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| Books by Norma A. Boeckler |
My mother lived upstairs when we were in New Ulm. She asked, "Why are the sunflower stalks sticking up through the snow? I thought you would clean them up?"
I said, "The birds love to perch on them and look for food. Insect larvae are on them or in them. Besides that, the roots will rot into the soil all winter - and be mostly gone in the spring."
We are far behind the North in facing winter. The Reformation picnic was 70 degrees on Saturday. The leaves are on the trees and mostly green. But the signs of winter are evident.
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| Beautyberries are striking in the fall, when they set themselves up to feed the birds as food sources decline. |
The Crepe Myrtle has shed most of the leaves, leaving sprigs full of seeds for winter feeding. The Comfrey and cousin Borage are still in bloom for pollinators. The Beautyberry bush has fresh berries and Poke has dried berries for the birds.
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| Rugosa roses boast bright red hips, full of Vitamin C, which is why roses are considered herbs. |
How can God's creating Word have no power when each plant goes through seasonal cycles to feed the soil creatures, insects, and birds? Temperature and sunlight trigger different reactions for each plant. Yesterday provided one rose in bloom for the entire garden. The roses are nodding off into their winter sleep. The remaining flowers will turn into Vitamin C-potent hips for bird snacks. I have one Rugosa rose, known for its big hips in the fall and modest flowers in the spring.
The Carbon Cowboys taught me about the value of roots, especially those deep roots that contribute so much to the soil's fertility and absorption of rain. Most of the soil's fertility comes from roots, which create miles of swap-meets where fungus can trade nutrition and water for the carbon they need to grow.
All winter, those roots will be busy establishing a better foundation for spring:
- Roses
- Spirea bushes
- Joe Pye
- Mountain Mint
- Cat Mint
- Daisies
- Monarda
- Poke
- Garlic
- Dandelion
- Crepe Myrtle.
Everyone enjoys the burst of growth in the spring, from the melting snow and rain, but all winter the soil was being prepared for the display, billions of creatures playing their roles. Each one is perfectly created, engineered, and managed to carry out specific functions that fit into one vast plan.
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| "I've been for a walk on a winter's day - California Dreamin, on such a winter's day." |
