*in the ice meadow | part 2

Untouched meadows where all the wild grasses and flowers are allowed to grow are one of my favorite places to be, not only in summer. There seems to be this natural balance in amount of different sorts of plants that are showing up either in groups like islands in the sea or individually spread all over the area. It may appear wild and random, but if you take your time to observe with all senses, there is a great order feelable, much more than in a manmade field. In the past I used to cut down withered flowers, grasses and other plants like people usually do at the end of the season in our garden, but more and more I'm stepping away from this behavior. I know that many people enjoy a tidy garden, but is it natural to actually do this, is it helpful for nature? Since I do not remove the "garden waste" of many plants and flowers anymore, I noticed how the soil stays healthier over winter and the birds are still collecting seeds from the withered flowers and enjoy them. The applied mulch stays on better, because the wind is not able to remove it so easily anymore and the fallen leaves that usually get blown over those places, stick to those plants and create a natural mulch blanket as well that keeps the soil moister and more alive. I'm sure I'm discovering more good reasons to go further into this direction, but for now I already feel quite content with it. Temperatures are getting milder now here as well, but it is also more stormy again.

☙