Wild's Substack

Spring Week 10

Wild Roots Gardens — Thu, 28 May 2026 22:15:32 GMT

I sat exhausted in the garden Sunday evening as I’d overdone it again. Each spring I must re-learn the limitations of this body of mine. All of my “Magic and Genius” of the weekend had taken away too much, so all I could do was sit. I perched on a bench and asked Matthew to mow this patch and that in the backyard. Each pass making the intentional wildness of the pond and the garden beds more pronounced, more special.

It was just after 8 PM so the sun was in that special spot. That golden hour that makes everything we’ve built backlit and glowing. The clematis given to us 11 years and one day prior as a wedding gift was in full bloom, as it is each May, or “anniversary season”. As I witnessed one solitary purple petal glide to the ground, I felt something inside pulling me back to that day 11 years ago. The morning that we woke to each flower pedal of the dogwood tree on the ground. That tree had stuck it out and held onto those lovely white flowers just for us, just for our wedding day. The day we promised that we would love one another forever, in front of our most beloved family and friends, as we stood under the dogwood tree that decades prior, his fathers’ mother and little sister brought from the forest. Thanks be to Millie and Stacy for believing that the little tree would endure. And thanks be to the Websters for giving us a gift that has lived and grown with us, a repeated reminder of the magic in connection, nature and time travel.

Spring Week 9

Wild Roots Gardens — Sun, 24 May 2026 16:34:26 GMT

I’ve become accustomed to seeing robins at the edge of our nature pond and atop the bog filter bathing and playing. Today I looked out and saw a cardinal back there on that filter just splashing away and I felt such joy. The bog filter is a tool Matthew and I built to keep our pond clean and clear. A tool comprised of rocks and stones of varying size and texture, layered to do a job in benefit of the creatures that visit the habitat. The squirrel, the frog, our pet cats, and the koi, who thanks to the clever filter and the addition of a small heater, survived the winter and are finally warm enough to actually be playful, instead of playing coy, tucking into their blanket of leaves. It’s no secret that I hope for the return of baby opossum to our pocket oasis. Our friend O was such a delightful addition to our cast of creatures last year and by far my favorite. He was the cutest and most hungry little fellow with that tiny pink nose and those beady black eyes of his. O did not mind our presence and definitely appreciated our presents of blueberries, pistachios, and such yet was no fan of spinach. The little marsupial spent about two weeks in and around our garden and it felt like a gift. On O's way out, he brought his sister by so she too could share in the treat bounty before they moved on. When I was asked why an opossum was out during the day, my answer would always be the same. “He’s just a little guy and being so young, has not experienced elders telling him how an opossum is supposed to behave, so he just behaves. He just snuffles around for snacks when it suits him. No one has insisted that he must be a nomad and a loaner.” I miss seeing him here at our home in the light of day.

Welcome

Wild Roots Gardens — Sun, 24 May 2026 16:15:03 GMT

Last weekend, for our eleventh wedding anniversary, Matt gifted me the weekly backyard journal “Leaf, Cloud, Crow” by Margaret Renkl. I had listened to her book “The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year” and I enjoyed the writing and getting to know the author very much. While I currently read “Late Migrations: A Natural History of Love and Loss” I take my time and I hear Margaret’s sweet southern voice and keep her easy pace as I go. It’s a nice practice for me to slow down and listen to stories.

I’d been struggling with the what and how’s of a blog since the seeds of Wild Roots Gardens were planted. I knew that I wanted to connect with others through my writing, but it wasn’t coming to me organically. Then this week, new journal in hand and words on page I realized that I had material to share and I was filled with relief and excitement. So, join me each week as I share my meandering thoughts on what I am noticing here while we garden, re-wild and enjoy what we’ve created here at our home these last ten years and counting.