The Earth will not continue to offer its harvest, except with faithful stewardship.
We cannot say we love the land and then take steps to destroy it for use by future generations.” John Paul II
Whoops! Tripped on a hose and fell into the embrace of a Nanking Cherry. Darn it. The poor plants are so dry and sad this year. Saving water while saving plants isn’t a fun method of survival. The Nanking cherry broke some brittle branches and opened up like a peach tree pruned for fruit. It saved me from hurting myself though, so I am gratefu. July is always warm, er, hot! Monsoons take the sting out of the midsummer heat, but they don’t last and they don’t always come on time. We know we will be baking into August, unless the monsoons come late. They should be here by now… Pikes Peak’s July 2026 forecast shows daily high temperatures ranging from 72° to 85°, with overnight lows between 44° and 58°. The average high for July is 79° with an average low of 51°. Doesn’t sound too hot. But my thermometers are reading much hotter these recent days. Well, a day trip to Deckers or Eleven Mile would cool us down. People are grateful for the low humidity in Colorado.
I am quite concerned about the climate crisis on this planet, and am committed to applying ecological solutions for the future generations. Planting trees, creating hugelkultur structures, I envision the young people, children and families, finding shade and peace in their times. My Kentucky coffee tree is always so late to leaf out. It grows so slowly at the moment in the understory of AnnaMaranna garden, but it will survive. After reading into Sprout Lands: Tending the Endless Gift of Trees (William Bryant Logan), I do have more confidence in it’s capabilities. I can see it in my mind’s eye standing tall with the bur oak, equally small at the moment. Shade for the future. It is just a difficult environment now. We are moving into uncertain times.
So I walk out the door looking up and looking out. Music in my head can create an audible landscape that I can ground my spirit into. But I shudder at the thought of running out of water. Running out of snow… So, I do what I can to not pay into that positive feedback cycle of heat and ecosystem decline. We continue to learn about adaptation and resilience… honing skills. Observing.
Concern about climate shift drives me… Adapting to a different world that we who trust science know is coming. That is an on-going job. Isn’t it? I think farmers and gardeners are more aware since they should know and acknowledge their dance with the weather.Their work is determined and dictated by weather. There is a changing of norms.
Farmers, stockmen and gardeners are working at staying ahead of any curve balls from the weather cycles. They are probably more aware than urban and suburban people.
When the winds of drought kick up, they can blow all day and long into the night. Plants suffer. A plant’s ability to stay hydrated is completely compromised. Winds suck out a plant’s moisture stores, through the leaves. A plant has no control over the loss of moisture. Wind can crisp the leaves. Conifers also suffer in droughts. Often conifers will drop older needles to conserve moisture. People think their conifers are dying…but hopefully they are just adapting. We should give them that chance. Many of our trees in town survived the 2002 drought. They are leerning how to use less, release less moisture. We should help them stay strong in the fight. Conserving water and surviving drought seasons is rough for the trees. Having integrated rainwater systems along the curb, in the parking lots and in the parks is very helpful for trees, the canopy cover and the wildlife. Great for water quality as well. There aremany, many benefits to the natural world.
This region will never have enough water for thirsty lawns, magnolia trees or palm trees. Water is our limiting factor inwhat we can do with plants and the soil. Grey water, captured indoors, can certainly help the plants outdoor survive. Manitou Springs, and other towns and communitys are looking at grey water and it’s benefits. Colorado Springs said NO. However, Palmer Park, Fountain, Manitou Springs and others could say YES to putting used water into the nature scapes in suburbia and the urban forest. Soil and plant roots clean and refresh water. That is an adaptive step into the future. I will say that within 20 – 25 years, every new building will have parallel water systems, conserving used water that is clean enough for plants. Retrofits could help older buildings integrate with laundry to landscape systems. Just think of residential houses with happy trees and shrubs! Simple laundry to landscape systems are very affordable to the residential scale. Saves money, energy and water. There are grey water professionals in the area who can do this work without danger to anyone and make great strides forward for our urban and suburban forests! What a boost to backyard systems. So… What will we do? What do you think we should do? Many of us are ready for grey water systems!
