Often we view fall as the end of the warmth and the start of the transition towards the cold, dark winter. But overtime as I have become more connected with my land and the natural world around me I have come to think of fall as the return of life.
Those of us living in countries like the United States with fairly easy access to air conditioning tend to view summer as the time to play. It's when we go out to the lake, go for swims, go camping, and go for hikes.
But in areas like western Washington where the summer is hot and dry this is not a time of abundance for the natural world. Plants stop growing and go dormant, leaves start to brown in drought, grasses and other non-woody plants go brown and even die back to the ground.
The natural world seems to hunker down and shelter to wait for the end of summer.
If an unusual drought hits an area and extends the length of summer weather often plants will start to die. The natural world here in the temperate part of the planet really only seems able to take so much summer.
In many ways the natural world seems to respond very similar to both winter and summer. The conditions are different but both cause stress and hardship despite being a necessary part of the natural cycle of life on Earth.
But as soon as the rains return in the fall (or in the spring after the chill of winter) I see the natural world come back to life.
On my own wild homestead the fungi are waking up, my plants are growing again, and perennial plant seedlings are germinating and getting ready for next spring when they will take off and fill the land with life. Plus, there are flowers blooming and berries and fruit ready to pick.
To me fall is the return of life to the land.
Though this time of abundance won't last for long. Just like spring, fall is relatively short lived and soon the winter chill will return and life will go dormant again.
But before the dark of winter I will make sure to get out and enjoy the return of life and the removal of stress from the land. I hope you will do the same.
Fall like spring is a time of growth and abundance.
Don't forget you can mimic this natural return of life by planting perennial plants in the fall! Just today I ordered 50 alpine strawberries to add around my kid's play area. Adding new perennial plants in the fall means that next spring there will be more life then ever on my wild homestead.
Check out my recent blog post to learn more: Why You Should Plant Perennials in the Fall
Spring and fall are my favorite times of the year. I just love the abundance of life during these seasons. What about you? Leave your thoughts in the comments.
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