Listen Well…

There are those who will tell you the garden is the quietest spot to spend an afternoon, but I beg to differ. The garden is full of all kinds of sounds; you only need to take a moment and listen.

Sure, there are all the everyday sounds we hear all the time outside; children playing hard, doors slamming, the sound of music coming out of the window, conversations between neighbor. The list goes on and on. But those are all man-made sounds and we want to talk about the sounds of Nature’s Garden.

 When you listen to your garden there are many things will stand out to you. Do you hear the bull frog croaking loudly? The cackle of a crow as he steals his food from another bird? The chattering of the Blue Jay as she chases the intruder from her nest? Is there a dog barking or a squirrel scolding? There is so much to hear when you stop and listen.

Then there are the second level sounds; subtler to the ears. These sounds take a little more effort to hear, you really must listen for them. Like the sounds of the Katydid Beetle in the heat of the summer, beating its wings to make its distinctive sound. Or the sound of a Ground Dove cooing as it makes its way around the ground to get to her nest. Perhaps you hear a Mockingbird speaking to other birds, using the five or six different tones it has in its repertoire. It’s as if he’s having a conversation with each type of bird. You may hear a tapping from the Woodpecker’s beak as he searches for food in the bark of the shade tree you so enjoy. From this to the chattering of the Squirrels as they run across the yard playing tag with each other.

No, wait a minute… listen a little closer and you will hear it. There’s a buzzing of a Bee as it goes from flower to flower gathering nectar and there is the beating of a Dragonflies wings as it settles itself on top of a pond of water looking for a drink. The lizards scurrying in the leaves looking for the next meal or the rustling of the leaves from a soft breeze add to the garden melody.

Yes, if you listen closely you can hear all kinds of adventures going on in your garden. I have a challenge for you: take your lawn chair out and settle yourself in the center of your garden. Close your eyes, and really listen. What are the sound you hear?

What is your garden trying to tell you?