“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
I found this quote around the dawn of the new year, and was immediately taken with it. Do you ever read a quote and then are instantly inspired? Well this is one that has profoundly affected me to my very soul. It spoke to me of gratitude for the very earth that I walk upon daily. That is a powerful responsibility to step lightly. Perfect for my gardening mantra, ‘Do no harm’. And once I practiced this matra I was overrun with wildlife who seemed grateful for my garden.
Gratitude, and specifically spoken or written gratitude is something I am practicing daily this year. This symbiotic relationship of gratitude 
with wildlife is something I have recently discovered. The wildlife are grateful for what I can provide and show it through their visits, and I in return am grateful for those visits.
So for my first post of 2013 I thought I would sing the praises of a wildlife garden and thank those who gave me such joy this past year. The picture above is of my wildlife garden (backyard) just this past weekend. It is the view I see everyday from the back of my house where we spend most of our time. I designed it so the view would be wonderful. I do like it.
And you can see there is a lot of activity in the garden even in winter. All those tracks are from the squirrels, rabbits and deer who come right over the fence knowing they will find something to eat (or they hope they will). Deer are browsing my red twig dogwood so I rarely have to keep it trimmed. I don’t think you will find any berries left anywhere, but I am growing more berry bushes in hopes of feeding more birds. And the perennials, I faithfully left standing for the birds, are also heavily foraged.
We are seeing footprints to the pond’s edge almost weekly this year so we will have to consider a heat source to keep it open a bit. I am also hanging a suet feeder this week to have more food sources for the birds. I do not hang feeders because of the Sharpies in the area who are just waiting for birds at a feeder. I am hopeful that the suet feeder will not attract the Sharpies. Perhaps if it is successful, we can hang another feeder with the suet next winter.
I am always looking for ways to add to the wildlife garden. It is a work of love in progress.
So what am I grateful for in my wildlife garden:
New Life
There is nothing more wonderful than to watch new life being born in the garden. From the building of the nest, to the care given to eggs and babies and then witnessing their first flight….I have never been more totally smitten. It is the high point of the season for me to be part of this new life as if I was the mother bird. This fledgling robin (above) was my first and I await more each year.
Beautiful Sights
The colors of butterflies (like this red admiral) visiting is a treat for me. Every butterfly is welcome and honored for choosing my flowers or other host and larval plants. I adore seeing them flit about the garden, looking it over and deciding to perhaps lay their precious eggs here. To gaze upon a butterfly is heaven for my eyes and sends me running into the garden to try to get a closer look.
Melodious Sounds
For me the sounds in the wildlife garden keep me alive with hope. Every insect and bird is bringing to me new hope as they scatter the seed or pollinate the flowers keeping my garden going throughout the season so it can be shared more and more with each new visitor. And these sounds are like life’s heartbeat, a rhythm that keeps my life blood my very soul pumping. Those sounds are silent now and greatly missed, but with the addition of a simple suet feeder, I know I will hear them in all seasons.
Sweet Fragrances
Smell is closely linked with memories. Many smells can instantly take us back in time to a beloved remembrance And that is what these sweet smells do for me. It may be the first time that I can smell the rich brown earth of my garden after it has been frozen for months. Or the bark of the trees, the smell of new green growth not to mention the first fragrant flowers. Each of these smells unlocks a memory of my garden of life.
Unspeakable Joy
Laughter is part of joy. It reduces stress and helps us sleep. And the frogs that visit my pond bring unstoppable laughter for me. They keep me grinning and chortling out loud with their antics. Their poses are fabulous. But the joy I feel with all the visitors, even my precious snakes, reaches to my very core. It lightens my load to watch them, to welcome them by giving them a wide berth so as not to disturb. If I am looking for some peace, quiet or respite, I just have to look out into my garden. These feelings increase tremendously when my feet hit that beautiful earth, and when I can sit quietly for a spell I am transported into their world.
These are just a few of my gratitudes as I start 2013. And as I garden for wildlife this year, I will be most grateful for all who come to partake in the garden. I consider them friends and they are welcome here. What are you grateful for in your wildlife garden?
Don’t forget The Great Backyard Bird Count is coming. This year it is an international event. I can’t wait!!
Man must feel the earth to know himself and recognize his values. ~Charles A. Lindbergh
© 2013, Donna Donabella. All rights reserved. This article is the property of BeautifulWildlifeGarden.com If you are reading this at another site, please report that to us
About Donna Donabella
What a wonderful start to the year, Donna!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your garden. I can be jealous of the peaceful snow and the baby robin…they don’t breed here.
That snow photo is so beautiful that I am drawn in and even feel a bit cold. Thanks for sharing your always eloquent words and poignant quotes. You are a testament to what wildlife gardening is all about and I applaud your efforts to always be looking to the future for ways to make it more inviting.
Loret recently posted..Four, I tell you FOUR!
