Welcome to the third of our series Twelve Ways to Be in the Garden: an enthusiastic wintering, here in the Southern Hemisphere. See all twelve ways here.

What could be better than seeing a flight of birds in an open garden? Here on the mountain, we are fortunate to see black cockatoos screeching through the air. It’s a special event as these birds only appear in certain parts of Australia. The white sulphur crested cockatoos are quite common and can be quite destructive to cedarwood. They have chewed on our outdoor decking. But they are beautiful, and we love them.  

Other times the garden is delighted by the visitation of king parrots – bright orange and green. They are quite cheeky, coming right up to the window or door in search of seed. The red and blue rosellas always join them for seed as well.

Then there are the ubiquitous magpies – also cheeky but quite lovely and very friendly. A family of magpies come each afternoon on the back ledge and sometimes right up to the kitchen window, again asking for food. They like the cat’s dry food – much to the cat’s annoyance.

I’m one of those people who doesn’t always look up – at the trees, the sky, the clouds and the birds. Sometimes, the garden chores become so engrossing that I forget to look about, my head cast down to the earth.  

This is part of my self awareness process. When I’m in the garden I remind myself to look up, to observe things around me – not just in my garden but when I go for a walk, or visit another place. It’s a simple act to remind myself that there is more to life than chores, work and duty.

How do you pause and nurture your self-awareness?

Happy Saturday to you all. 🌸