This summer was a summer filled with family. Lots of great times and adventures, but also passing and moving on. With each event, time and place, I have found myself seeking the comfort of nature. Even if for just 5 minutes, to ground myself and bring all of my feelings back to the moment and regroup.
As an experiment, I took an 8' x 8' space in my front yard (the only space with lots of full sun), and created a pollinator patch. I used the "lasagna" method of layering cardboard to smother the "grass" and then added soil and compost. I started with sunflower starts from my local high school plant sale and added several varieties of sunflowers, zinnias and marigolds. Given several planned and unplanned trips, I relied on my hose & sprinkler on a timer to take care of the patch.
When I made it home, voila! Wow......this patch has been my go-to for grounded and resetting. Just watching all of the types of pollinators has soothing hum to it. And when my son wants to do a night time nature walk to look for katydids, spiders and other critters, this is where we start.
For YOU......what do you need? While elaborate gardens and backyard havens are wonderful, you do not need to spend a lot of time or money to create a pocket of nature that can help you (and nature) thrive. Native plants that attract butterflies, nectar rich plants to bring the hummingbirds to your porch, a bubbler fountain for soft noises and places for birds to drink......endless options. But take time as summer wraps up to take advantage of the year end nursery sales, stock up on materials and create a space that you can use next spring, summer, fall, etc. Just 5 minutes in nature goes a long way to making a stronger YOU.
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