Native Plants, Native Critters

In an organic garden, biodiversity is in action every day. Native plants draw native birds, butterflies, dragonflies, lightening bugs, toads, frogs and more.

For the first time in eighteen years, I saw a deer in my back yard. He cleared the fence effortlessly as soon as he saw me. There was a tree frog snuggled into a milkweed leaf in my front yard one day. He found a different place to sleep after that, a place more private. From the butterflies and dragonflies fluttering through the day, to the lightning bugs glittering in the dusk and dark, the organic garden finds a place for them all. Yes, the deer ate two large lily blooms and the caterpillars from the butterflies eat a few holes in some plants. Nonetheless, they are all welcome in my garden.

Six spruce trees provide shelter for a wonderful variety of birds. Birdbaths and bird feeders operating year round have built up an impressive population on this 100 square foot lot. As I was weeding a patch near the chain link fence a baby chickadee so tiny it perched inside a square in the fence. He eyed me curiously until his mother's panic stricken cries lured him back up into the trees.

All living things are involved with each other. When we try to use an "all or nothing" approach to cultivation, we can do more harm than good. Besides, nature puts on quite a show every day. I wouldn't want to miss it.

High summer arrived early this year. It hit 100 degrees on my backyard thermometer today. The corn and summer squash is growing so fast I'm going to test stories I've heard about actually hearing plants grow on still, hot summer nights. I'll let you know.