Notes From the Brambles- Fall

Notes From the Brambles:

That time of year thou mayst in me behold

When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang

Upon those boughs which shake against the cold,

Bare ruin’d choirs, where late the sweet birds sang.

In me thou see’st the twilight of such day

As after sunset fadeth in the west,

Which by and by black night doth take away,

Death’s second self, that seals up all in rest.

In me thou see’st the glowing of such fire

That on the ashes of his youth doth lie,

As the death-bed whereon it must expire,

Consum’d with that which it was nourish’d by.

This thou perceiv’st, which makes thy love more strong,

To love that well which thou must leave ere long.

BY WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE

As I write this blog it’s been raining for three days straight and the temperature has hovered in the 60s. The bookends of light are getting shorter as we are losing three minutes of daylight each day. We may feel nostalgic for the light that seemed to last until late into the evening just a few weeks ago. Our plants, insects and animals, native to this part of the world are perfectly tuned to the rhythms of New England weather and use this time to recharge. Many of my friends bemoan the loss of light and the approach of winter which inevitably brings slippery sidewalks, shoveling, scraping and increased heating bills. When I ask them what they love about our geographic niche they will often times list the very things cold snowy winters produce. Many of our beneficial creatures depend on cold and snow for protection and a time to go dormant. A perfect example of this is the sugar maple tree, which provides that wonderful liquid we call maple syrup. As our winters become warmer due to the climate crisis sugar maples will no longer fill their historic spot in our culture and landscape. The range of this wonderful tree will be limited to regions of northern New England and Canada. The more we can do as individuals and a society to limit our carbon footprint the longer we will be graced with the flora and fauna associated with southern New England. The land trust will begin our second season of producing syrup from the maple trees on our properties.

We will start collecting in February and finish the boiling and bottling in mid to late March. We would like to thank the administration and staff at Bushy Hill for the use of their sugar shack. We would not have been able to launch this project without their support. Anyone interested in participating in this event can reach out to us through social media and we will be sure to keep you informed as to the schedule. We still have bottles of syrup from last year and anyone interested in making a $40 donation to the Land Trust will receive a bottle of syrup as a thank you gift!

The rain and diminishing levels of heat at this time of year make it the perfect time to plant perennials for your pollinator garden. Remember, it’s okay to be a little “lazy” and wait until spring (when the first dandelions) bloom to clean up your yard. Even though dandelions are among the most successful invasive flowering plant in the world they are a great source of early energy for our little buzzing buddies. We have over 370 different species of bumblebees in Connecticut and they are all ready for an early snack when spring rolls around. By allowing a degree of controlled chaos in our gardens as winter sets in we simply imitate nature and encourage diversity. I would argue there is a stark beauty to an unmanicured yard as it gives shelter to pollinators and other beneficial creatures while also being visually interesting. For anyone interested in the pollinators around us please visit info@pollinator-pathway.org

Until next time, From the brambles

Patrick Liddle