A quarter of a century ago, in 2002, I used grey water to keep my lilacs alive. That was a horrid drought year. Today, in 2026, I am keeping my viburnun, honeysuckles, serviceberry, nanking cherry and other plants hydrated. Plants thrive on grey water. And, I am still using buckets to accomplish this. When turning on the water outside, I water once a week on the larger landscape. There is an oasis zone in the west gardens where the potted stock lives. The east gardens hold the blackberries, raspberries, the apple and plum, and others, and the ‘back forty’ at the back fence is another water zone. I mark the calendar and shift from zone to zone, so each gets water once a week through this drought. No chokecherries here this year, no cherries, no apples and no plums. No raspberries. But, the blackberries are trying to ripen. I do take an extra bucket of water to the blackberries now and then. Producing fruit calls for extra water. Grey water is just that – extra water! Keeping plants alive is the goal. Getting plants through the heat is the task. I cover my annuals with sun-cutting remay cloth, protecting them from the winds as well. They are doing well enough. Drought times are a challenge. Plants are adapting as best they can.
Drought is a big challenge for wildlife. Many offer water for wildlife in their landscaping efforts. Access to water is big for them, so we must protect the wildlife access to water. Certainly birds seek out the bird feeders and bird baths, and we all see that. But other animals need water too. Mammals, reptiles, insects and more need access to water. Having water at differing levels helps a diversity of animals. Even deer will drink clean water from basins and bird baths; saving a dangerous trip across roads to the creek.
In Manitou we enjoy limited wildlife. Wilder denizens must dodge cars, bicycles, watch out for dogs and hikers, listen to nonstop people noises. All of this takes up their time. Some studies show that animals can spend most of their time just avoiding humans. They are on alert rather than finding food, mating, or caring for young. Undisturbed places are very important to wildlife. If we want to see wildlife in our neighborhoods, we must protect their homes. If we don’t, we might as well live on Academy Boulevard. Wildlife seeks safe pockets of wildness where they can find peace and sanctuary.
Shelter in the form of shade and quiet areas are important for wildlife. Areas that are too steep and deep for people, too rocky and remote as possible are very valuable to wildlife. Ravines, cliffs and rock formations can create cool microclimates that provide protection to our wilder friends. Diversity in plant life from trees to shrubs, grasses and forbs, makes an invitation for animal diversity, too. We must make room for wildlife so animals can den, feed and browse free from worry and intrusions. They need privacy to birth their babies. They deserve their world too. They deserve their support systems. We shouldn’t take so much from them. Wilder areas need to be protected. People already take up so much of the planetary space for wildlife. Let’s take care not take it all. We can be the protectors for the future animals, builders of the future forests. We are the guardians of the waterways and defender of the future people. We are if we try! Preserved areas become where the process of evolution can continue for our wild friends. Seven Generations and beyond.
Climatic impacts, caused by our species, are impating environments everywhere. As stewards of the land, we need to do all we can to protect the local wilds for the local wildlife. Wildlife has the same right to be here as we do. They are part of the whole. I would like to believe that we humans could step out of our desire to be absolutely everywhere. I would like to believe that we are nature-loving enough to preserve areas away from houses, trails, camping, and certainly from extraction industry like lumbering and mining. It is up to us to protect the planet. That doesn’t mean ‘just for people’.
People are everywhere. There are always more and more people coming to visit, coming to vacation, coming to shop, coming to events. Endlessly. Meanwhile, many local residents witness a decline in wildlife populations who share this land with us. Is it a truth that more people means fewer animals? I don’t know. Here is what I do know: Mammals can alert to a human’s presence from 400 feet away, birds alert at 150 feet. Even snakes and lizards can be disturbed by humans many feet from a trail. One study monitored elevated heart rates in animals that didn’t (or couldn’t) flee the ‘danger’ of a human’s presence. Without knowing it or seeing the wildlife, we are stressing them out and they often live in a constant alert status. Just saying. They need our help. Being aware of their plight is the first step in adapting to change.
The garden can take worries away and soothe a troubled heart. I have watched my elderberry bushes bloom again and again, only to wither on the stalk in the heat. Makes me sad, but I am watering only for survival, not for a crop this year. Inhaling the fragrance of an elderberry bloom is subtle. The fragrance pulls one into the moment closer with the blossoms, into that eternal time warp in the garden. Breathe deep as you pass by. They continue to bloom and bloom again. Today they are lifting up fresh white flowrs to the sun. Elderberry blooms help me get through the day. They help me get on with my life. I know there are many helpers out there! I was reminded of a quote from Fred Rogers, the Mr Rogers. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” Let’s do that. Let’s find the helpers!
Peace and promise. Blue Planet Becky the gardener