Be Still and Watch the Earth Awaken

As nature begins to wake up from its long slumber, the spring ephemerals like our Common Snowdrop and winter aconite (buttercup family) begin to peak out from the sticks and stones like the one here at the Earthplace garden in Westport.

Let’s be gentler with our spring garden cleaning and allow for the beautiful queen bumblebees to awaken unscathed as they look for pollen from those early bloomers. (Imagine the poor things emerging from the leaves and being blown to oblivion with hurricane force winds from a leaf blower!) Look closely in the leaves and you may be surprised at who is hiding there….

Take notice of the fuzzy buds of our pussy willow, one of the most important native trees for our early pollinators. Dr. Douglas Tallamy lists willows as second only to oaks in value as host trees for Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths). Read more about the amazing Pussy Willow here

Planting Native Plants (like the pussy willow), rethinking our lawns, and avoiding pesticides are the 3 supporting columns of our Green Corridor and many people have already signed the pledge to change the way they treat their yards. Remember, homeowners are landowners and we all have an important role to play in protecting and connecting our backyard habitats to the one next door.

This spring we are given a golden opportunity to be still, be gentle, reconnect, and cherish our families, our communities, and the earth that sustains us.

***Green Corridor Partner in Fairfield, Christine Knuth***

Let’s be quiet and watch the earth awaken… listen to the birds, not the leaf blowers…let’s see what comes up, notice the buds and flowers, and watch who arrives in our yards to have their first meal of spring.

Become a stepping stone on the Green Corridor, work alongside nature, don’t battle against her.

Together we can become resilient and healthy by slowing down and rebalancing our lives, understanding that sometimes the most important things are happening all around us, if we only pay attention.