Balancing love of wildlife with love of garden
Monday night I went outside around 10 p.m. to toss the veggie scraps into the compost. I stepped out into the dark, only to find that the night was illuminated by the flashing lights of dozens, maybe even hundreds of fireflies. I disposed of the compostables, then stood for a long time watching the dancing points of light that turned the yard into a wonderland.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched this annual summer phenomenon, starting from the time I was maybe six or seven, yet it never gets “old,” never becomes commonplace, always makes me stop and watch in awe. I wonder how it is that something so beautiful is taking place just a few steps outside my back door. And I feel a deep gratitude that I get to experience it.
That night I also wondered, “If I weren’t a gardener, or weren’t committed to composting, would I have seen the fireflies that night?” And then I thought of so many other things I’m privileged to see simply because gardening takes and keeps me outside so much.
There’s “Snakey,” the garden snake we see sunning outside every now and then and who we presume helps keep the rodent population in check. This year, it seems that Snakey has produced at least one offspring; I surprised a very small garden snake on the front walkway a couple of weeks ago. There are also the monarch and swallowtail butterflies that lay their eggs on the butterfly weed and rue plants.
Each plant seems to draw its own unique collection of species to it. Like Lavender Mist, a lovely perennial that bears tiny pale purple-colored flowers that attract tiny sweat bees. I love watching these miniscule insects hovering around the flowers.
As with fireflies, other species emerge after sunset. Two days ago, we had a surprising sighting: a fledgling screech owl that flew up into a redbud tree next to the garage, just a few feet away. We were able to watch it for a minute or so before it flew off.
Sometimes, the things I witness and appreciate come with a downside, but it doesn’t make them any less captivating. For instance, this spring — for the first time ever in the 37 years I’ve lived here — a doe has produced two fawns that seem to live and graze mostly on our property. Lately, the fawns have mostly been out on their own. But yesterday we saw one of them nursing, another first sighting for us. And yet while the fawns are delightful to see and watch, they also are doing a tremendous amount of destruction to many of our favorite plants, feasting on things that we had become confident were “deer proof.”
Along with the awe and wonder that I feel, these encounters are also reminders of the varied and intricate world that we’re part of. And they also signal a need to build better fencing. I love watching the deer, but I also love eating the vegetables
I’ve planted and seeing our perennials come into flower.
Kimberton, PA 19442. Share your gardening stories on Facebook at “Chester County Roots.” Pam’s nature-related books for children and families are available on Amazon, at Amazon.com/author/ pamelabaxter.