Backyard Wildflowers

shared by Natalie Lee

This knitted top was inspired by our backyard in Beacon, New York, just a short distance from the Hudson River.

We live in an apartment complex, but the way this little piece of land is cared for feels very different from the typical manicured landscape. Instead of mowing everything down and planting a uniform stretch of grass, the management has allowed wildflowers and grasses to have space to grow. Unwanted plants are pulled and maintained by hand, without the use of chemicals, while the rest is given time and room to thrive. And it shows.

Our yard is alive with an incredible variety of sights and sounds. We have seen deer and foxes moving through the grass, groundhogs making their homes nearby, monarchs and swallowtails drifting between flowers, and bees constantly at work. Birds visit throughout the seasons—from indigo buntings, Baltimore orioles, and American goldfinches to bald eagles and red-tailed hawks. In the evenings, we regularly see bats flying overhead.

This little ecosystem has become a constant source of inspiration for me. It is also a space where I go to rest and reset, or to take a quiet walk with my binoculars and see who else calls this place home. Every time I look out the window, I feel inspired by and grateful to live within such a vibrant multispecies community.

Finally, this space reminds me that nature doesn’t always need much from us. Sometimes it simply needs space and time, and a little less human control. Given the opportunity, it finds its way, creates abundance, and becomes something beautiful all on its own.