Oh Loret how sweet of you to say so…I really love wildlife gardening and felt compelled to share that love in hopes of drawing folks in…I do love my garden in snow and am glad it has a winter interest…those robins breed so close I am able to really be part of their family as it grows…it is amazing feeling.
Happy New Year Loret and I’ll try to share some more of my winter garden in February.
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-January 2013
I look forward to it, and expect that when your robins return you will share “the full story”
Loret recently posted..Four, I tell you FOUR!
I will and I have several stories on my blog about them that I will reference when I share here
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-January 2013
Thank you for the quote–which I agree is something to keep in mind everyday–and for the photos of your visitors.
Walk in beauty!
So glad you liked it Ruth…I hope to share more visitors soon…
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-January 2013
“Walk as if you are kissing the Earth with your feet” What a wonderful quote to describe the joy, beauty, and wonder of learning to share our gardens with wildlife and have gratitude when they take us up on our offerings! Your garden is a true delight, Donna! Filled with beauty and life. I am so grateful to have shared this beauty with you this morning. Thank you
Carole Sevilla Brown recently posted..My Interview on Real Dirt With Ken Druse
And Carole I cannot tell you the gratitude I have for you and the team on both blogs for instilling this love of wildlife gardening…It is through your inspiration that I find my enthusiasm.
Donna Donabella recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-January 2013
Oh, I really love the quote and the wonderful photos. I too find peace and joy in the animals that visit our little slice of the world. Thank you for sharing.
Christy Peterson recently posted..This Weekend We . . .
Christy how wonderful to have you visit….I am so pleased that the post was meaningful.
my humungous white daisy bush is looking ratty and I keep meaning to cut it back. Then I look out the window and see a bunch of little birds waiting until their table is ready for dinner … so the bush stays as it is, a little untidy, and well-loved!
Diana Studer recently posted..Google Authorship for garden bloggers
How lovely Diana. I have come to love the natural look that is nature…not trying to manicure it anymore. This past fall I was unable to cut anything back even a few things that I try to do…I leave most of it for spring and it looks lovely as it catches the snow. The birds enjoy our natural looking gardens so much.
Donna Donabella recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-January 2013
What a beautiful quote. It does inspire. I really need to add a pond or permanent water source. One year at a time … I am enjoying the large flocks of Redpolls in my garden. It is a continuous whirl of activity. The hawks do show up now and again but to me that is part of the circle I’ve come to accept – a far cry from me running down the driveway in our Maine house in my underwear to “save” a Blue Jay from a Cooper’s Hawk. It was a battle. Good thing our neighbors lived far from us. I wasn’t able to save the Jay but accepted that the hawk had to eat, too. I try to place my feeders responsibly with cover nearby. Cornell has great tips. I love everything about my garden and constantly look out at it through the window. You have a fabulous view!
Kathy Sturr of the Violet Fern recently posted..Wrapping Up 2012 with Final Picks for Diana
How wonderful Kathy. I am taking the feeders slow as I have done years of battles with squirrels over feeders. It is amazing how wonderful our gardens look in winter with snow…glad you enjoyed the view!
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-January 2013
Very well stated. I like the quote and even more your post of gratitude.
Welcome Bill. Glad you enjoyed the post!
Beautiful in every way Donna! May you have many more wondrous sightings throughout 2013!
Carolflowerhill recently posted..A New Year ~ A New Installment to ‘A Bestiary’ ~ Pileated Woodpecker
Thank you Carol…I look forward to every new year in my wildlife garden. I look forward to a time when I can spend more time in that wondrous place.
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-January 2013
This is a wonderful post. The first photo is lovely. And I found the photo of the frog hilarious. No chortling… but ‘very amusing’.
Thank you for the reminder to appreciate the nature!
Thank you so much Vivian. My frogs are great at posing which has me laughing constantly!!
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-January 2013
You could hang a feeder with some good cover around it. I hung a tray in some shrubs and it makes me very hard for the hawk to catch. 90% of their runs at prey don’t end in success so they don’t take a big toll on the bird population. I have had hawks here almost daily and I have only seen one mourning dove get taken by a Coopers hawk this winter.. but it might have kept the hawk alive.. I know I feel sad too. Michelle
Thanks Michelle. I am experimenting this winter with suet and then hopefully next winter we will hang seed feeders and suet for the birds in winter. Saw the Sharpie again yesterday and you are right it is the circle of life.
Donna Donabella recently posted..Gardens Eye Journal-January 2013
Lovely winter garden, Donna~ I can see it will provide you with much time for reflection out there~ Thanks for sharing your photo.. and your heartfelt enthusiam for wildlife gardening~ All the best in 2013.
Kathy Vilim recently posted..California Teenage Runaway
Thanks Kathy! I wish you many wonderful wildlife days in the garden in 2013.
Donna@Gardens Eye View recently posted..They Never Showed Up For The Dance