By JANETTA FOX
news@breezenewspapers.com
“Study nature, love nature, stay close to nature. It will never fail you” — Frank Lloyd Wright
Whenever I think about this season of gift-giving, my mind shifts from wrapped presents and gatherings among family and friends to the multitude of gifts that nature offers year-round for our sustenance and delight. Whether it is the air we breathe, the water we drink or the food we eat, all are available through nature’s bounty.
The importance of our plant life, insects and other wildlife to our very existence cannot be overstated. For example, were it not for the amazing way our flora create their own food through a combination of energy-building sunlight, water and the intake of carbon dioxide from the air and their ability to release oxygen into the air for our benefit, combined with the wondrous ways pollination contributes to the continuation of plant species, we would be in dire straits.
Consider the gifts our trees provide. They contribute to clean air by removing pollutants, work their magic in preventing soil erosion and protect our valuable water resources. They also provide refuge and sustenance for wildlife and serve as food sources and economic benefit for humans.
And consider the beauty that the natural world holds for us, with nature’s palette boasting an array of colors and textures. So many examples to choose from with one included in my landscape, “Little Gem,” offspring of our native Southern Magnolia. Its leaves boast a dark green topside offset by a bronze underside. The tree blossoms on and off for a good part of the year, with blooms most abundant in the warmer months. Little Gem’s cream-colored petals with their sweet and soothing scent, its lovely yellow reproductive parts, with reddish-purple coloring at the base, and the bees that flutter about in search of life-sustaining pollen and nectar are a sight to behold. The petals are soft, silky and smooth to the touch, and are edible as well. And, as if that weren’t enough, when flowers are spent and cones form, the red berries that emerge prove a food source for visiting birds.
Wildflowers are another feast for the senses. These beauties are not only visually pleasing to us but are often edible and have medicinal value as well. And, they serve as a nectar source for our butterflies, bees and hummingbirds to name but a few. They can be found in wide open spaces, along highways and in butterfly gardens. Consider Coreopsis, which comes in vibrant yellows, oranges, pinks and more; the Beach Sunflower with its yellow inflorescence and brown center; and the hardy Gaillardia with its yellow-tippped orange-red flowers. And these are just three of the many wildflower offerings found in Florida. Interested in more? Visit gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu.
When walking on a pleasant, breezy morning, I find an inhale and slow release of breath to be both refreshing and calming, opening the way for a greater appreciation of Nature’s sights and symphony of sounds, most amply demonstrated by our feathered friends.
Venturing beyond our individual landscapes and whatever open spaces we enjoy locally, we can find a multitude of natural gifts throughout Florida, some of which are a short drive away. These gifts present themselves in the form of national and state parks, gardens, wildlife sanctuaries, pinelands, wetlands, lakes, streams, rivers and more.
Our waterways, for example, offer opportunities for relaxation and adventure, and are home to a wide array of aquatic life, including fish, mammals, such as our manatees, reptiles and amphibians, as well as wading and migratory birds. Consider the majestic great blue heron at water’s edge and the anhinga hovering about or on a nearby tree top with outstretched wings.
With all the gifts nature willingly gives us, it only seems fair that we in some way show our appreciation. Giving back can be as easy as doing our part to preserve our vital, limited water resources. Doing so will go a long way toward protecting the total of nature. For more information visit gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu.
Janetta Fox is a Lee County Master Gardener Volunteer and a member of the Garden Club of Cape Coral. Visit gardenclubofcapecoral.com. Like us on Facebook and Instagram.
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