Nature

[Geila]

Yesterday I was reminded of just how much spiritual nurturance I get from nature. Seeing the absolutely beautiful fall colors on the trees just leaves me in awe. I can sit for a long time just soaking it all in. As I sit here at my computer I can see one of my trees turning golden right outside my window and I just find it incredibly beautiful.

Our backyard has lots of crunchy leaves and the whole thing feels very woodsy with several trees turning color and the camellias beginning to bloom. I love my backyard. I can sit back there and feel like I'm in the country instead of smack in the middle of a large urban city. I feel transformed. I imagine that's how many people feel at church. Nature is my church. It's my spiritual place.

I get the same sense of joy from my pets. A sense of my spirit, or soul, being lifted and expanded, like a big balloon.

Anyone else find their bliss in leaves? :)

[CathyA]

I've always said I was raised by a grove of trees. Yes, they have nurtured my soul since I was little.

All through my life, I have turned to nature for help and comfort.

I love fall......but I have to admit, we have so many leaves to collect that it lessens my joy a bit. But in the end, it makes incredible mulch/compost.
I'm with you Geila.........I get so much joy from nature. :)

[Teacher Terry]

I love our beautiful backyard and enjoy it with my husband and doggies. We have 3 big trees and sometimes I hate the leaves when we are picking them up:))

[Alan]

I love our beautiful backyard and enjoy it with my husband and doggies. We have 3 big trees and sometimes I hate the leaves when we are picking them up:))I have 3 red maples in my front yard and they look wonderful for a week or two each fall before the leaves drop. I mulch them in place and they just sort of disappear. Our back yard has about 30 mature trees of all sorts and the leaves are overwhelming. I think I'll be mulching back there till January, that's when I think Iris Lillies is right about trees.

[Teacher Terry]

When we lived in Wisconsin we just left them and it was fine. Now with astro-turf they have to go. The neighbor in front has a huge tree and all it's leaves blow into our yard and stop because we have a circular side porch that traps them. Alan, your backyard sounds beautiful but overwhelming.

[JaneV2.0]

I agree. Nature is, for me, more spiritual than any church could ever be.

[ApatheticNoMore]

I went to a Japanese garden recently, it was fantastic, calming, changing one's whole point of view. Really liking that aesthetic.

[catherine]

Anyone else find their bliss in leaves? :)

I sure do! One of the best parts of my old house in NJ was being right next door to a park. It's funny, because my son who is now living there sent me a photo of the same park, which he was inspired to take because of its beauty, and I have so many of those photos. But more than that, I have so many memories of walking my dog through the park throughout the years, watching the trees bloom, then die over the four seasons. I know exactly what you mean about the joy and peace of being among trees. BTW, your yard must be beautiful! So nice to have a retreat right outside your door!

I don't have a lt of trees in my yard here in VT, ironically, except for a gorgeous mature maple (and a few ashes), but I do have the lake, and I walk down to the dock and watch the water and the sun.

Doctors in Scotland are allowed to prescribe nature to their patients. I think we should do the same here.

[razz]

Forest bathing is recognized as part of wellness therapy. Just one site covers a whole collection of articles on the benefits.
https://www.natureandforesttherapy.org/about/science

[happystuff]

I agree with you all! I love getting out first thing in the morning for a walk and I miss it when I don't. I get to walk past fields and seeing the transitions through the seasons of planting, growing and harvesting... it's just wonderful seeing the changes.

Nice thread! Thanks for starting it!

[iris lilies]

I went to a Japanese garden recently, it was fantastic, calming, changing one's whole point of view. Really liking that aesthetic.
Japanese gardens are wonderful. That’s really the only reason I would visit Japan not that I have anything against it but there are so many other places in Asia I would rather go.

[catherine]

Japanese gardens are wonderful. That’s really the only reason I would visit Japan not that I have anything against it but there are so many other places in Asia I would rather go.

I had one of my very favorite travel experiences on a business trip to Portland when I went to the Japanese garden there. It was a profound experience..

I'm going to Japan for business in early December--I don't think the National Garden will be optimal in the winter, but I'm still going to go.

[JaneV2.0]

I had one of my very favorite travel experiences on a business trip to Portland when I went to the Japanese garden there. It was a profound experience..

I'm going to Japan for business in early December--I don't think the National Garden will be optimal in the winter, but I'm still going to go.

