🎶 The circle of life 🎶 ….I love that song! It

reminds me of all the circles in nature. My favorite is how plants and animals die and decay and eventually turn into wonderful, rich soil that grows more plants and animals. Round and round, just like a circle. Life…growth…death… decay…new life! Let’s all think of ways we can be a part of that amazing process!

Remember the big Texas freeze we had last year? Wow! That was a KILLER! Well, not completely. You see, most of the native plants survived. In fact, my very favorite Virburnum bush bounced back, and is still there for me. It reminds me to watch for the ways in which the earth renews. I celebrate that! So my New Year’s Resolution is to remember Rev. 21:5 – Behold, I make all things new.

Fa la la! Wanna know some great eco- friendly ways to wrap gifts? Here we go! Reuse old shopping bags, newspapers, fabric scraps, scarves, tea towels, maps, tote bags, or even NOTHING (just tie on an evergreen or holly sprig). And when you are done opening gifts remember this handy tip for recycling: please NO metallic, glittered or waxy paper. And save those bows!

Are you a picky eater? I am! And I am not alone, either. You see, many of the critters around us thrive on locally native plants and trees. In fact, some of them cannot live at all without their “native diet.” That is one of the many reasons that we should all plant more natives. Doing so will provide plentiful food for the wildlife around us. And healthy wildlife – like ME! – is critical to maintaining a healthy planet.

We sure had a cold one this winter – I almost froze! Your gardens may have suffered too. Well, if you purchase new plants to replace your poor lost ones, don’t throw away the plastic pots! Instead, take them to Nature’s Way Resources (101 Sherbrook Cir. 77385). They will reuse them to stock their nursery (which, by the way, is chock full of hearty native plants). Good idea all around!

What is an aquifer? Well, when it rains, water seeps into the ground and collects in porous rock deep under the surface. That is an aquifer. We can get that water by drilling a well to pump it to the surface. It is like a water bank! When we can’t get enough water from our rainfall, rivers and lakes, we go to the aquifer. But we don’t want to take too much water, because it takes a VERY LONG TIME for the aquifer to refill. So we sure do want to save our aquifers!