"You are not a machine. You're a soul who needs music, connection, sunsets, laughter, and small pockets of joy. Prioritize them like your life depends on it - because it does." - Vex King Those sublime moments are really what it's all about. Being able to recognize them, take them in, and help others to do the same gives life meaning. Knowing how to say no to that which drains you and constantly keeps you away ...
Ironweed dried remains - what looks like dried petals is the calyx. Photo by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC "When one sees Eternity in things that pass away, then one has pure knowledge." ~ From the Bhagavad Gita Ironweed beginning to blossom Ironweed in bloom Dried Ironweed in Autumn Icey Winter Ironweed Ironweed is a native perennial plant which grows at Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary along with other native wildflowers such as Joe Pyeweed, native ...
High summer is presently in full swing everywhere at the Sanctuary. These are a few of today's sightings.For those of you who are members, we welcome you to set up a visit, or plan an event with other members to meet up together and share in the joy. The Sanctuary awaits you.
Hello friends. Just a couple of pictures taken today to show you some of the beauty and sacredness that you are supporting. Thank you. 💕(Swamp milkweed)Bright Blessings,Jean
By Brennah Cavanaugh, Board Member of Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary Buttonbush is a bush with very unique looking flower clusters that are almost perfectly spherical. Its flowers are adored by pollinators of all sorts, but due to the long tube-like shape of the individual flowers in the cluster they are especially attractive to pollinators with longer tongues, like butterflies, bumble bees, and hummingbirds. (The unusual shape of the flowers make them attractive to humans, too!) It is ...
"My work is loving the world.Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird –equal seekers of sweetness.Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?Am I no longer young and still not half-perfect? Let mekeep my mind on what matters,which is my work,which is mostly standing still and learning to be astonished.The phoebe, the delphinium.The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.Which is mostly rejoicing, since ...
As you might know by now, I like to periodically highlight plants we have at the farm and sanctuary. Today's pick is the False Indigo bush. False Indigo Bush in blossom - photo by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC This is one which we planted back around 2014 in various areas because it does well in wetter habitats. It is a native plant to the area that is also a nitrogen fixer, meaning that it adds natural ...
A current view of the woods... 🌸 Photo by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLC
One of the herbs we have in our Paw Paw, Aronia Berry guild is Lady's Mantle. She is one of the magical flora of the Druid tradition. "One of the most striking characteristics of this graceful plant is the way its leaves gather dewdrops. During the night the leaves fold like umbrellas, opening in the morning to reveal their watery treasure. Dew has been considered to have magical properties since ancient times, when in the Celtic ...
Photo by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography LLCAnother wildflower currently blossoming at Crossing Hedgerows is our white Virginia Bluebells. This plant was given to us by our friend Gary Urick, along with the Aconite which was mentioned in a previous post. According to the University of Wisconsin Horticulture, regarding Virginia Bluebells: "It is considered threatened in its native range, primarily because of habitat destruction and the prevention of natural flooding of rivers, and is increasingly found only in isolated locations." "The flowers ...
Taken March 2, 2021One of the earliest flowers to bloom here at Crossing Hedgerows is Winter Aconite. It gives a splash of color in the late winter and early spring, and provides some of the first pollen and nectar for the pollinators. We planted it a couple of years ago, and it would be wonderful to plant some snow drops along with it as they blossom about the same time. So far it is only this tiny patch, ...
We had another beautiful time of connecting with the the spirits of the land and each other yesterday. We started with collecting nasturtium and marigold seeds to save for next year. Brennah had already begun collecting them, but having several people doing it was a fun project. (I have labeled the pictures to show the process for those who are interested.) Nasturtium seeds we collected Caitlin collecting nasturtium seeds ...
The fragrance of the Autumn Olive flowers in the springtime is fabulous. It's such a joy to walk back towards the woods and be greeted with their sweet smell rich in the air. The blossoms are now beginning to fade away, but they have been a great source of pollen and nectar for the pollinator insects. Their speckled leaves are now coming in fully, and when fall rolls around, they will produce their yummy speckled berries (which ...
There is so much life bursting upon the scene right now, it's impossible to mention it all. Hyacinth and daffodils and tulips are gracing the scene. Rhubarb, Egyptian onions, mint, lemon balm, tarragon, and various other herbs are popping up. The currant bushes, peach and apple trees, serviceberry, and wild plum are blossoming. Mayapples are in their full glory in the woods. These are a few of the many perennials we have planted around the farm and sanctuary. ...
For the most part, the photos will speak for themselves. We had a similar snowstorm last year about a week earlier than this one. Looking at the pictures from that one, it seems that the blossoms on the fruit trees were not out quite as much. Let's all keep our fingers crossed that this doesn't harm the fruit production here in SE Michigan. We prepared as best we could by bringing some of our more sensitive seed trays ...
Today's post features scenes from the woods taken during the month of May. Photos by Brennah Cavanaugh Photography. You can find more of her work on Instagram @brennahcavanaugh ant on violets wild geranium blossom just beginning to open a patch of trilliums trilliums and decaying logs sun shining through the leaves oak leaves wolf spider ...