Flora, Insects
The Giant Button Bush – An Update
In July of 2023, Brennah made a post here about the importance of our native button bushes to the pollinators at Crossing Hedgerows. Of course it has beautiful photos, including the incredible blossoms: https://www.patreon.com/posts/86598986
button bush – after the flowers have faded
It’s hard to do justice with pictures to show the size this particular one has grown to now, but it has grown quite large indeed! And I want to give a special shout out to Sarenth and Emily who a couple of years ago cleared out a wild rose that was growing around (and into) it, severely crowding it. This was no easy job! And I’m sure it allowed the bush to really spread out and take off after that.
Leaves and seed pods
The other day we had someone come out from the DNR, as well as an engineer whose company was hired by the County Drain Board to clean out the creek through the three counties it runs through. Because Brennah and I have attended the public comment meetings for landowners who live along the creek (drain), and spoken up about the environmental damage that would be done by this project, they reached out to me to see if there might be some way to do something special for our property.
I will write more about the particulars of that later, if we are able to come to a good agreement with them – which I am quite hopeful about. But what I WILL say right now is that the representative from the DNR, when he saw the Button Bush there next to the creek said it was the biggest one he ever saw! Thankfully Dan made a special point of showing it to him. :)
Sending you all lots of love as we make our way into the beautiful month of September.
Jean
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Written by : Jean Cavanaugh
Jean Cavanaugh is the founder and steward of Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, established in 2019 as a living, learning community devoted to reconnecting people with the wisdom of nature, the sacred order of creation, and the presence of Christ within all life. Her work brings together spiritual formation, ecological stewardship, ancestral wisdom, and hands-on community practice.
Through years of practical work on the land, study of the Mysteries, and the healing of her own severe health challenges through natural methods, Jean has come to recognize God’s hand at work throughout creation. Her teachings, rooted in the Mystery School tradition and Christian gnosis, explore how the patterns of heaven, earth, and the human body reveal the way back to divine presence, peace, and inner strength.
Jean leads with honesty, integrity, and a deeply welcoming spirit, inviting others to let go of inherited assumptions and rediscover truth through lived experience and embodied understanding. She works with all ages—from preschoolers to elders—offering programs and celebrations that emphasize direct engagement with nature, music, story, homesteading skills, and in-person community.
She and her family live at the 21-acre Crossing Hedgerows Sanctuary, where daily life reflects a commitment to simplicity, beauty, and harmony with the land. The sanctuary includes gardens, woodland trails, a seasonal creek, gathering circles, and spaces designed to nourish both people and wildlife. Jean is especially passionate about creating environments that are grounding, beautiful, and spiritually restorative.
Through her writing and teaching, Jean encourages others to know themselves, know creation, and recognize Christ as the living truth present within and around us—always inviting a return to love, beauty, and the sacred order of life.
