Maybe it's because I've had a few upheavals in my life lately, or perhaps it's because I'm a Libra--the astrological sign of the well-balanced scales--but I am acutely feeling a lack of balance in my life. This, of course, I notice in the world around me.
This past summer the Northeast was cold and rainy. Local weather forecasters explained we'd wiped out our water deficit by July, and drought conditions were a mere memory. On the up side, I didn't have to water my yard even once--until September hit. Late summer to mid-autumn brought us sultry temperatures and virtually no rain. Until recently, we were right back to conserving water.
When nature is out of whack, I'm deeply disappointed. The warm fall evenings and even warmer days never allowed trees to turn off chlorophyll production until well into October, so we didn't get much brilliant fall color before the leaves dropped. My late-blooming perennials were puny, or didn't even bother blooming at all. How I miss the Japanese anemone which once flourished along my back fence, lighting up fall evenings in sparkling white blooms with cheerful yellow centers. The photo, above, is an annual plant in full bloom along my back arbor--in November!
Okay, so if nature isn't going to be predictable, I should be. I need to give the butterflies and frogs--and even beneficial bugs--a fighting chance to procreate and burrow safely in the ground. Just like I did last autumn, this fall I am limiting the amount of leaves I blow into piles and bag up in favor of gently raking them to the perimeter of my yard. This not only protects the flowerbeds in a layer of mulch, but also ensures delicate habitats remain intact, offering wildlife plenty of organic refuge.
Try it yourself! For once in your life be lazy. Clear leaves off grass but keep them covering perennials until spring arrives. You'll save yourself a lot of work as well as provide a home for nature's necessary creatures.
