop. There is so much to see in Tasmania, savor every bit but, oh boy, I was impressed with Tasmania’s Outdoor Art Gallery.