embracing what is

i spent months stressing that manlyman & i weren't able to tend the backyard. the farm did get attention, & the lawn section is merely slightly out of control, but the far back? it is beyond wild! it is nearly waist-high with cheeseweed in the open spaces, & the aggressive australian plant (whose name we do not know) is creating a literal forest between the giant pecan tree, & the farm.

still unable to begin tackling the wilderness; but unwilling to deal with the stress any longer; i decided to accept it. after all, if we truly aren't able to work on getting it under control, why not just appreciate the beauty, & deal with how much work it is going to be later. it's not like we can do anything about it, right?

yesterday thehobbit & i braved the far back: he to chase butterflies, & search for ladybugs, & i to breathe deeply, & look at only the beauty in the chaos. here are a few photos:

peeking out of the cheeseweed is the butterfly garden that my roots&shoots group planted a few years ago. only a few of the original plants have survived, but those that have put on quite a show.

i actually swallowed my fear of creepy crawlies waded through to get a closer look. here are two kinds of daisy (my favorite flower), & a stalk of mexican sage. isn't it beautiful?

even closer in there were more stalks of mexican sage (they are so tall, that the tips bent down nearly to the ground), & some parsley!

this wildflower is a favorite of mine. i don't know what it is, but each spring it pops up here & there in the far back. it grows to about 2ft tall, & i just cannot get over how delicate it is!

i'll show you photos of the australian forest next time.

i know our plans to extend the farm this spring shall have to wait, & i know we're going to have a ton of very hard work once we are able to get out there - but it is what it is. for now at least, i'm no longer stressing, & i'm enjoying the beauty of it all.

~peace.

** edited to add:: the evil plant is "silverleaf nightshade" about a decade ago someone on the block brought some back from australia, & planted it in his yard. over the years it took over the neighborhood. according to websites, it's only supposed to get 3ft tall, but ours can get as tall as 12ft - it's insane! thanks for the heads-up rubelin! **