“The first great fortunes in the colony of Carolina were made with rice—by the labor of countless enslaved Africans who brought with them the engineering and agricultural knowledge that made the rice crop…

“Myth and experience teach us that hubristic defiance of the cosmos inevitably leads to disaster.”—William A. Balk, Jr. Epicurus’ Porch By William A. Balk, Jr ELKO South Carolina—(Weekly Hubris)—7/6/2015—In the windbreak of pine…

“Our Thanksgiving wash-up replaced the good china back in the cabinets, and all the dishes and cooks’ utensils are sparkling and set for more holiday use. Now, outdoors, I need to empty the…

“I tried to get her to talk a little about her past . . . although I swore I would never ask about any of the famous names linked to hers over the…

“Such acceptance may take years of foolish attempts at defying the gods, but hubristic foolishness is the stuff of great myths and gardeners. I take pride in carrying on millennia of tradition in…

“Summer’s heat brings changes. The exuberant flush of wild growth and mad flowering, the unstoppable compulsion to reproduce that defines callow springtime, gives way to a slower-paced savoring of the gifts of the…

“Behind the fine house, the old outbuildings protected chickens, donkeys, dogs, cats, and the paraphernalia associated with working an old farm. There were pecan trees, flower gardens laid out in loose, joyful style,…

“Here am I, humbled by the forces to which even I must submit, admonished to get about doing the things that must be done.”—William A. Balk, Jr. Epicurus’ Porch By William A. Balk,…

The Winter Solstice Confronts the Lazy Gardener “The gardener’s role is never completed: there is always something needing attention and, at every turn, there are rewards—joys, gifts—for the gardener that make it easier…

“I simply knew I had to have my Hoppin’ John on January 1st. Tradition declares that it is imperative to do so in order to assure good luck—specifically, financial good luck—for the coming…