Your yard and transcendence

The elderberry bushes will need to be pruned soon, but I want the cold to settle in and make sure the plants are fully dormant first. Then we'll cut them close to the ground so they grow strong canes with enough room between them for air to flow, which reduces disease and pests. 

In the meantime, I am tempted to linger in front of the wood stove reading the news.

This week I was intrigued by Cara Buckley’s article featuring Bill Jacobs, an ecologist who promotes including native plants in our yards. Mr. Jacobs, a Catholic, feels his native plant campaign is important for the usual reasons:  fighting climate change and increasing species diversity. However, he also believes changing our personal landscapes can help us spiritually, by creating in us transcendence or closeness to God.

Although I appreciate their beauty, I can't say that growing native plants has brought me transcendence. But it's a nice idea. (Maybe I’m just not growing and using the right native plants?). There's an unfortunate photo in the article that shows Mr. Jacob’s house and his neighbor’s house side by side. On one side is your typical lawn, a square of green in bright light, while Mr. Jacob’s home is almost obscured by trees and other vegetation. It must be dark in there, and that probably wouldn't feel transcendent to me.

Native plantings don’t need to be dark and heavy. If you are unsure what native plants fit with your landscape goals, talk to your local garden center, or contact a native seed provider like Roundstone Native Seed or Prairie Moon Nursery.

Heck, you can contact me. While not an expert, I enjoy discussing how we can re-wild our yards for all those good reasons, transcendence included.