I was sitting out under the grape arbour enjoying all of natures bounty and feeling truly blessed at being allowed to caretake such a beautiful place. The birds were out in full force, the parents looking haggard and thin were being chased by fat babies bigger than themselves. The babies were shaking their wings and whining to be fed, and of course Daddy responded with a big juicy bug. Was it enough? Not on your life, and the chase for food was on. The little ones would look at the bugs quizzically but wait to be fed, they might have been out of the nest but they sure weren't on their own yet.
The butterflies were circling the garden, landing on the maltese cross before chasing away a rival monarch or two. The caterpillars on the Queen Annes lace, if they escaped the hungry birds, would be swallowtails one day.
The dragonflies landed here and there, resting only briefly in their search for food, and to escape being some birds dinner.
The Aruncus blossoms were covered with moths, the blooms were just alive with these winged jewels.
The frogs and toads were sitting still as statues waiting for the flies that would be dinner, to land within the reach of their tongues. Then they sowly manuvered into better positions, to reach the bigger slower flies.
At dusk I watched the bats circle again and again, over and over in their well worn path, scooping up mosqitoes for their supper. At the same time further along in the garden the swallows were doing the same thing but with more flare and acrobatics, circling and diving, like a dance in mid air.
And I was thinking that the garden is so much more than just the flowers and vegetables that I tend and fret over. So much more than the weeding and seeding and mulching. It's home to all of the wildlife. And what a disservice I would do to use poison in their homes. For the bug that I sprayed may have ended up as that baby birds dinner. What would happen to the butterflies if I poisoned the caterpillars that ate my plants? Or the bees, or the bats?
No I think that my garden is only "my garden" in My mind. The birds, the butterflies, the bats, and the bugs, the toads, the snakes, the raccoons and opposums inhabit it 24hrs a day, I just come in and clean up, kind of like a poorly paid housekeeper. But I love my job, and its nights like this that I realize just how much, and why I work so hard....... wendy
