“To be thrilled by the stars at night; to be elated over a bird’s nest or a wildflower in spring — these are some of the rewards of the simple life.”
John Burroughs
“One person’s weed is another person’s wildflower.”
Susan Wittig Albert
“Magic exists. Who can doubt it, when there are rainbows and wildflowers, the music of the wind and the silence of the stars?”
Nora Roberts
Have you been following the Instagram book tour for Mia Makes A Meadow this past week?
Today is our turn to shout out about this beautiful book which has been perfect reading for Community Gardening Week which ends today. It has been a week to celebrate the wonderful gardens in British communities and schools, gardens of all shapes and sizes that are bringing people together and rewilding patches of land around the UK. Community groups and schools have been creating green spaces and safe havens for humans and minibeasts of all shapes and sizes including the all important pollinators we need to help our gardens thrive and grow.
Rewilding is something I feel very passionately about and we love the little wildernesses we have created in our own garden. We also love seed bombing our local area when out on walks. This started in the first lockdown in 2020 when we sowed wildflower seeds in memory of our Baby Tilda.
Community gardens all have a different heart and a unique mission. What each one of them has in common though, is the ability to bring people together using the power of nature to inspire, heal and make people happy.
Mia Makes A Meadow by Rachel Lawston and Beatriz Castro is a beautiful book filled with wildflowers and minibeasts. It tells the story of a community courtyard garden that is shared by the residents of a block of flats.
One neighbour Erik tends the garden and Mia loves to help him. Mia loves all things messy and muddy. She also loves spending time with Erik and his cat, Luna. Erik keeps the community garden spick, span and spotless.
One day Erik tells Mia and her mummy that he has to go away for a while to see his family. He asks Mia to look after Luna, the cat.
Mia and Luna miss Erik very much and together with mummy they spend time in the garden which is becoming wilder with no Erik to care for it.
Mummy and Mia decide to look after the garden for Erik but find that all the tools are locked away in the shed. Undeterred they do what they can, starting with sweeping up the leaves. As the garden continues to grow something magical happens. Nature begins to show its true colours in the form of beautiful wildflowers in a whole host of shapes, sizes and colours. Mia thinks they are wonderful and asks her mummy if they can grow more.
Mummy thinks this is an excellent plan. They buy wildflower seeds and together they sprinkle them all around the garden. The pair are so excited as they wait patiently for the flowers to grow amongst the tall grass.
As the flowers grow the bugs and beetles, butterflies, birds and bees slowly begin to arrive until the garden is bursting with blooms and buzzing with bees while the air fills with beautiful birdsong.
More and more people from the block of flats become inspired and encouraged by what Mia and her mummy are doing. They want to help and as slowly and surely as the garden grows, the community comes together, creating something beautiful together. Sharing the wild garden with neighbours is exciting and they come up with lots of new ideas for the shared space. A bird table, a bug hotel, an apple tree. Together they create a buzzing blossoming meadow. A sanctuary for wildlife and a place of peace and happiness for the human community.
The garden is beautifully illustrated and there are so many flowers, plants and little creatures to spot on the pages of this book. For anyone considering the idea of rewilding a patch of their garden, creating a community wild space or a school garden, this is a brilliant book to read together for inspiration and ideas. And to see how incredibly powerful nature can be in bringing people together.
Soon it is time for Erik to return. What will he think of the new wild garden?
At first he is a little unsure. Sometimes it can be hard to accept new things but when Mia shows Erik around their wild meadow he sees the hard work of everyone, he sees the miracles of nature and he understands the importance of such an amazing space for the residents of the flats and for the wildlife who have made the meadow their home.
This is a story written with heart and filled with wildlife and wonder.
If you are thinking about rewilding do have a look Rewilding Britain as they have lots of tips and ideas. Do also check out Plantlife who will show you the beauty of wildflowers and weeds in your garden and in other natural spaces. They have lots of fabulous resources for families, schools and communities.
Why not take part in #NoMowMay next month. It does not have to be your whole garden, just a patch that you leave for a month to see what grows there and who lives there too. At the end of May it is Children’s Gardening Week which rolls straight into Garden Wildlife Week, so lots of opportunities to come together with friends and family, local community groups and enjoy the real life magic of nature. Just like Mia.
