who knew?

that one day i would have long hair.

or that i will be glued to wearing shorts.

that i would have more to do all day
than just bask on the beach.


that the year would come
when my birthday cake
would no longer be bigger than my body.

that i would make a lovely bridesmaid,


but never the bride.



that i would NOT be a biological mother,
but a mother, all the same.

that children would be those i ‘borrow’


that i would love to decorate the house,
the farm for no reason at all, or for the only reason that matters,

for the self.

that i would love having cocks and hens for pets. bwahahaha,

now that is funny!

that wearing wings and growing them are totally different things,

but promising.

and that i would spread those wings

and soar.

Naturescaping: Escaping to Nature

my style of yardkeeping has long been inspired

by the natural landscape around my hometown,

Baao,

living peacefully alongside local trees


and the wispy grasses that grow happily beneath them

always felt comfortable and genuine,

and i’m excited to learn that this hands off approach to landscaping

now has a name of its own:

naturescaping.

it describes the growing trend

toward replacing the lawn

with native species of grasses,

flowers,

shrubs, and trees.


so, what exactly is a native plant?

it’s one that existed within the place for a long time.

native plants conserve soil and water,

provide the backbone for non-polluting landscapes

because they don’t need fertilizers or pesticides,

supports a diversity of wildlife through improved habitat,

reduce long term maintenance after plantings are established,

are hardy and tolerant,

and are less prone to destructive insects.

how did i know all these?

well, i read, researched and observed.

what are my eyes for? if i don't use them?


if you’re skeptical

because native plants seem like they might be “weedier”

than a carpet of green zoysia turf,

picture this:

you can’t trade your ho-hum plot of monotonous green

for an artistically designed environment of the local bushes,

carabao grasses, and colored wildflowers

– a refuge where you can meander along pebbled paths
and watch birds

and butterflies dance among the blooms.

it’s a place of peace, no matter how small,

because it has taken its cue from mother nature herself.



i am an artist, and i could paint beautiful flowers,

but,

no one artist can beat the beauty that mother nature offers.
and as I always say, we only have one earth, we only live one life.

THINK!