Care of Creation Group – July 2024 Monthly Column

EARTH MATTERS!

Earth matters to us all.  It sustains and nourishes us.  In simple terms, if we care for the earth, the earth will care for us.

July is the month for real heat, if it is to come at all.  This year, here in this part of the world, we haven’t had many truly warm days so far this month, but let’s hope it has yet to arrive. 

The countryside is a blanket of green fields and hedges and overhanging arches down leafy lanes.  Lilies and fuchsias in silky reds and purple, begonias and many other beautiful flowers enhance our gardens.  Honeysuckle attracts the bees and the butterflies adorn the buddleia bushes in our midst.  Lupins, verbena and sweet william grace our borders adding welcome colour and beauty to our gardens.  Roses of all shades and fragrances are in full bloom along with scented wild rose bushes to compliment them.  One of my favourite shrubs, the montbretia, (I think I love its name more!) is in its glory in my back garden in swathes of orange and green.

Bigger gardens will have room for trees and at this time we see magnolias, wisterias and hydrangeas in bloom.  Some leaves are already turning yellow, and I believe this is due to the high levels of rainfall earlier in summer.  Fruit trees are coming into their own now with abundant blossom of apple, cherry, plum, pear and many more varieties.  Raspberry and strawberry trees produce delicious crops now and are readily available in our supermarkets, or even alongside our motorways. 

Birds are plentiful wherever there is a food source and it’s always a pleasure to watch out for different species in our gardens.  Young chicks are mostly fledged by now and making their own way in the world.  We won’t find till the swallows will be heading off to faraway places.

In the last few weeks, my back garden is host to a family of foxes: mother, father, and four little cubs!  So I won’t be idle between, cats, birds and now foxes.  Enjoy the remaining days of July.  

Your Earth Friend, Anne.

“Earth’s crammed with Heaven and every common bush afire with God; only he who sees takes off his shoes, the rest sit around it and pluck blackberries.”  E.B. Browning