Would you believe I lived in the Portland area for over thirty years, and never visited the Japanese Garden? I may get there yet.

[Geila]

Agree on the beauty of Japanese gardens. We have one nearby and I always enjoy visiting. We have a few elements of the Japanese garden (bamboo, Japanese maples, camellias, heavenly bamboo, water feature, etc.), and I love that they are beautiful year-round. The Japanese maple branches become bright red after they lose their golden leaves in the fall. Sadly, I lost two flowering cherries that we planted in the wrong spot.

I've heard wonderful things about the Portland gardens and would love to go up and see them sometime.

Over the years I've slowly eliminated plantings that didn't thrive here and would up with a strange mix of gardening styles (bamboo, palms, ash tree, etc...), but strangely enough it all works together quite well. I think nature knows how to harmonize even when we don't. Some of our larger trees have gotten quite big and it's time to cull some of the smaller ones to give them space and to avoid having everything too crowded. Dh and I are both dreading it. I had a similarly hard time when I had to take out all my rose bushes.

[catherine]

Over the years I've slowly eliminated plantings that didn't thrive here and would up with a strange mix of gardening styles (bamboo, palms, ash tree, etc...), but strangely enough it all works together quite well. I think nature knows how to harmonize even when we don't. Some of our larger trees have gotten quite big and it's time to cull some of the smaller ones to give them space and to avoid having everything too crowded. Dh and I are both dreading it. I had a similarly hard time when I had to take out all my rose bushes.


I hate taking trees down, but I know sometimes it's inevitable. But the sound of the equipment is horrible.

Since taking my 2 Master Gardener classes, I'm totally into planting native flowers, shrubs and trees. We don't have many native roses up here. If any of you NE folks are here, please educate me!

[Geila]

I hate taking trees down, but I know sometimes it's inevitable. But the sound of the equipment is horrible.

Since taking my 2 Master Gardener classes, I'm totally into planting native flowers, shrubs and trees. We don't have many native roses up here. If any of you NE folks are here, please educate me!

The trees we'll be taking down (probably) are small crape myrtles so dh can do all of it with just a small chainsaw and manual saw. And crape myrtles are hard to kill so they will probably end up as shrubs whether we want it or not. :) I think that makes it easier. But we think we might have to cut down our big ash if we sell this house. It's big and close to the house and power lines due to our small lot and most people wouldn't want to keep it. That will be really hard. In fact, we might just take the financial hit and leave it just to avoid the emotional pain of cutting it down. It's a gorgeous tree and we really love it. We planted it when we got married and dedicated it to dh's parents, who both passed away when we was little. Much to our delight and surprise, it grew very quickly into a beautiful tree. Maybe if we put a swing on it it will sway would-be buyers into keeping it for their kids. I'm not above pulling some heartstrings if it means the tree gets to live. I wish we could dig it up and take it with us when we move.

[frugal-one]

When we lived in Wisconsin we just left them and it was fine. Now with astro-turf they have to go. The neighbor in front has a huge tree and all it's leaves blow into our yard and stop because we have a circular side porch that traps them. Alan, your backyard sounds beautiful but overwhelming.

You must have had a unique yard when in WI. The leaves here make a mess if not mulched or taken away!

[iris lilies]

I hate taking trees down, but I know sometimes it's inevitable. But the sound of the equipment is horrible.

Since taking my 2 Master Gardener classes, I'm totally into planting native flowers, shrubs and trees. We don't have many native roses up here. If any of you NE folks are here, please educate me!

Just this week DH learned that he is called by nearby neighbors in Hermann “chainsaw guy.” He is happy with that moniker. He brought home a slice of dead tree, one with interesting fungus growth on it, thinking might use it in a flower show. I might.

I am sure our Hermann neighbors are sick and tired of the chainsawing and the fires that burn up debris. Fortunately he is 7/8 done with felling the tiny forest of junk trees on our property.A year from now it will be all done.

Unfortunately, we have to take down one of the beautiful high quality shade trees in front of our Hermann house when we build a garage. It is a big 50 year old maple that has gorgeous fall color. That does not make any of us happy, including our architect who lives across the street from us.

[Geila]

CathyA - I was just enjoying my trees again (which are starting to turn orange and red), and remembered the beautiful photos you used to share and that you haven't posted any in a while (or maybe I've missed them).