Ecological Gardening and Other Creative Pursuits
A garden “biotime” journal can help you to slow down, be a better observer, and feel more connected to nature and its rhythms. It is not only an important tool for review, it can also change the way you see things — and it might also bring a sense of calm in a very chaotic world. I highly recommend keeping one.
December brought us torrential rains, wild winds, flooding, and more. It also brought people together through rescue efforts and holiday celebrations. We are thankful we were not severely affected by recent storms; our hearts go out to all those who face losses of life and property. The solstice, holidays, and new year all give us an opportunity to pause and reflect. Let us cultivate compassion and help one another in the year ahead!
Wind, rain, fog – wild weather! Piles of leaves, lots of bird action, and So. Many. Fruits! In November! Gotta Love It!
October has a certain urgency to it — so much to do: harvesting produce and getting ready for winter, all while juggling weather extremes. But it is also full of magic and mystery! Portals, once hidden in the overgrowth of summer, now reveal themselves….Keep an eye out for them. The birds will tell you where they are.
September is jaw-dropping gorgeous with all the changing colors, migrating geese, salmon in the rivers, and abundance in the gardens. The weather is not too hot; not too cold. The photos tell the story in this post. I love September.
Is August crazy? The heat, bugs, smoky skies, and too little rain … so much fruit, we can’t keep up … with its tall, bold flowers, August is summer’s last fling. Got overwhelm? I’ve got a cure for you. Oh, and check out the photos of the new peachicks. Adorable!
July goes crazy with cherries, berries, herbs, and flowers – abundant everything everywhere! July weather, hungry crows, lots of pretty photos, and 4 bucks with velvet antlers hanging out in the backyard! Perhaps it’s all a bit much?
A lot going on here. What it is, ain’t exactly clear. June was garden chaos at it’s best, or worst, depending on perspective. Bee swarms, wild animal visits in broad daylight, attacks in the night…. I bushwhacked through grass, thistle, bindweed, and bramble to find my way through this thicket of life…
In May, birds are busy feeding fledglings, everything is blooming at once, the air is filled with bees and cottonwood fluff, and we are being invaded by peacocks.
April was delightful – from a gorgeous full-moon to the outburst of magnolia and fruit tree blossoms. Birds are off building nests; migratory birds are returning; irrigation is back on; we built a new willow fence to keep the deer out of the raspberries. Meanwhile, we are being invaded by ants, bindweed, and peacocks. RUh roh.
First …
Daffodils and Dandelions
Red Flowering Currants
Nanking Cherry and Honeyberry Blossoms
Purple Deadnettle, Stinging Nettles, and Chickweed
Bumblebees, Ladybugs, Butterflies
FROGS
First Total Lunar Eclipse!
AND the long-awaited First Day of Spring
February: Nature decides to have one last fling with Winter. The days get longer, the winds blow stronger. Rain, snow, pockets of sun, 50 shades of gray. Hawks, doves, opossums, and the promise of spring! It’s crazy out there!
Recap of the January garden: backyard birds, berries and seed heads, skeletal living willow sculptures, and Yes! flowers! Half-way between the winter solstice and the spring equinox! Days are getting longer! Should you track the changes with a journal of some sort? Maybe!