Butterflies beautify my garden
They pollinate the flowers
In turn the plants serve as food, home for its caterpillars which become pupae
And become butterflies
Mutualism
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Tag Archives: Nature
Mother Earth, How Do I Care For Thee
Let me count the ways.
1. My little garden.
My garden is little and simple. It’s a place where I nurture plants- flowering, ornamental, some vegetables and some fruit trees. In their own little ways the plants provide oxygen to the atmosphere. My flowering and ornamental plants provide beauty to the place and flowers to grace my altar and make my house a pleasant place. The flowers attract butterflies and emit a faint fragrance.
My garden also nurtures me specially during this time of staying at home to stay safe because of the pandemic. I feel close to nature even at home. It’s one of my positive realizations in the days of Covid.
Balimbing blossoms
Balimbing fruit
The fruit trees, just the small varieties in the corners of the garden, provide fruits for my health and their branches and leaves provide a shady playground for birds.
See (spot) the lone bird in the shade of the kamias (or kalamias in Quezon), there are more birds actually but they fly away when I start to take pictures.
Guavas
2. Natural insect repellant/fertilizer
Repellant /fertilizer from orange peel.
I use orange peel as insect repellant and other fruits for fertilizer (in addition to compost).
3. Composting
It gives two benefits. It minimizes wastes thrown to landfills as all garden trimmings and dry leaves go to the compost pit as well as biodegradable wastes such as fruit and vegetable peels and other kitchen wastes. The compost serves as organic fertilizer.
4. Use of Environment Friendly Stones in Garden Instead of Cement
I use stones in the areas not reached by sunlight and where grass doesn’t thrive. It’s said that cement causes flooding as they don’t allow rain water to seep into the soil.
5. Mindful Acquiring
This is made easier by the pandemic. I’m trying to extend my year of frugal living and to maintain the practice of buying only what are needed.
6. Mindful Discarding
I discussed this in detail in my post Mindful Discarding which covers:
- giving away to those who want or the need the items
- recycling
- repurposing
- throwing away as a last step if the first steps are not possible..
7. Use of Public Transport Whenever Possible
I practiced this before the pandemic. I must admit though that I use vans used for point-to-point transport where the loading center is provided by the mall where I park my car and the off-loading terminal is also at a point near my destination in Makati Business Center so it’s not “as public” as regular buses.
Now during the pandemic, I work/stay at home most of the time and only go to places near our home by walking or short rides.
I’ve done something, I can do more. As I do more for Mother Earth, I do more for me because the earth nurtures me as I nurture it.
Happy Earth Day everyone!
A Furry Tale
This is a true story of a kitten which happened in stormy October this year.
I heard a distant cry of a kitten in the night. I thought it must be a kitten which got separated from it’s family. It sounded near but we couldn’t see it. Then it was silent except for the sound of rain, the kitten must have been found. The next morning, the kitten was there in our garden. I let it sleep, then fed it.
We found out that it’s a she. I expected her to leave just like my previous furry visitors. Or her owner would come for her.
I’ve had furry visitors before.
There’s this fluffy white one. His owner came for him, spotted him when he ventured outside our gate. I learned that his name is Tofu. I was glad Tofu and his owner were reunited. Tofu still visits once in a while.
There’s this orange one. He just visits , enjoys himself, then goes back to his home. I know he has a home somewhere, he has a collar, though without a name tag.
But this kitten wouldn’t leave. She’s probably too young to find her way back to where she came from.
No one looked for her or came for her.
So I let her stay.
She’s now my pet. She’s home.
God’s Awesome Creation- The Rocks of Petra, Jordan
God’s Awesome Creation – Grand Canyon
A breathtaking sculpture of nature.
God’s Awesome Creation – Mayon Volcano
Mayon Volcano, also known as Mount Mayon, is a sacred and active stratovolcano in the province of Albay in Bicol Region, on the large island of Luzon in the Philippines. A popular tourist spot, it is renowned for its “perfect cone” because of its symmetric conical shape. Wikipedia
Day after the devastating storm Ulysses (international name Vamco) – it’s beauty lifting people’s spirits
On another cloudy day
On a Restless Day
On a Clear Serene Day
God’s Awesome Creation- Yosemite
For a beauty such as this, no words are needed.
The Original Skyscrapers
Trees are poems the earth writes upon the sky – Kahlil Gibran
Trees are beautiful. But they are not only beautiful. They nurture the earth and the living things on it. They’re the original beauty with a purpose.
Plant trees, or save trees!
Just Sharing 