Creating a haiku requires you to be in the present moment. Writing nature haikus requires you to connect with the natural world.
Haiku as a Nature Connection Practice
Thorns on a Swamp Rose
Over the brambles The Swamp Rose lures me closer Fingers hooked by thorns A Haiku by Mark The Swamp Rose (Rosa palustris) is a perennial shrub that can grow up to 7 feet tall and is native to the eastern United States. As the name suggests, this plant prefers moist, acidic soil. The Swamp Rose... Continue Reading →
Eastern Tiger Swallowtail in haiku
Earlier this week I posted about Honeysuckles and the importance of pollinator gardens. In that post, I wrote a haiku that mentioned the Monarch butterfly (Danaus plexippus). Well, as it turns out the Monarch butterfly might have been a perfect fit for my haiku, but it wasn't what I was seeing. I was actually watching... Continue Reading →
Honeysuckle and the Pollinator Garden
A gentle breezeShakes the honeysuckle treeA Monarch takes flight Honeysuckle is the name for a group of shrubs, vines, or herbs in the Caprifoliaceous family. These plants can be identified by their opposite leaves, and flowers that have either bilateral or radial symmetry and flare into a trumpet-like shape(1). One thing that the honeysuckle is... Continue Reading →
Lilacs
Lilacs, besides being truly beautiful plants to look at, have their roots firmly planted in human history through poetry and literature.
Sit Spot Haiku – Apple blossom
An apple tree bloomsOn a forgotten road Time has passed us by It is said that New England established its first cultivated apple orchard in 1623. The location of the orchard was Beacon Hill in Massachusetts. The apple that was grown was called The Baldwin. Apple trees soon became a staple of the New England... Continue Reading →
Sit Spot Haiku -Eastern American Toad
Today's Haiku: Tending the garden Caring for the young flowers Jump back! Happy toad. I am always excited to see the first toads of the season and the Eastern American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus americanus) is the type of toad that I encounter the most. Eastern American Toad These toads are between 2.5 and 3 inches... Continue Reading →
Sit Spot Haiku -Amber Snail
Today's Haiku: Early morning dewGathers in the unkept grassA snail emerges Snails are classified as gastropod mollusks. What this means that they are part of the larger mollusk phylum which includes snails, slugs, mussels, and octopuses. The more specific class gastropod, or gastropoda, narrows this group to snails and slugs. Gastropods either have a univalve... Continue Reading →
Sit Spot Haiku -Winter Wren
Today's Haiku: From the distant treesA melodic musicalA winter wren song I had recently heard a friend describe the Winter Wren song as the electric guitar solo of the bird world. I think that is a good description of their cascading, bubbly song that last anywhere between 5 - 10 seconds. Click the link below... Continue Reading →
Golden Trumpets
Golden TrumpetsClustered on a stumpTrue nature revealed Xeromphalina campanella, also known as Golden Trumpets, bell Omphalina, or fuzzy foot, is a small fragile mushroom that is found growing on decaying coniferous stumps and logs. One of seven species and Xeromphalina, the Golden Trumpet is the most abundant and widespread in North America. It is said... Continue Reading →
