Stumbled upon some photos I took back in February of 2024. In Wisconsin, February is generally not known for Spring-like weather, but that’s just what we got during the second week of the month. How wonderful it felt to have the sun shining on me as I puttered about in my flowerbeds. It seemed to me that the animal kingdom was sensing the return of spring, with a nearby pond filled with geese returning from their winter migration.
Our locust tree seemed to decide to shower us with more than the usual boatload of seed pods. Since the weather was warm and relatively dry, I spent a little time raking and filling big Rubbermaid bins with the unsightly mess. Four bins to be exact. The next day my hubby joined me in raking up seed pods, creating two very large piles. Apparently, there is a name for this overzealousness in producing seed pods–it’s called a “mast seeding event” and can be attributed to our wacky winter weather.
It’s a yearly battle. Now, two years later, we’re creeping up on the month of August, and my frequent weeding adventures still yield numerous seed pods and little locust seedlings.
I will admit to feeling a bit overwhelmed by this tree’s propensity for making a mess. Then, I survey the plants beneath it happily thriving in its dappled shade, and I’m a little less annoyed by the inconvenience.
It’s pretty warm and humid outside today, so I sit on my garden bench and take a little break from weeding. As if in apology for all the mess, the locust tree hugs me with its cooling shade as I sit beneath its branches enjoying the peace of my little backyard.
Barefoot Lily Lady 