When David Corkett moved from Barrie, Ontario, to Rothesay, New Brunswick about four and a half years ago, he purchased a house on a half-acre lot and chose not to impose preconceptions on the land. Here is what he has to say about this decision followed by more of his photographs.

*Bees are especially attracted by blue flowers, which they see more readily than humans do.

*Generally, the botanical name of a plant is given the first time the plant appears in a photograph.

Early in my stewardship of this property I rapidly revised my vision of what I could do with it. I decided to wait for a while and let the property “speak to me.” I also observed the plants that thrive in this area of the province.

In early spring the first “bloomers” on this property are violets and Creeping Charlie (Glechoma hederacea,) a member of the mint family with an intoxicating fragrance. Bees seem to love these edible plants and can find them anywhere in the large swathes of the ground cover in my open areas.

Creeping Charlie was introduced by European settlers who knew of its medicinal and nutritional value. They steeped the fresh or dried leaves for tea (high in vitamin C and flavonoids) and added it to salads and salad dressings. Also, before they began to grow hops for making beer, they used good old Creeping Charlie.

Speaking of ground covers, one of the messages nature delivered to me arrived at the end of my first summer when crows gathered in abundance to pull up turf on my pre-existing front lawn to feed on the grubs. I adapted by letting additional green things grow as ground cover, such as wild strawberry and cinquefoil, both of which have flowers that are far more colourful than grass and do not turn brown in the drought of a heatwave. These species do not seem to be bothered by the feeding habits of grubs, which still exist but in lesser numbers.

I have at least three mainstays in the open areas of the garden, shaded and otherwise. Both ox-eye daisies and hay-scented ferns grow in abundance and are generally not a food source for deer, which roam the neighbourhood. The daisies just appeared, but the ferns were transplants from a generous donor. Four years later I can now decide on where these might continue and spread with a little encouragement.

The third item of note is the moss that my neighbours discourage by spreading lime; they “sweeten” their soils to make grass grow better. My moss grows in abundance on the acidic soil and is green in every season. It is prolific in shaded and some open areas that retain moisture well. I have encouraged it for its visual beauty as well as for the comfortable walking surface it provides.

I cannot overstate the variety of pleasure my daisies have provided. During the height of their show not long after I’d moved here a father was picking up his pre-school daughter from a neighbour. As he cleared her seat in the car, I watched her wander over to my daisies and wave her hand over the blossom heads. Dad came over, led her back, and put her in her car seat – where she folded her arms, sunk her chin, puckered her bottom lip, and made the all-too-familiar universal "pout”. Dad read her well, as he soon came over and gathered several stalks of flowers for her. The pout dissolved.

I mow selectively once in a while, and this year that was no more than once month. The long interval between mowings allows new plants to appear, advance in development, and be recognized. It’s an excellent way to encourage species already present and allow for new ones to introduce themselves. I allow the Creeping Charlie to grow to its full height, because not only is its one of the few early sources of nectar for bees, but attracts and sustains bees until my flowering pea shrub blossoms outside the back door. Of course, because I mow so sparingly, many species of insects thrive here, which in turn attracts many other birds beside crows.

At some point I dead-head the daisies or mow them down, knowing they will soon reappear and, regardless of whether they bloom again or not, will continue as healthy plants. This is mainly because I do not mow low. When I gardened with my father, he never set the mower blade low – a practice I continue. In fact, for many years I have set the mower blades as high as they will go or the next slot down. This encourages plants to grow deeper roots, which enables them to endure droughts.

I put temporary fencing around plants that deer like, but which I wish to enjoy rather than have them eaten. Eventually I will probably install enough fencing to keep them away from a portion where I like to sit or enjoy walking without having to meander through their “scat.” The deer still have plenty of room to manoeuvre on my land, especially in the wooded areas.

Who knows how long I will continue to live here? I’m in my mid-seventies now and after four years here I’m pleased with the progress nature has made with some help from me. I view land ownership as a privilege that allows a person to enjoy the practice of stewardship. I’d like to stay as long as I wish; certainly carefully observing, working, and photographing around the property is more important to me than getting anywhere fast.

Perhaps I watch more than I actually look, which may be a metaphor for the photographic opportunities that present themselves here all year round, at practically any time of day, and in all sorts of weather – including during snowstorms, when many plants are completely or partly covered by a blanket of white.