Noticing

Summer is finally here. Lake Michigan isn’t at her summer best just yet. She still holds some of winter. An early morning drive revealed fog along the lakeshore. The water and air temperatures are not yet aligned. As seasons change, whether from spring to summer, or a season of life, I can feel a bit out of alignment. Noticing what is happening around me helps me realign to the present and find comfort and strength, gratitude and peace.

In this summer season, I am able to leave windows open at night, which keeps the house cool throughout the day. I love having the forest air in the house rather than air conditioning. With the windows open, we have the benefits of a forest bath all day.

The winter has taken a toll on some plants in the garden. The ends of vines are dead and need a trim. And nature made it clear to me that autumn is no time to be planting here in Northern Michigan. Yes we are planting zone 6, but our winters are cold and the snow can crush. I planted a few small boxwoods to continue an evergreen swath in a garden bed. The garden bed was covered under feet of snow plus snow that was blown from the driveway. Only one shrub survived unscathed.

I’ve noticed I do not have many blooms in early June. I planted plugs and bare root plants, some, again, in autumn, and not many of them survived. The plants that have survived will take a few years to flower so I’m tending the soil to provide these young plants with what they need to thrive. At my age, I need to come to terms with the fact that if I want to enjoy a full, robust garden I need to plant larger, more mature plants. I don’t want to wait years for a small, bare root plant to mature. I want to enjoy my gardens, not wait for them to come into being. I want to feed the bumblebees that patiently wait for flowers to bloom. I want to have cut flowers for the table.

Sitting outside in the early morning with my coffee, I notice that quite a few birds are still singing. Not twelve that the Merlin app identified earlier in spring, but a few are filling the air with their song. The deer and turkey that visited in early spring are no longer around, at least during the day. I am trying to be more diligent about putting down deer and rabbit repellent in the garden beds.

It’s been dry. Not much rain over the past few weeks. We have a sprinkler system keeping the gardens watered. We’ve had clear blue skies and comfortable temperatures. I am grateful for this time. I can worry about drought or fire but being present on this beautiful summer morning, watching the sun dance through the leaves and listening to bird song, I am grateful and thankful. That is what noticing brings.