Green

The thing that struck me most about Vancouver Island was the trees. Enormous tall trees, towering overhead, lining the roads. Everywhere.

At the campsite on our first night, Téo complained that there were too many trees. I'm going to cut them all down!  

The environmentalist part of me pointed out that the trees have a right to live, that without them there'd be no home for animals, and that we need trees to give us oxygen.

But my gut fully agreed. I craved a break, somewhere, in the mass of impenetrable green, a chance to see a bit further, to feel a bit of space.

I wondered whether this is an instinct born from the dangers that once lurked in forests? Or maybe something that's been bred into us by the invention of agriculture, where the clearers were the ones that prospered? Or a desperate attempt to have some semblance of control over what's around us? Or just that I'm more used to the look and feel of the Australian bush?

I don't know, but the feeling was surprisingly strong.

I've been thinking about this a lot over the past few weeks, as my dreams of transforming our front garden have become reality.

In theory, I want a wildlife-friendly garden.

My gut, though, wants a pretty garden. It's quite insistent. And it doesn't like most of the native - i.e., wildlife-friendly - options.

Like wanting a few less trees on Vancouver Island, I find this strong desire to just go with what I want, and to hell with the wildlife, somewhat alarming. And, given a large source of my work, extremely hypocritical.

(Strangely though, if I were living in Australia I would have a 100% native garden. Do I just feel more strongly for the wildlife of my home country? Or are Aussie plants simply prettier and so "acceptable"?)

(Also, I am more than happy to have a native meadow out the back, it's just this front yard - which is so artificial in character in the first place, being a square surrounded by walls and fences - where I want stylized landscaping.)

(And just to add, I would have definitely planted a crabapple tree - bird-friendly! (pretty!) - only our neighbours planted one on their side.)

So. We've planted one native tree. A pretty one.

And some non-native but supposedly bird-friendly grasses.

But I've also planted some tulips.

And a non-native maple. (Although, it was bought before I realised that insects can't just eat the nectar and pollen of any old flower and birds don't just eat any old seed. I knew this was the case for Aussie species, but somehow thought European species were less fussy.)

And some kind of non-native lily thing (also bought before I realised it couldn't feed anything.)

We'd really like a non-native cedar too.

I did put up some bird feeders though. They count for something, right?

No?

Yeah, my green credentials are shot.

(But it's shaping up to be a pretty garden.)