Happy Earth Day, everyone.

In honor of Mother Earth and her day, I thought I’d introduce you to a few friends of mine.

Mayapple
Mayapple
This is Mayapple. She grows in huge stands in the woods around here. Isn’t she just magical and gorgeous? I admit she is one of my favorites. I invited her to my garden last fall, and to my delight, she accepted my invitation and came up this spring. She grows in the shady part of my backyard, the part where woodland plants grow pretty well. She beds down with solomon’s seal, blue cohosh, elder, meadow rue, and the latest addition to my woodland garden, wild geranium (aka cranesbill).

Volunteer garden

This is the wild part of the yard. When we moved in, there was a decrepit dog pen there. The first year, I pulled hundreds of morning glory seedlings out of there, after John removed the pen. Now I harvest yellow dock and dandelion roots in the fall, for my bitter tonic. Both of these wonderful plants just grew there; I didn’t do anything except get out of their way.

I leave this area alone for the most part. Although I planted a very sick rhododendron back there last month. Maybe the wildness (and the acidic soil) will be therapeutic.

Mars garden

I have started calling this area the “Mars garden,” the area next to our storage shed. It’s probably the dryest, and one of the hottest areas of the yard. It’s hard to see them, but three Marsy herbs grow here: stinging nettle, wormwood, and milk thistle. You can also see quite a bit of cleavers, another good medicinal herb. They are all very, very happy here.

Elm seedlings

Quan Yin watches over two elm tree seedlings that volunteered last year.

Vegetable garden
veg garden

Doesn’t look like much, does it? There are actually many plants living here. But most are still in seed form. :) Beets, mustard greens, spinach, lettuce, peas, asparagus, and swiss chard. Yum.

Side doorway

This is the entrance to the basement apartment. To the left, a clump of white bearded irises that will bloom next month, I think. To the right, lavender, wood betony, yarrow, and hopefully, last year’s motherwort will come back.

Front

This is the front of the house. On the right, near the gas meters, an arborvitae tree that will supposedly be 12 feet tall one day, and my prize rosemary. (In this photo, they are blocked by a Euonymus bush.) On the left, a Zelkova tree we planted last fall. The retaining wall is new; it was John’s folks’ idea, and a very good one. The front yard used to be on an awkward slope, and now it actually feels cozy. We planted two small Juneberry trees just inside the curve a few weeks ago. I am not holding my breath for berries this year, but I am looking forward to next year’s crop! I also have a small Vitex bush that I started from seed, and a butterfly bush we received as a gift. We plan to put two fruiting cherry trees in on the right side of the house.

If you look closely, you can see Jackson being a very good doggie, waiting for me to return from across the street. Good “stay,” Jackson!

The mother elm


Last but not least, this is the view from my office window. I am fortunate indeed!

On this Earth Day, I just want to express my gratitude and extend my love to the Mother Earth for all she gives. The more I learn about her, the more I appreciate her, and the greater my capacity to receive her gifts. May I always remember this. And it’s my wish to all of you, that you too grow in your knowledge and love of the Earth, so that together, we may prosper with her. The inescapable truth is that we are of the Earth, and what is best for our Mother is best for us, too.