Can you leave leaves?

It’s a debate. To take or not to rake. Here’s one article that says don’t need to rake.

Yes, you heard that right, leave the leaves where they lie. Although people often rake and bag leaves to prevent their lawns from being smothered and to make yards look better, in most cases, you’re fine not moving them. In fact, many environmental experts say raking leaves and removing them from your property is not only bad for your lawn but for the environment as a well. From – Raking Leaves? Drop the Rake and Stop What You’re Doing

It’s not necessary. Unless your leaves are diseased. I’ve seen piles of huge brown paper bags filled with leaves and dragged to the curb.

And will the unraked leaves smother the lawn? Kill the grass? addressed in this article (not unless you have mounds of snow weighing them down for an extended period)

Does looking at leaf litter bother you?

Resilience by artist Paula Crown

Paula Crown sculptor/artist

Her journey from Wall Street to the Art World Article

Bronze sculpture Resilience
At Rockefeller Center Channel Gardens

The bronze sculpture Resilience, on view at the top of the Channel Gardens, alludes to the devastating environmental impact of single-use plastics and extends Crown’s intention to memorialize the collective suffering experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic, reminding us of humankind’s resilience and innate ability to transfer energy even through the most mundane of objects.”

“A new art installation at Rockefeller Center in New York City stands as a warning about the harmful effects of disposable plastics.”

Solo Cups on the grocery store shelf

Rent a Goat (or a herd)

We were at the Pittsburgh Botanic Garden in Oakdale last week.

Here’s a photo of one of the goats helping clear some undesired vegetation. You can rent  goats to help get rid of unwanted vegetation. If you click the Have U Herd link here you can see you can rent goats for parties, too. Who knew?  Not just landscaping!  Environmental friendly.  Interested in Goat Yoga?   Click here to find out more.

An article about Goats in Prospect Park in New York City, New York City Parks Using Goats as a Chemical-Free Weed Control Alternative. They even eat Poison Ivy!

Lady Slippers in Bloom

Lady Slippers, cypripedium reginae, are rare these days. These were seen in the woods at Fallingwater in the Laurel Highlands while on a Landscape Hike with the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy on Members’s Day. I was invited to be a guest of Erika’s Uncle Larry, who is an enthusiastic environmentalist, and shared a wonderful day at the Barn at Fallingwater with his family.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cypripedium_reginae

”The WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA CONSERVANCY protects and restores exceptional places to provide our region with CLEAN WATERS and healthy forests, wildlife and NATURAL AREAS for the benefit of present and future generations. The Conservancy creates GREEN SPACES AND GARDENS, contributing to the vitality of our cities and towns, and preserves FALLINGWATER, a symbol of people  living in HARMONY WITH NATURE.”   From Western Pennsylvania Conservancy Website

https://waterlandlife.org/fallingwater/

Just a Glimpse – Plitvička Jezera

from the archives

Plitvička Lakes National Park    Croatia

Click above link for a virtual tour.

The waterfalls and pools are everywhere you look.  We took the boardwalk you see from the aerial view photo, a bus on winding roads with no guard rail through the forests and a boat ride on a glacial lake.  Good photos for water and earth, but no fire.

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Perseverance

You see motivational posters with a single word illustrating a character trait underneath a corresponding photo.   The power of nature to grow in an inhospitable environment is always amazing to me.

per·se·ver·ance
ˌpərsəˈvirəns/
noun
 steadfastness in doing something despite difficulty or delay in achieving success.
  1. power of naturePittsburgh Greenway Parking Lot