Living aboard a trawler means you get creative, especially when tiny stowaways like gnats decide they’ve booked passage, too. So I just ordered butterwort plants, nature’s very polite (and slightly dramatic) way of handling the problem.
They’re small, pretty, and quietly carnivorous — no sprays, no chemicals, just a plant doing its thing while the boat gently sways at anchor. 🌊🌿
I may not have a traditional garden, but I do have:
• potted plants tucked into sunny corners
• herb garden in my kitchen
• the occasional stop at a public garden when we’re on shore
• and now… a tiny onboard gnat patrol
Gardening doesn’t always mean rows of soil. Sometimes it’s just finding green where you are — even if that’s floating.
Anyone else garden in unconventional spaces?
About the Author
Ciara Knight is a USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestselling author who writes heart-tugging, faith-filled romance with a dash of hope and a whole lot of love. When she's not wrangling swoon-worthy cowboys or crafting small-town drama, she's navigating life as a proud mom of three spirited (and now grown!) boys.
In a major plot twist no one saw coming, Ciara and her tech-savvy husband recently traded in their empty nest for open waters—purchasing a boat to live aboard full-time. Together, they’re setting sail on the greatest adventure yet: the next chapter of life, love, and a few waves of inspiration. Anchors aweigh!
Ciara Knight on the web:
Ciara Knight has a new mystery, suspense, thriller out this month!
An icy harbor. A missing agent. A fake marriage that feels far too real…
When by-the-book FBI Special Agent Vivian Durand is assigned to pose as a honeymooner on a rusted-out boat off the Maine coast, she knows it’s her last shot to erase the stain of a disastrous op—and the partner who vanished without a trace. Her target: Laurel Tide, a ruthless coastal syndicate built on smuggling, extortion, and the kind of trafficking the Bureau buries in sealed files.
Her cover husband? The one man she doesn’t trust.
For seven years, rule-breaking Special Agent Thomas Blake has chased Laurel Tide through storms, gunfire, and body bags. Going deep cover in Winter Harbor is his best chance to finally bring them down. But from the moment he and Vivian step onto the Windward Lady—their so-called “safe” house—nothing is what it seems. The boat is booby-trapped. Their comms are compromised. And every move they make is watched by enemies on the docks… and possibly a traitor inside the Bureau.
Snowed in, cut off, and forced into close quarters, Viv and Blake have to sell their marriage while untangling a deadly conspiracy and rescuing innocent lives caught in the crosshairs.
Because in Winter Harbor, one wrong step won’t just cost them the case—
it could cost them each other.
If you live on a boat, I can see how you might want to keep some greenery around. (Although, there's a great little gadget that catches flying bugs. You plug it into a socket, and it attracts the critters.)
ReplyDeleteWe have a bug zapper on board, but there were SO many gnats it couldn't keep up. I ordered the plants hoping it would help. :)
DeleteYou have more of a garden than I do, LOL! Thanks for popping by my blog today, I appreciate it.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for having me here, Debra!
DeleteGetting nature to do your job is a masterstroke!
ReplyDeleteEnvy your lifestyle! Planning to circumnavigate the world?
I would LOVE to circumnavigate, but we only have a singe engine on this boat. We'd have to upgrade or buy a new boat. Mabye some day. :)
DeleteIt's always possible to put planters somewhere.
ReplyDeleteI live in an apartment and have plants on the balcony.
I wish you a lovely week.
All the best, Irma
Hi Irma! I just can't believe they're still alive. I usually don't do well with plants. Next is an herb garden so I can have fresh herbs aboard.
DeleteI've never heard of butterwort, but am always interested in natural pest control.
ReplyDeleteHi Jabblog. I hadn't either. I found it online and thought I'd give it a try. :)
DeleteInteresting living on a trawler I am sure especially the gardening part of it. Thanks for your visit. Diane
ReplyDeleteInteresting is a good word for it. There are high, highs and low lows. I love it! Thanks for stopping in.
DeleteHello :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for your visit. If you love plants you will find ways to enjoy the many diverse species no matter where you live. I hope you have many adventures sailing the seas.
Thanks! I would love to have a real vegetable garden when I move back on land. I'd like property to grow as much of our own food as possible.
DeleteI do not have a green thumb. I can't grow anything but my daughter can.
ReplyDeleteI kill every prant I ever bought. I'm lucky these Butterworts are stubborn and like the boat. :)
DeleteSeams very interesting! Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteBjxxx,
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It's definately interesting! :) We are about to cross to the Bahamas this week. Wish us luck!
DeleteI have plenty of potted plants which are now in my breakfast nook, staying out of the frigid temperatures!
ReplyDeleteSmart plants for staying out of the cold. :)
DeletePotted plants are so convenient. We move them into the sun or shade, or according to the seasons.
ReplyDeleteI wish I had a better way with plants. I struggle to keep them alive. :(
Deleteagree that "a garden" is green.....
ReplyDeletethank you for sharing summary of your book...
My pleasure!
DeleteThis chemical-free tiny onboard gnat patrol sounds really good. I'd never heard of butterwort plants before, but I like the idea!
ReplyDeleteAll the best from Austria, Traude
rostrose.blogspot.com/2026/02/reisebericht-2025-vancouver-teil-1.html
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DeleteHappy St Patricks Day, we are in RSA at present seeing lots of wildlife. Take care Diane
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