It’s day 26 and it’s a beautiful day for the #GreenBookFairies to talk about one of our favourite friends, nature. The fairies favourite spot to hide a book is in the wild!
The problem:
There is a trend to “clean up” gardens and yards, which can remove essential habitats for a wide variety of insects and animals. Some plants which are popular with bees and butterflies are labelled “weeds” and removed without a second thought. Soil, with growing potential, is often covered over with tarmac. On top of that, we often forget what a positive mental impact nature has on us, and that we living alongside other elements of nature – it’s not an either/or.
The solutions:
Fortunately, there are some really easy solutions, which are often FREE if not actually saving you time and money!
Plant bee-friendly seeds!
Whether you plant things in your yard/garden or on a balcony look for native plants that will also bring the bees. Bumble bees are fun to watch and native plants are easier to grow. Bees are essential for pollination and a very important part of the food chain. Yet to get excited about growing things? Read The Secret Garden – that’ll fix it 🙂
Rethink what a yard means for you.
Creating garden waste and log piles for insects to call home, embracing flowering weeds for the bees, leaving fallen leaves as mulch, only planting native species… Will ultimately mean less watering, more insects for birds, and ultimately less work for you. You’re free to sit, drink a lemonade and read a book that you found in the wild that was left by a book fairy.
Campaigns like #NoMowMay encourage us to leave our lawns alone, to allow for insects and animals to thrive. You may be surprised what beautiful blooms appear in your lawn!
Encourage animals!
Plant trees that will attract larger animals like deer, then respectfully watch them exploring. Leave clover to grow for rabbits!
Bee insect-friendly!
Make an insect house for your yard or balcony. See tutorials on YouTube.
Seed bomb everywhere!
Make and throw a homemade seed bomb into an urban space that needs a little sprucing up. Scroll down for the recipe!
Get free food!
Learn to forage on your nature walks. It’s free and fun. Mulberries, wild blueberries, cherries, crabapples, edible mushrooms, elderberries, fiddleheads, and dandelions are just a few of the delicious edibles you can find and freeze depending on where you live.
Join www.thirteen.org (Thirteen: Media With Impact) for some free, totally interesting and incredibly helpful “backyard nature” programs.
Book Fairy verdict:
“This is such a simple thing but I’ve got this incredible wooden garden gate that is practically rotting off of its hinges from the insects that have made it their home. I’ve actually enjoyed watching the rot process of the gate and feel good about keeping it up as long as possible for the insects. I will move it into the compost pile when it falls to the ground.”
– Ruth, Hawaii