Appreciation For Nature Is Close To My Heart

Forest Path

Is it in a human's nature to not love the natural look of things? That they have a need to change it? For instance, yards, trees, wild plants, flowers, rocks and wild critters? To cut down trees, remove the rocks, kill the wild plants and critters? Make it into a lawn then complain about cutting the grass all season. Having to fix or repair the lawn mower or buy a bigger one and pollute your area with noise and fumes? They seem to have the need to build a garage to house all their equipment for keeping nature from taking over. They really get excited about the mower or the garage or work shed but not about the first dandelion showing up on their lawn.

Cutting Grass

Now I understand the need for cutting the grass because fleas and ticks live in that uncut grass. So if you have cats or dogs you need to protect them by cutting the grass. It does not have to be done by the latest or most powerful lawnmower you can buy. I worked for a man once who blacktopped his whole front yard in a city house. It was so ugly! I admit lawns look nice but do they really need to be so large? An area of wild plants and flowers is actually prettier to me. 

One More Tree Down.........

Does every single tree need to be removed from the yard? Especially if a house is in the middle of the forest? If you do not like trees do not choose to live in the forest. Instead people will buy a house in the forest and then spend their life trying to make it look like a city house. Why spend time working in the yard for years, trying to change the natural beauty of the forest around the house, so it loses its connection to the forest?

Roads through out the forest

I am a woman who loves the forest and the wild plants that grow naturally. Not planted by anyone. Others will see a dandelion and think it is a weed. I see a dandelion and see it in its beauty an edible medicinal plant. There is a reason that wild plants will resist pests that kill garden plants. They will resist the strongest weed killers. Yet those same  chemicals could kill you in the end. I prided myself on not using chemicals of any kind in my garden beds. I could eat a vegetable right in the garden. No need to worry about the chemicals like you do when buying from the store. 

One of my favorites........dandelions!

Now of course, I live downtown in a small city. No forest but I do have trees around me. I am within walking distance of four city parks. Most of the time I am the only person in the park. I sit out there and just watch the birds and squirrels and the occasional person walking through the park. I enjoy it but I do miss being in the forest. I have my memories though and lots of photos. I look at them and remember the times being out in the forest. 

Copyright © 2024 Kathleen G. Lupole

All Photographs Copyright © 2024  Kathleen G. Lupole