Of a Certain Nature
An unusual place to find a Huntsman, atop a flower, in the morning.
A big Drone fly landed on a nearby flower. Standoff, in my mind …
But didn’t get caught by this spider, this time …
… gardening, and how not to do it.
Until recently my attitude to the garden has been of a minimalist approach; determine, sometimes intuit, location, plant a selection, water and feed – with little to no regard for the suitability of the earth it happens on and in. Lazy, yes, being a poor study of things I don’t ‘see’ the need for.
Then something happened, I stopped wasting energy in one area of my life, thinking I ‘should’ apply myself where I just didn’t fit, and that energy became available for other things. So I began to look deeper into where I do apply myself without the ‘should’.
The notion of growing a certain plant, for its wonderful flowers, slowly grew in my mind and I found myself thoroughly involved in researching how to do it the best I can – not unlike a root-bound seedling released from its constraining pot and transferred to fertile soil.
Of course, because nothing is certain in a world of change, it may not turn out as I envisage but I will have done my best – and that’s what counts, the doing, not the end.
I still love the little creatures, when they show themselves, but maybe I will focus a little more on the flowers that feed them – in all their ways.
When the garden’s soil develops and spring comes around.
… not the end.
© Mark Berkery … CLICK any picture to enlarge in a new tab …
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Nature's Place 
Fantastic captures!!
Thanks Stormie. This is an older post. The latest can be found here https://beingmark.com/
Thanks Mark…:)
Beautifully written, Mark. Growing plants can be such a satisfying thing to do, and it’s good for the soul, too. Are you growing your own vegetables as well? I’ve found that one thing can lead to another…
Thanks Stacy. Yes, veg are planned – sort of … One thing always leads to the next …
What a beautie! Great shots Mark! :D
Yes it is, thanks Sonia …
Good shots! I have never seen one on a flower either.
Thanks Robin. A rare sight indeed …
My attitude to gardening has changed too. Now I focus on what the plants can bring in for my bees. Luckily I have the similar preferences like flowers and perfume but each plant has to help in some way by proving something. Amelia
That’s practical Amelia. A little oasis where everything naturally has its function.
I too have never seen a huntsman on a flower. I often see them in my house creeping down the wall just as im going to bed or in the ack window of my car as im driving in traffic!! Im not exactly sure how they end up in either space but I try to shoo or capture and put outside rathwr than kill… beautiful pics : )) trees
Thanks Trees. They are stealthy, minimal footprint on my mind, until one jumps off the wall at me – a big mother …
“Gardening is the purest of human pleasures.”
Francis Bacon
Glad to know your giving it a go mate :-)
Already have some no-till beds prepping for later in the year, lovely smell from the lucerne and mix generally, and the Kookaburras have taken to perches where they can watch for anything moving in them.
Just wait till you smell the soil from the no-till beds! It’s lovely! Don’t let the kookaburras catch all your insects or we won’t have any more amazing photos to wonder at :-)
The Kooks only hung around a few days, probably because there was no tilling and turning. So far there are hundreds of little flies that play above the beds and not much else, but it is a good habitat on the whole. I am thinking, when the time comes, a dusting of DE to keep the ‘pests’ down, maybe Neem … maybe not, don’t want to bomb it. Aphids, ants and mold are big in the garden at different times.
Impressive pictures !On photo I find spiders fascinating, in real life they give me the creeps !
Thanks Gwen. They are impressive one way or the other …
Good luck. I did the same with a cherry tree. Dressed the soil, etc. Made an effort. I named her “Prissy.”
She’s a proud little tree…
The garden sings for the micro herd, the smallest of nature’s helpers that help everything else. Only the minimum of envisaging is necessary, the rest is doing it … right.
You will truly enjoy your new outlook on gardening I am sure. And amazing photos! I love to see spiders so close up. They are very wild creatures to me!
I am, and getting fitter too. Thanks.
They are wild, uncivilized, thank …
We have huntsman spiders too but they’re not as impressive a yours Mark. I remember very well one that I saw in Tasmania, crossing the road I was driving on, from a distance of almost 10 meters. I also remember, with great fondness, your series on the female watching over her egg sac a year or so ago. I had not known that they expanded their hunting grounds to include blooming flowers. How fascinating!
This is the first Huntsman I have seen on a flower, they usually hunt in the undergrowth but not much has been there since there has been no rain to speak of all summer long – insects need water like everything else does. Maybe a last resort?